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I was tied to a chair. My wrists were bloody and scratched, my head pounding. I just couldn't believe it.

I had been taken by the rebels.

I didn't really want to replay the whole kidnapping thing in my head, but now I was here. The one place I dreaded.

They had asked me a series of questions, to which I had said nothing. They wanted to know everything, the weakness of the palace and all of  the royals secrets. They wanted me to help them, be their eye on the inside.

I didn't know what to do. They had threatened my family, Troye and myself. I didn't care about myself, they could kill me. But I didn't want them to hurt my darling mother, my smiling father. My grandparents and aunt. Especially my prince.

He's not yours yet. I said to myself. There were still other girls in competition for his hand. But they were captured too. What if they gave the rebels everything? They would be considered traitors to the crown, if anyone ever found out.

But maybe nobody would find out. They might think it was from someone else, that I-

No Annabelle. I couldn't betray the crown. I couldn't tell the rebels the royals secrets so that they could kill them. I felt something, deep in my heart, urging myself not to.

I didn't know what this was. Could it be love? I thought if all the conversations with him, all the shared smiles, all the jokes. I closed my eyes and said to myself:

I love him.

My mind was set. I wasn't going to give in. I would protect my family with my life, the country with my silence. I would take the beatings, let them hurt me. Protect what mattered to me most.

The rebels would come every so often, asking me the same things. I would stare at them, in complete silence, until they either left, or got out the whip.

They would strike my back until I cried out in pain. Some of the wielders of the whip would laugh, others would look at me pitifully, but strike after strike came.

At times I thought I would give in. I would tell them everything I knew. I would help them. But I felt the kind eyes of Troye looking at me, urging me to go on. I needed to stay strong, for him, for my family, for the country.

I sat in the dark, my back bruising and bloody, my hands ripped up and sore, My mouth closed in an oath of silence. My clothes were in tatteres, barely clinging to my thin figure. My eyes full of tears, falling to the ground.

Drip.

Drip.

The coldness of my cell was pushing in, making my teeth chatter and my bones creak. Clangs and yells awoke me from my half dead daze. I felt smaller than I ever have, like a speck of dust in a sand storm.

I longed for a warm cup of tea with the other Elite, a biscuit. A delicious meal with the royal family. But all I got was dirty water and stale bread.

Every so often, I thought to myself: this is what a queen would have to do. She would do this for her country, her husband, her family. This is a test. It's a test to see what we would do. I will pass.

I put my head in between my knees, my hands in my armpits, trying to get warmer. I felt so frail, so fragile. Like a butterfly without wings. I could t fly out of this even if I wanted to. I was stuck.

I waited and waited. It seemed like an eternity later when I heard shouting and the bang of guns. Different than before. There seemed to be an argument, a big one.

I lifted my head, afraid. Were they finally going to kill me? Because I hadn't said anything? I watched the door with caution.

It creaked open, and a figure emerged out of the darkness.

"Miss Annabelle?" They asked, moving closer. I jerked back, afraid. But when had the rebels ever called me Miss?

"It's okay. You're safe. I'm part of the royal guard. We're getting you out." The voice said reassuringly. I wanted to believe them, but it could be lying.

"H-how do I know you're not lying?" I asked quietly, my voice cracked with every letter. I could finally see his face in the dim light. He looked like a palace  guard, his hair cropped short and his facial hair neat, unlike the rebels.

He looked at me, pity in his eyes, then showed me his uniform. It was one of the royal guards, but he might've stolen it and killed the man wearing it. I knew it was a trap. This man was going to kill me. He was tricking me.

"Y-you're going to kill me aren't you?" I said, rocking back and forth. This was it. Goodbye world.

I waited for a bang and a lot of pain, but all I felt here strong arms, carrying me away. I knew I had lost a lot of weight, and was a bit grateful.

"You've been through a lot miss, but it's okay now. We'll  get you back to the castle, get you cleaned up." He murmured.

I hardly remembered the ride back, the other selected. I just knew I had done my duty, I hadn't betrayed the royals