The sound of Sang's shackles dragging against the ground, and the ones around her wrist, clanging together with every step she took, was the only noise to be heard, as the eight black coat guards led her to an unforseen destination.
She was unable to see the faces of the guards as they all had their hoods up, hiding their faces in the darkened hallways. For what she could make out, they were all heavily built and heavily armed, as if a small girl like myself could take them on.
Maybe a year ago she would have been able to, but a year spend in the Slave Mines of England, Sang Sorenson had become nothing more than a shell of what she use to be.
Sang remember the day clearly when she first turned up at; or should I say, turned up 'in' the past. She had ventured into the castle to see what adventures await. Unfortunately Sang got more than she could bargain for. The guards had taken one look at her and taken her before the King. As she couldn't actually tell him where she lived or where she was from, he had sent her straight to the slave mines.
So far the past is definitely not working in her favour, and the time she was given, has so far been put to poor use. As to why she was now being pulled away from the ever constant days of torture, had her freaking out for a whole new reason.
Sang could tell that they were going around in circles, up and down, left then right, all to confuse her, to prevent her from escaping. Normally Sang would have been insulted, but to her humour, all they were doing was making her more familiar with the surroundings.
The one on her right, who was gripping her arm, shifted his head in her direction and she flashed him a grin. He shifted back to the front tightening his grip on her. She didn't know the reason to the stroll through the building that held most of the England's slave mines overseers, but it was a nice break from having to spend a day with a pickaxe in her hand.
Unless of course they were finally leading Sang to her death, something she would welcome with open arms. Most of the slaves of Endovier never lasted more than three months at the mines, before their sanity broke, and either killed themselves or provoked a guard into finishing of the final blow. Some died from infections, some died from starvation, and others just never woke up the next morning.
Sang examined the gloved hand holding her arm, shamed to admit that the black of his glove almost matched the dirt on her skin. Looking around at the other guards she notice how well they are all dressed, and noticing the mark of the England's Royal crest on it. The King's guards? What could they possible wont with her?
Adjusting her dirty tunic, and adjusting her wrist like decorative bracelets, she glanced to the one on her right.
"You're a long way from London, Captain," she said clearing her throat. "Are you with the stampede of elephants I heard earlier?" She tried to peer into the darkness under his hood but his features were hidden from her. Yet, she still felt his eyes on her, weighing, judging, and testing.
To say the Captain of the Royal Guards would be an interesting opponent, maybe even worthy of some effort on her part, actually put a smile on her face. As if sensing where her mind was headed, the Captain growled and increased him pace.
"And what of the armies of England matter to you?" Oh what a magnanimous voice. I wonder if his appearance is just as perfect.
"Nothing." She said, shrugging. His only answering response was a growl.
Oh it would be nice to see his blood spill all over the nice clean marble floor. She had lost her temple once before. One of the guards had taken a whip to her back, after the third strike, what sanity she had left broke. She had made it just under five feet from the wall, after taken down thirty two of the guards.
Sang still doesn't know why they didn't kill her then, but she woke up the next day to find one of the other slave ladies tending to her back.
We arrived at two double wooden doors and the Captain gestures for one of the other guards to open the door. We follow the rest of the guards in and she gets a small glimpse of a young man on the throne like chair before she was shoved to the ground.
"You bow before royalty wench." The side of her face was pushed hard into the marble floor. Sang could make out an older man with a full beard, which could use a good cut.
"Lord Griffin, let the lady go. If I have to force my subjects to bow to me than I'm obviously not a great ruler than am I?" His smooth baritone voice washes over her, wanting her to get another glimpse of him. "I would rather have them bow to me willingly than be forced into it. Plus what do you expect from someone who my father had imprisoned? Loyalty to the crown is not going to be one of her strongest suits right know." The foot holding her head now was released and she was able to push herself up and rest back on her legs.
Sang notice the imprint left on the ground causing her to wince in distain at how filthy she really was. If she was going to meet the prince they could have at least let her clean up a little.
"Captain Blackbourne, I thought I asked for her to be cleaned up first?" She shot the Captain a disdainful look, what an arse.
"I didn't want to keep you waiting your highness." His tone was almost as if he was already bored with the conversation.
The Prince smirked at the Captain and turned his attention back to her. "So miss Sorenson. How are you finding the mines? Is it up to your satisfactory?"
"I highly doubt you are here to discuss my time at the mines, Prince. Why don't you state the real reason you are here? It must be important if the crown Prince of England can make his way all the way here for little old me."
He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees folding his hands together. He shoots her a smile, but it's not the smile that has her frozen. It's his eyes. It almost looks like they are on fire. Fire eyes.
"How bold you are. But you would be correct. You see I have a small dilemma. My father, the King, decided he wants to hold a competition. An all female competition. The winner of course would become free of the slave mines, and receive a hefty sum to live of for the remainder of their lives." The Prince leans back in his chair still not taking his eyes off of her. "The tasks, I have no idea what they will pertain, only that they will be brutal, hard and may even cost you your life. And as you can guess, I need me a champion, so what do you say? Want a chance at freedom?"
He smirks down at her, as if this is all a game to him, and maybe it is. Sang would love nothing more than to take the sword from one of the guards, and drill it right through those fire eyes. But if what he says is true, than he may be her only way out of this slave camp, and then, maybe then she'll be free.
"I'll do it." Sang finally says after a moments hesitation.
The Prince claps his hands together before jumping to his feet. "Brilliant. Captain, take the lady to her room and get her cleaned up. We leave at first light."
"As you wish Prince Victor." The Captain bows before roughly pulling her to her feet, leading her away from the room.
Sang don't say anything on the way to the room, to caught up in her own thoughts to even think up a conversation. The Captain opens a door to a small room, where there a two maids standing there waiting.
She highly doubt they have been standing to attention this whole time, probably gossiping about the poor slave girl who has been given the small fortune of the possibility of freedom.
If she survives that is.
The Captain draws the attention back to him by tugging her arm to face him. "There will be guards posted outside your door so don't even think that you can escape." He turned to look at the maids, his hood still up so she couldn't see his features. "Clean her up as best as you can, can't have the stench offending the Prince on the journey back."
She shoots him a glare, but he doesn't bother to acknowledge it before the Captain storms out slamming the door behind him. Sang lifts up an arm and takes a sniff and recoils in disgust. Yeah ok, I'll agree with him on that one.
Sang walks over to the adjacent room and start to strip of the tunic that was more of a dirty rag than actual clothing.
It took three refills of the bath before she was consisted clean enough to get out. After dressing in a white slip, she was escorted by the maids back into the bedroom where a simple bed lay of to the side with a thick doona placed over it.
Sang hadn't slept in a bed for a year, and there was definitely never any blanket to keep her warm, and the thought of sleeping in own now was almost overwhelming. She gradually climbed in and pulled the covers up and around her, realising for the first time in a year, how truly tired she really was.
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AUTHORS NOTE:
HI LADIES,
OK SO THIS IS A MADE UP STORY, SO ALL CHARACTERS AND MOST OF THE PLACES WILL BE MADE UP. THE MAIN GHOSTBIRD CHARACTERS OF COURSE BELONG TO C. L. STONE, BUT EVERYONE ELSE IS A FIGMENT OF MY IMAGINATION.
ENJOY
A-A
XOXO