The door to the tower room opens and I am unceremoniously thrown in. Then the door slams shut, pitching the room into darkness.

I lie in a heap where I have fallen and don't have the will to move. Wracking sobs tremble through my battered frame and tears soak into the grimy wooden floorboards. The eagle croons as if trying to soothe me.

Finally, I can cry no more, but the pain, both physical and mental is almost overwhelming.

The silence is broken by the sound of the door unlocking. Curling into a protective ball, I wish that I could just disappear. Rather than striding footsteps, there are shuffling feet and clinking crockery, accompanied by the scent of food. Unfurling, I push myself upright.

The room is illuminated by a lantern and a grey-clad male servant is stood at the table. He turns and approaches with a knife in one hand, but his eyes are down cast. I am uncertain whether he means harm. Still avoiding eye contact, he brings his wrists together and holds them out.

Ah! I understand and offer up my bound wrists. Several slices and I am freed from the hateful bindings. I grimace at the red raw patches where the rope has bitten into tender flesh.

"Thank you."

His eyes, the eyes of a broken man, flicker up to mine for just an instant before returning to the floor. I wonder morosely, how long before I'm that broken?

Then he shuffles out and locks the door behind him. I'm alone once again, but at least with food and light.

On the table is a steaming bowl of stew, a hunk of bread and an earthenware goblet filled with water. Though the sight stirs my hunger, my hands are filthy, so I cross over to the alcove behind the stairwell, which I found earlier. I pull back the once plush green velvet curtain, now faded and spotted with mildew.

The image in the tarnished mirror causes me to freeze. Dark ringed eyes stare out of a pale, tear stained face, framed with lank hair. A livid bruise blazes on one cheek and finger marks, blue tinged with yellow, encircle my neck.

With shaking hands, I pour cold water into the chipped bowl and wince in pain at the movement. Gingerly, I peel off my clothes and stand in my underwear. A sob catches in my throat at the sight of bruising on my back, legs and arms. With splotches of green, blue, red, purple and black I could almost have taken part in a festival of colour celebration, although my body reflects a sharing of hate, not love.

Taking a wet rag, I hold it against my tender skin and the cold water brings some relief until, teeth chattering, I am forced to stop and dress in my lightest nightgown.

Returning to the table, my stomach rebels at the thought of food, but I force myself to nibble at the bread. The eagle shifts agitatedly and stares at me intently.

"Are you hungry my friend?"

The eagle bows its head. I take a chunk of meat and carefully post it through the golden bars. Stretching out the eagle delicately takes the offering and then wolfs it down. I pick up another piece of meat and feed it more. For the first time since coming to this dreadful castle a smile graces my face at the simple pleasure of helping another.

The eagle rubs its head against the bars and risking my fingers, I scratch its neck. I can't believe how tame it is.

Suddenly exhausted, I climb into the narrow bed. The bedsprings groan and the sheets feel cold and smell damp. Shivering, I will sleep to claim me quickly.

.....

I awake to find the old man with the golden eyes perched on the end of my bed. The pity in his expression causes me to well up and he holds me while I sob into his chest.

Gesturing to the room, he insists, "This is not your fate." He grasps my shoulders and looks intensely into my eyes. "Your destiny is to uncover the Light of Elysium."

"But I don't have a clue where this stupid light is."

He gives a slight smile, as if I have said something amusing. "You will find the Light when the time is right."

Anger flares through me at his enigmatic words. "Well, that is comforting. Next time I am being beaten to a pulp, I will be sure to tell them that."

Unaffected by my sarcasm, he pats me like a child. "You are not without friends. You will not continue to suffer in silence."

.....

When I next wake it is morning. At first, I forget where I am, but then all the horrors of yesterday rush back. A shroud of depression falls over me, much like the thick grey clouds blanketing the sun. Outside the castle has the appearance of a crouching beast; the grey stone slick from overnight rain.

Trudging over to the alcove, I freeze and blink several times before leaning in to take a closer look at my reflection. The bruise on my cheek is completely gone.

Turning this way and that, I examine myself in the mirror, but apart from a couple of spots of yellow on my back, my body shows no sign of the damage inflicted yesterday.

