"Be on your guard, I think she's waking up." Someone said in my dream.
"Get the cloth ready again in case she decides to cause problems. We're almost there."
It only took a moment before I could tell I wasn't dreaming and I stirred, opening my eyes uncertainly. Blinking, I saw that I was in the backseat of a car and there were men on either side of me. They no longer wore masks. The masks were carelessly tossed on the floor.
Slowly, the terrifying realization that I'd been kidnapped by the kingdom's most feared and cunning gang came to mind.
I had never been more afraid in my life.
There was a nasty tasting gag in my mouth and my body shook slightly in fear. What did they want with me if they hadn't killed me already?
The man on my right who didn't look to be any older than twenty-one, reached a hand out, but I shrank away only to be met by the hands of the other guy.
He touched my shiny strawberry blond hair and I whimpered through the gag, shaking my head at him. My hands and feet were tied securely.
I was completely at their mercy.
"How is our little princess doing?" The curly haired one on my right asked teasingly.
I could only stare at him while the other guy continued running his fingers through my tangled waves and soon his other hand gripped a handful of my dress.
"Liam, stop touching her. You know we aren't supposed to touch her like that." The driver said as he looked through the rear view mirror. His accent was different from the rest and I instantly recognized it as being from the neighboring kingdom, Islanda.
"Only one person can touch her like that." The curly haired one mused, bringing his face close to mine as my breathing quickened. A grin that was meant to seem dangerously mischievous crossed his face. "Perhaps some day he'll let us touch her too...hopefully."
Tears welled in my eyes, so I squeezed them shut to disguise the fact that I was crying. I knew it was unwise to show people like them weakness. But stubbornly, a tear still slipped out.
"Aww." Liam snickered. "She's crying. How cute."
The guy sitting in the passenger seat who had been silent up to now mumbled something under his breath and the driver lightly slapped him.
"We're here." The driver stated, stopping before a massive iron gate and waiting for it to open. Beyond it sat an enormous house that could be considered a mansion. Extensive green grass surrounded it and perfectly trimmed gardens. But what really scared me was the ten foot wall that went all the way around the house as far as I could tell. The only way in or out was the iron gate that didn't look easy to open.
I wriggled in my seat and the curly one patted my leg. "Don't worry princess. The worst has yet to come."
Gee thanks.
The car drove along the clean paved driveway all the way up to the steps that led up to the front door.
My heart beat quickened when the guys started opening the doors and I was pulled out by Curly. He held me tightly and kept a watchful eye on me in case I did anything stupid. But how could I when I was tied up and powerless? I couldn't even scream because of the gag.
I was carried up the steps and the fourth guy who hadn't spoken a word in the car opened the front door for us. I squirmed nervously, wanting nothing more than to be back in the palace safe and sound. But these murdering criminals had to kidnap me.
They brought me inside the expensive looking house, but I was hardly interested in it at all, seeing as I lived in a palace. Walking up the stairs, the group followed us along until we walked down a wide hall and stopped at a door.
It was opened and I was carried inside. The bedroom was expansive and had a dark, foreboding feel to it. I made a frightened squeak when I was dropped onto the bed carelessly. I wriggled around so I could face them.
What were they going to do to me?
"Stay there. If you try to escape or cause trouble, you will regret it when you're back in here with a bloodied back." Curly warned seriously and my stomach dropped.
Then all of them left me there, tied and gagged and lying vulnerable on the massive bed. And that's when I let all of the pent up tears escape. I cried and cried as I lay there uncomfortably with my hands behind my back and my hair in my eyes. My arms ached and the rope wrapped around my wrists and ankles had created raw flesh
What did they want with me? Was I going to be killed? Held for ransom? Tortured?
The gag dried my mouth out and my tears wet my face. Lying there, I looked around the room, seeing it was currently being used by someone. Clothes were carelessly on the floor and dust coated the furniture. The curtains were slightly open so I could make everything out okay. And that's when I saw the infamous mask on the wall. The one I'd seen so many times on television, but never the face behind it.
His mask. The leader of the Blue Knights. Was I seriously in his room? His haunting voice played in my mind, all of the threats he'd thrown at us:
"No one is safe in this city anymore. Not with me around."
"I suggest you watch your children, because I'll be targeting them next."
"You may think you're safe from me, but I will manage to hurt every single one of you before my reign is over."
"Happy to see me again? Those smiles won't last long after I've destroyed everything you love."
Whimpers escaped me as I curled into a ball and wished someone would save me. Did the leader of the Blue Knights really live here? Was he really the one who had me kidnapped?
The thought paralyzed me in fear. That man had done more evil in his life than the entire city had done good.
I was almost relieved when my eyes closed and I fell asleep, safe from him...for now.