I finally felt at peace, as if I was underwater. I accepted to flow with the waves and let it take me underwater, away from the horrid reality. Suddenly, I felt yanked back into the air, by an unknown force.

Opening my eyes, I groan and see a bright light flashing through the open window. I looked around the room, covered in cracked walls and mould in the corner. Turning my head to the side, I saw some empty beds and an awful smell engulfed my nose.

There was a throbbing pain in my head and I look around the room confused. The last events I remembered, well my failed plan to escape, flashed before me. I heard the door bang open and a few steps before a piece of cloth was stuffed in my mouth.

"Now, give me your word that you would make no noise, and I'll take the cloth off your mouth?"

My eyes find the voice and I look up to an old lady, a healer I suppose. With tears streaming down my face, I nod my head.

Feeling the cloth leave my mouth, I calm down and take a deep breath of air. My heart felt as if it would leap out of my chest and my eyes felt like a broken dam.

"Water, please."

I request, my voice hoarse from the screaming. The lady pours water from a jug into a cup before having it to me. Receiving it with shaky hands, I ignore my blurry vision and greedily quench my thirst.

I closed my eyes, relinquishing the cool liquid entering my system. The moment passes as quickly as it came when I felt a hand smacking the cup from my hold.

The water contents spill to the floor as I reach out for it, my thirst unfulfilled. Looking up, I see none other than my stepfather. Behind him stood his mistress wife, looking at me as if I've done a grave crime.

"You foolish girl! How dare you try to run away. For the first time, your life is of value, and now you decide to get rid of yourself!"

I look taken aback, that these people would care for my life. Why would they anyway, other than to torment me. The King grabs the back of my hair as I let out a noise in pure agony.

"My daughter almost had to marry the enemy! How can a princess I raised with all my love and riches suffer the clutches of that northern King?!"

"You're nothing but selfish! I swear if you had died, I would tarnish your birth family's name, but now that your alive, nothing stops me from doing so!"

He says slyly before making a patterned cut on my right hand. It was deep, but not lethal, yet so painful. He marked me as a runaway maiden. If a woman was to run away from her family, it is their dutiful job to mark her, so others know of her disgraceful act.

I never ran away to be with a man out of wedlock, I ran away for my freedom, yet now it all looks the same.

I look in pure shock at the evil couple. I let out a sob as everything hits me, both the physical and emotional pain.

All my life, I was scared to talk back in fright of my life, but now I hold value to them. Without me their daughter would be the wife of an evil King or both kingdoms will be at war.

"I'm selfish! You ruined my life, from when I was a child. I hadn't done anything to you, but you made my life a living hell! You didn't care about my mother's death nor her honour. How dare you-"

I get cut off by an ear ringing slap to my face. I landed on my pillow as I felt a bone in my elbow pop from the force, after being tied down to the bedpost.

"Speak to me like that one more time and I swear you will wish you were never born! Now listen to me very carefully. Try to do this stunt again and I swear you will regret it, dead or alive.

If you happen to live, I won't marry you off to the King, instead, you will work as a whore in this village. If you happen to leave or die, I will surrender this Kingdom, your father's and ancestors' Kingdom to the cruel Northern King.

Imagine, an opportunity to be a queen, yet choosing to be a whore. How disappointed your parents will be for sacrificing the people of Alasia, just for your death."

His words and expression on his face shook me to the core. I would rather be married to a cruel husband and be a Queen rather than be a common whore.

Moreover, I would never let the hard work of my ancestors be out to waste due to my own selfishness. Hundreds, if not thousands of people are living a horrid life under the rule of a malice King, just because the daughter of their once beloved King chose her own happiness.

I felt so broken and helpless, with no way out of this dilemma. How much worse can life get from here? With all the torment I faced by this family, I should be fine with the obstacles of my husband, right?

"Fine, you win. I'll accept the marriage and I give my word I will be there at the altar."

My voice sounded so broken and I'm sure I looked equally as broken. I felt a chin roughly lift my head, by the King before being free from the bed.

I rub my arms, trying to soothe the pain. The red bruises weren't as evident due to my caramel skin, but the pain was still there. I expected him to leave, but instead, he stood there before grabbing my arm and dragging me off the bed.

"What are you doing?! Ahh!"

"You think after pulling that stunt, you wouldn't be punished."

Fear overcame me as I tried to escape his clutches, before I felt the sharpness of a blade near my stomach. I froze my steps, unable to move, as he left to look at me.

"Protest and I'll kill you. I hope you remember what will happen after your death."

I felt wetness on my cheeks and hopelessly walked by his side. I hated this, not having a life of my own, being threatened, and fearing everyone.

A pungent smell overcame my senses as I saw we were in the farm shed. Walking near the cows and horses, my stepfather pushed me to the floor. I saw him grabbing a metal chain before tying the bottom of my left foot to the gates.

I couldn't believe that I was being treated like an animal, literally. The waste disposal was near me, as that smell alone caused my guts to churn.

"If you want to be treated like an animal, so be it. The day of your wedding, in two weeks, you will be released."

I ignored his words and gave no reply, as I accepted my reality. I truly felt like a barn animal, being trapped in these cages and let out to face death. In my case, the marriage seemed equivalent to death.

I felt a kick in my guts as I gasped for air, while I saw the retreating footsteps of that cruel man, through my tear-filled eyes.