Theo

I

She kept silent the whole way. Her eyes stayed to the front, she resisted the urge to do one strong and quick push to the back and make the knight turn loose on the horse. She could bring her leg over and-

No, she couldn't because she would still have the shackles. And nothing tears off these shackles except for their key. She remembered a big man in the clan who got shackled and it drove him mad. He returned to their camp and asked to even cut off his hands if they had to. In the end he got rid of the cuffs but with losing one of his hands in the process. 

She wanted her hands. 

She had to swallow the feeling of powerlessness for now. When she arrives at the palace they will -hopefully- ask her about information for the clan. Of course, she isn't an idiot to spill everything and then get killed or thrown in a cell to rot. She will think of something.

She always gets away.

Why would this time be any different? She just had to suffer a bit for now. A small voice at the back of her head wondered where she would go, but she ignored it and stayed focused on not reacting to the bastards around her.

The one behind her had tried to caress her hair, the thin braids falling over her back. She had turned around and gave him one nasty stare. He had merely brushed it off and looked away. But he didn't try to touch her again. 

"She's a pretty one, shame she's so savage." One snickered. She paid no attention. 

She was the only girl in the clan who knew how to fight, there were other women there but only for helping and taking care. It didn't exactly matter to her, she didn't actually have friends at the clan. And no girl wanted to talk to her, anyway. She didn't know why they didn't like her. Was it the fact that she was strong? Or her appearance?

She didn't think herself beautiful, she could only explain the compliments she would get occasionally on her eyes. Almost every girl in Egypt had shades of brown for eyes, if not all. She, on the other hand, had bright turquoise. That was probably what made people think she was pretty. For having something different. 

"Come on, it turns you on." She felt disgust. Poor women married to them. The knights laughed.

She wasn't doing all this to be wanted or to be called pretty. From the people that she hated, she only wanted their fear to be aimed towards her.

In the morning they stopped like she had assumed. 

At a small market. She followed them into the street and hated how she felt like with the chain around her wrists. No, despised.

The knight neared a bench that a woman was taking care of. His gaze went to several things sprawled over the table. Once he chose what to buy, the woman told him to go to the back. He turned to her. "Make sure she doesn't go anywhere." The woman nodded. She once again rolled her eyes at the stupidity of these men. 

Obviously if she wanted to run she would've already. The woman looked over her with pity. "Why are you in shackles, kid?"

"Stealing." She said, her gaze holding boredom. 

"A girl?" The woman sneered.

She stood straighter, suddenly disliking this woman a lot. "A girl." She confirmed.

The woman scoffed. "Drop that attitude. It won't get you anywhere good." She parted her lips in annoyance and shook her head looking to the horizon. "Especially with the King." The woman added and looked at the crowds passing the market.

She looked back. She didn't know much about him; the King. "You know the King?" She asked curiously.

The woman laughed. "Oh no, no. No one other than the people in the palace see him, he never leaves. He is a ruthless beast. Got worse after- you know." She talked as if she didn't like the subject, furrowing her brows and grimacing.

She shook her head in answer. "I don't."

The woman was surprised. "No? Well I guess only us a bit older know these things now." She placed her attention on something on her table. But now she was curious and she didn't want to let go of the topic.

The knight returned with a lazy grin on his face and she rolled her eyes one more time. Disgusting. He went to her and they moved to the horses. She felt her curiosity fade but she still was interested in the story. The other knights were there already. 

Their road was getting shorter now. And she found that she dreaded meeting the King. A ruthless beast? She would have to think of an escape quickly. With each passing minute she was getting anxious. 

The sun was blinding over them and made her shut her eyes tight. She looked down on her wrists with narrowed eyes. She didn't know they would redden in only hours. These shackles were very deep, then. Thick red rings were forming. She didn't care about pain like this, but it bothered her seeing her wrists red and she just wanted to take the damn cuffs off. 

They reached the gate of the palace and she let herself look all the structures. She felt awe inside. Her eyes were wide looking at the tall thing that was the palace.

People actually live in that? Was that big castle filled with things inside? She had only ever lived inside a tent. She hadn't even slept at a proper bed. What do people do with all that space? 

She saw guards at the gates. There were gardens too, a courtyard. She knew what palace meant, but she didn't know this. 

She wiped every sign of awe away and returned to her reality. She got off the horse and was lead inside by two of the knights. She was stepping on the marble stairs, she was entering the palace.

And she wasn't there to to pay them a visit, she was there because she was prisoner. And that gave her face the look it should have.