Odessa

I am breathing. I am breathing and I am terrified. I am alive and this is quite frankly very surprising.

Though my eyes are open, I can't think of why my heart is pounding, mind empty.

It's as if a hypodermic of adrenaline has been emptied into my carotid. I strain into the utter darkness, my breathing rate beginning to steady.

My heart pounds so hard the blood begins to stream from beneath my soaked bandages. My thoughts grow foggy as I try to figure out where I am. Am I still locked in chains in the cramp cell or am I somewhere else?

When I manage to alert my senses back to some form of consciousness, I notice that I am lying on a padded bed. A bright light shines over my head which makes my vision disorientated. Suddenly there is the pinching sensation of tubes in my left arm and when I turn over my head, I realise that they are actually trying to keep me alive although my veins feel like they are on fire.

I can't help but feel the urge to remove these tubes but my wrists and ankles are strapped tightly around me. I don't know what shape my body is in after everything that has happened. My bones could be shattered or my muscles could be black and blue from the impact of the conflict. It is all too much for me as I try to make a sound, just something that will indicate my presence to anyone, but I can't.

My mouth is gagged shut with a tight handkerchief around my face. I must have probably tried already but my unresponsive brain does not recall such a notion. I would panic if I didn't feel the necessary means to black out.

When I finally awake, I notice the gag is gone from my mouth. With resilient effort I open my parched lips and slowly lick my lips.

I croak out what seems to be a sigh, lifting my left hand up to my face to rub my eye. And that's when I notice rigid bandages around the right side of my face. My lips quiver as I pat my intact fingers over and over the blood soaked bandages. My arm aches as I try to find a loose bandage to let free of this destructive mess.

But as I try to come across the bandage, two figures stumble into the room- one of them the man who contradicted Alder for his actions, the other, a tall man with long greasy black hair. As they both turn towards me, I notice a long jagged scar along the side of the right side of his face.

"She's been in here for the past four days unresponsive but recovering. I told them not to go near her but they did not listen- Isolde treated her wounds and ever since she's been in our infirmary." His voice is so bitter and deep; I can't help but wonder if he really was the same man I saw previously in the tent with Alder.

"I've been gone for five days and this happens?! I told you all to leave it chained and no- you all do the opposite thing to what I order!"

"But Icarus I had nothing to do with this- it was all Alder and Astra's doing" Zephyr immediately defends himself, not daring to be a part of such monstrosity.

Now the name rings a bell to me. His name was mentioned by Zephyr as the Commander of the group- something that holds high regards and honour as he leads his people. But as I sit here and listen to their harsh words, I can't help but feel a similar connection to Father and James whenever they bicker, but it seems this is treason to its people unlike Father's words to James about his poorly registered tax regimes.

"Tell everyone to meet at the centre, we have important issues to discuss" Icarus' voice is so startling I can feel every word prickle everywhere on my skin.

Zephyr nods at his command and so leaves the tent, leaving just the Commander and me all in the one room.

I can't even comprehend what will happen next as I force my eyes shut as he approaches. With each harsh step of his boots, he strides over and grasps my arm tightly.

"I know you're awake princess" his tone is cold straightforward and he tears the tubes out of my left arm. I hold back a roar while he pulls me to my feet. I say nothing but only stare down at the ground as he drags me out of the tent. His vice like grip is unforgiving and will probably leave a bruise, but I do not dare tell him to let go of his grip.

I try to plant my feet on the ground but it only lasts a split second as my legs are in dire agony. I try to do anything to be released from his forceful grip, even jerk my body from side to side but it is no use.

He pushes me hard on the hard ground and a strangle cry erupts from my throat. My head swarms as I try to look up. Dark shaped figures move around me and I hear sounds, voices, their words tumbling around me. Flinching in pain, I shut my eyes tight as everything flares bright white.

Soon, figures gather around me and two men grip my sides and pull me up from the ground while tying rope around my wrists and ankles. It isn't long before I am barely standing on my feet while chained to a wooden pole encircled by the mass crowd with sharpened pegs.

Now it all makes sense. They wanted me to recuperate for a few days before they could finally torture me to death the way they wanted to. They wanted the princess of Erivale to get the beating she deserved. They want me to suffer and feel what they have felt throughout their whole lives. They want me to finally die like the coward I truly am.

It isn't long before three figures stand before Icarus and one of them I make out to be Alder. His face remains stern and focused on Icarus, not even daring to turn to my direction.

"Alder" my voice shakes pathetically as dribbles of snot ooze from my nostrils. I call his name again but there is no response as he remains still.