Obviously, I don't want to be hurt but this is really unnerving. Am I some sort of freak? Or maybe that dream man with the weird eyes did something?

Pulling myself together, I refuse to let them beat me down. I put on my elven exercise clothes and partake in the normal morning routine. Though I do have to stop several times and take deeps breaths, so as not to break down at the fact that Darish is not with me.

It is as I'm standing on one leg, that the door opens behind me. I pirouette on the spot and find myself facing the servant from yesterday; he flinches and the dishes on his tray clatter. Hurriedly, he removes the unappetising bowl of congealed stew and replaces it with a bowl of porridge swirled with honey and a mug of spiced tea.

......

As the day wears on, I find myself going almost crazy from being locked in; oscillating between mind numbing boredom and fretting about what new horrors might await me.

I pace like a caged tiger. "God, I hate this place. It is like some twisted fairy tale."

Slumping on a chair, I rest my head against the cage and start conversing with the eagle. "There is a fairy tale from my world where a girl kisses a frog and he turns into a handsome prince. And another where a maiden is rescued from a tower. But you're not exactly in a position to rescue me."

The eagle's body is taut and its jerky movements betray signs of agitation. I could almost believe that anger and despair are swirling in its tawny eyes. Damn! This place is getting to me. I'm imagining things now.

The hairs on my arm stand on edge and the door opens again. This time it's no meek servant, but my nemesis, the cruel captain. His chilling gaze washes over me as I back up against the wall.

"Lord Nero demands your presence."

It is perhaps a small mercy that he does not bind my hands, yet still I feel as if I'm tethered to a sadistic keeper. His look alone promises unspeakable things if I so much as put a toe out of line.

We descend into the grander part of the castle and through the now empty hall. There are two doors behind the dais and we take the right. It leads into a large, masculine room.

On the left of the room is a gothic stone fireplace, surrounded either side with floor to ceiling bookcases and on the right are several heavily curtained windows. Dark red rugs are scattered on the dark wooden floor.

The captain pushes me to my knees in front of Nero, who is sat on a high-backed leather chair, by a crackling fire.

Nero dismisses the captain with a wave of his hand and just sits there in silence. Alone in the room with him, my anxiety rises but I dare not move.

Finally, his eyes flash above my head and he starts to speak, "Where is the Light of Elysium?"

"Please my lord, I-I do not know." I flinch; yesterday I was most often struck when I didn't know the answer to one of his questions or he did not like the answer.

Violence does not seem immediately on the cards, as he calmly continues, "How came you upon the unicorn?"

"I kept having the same dream, a man with golden eyes telling me to go back to where it started."

A chill passes through me and the back of my neck prickles. I glance over my shoulder, but there is nothing there, only a blank wall and a large ornate mirror.

Nero grabs my face and roughly twists it back to face him. "I am talking to you. How dare you look away?"

As his questioning continues, I feel increasing unsettled and cannot shake the feeling of being watched. Unwittingly my eyes flicker once more towards the mirror.

Nero stands abruptly and, yanking me to my feet, marches me over to the mirror. Standing behind me, he wraps one arm tightly around my waist.

"What..." he hisses in my ear, with an edge of menace "... is so fascinating about this mirror that you cannot follow a simple instruction to look at me?"

The feeling of being observed intensifies and I wonder if this is a two-way mirror. My stupid mouth speaks without thinking. "Is someone in there?"

"What are you?" he demands.

A few months ago, I would have laughed and said a human, silly. I draw in a shaking breath. "I don't know."

Pulling on my hair, he moves my head to one side and traces a silver dagger down my neck and my chest. His reflection in the mirror shows delight as I tremble.

"Shall we find out?"

I whimper as the blade cuts into my skin and bile rises in my throat when his tongue darts out to taste the blooded blade. I am barely given a moment to think how disgusting he is when I'm slammed up against the wall, the pressure from his body bordering on painful. My fear ramps at the sight of his eyes for they are almost completely black, with only a thin corona of silvery green.

His lips brush my earlobe as he purrs, "So sweet."

..........................

⚠️🙉🙉