Reign of Rain [Pokemon Watty Awards 2015]

Chapter 15

LUNA

 

            The door in the chamber opened, and Thomas, Ahab’s young sidekick, entered the room. “Sir, Her Grace has apprehended the Pirate. She wants you to begin the interrogation immediately.”

            Luna trembled as Ahab traced the outline of her face. “So sorry, my dear,” he said. “Your husband must attend to his duties. Rest well for tonight.” Ahab stumbled out of the bed they were sharing… or was it the one he was keeping her in? Luna had her arms tied to the bedpost so she couldn’t move. The rank of sweat and alcohol lingered even when Ahab dressed.

            That was the punishment for raising her hand to her lord husband. Luna had been close, so close, to killing him in his sleep during the night of their wedding. Unfortunately, a drop of nervous sweat had plopped onto her vile husband’s face. He had awoke in a rage, squeezing her hand that held the crude knife she had gotten a hold of. Her hand still throbbed in its shackle. It was most likely broken. Luna was no stranger to broken bones.

            After Ahab had dressed he brushed Luna’s sweat drenched hair out of her face and kissed her on the forehead. “I love you,” he said, mockingly.

            Luna tried to stammer out an “I love you, too.” It was best to just give Ahab what he wanted. She had been a bad wife, she knew. It was her fault that she had still resisted his advances while she was tied up. It was her fault Ahab had knocked out three of her teeth with a drunken fist.

            Ahab turned back to Thomas, “Where did they take him?”

            “To the dungeon, my lord,” the young man said as the door was shut behind them.

            Luna was alone in the chambers again with Gardevoir. After the wedding, she had not moved rooms. The bars were still on the windows, and Gardevoir was still bundled in a heap of heavy chains next to the wall. Even though Thomas was sent to feed the Pokémon once a day, her face was thinning.

            Luna turned her head to the side, to look at Gardevoir next to the wall. These were the best moments of her life, now. The moments when Ahab would leave and she could be alone with Gardevoir. She had even thought one time that Gardevoir could talk.

            She remembered how her head had pounded after Ahab had come into their chambers. “Don’t give up, Luna,” Gardevoir’s eyes said. “Be strong.”

            It was so hard to be strong, and eventually she had found it easier to be weak. “It’s my fault,” she told Gardevoir. “I need to be a good wife, and he won’t hit me…” She knew what she was saying was wrong, deep down, but she also knew that there was no hope for her. Apollo would be too busy marshalling the armies and navies of Slateport and defending the kingdom to try and save her.

            Luna accepted her fate. It was to be a life of torture for her. Tears streamed down her face, and the blood rose to her face. Her cheeks felt warmer and warmer the more she cried. She turned her head to look out the window, the bars were dancing in the heat.

            That’s when the fire started. Bits of flame came pouring in through the window, and eventually it burst inward with a clang. He’ll hear, Luna thought to herself. My husband will return and he’ll punish me for ruining the window… Two dark shapes rolled into the window, the taller one slowly approached her as the short one waddled over to Gardevoir and began breathing fire on the chains that bound the Pokémon. She couldn’t make out the shapes between the tears in her eyes and the way they were almost swollen shut.