I try again but I am interrupted by Icarus and his ceremonious voice as he looks at no one and everyone at the same time. "As you all may know, for the past week we have had Odessa Blackthorn held captive in our facilities only on the circumstances given by Astra that she would be returned soon to her rightful place" He pauses, letting the crowd digest the news.

"But now, her visit seems to be overstayed and we cannot help but wonder what we should do with the vermon before everything gets out of hand. We known what her and her family have done to our people, so I feel it is right to give her the crucial punishment she truly deserves- torment until it dies"

Amongst the crowd there are hushed murmurs as they seem unsure of what to make of Icarus' suggestion. But inevitably soon, a few solid cheers sound around the crowd, indicating the few who are loyal to the cause of ruining me. It soon echoes throughout as more and more begin to cheer and soon, chanting begins.

"Kill Odessa!" "Kill Odessa!" "Kill Odessa!"

It only takes a split second before they stop as Icarus raises his hand. "But there are a few in the camp who seem to disagree with our notion, as they feel if we simply kill her, we will have nothing left to help our cause, which is to use her to our advantage"

Now I perk my head up and a pit in my stomach forms. It isn't long before another figure head, a tall thick man with bitter dark skin. Yes I know him, Flint, the man who came that night with Astra and Alder.

He stands with his hands folded in front of him and waits for the crowd to die down before he settles his side of the dispute. "I believe what we have here in the missing link to end all our suffering. Odessa Blackthorn is a high figure in this nation, a figure we could use to our advantage. We could simply threaten the kingdom against her will and receive the rights we deserve"

It isn't long before Alder buts in. "Do you honestly think we'll get the rights we deserve if we have their princess held hostage against her will?! They will find us and they will burn us to the ground, leaving no one alive, not even Odessa. Do any of you have any sense? We are not a group of murderers! Odessa was found after being brutally attacked, she doesn't need to suffer here! Take her back to the palace where she deserves to be!"

Now there is a sudden sharp snarl from Icarus. "If we take her back she will tell them everything that happened- as if her injuries aren't enough to send a whole army of guards to us! Alder, you are the only one here who has no common sense! We cannot take her back-"

"-and we cannot kill her" Alder roars from behind.

But Icarus simply ignores him. "Zephyr, Flint, Kaiser, unchain her right now"

The three men step forward towards me and with my blurred vision, I can make out Icarus reaching for a gun in one of his side pockets.

"Please" I say, my voice rising in desperation. "Plllllleeeeeease! Please don't do this I'm begging you please!"

"Keep quiet you!" a rough voice answers as I feel hands at the back of me.

A burst of frantic frenzy takes over as my head snaps as I am jerked forward. "Noooo!" I scream, spit flying from my mouth as I thrash about, tearing at the men who keep their hold on me. "Let go of me" I scream again as I try to break free from their grip.

I can sense death calling me now as I am dragged closer and closer towards Icarus and his gun. I am bracing a death I never prepared for. I shouldn't end it like this.

With one last violent effort I turn and manage to escape from their grip. The crowd stares, bewildered at my appearance. Somehow the mangled limbed and bloody princess has managed to escape the clutches of evil just before she could face her death.

And without any hesitation, I try to run but my weak legs can only take so much before I fall again to the ground.

"No" I claw at the soil and try my best to remain still in the hopes of not causing any more damage to my broken body.

I am expecting to be pulled up again by the roots of my frail hair, but instead I feel a warm hand being placed on my shoulder. Once I manage to get up from the ground, Icarus stands before me and gently touches my face and for a second I am fooled by the lack of force that I allow myself the delusion and I lean into the touch.

I am so compelled and dizzy after all that has happened that I do not notice the punch coming but I can't do anything about it but take it. I fall in a heap onto the ground again, my lips bleeding as he spits down on me.

"You do realise you will never get home?" he smiles at me. "But sadly, you will survive Odessa Blackthorn, for now anyways. It seems the fools have made a few good suggestions to back you up."

I look at him in disbelief. I am nothing after all, just an invalid human being who has been taken away of its right to live. "It's not so much you actually. But it's most interesting to have King Herald's daughter in our hands. Our scouts have reported that they are looking for you"

"They would be better off to think I'm dead" I whisper before I even realise it. Icarus laughs.

"Truly a tragic tale princess" 

Okay so this is Chapter Four!! All I can say is that I am so pleased with how it came out! Usually it takes me a day to write this but after finishing all my school work I just sat down for a hour and bam! It just came out of nowhere! I hope you all like it! :D

I am so excited to write more! Until then! :) xx