Vainglory

Chapter Twenty Nine- By the Blade

"Mom?" Annabelle asked with tears in her eyes. She was ignored by Bathory who had Annabelle suspended from the ceiling with her head pointed towards the floor. Dorothea came in a few moments later and assisted with the moments that followed. She used alcohol and boiled water to sterilize the tools, making a comment on how she wanted Annabelle to die from her hand and not by the infection of others.

"This room was crafted to me by my husband for a wedding present. Although we were married young, we loved each other's darkness and basked in the knowledge that we could trust one another. But then I met another. One whom loved me with everything I was...I was quite different back than. Naive, eager, innocent, untainted..." Bathory moved to her tools and picked up the one that looked like a metal arrow. Moving it across Annabelle's skin, she winced to the cold instrument before having the tip hit against her body. The sharp end began to cut her skin similar to that of a papercut, just enough to aggravate but not life threatening.

"I was stupid enough to love someone below me. Whom struggled with money their entire lives. Ferenc discovered our relationship and had him killed. Or so he thought. A very dedicated man in my life whom admired me with his entire heart gave his life so I could save the man I love. Ferenc believed he killed this man-the one who truly had my heart..." She traced her finger upon the cut along Annabelle's body before taking the blood and sucking it clean.

"It was not until four years later, that I saw him again. I was married, not happily, bored each day I awoke and miserable going to bed. I was unable to give Ferenc a child-an heir...and for this, he tortured me by having me clean the dirty floors and forcefully take me to bed...otherwise i was to be whipped...I had little choice. He had an affair with a young girl whom I later discovered was my lover's daughter. She was just a child and he took her life as if it was an enemy of his. I left him then. I reconnected with my love and we spent many nights together. A month in time I believe. But it was discovered by Ferenc he had not died to begin with. To protect him, I had to make him hate me so I explained how I never loved him. It had been a lie-the biggest one I had told."

She took another tool from the table before placing it over the fire which she had Dorothea lit. The instrument was long and circular on each end. One end held a flat circular object which burned red as it was lit hot. With a sinister smile, Elizabeth would look at the red end and then back to Annabelle who began to feel defeated. Terrified of what was to come, she closed her eyes before hearing a knock upon the door just before Elizabeth placed the hot poker against Annabelle. Letting out a groan, she moved to the door to find it to be Ficzko. She opened the door and stood outside of it but not before Annabelle could overhear them.

"It is nice to see you are able to walk on your own."

"It appears only my left eye is the one incredibly damaged. I can see from the other one."

"I did not mean to interrupt your Majesty..." He said with a bow before noticing a girl was suspended. He moved into the room as Bathory moved aside before seeing it was Annabelle. He looked to her as if she were a prize waiting to be claimed. He moved his hands upon her body before she shifted away from him which caused more pain on her limbs as her entire body weight fought against her.

"We will have great joy with you...' He said with a sinister smile as his eye was almost a cloudy white and red around it, making him look like a demonic being. His cripple became less noticeable as he claimed Dorothea gave him herbs that assisted in his walk and back.

"Leave us." Elizabeth asked as Dorothea and Ficzko left in unison. When the door shut, Elizabeth moved to her as she hung at her height. She ran her hand upon her cheek before looking into her eyes.