'Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.'

-Nora Ephron
***

The moment she reached her intended hell, Rayna felt darkness descend over her.
She did not know what lay ahead.

Her captors had left no stone unturned in terrorizing her with talks of her impending misery.
All through the journey, they threw jeers and lewd threats at her.
But though her mind was numbed from all the pain and humiliation, Rayna did not miss the unmistakable fear in their eyes whenever they broached the subject of the Prince. She could sense their wariness with him.

His dread was the only thing that prevented them from ravaging her while they travelled.
Even when they stopped in the middle of the forest to rest the night, she was left untouched.

Rayna was no fool.
She knew that their benevolence might not last long. And while she was too hurt and exhausted to care what happened to her anymore, she had her son relying upon her. She had to remain calm and timid.
Not giving them a reason to become agitated, might only be in her best interests. Hence, she had been a model victim- keeping quiet and being complaint.

She fuelled her will with the anger that she felt towards her husband. His accusatory gaze was forever etched in her memory, and she found herself seething over the unfairness of the situation.

Had Gillian told anyone about her abduction?
Was her father aware?
Were her people coming to her rescue?

Thoughts abound, she stayed awake and unblinking.
She imagined her husband, happy with his lover, as they celebrated her riddance. The thought made her sick; and it gave her the strength to continue.

She had to survive this. There was no other choice. She could not rely on help from others at the moment. The sooner she accepted the fact that she was on her own, the better it would be for her.

And now, she had to device a means to escape.

“We have to meet the Prince.”

Rayna bit back a cry of protest, as Hal dragged her to stand behind his companion, who stood at the entrance of the tower, talking to one of the guards.

After partaking the excruciating journey of two days and three nights, they were finally in the capital.
Any hope that she had, for help to arrive from back home, vanished the moment the warm sunrays hit her face.

Her body was sore from the ride, and a mild ache plagued her abdomen.

Rayna was jaded with worry.
She refused to let any bleak thought to cross her mind, but somewhere in the back of it, she knew that there was a huge possibility of her losing her child.

At least the brutes had the decency to allow her to sit on the horseback, rather than lay twisted across it like a sack, after the first day of the journey. Perhaps they had taken pity on her; that, or they did not want to take back home, a mere corpse.

“Oh, hurry! I told you we were gone on his mission. We have to report back to him.”

Rayna heard the frustrated tone of her captor, and wringing her wrist against Hal’s hold, raised her eyes to the archway of the tower.

A burly guard, threw her a suspicious look over Hal’s shoulder, before letting out a displeased grunt.

“Alright. Go, wait in the antechamber.”

Her captor seemed relieved at the news, and turned to motion his companion to take her further inside.
She had no strength left to desist. She let him drag her through the maze of corridors and archways, before finally being pushed inside a chamber.
She pressed a protective hand against her abdomen as she fell on a plush, thick carpet.

“Wait here, you wench. We are going to report to the Prince; and as soon as he gives his consent, you will be all ours. You do not know how hard it was to restrain ourselves while you lay within arm’s reach…But not anymore.”

Rayna shuddered at the implications of the man’s words. Beside him, Hal smirked while caressing his groin, causing bile to rise to her throat.

She would rather die, than let these men have their way with her.

But the thought of her son, stopped her cold.
Could she possibly choose to die?

She did not have time to consider her options however, as the very next moment, the door to the chamber opened with a loud thud.

Both her captors immediately changed their composure. She had never seen such a stark change in anyone.
All due to the presence of one person- a person, whom she could only assume to be the Prince, considering the way the men bowed before him.

She scrambled to straighten herself from her unceremonious position on the floor. Taking the support of a nearby chair, she pulled herself straight, all the while keeping her eyes upon the face of the man who now held her destiny in his hands.

He was the reason she was here.
He was the reason of her people’s fear…her father’s worries.

This man! And he was just a boy!

Had she not been devising a way to stay alive, Rayna would have laughed at the jest that life had played with her.

First, there was that mere girl, who had snatched her husband from her; and now, there was this mere boy, who got to decide her future.

Oh, how the heavens scorned her!

This was the Prince Algar that people were afraid of?
This was the person who had caused entire clans to vanish from their lands?
He had managed to send wise, old leaders into frenzy.
The idea was derisive!

He was no older than Lynette. And though his eyes were hard and unyielding, his face held a boyish innocence. Standing tall and lean, he scowled down at her figure, like she was dirt under his feet.

Rayna felt indignation flare up in her. There was no chance she would ever let this boy decide her fate.
She had to turn this situation in her favour.
There had to be a way…

“Your Highness, we apologise for being late.”

Hal’s nervous words, caused Rayna to retract her eyes from the Prince.

“What did you bring for me?”

His voice reached Rayna like ominous clouds in a storm. She flinched, scrunching her eyes in a prayer, wishing the holy spirits for some miracle, as she wrecked her mind for some ideas.

“W-We were not able to reach the village, Your Highness. We were advancing there, but found the chieftain’s daughter midway.”

“The Chieftain’s daughter?”

Rayna’s heart thudded in her chest, as she raised her head to the men.
Hal pointed at her with a filthy finger.

“Yes, this girl. We thought it might please you to get a leverage over the chieftain.”

The Prince looked in her direction, with his scowl intact on his face.

“But there has been a problem, Your Highness.”

The man’s voice, spoken in a cautious whisper, caused the Prince to snap his head in his direction.

“What sort?”

The men exchanged a hesitant glance, before turning back to the Prince.
Hal began in a tight voice,

“We were seen by one of their men. It is highly unlikely that he saw our faces, but they have been alerted. It will be very difficult to attack now. They will be ready with their defences.”

The chamber was cloaked in an eerie silence, while Rayna waited with a bated breath for the Prince’s reaction.

Will he command the men to attack her village?
Will he go there himself?

“You are telling me that you two managed to lay waste to all our planning?”

The men swallowed at his words, looking down at the ground.
Rayna saw the look of displeasure cross the young boy’s face, before he shouted for his guards.
Two men, quite indistinguishable with their chainmail attires, entered the chambers in another second.

She saw the horror on her captors’ faces, when they realised their folly.

“Y-Your Highness! Please, have mercy on us! We brought the woman with us. We brought her as a gift for you… Please give us another chance.”

The Prince’s mouth turned up in contempt.

“You dogs. I give you one task, and you butcher it. I do not need your gift. I can get any woman I want, here. I sent you both there, to get me some information regarding that clan, so that I can surprise them with an attack. I wanted those people to bow before me, and accept me as their King. And you are trying to appease me with a mere whore?”

Rayna clenched her jaw at his words.

“We apo-apologize, Your Highness. Please.”

“No. I am not like my father. The sooner everyone here accepts that, the better. Guards, lock then in prison and starve them to death.”

The pleading cries of the men filled the chamber, as they were yanked out by the guards.

Rayna wanted to laugh at their fate, but found it difficult in the face of the imminent danger.
She had to remember that her fate had not been decided yet.

As if on cue, the Prince moved towards her with slow steps, taking his time to peruse her from head to toe.

“You are the chieftain’s daughter?”

Her pride wouldn’t let Rayna cower before him. She raised her gaze to meet his as she dug her nails into her palm, letting the pain drive away her fear.

She wondered if this was the end; and if it was, she vowed to face it with dignity.
She had managed to survive this far. There was no way she was going to let this tyrant deride her.

Although, while she presented this front, a huge part of her trembled in trepidation. She feared for the life of her child, and the humiliation that lay ahead.
But she would not give him the satisfaction of seeing that fear. He had already taken so much from her; this- her pride, she wouldn’t let him trample.

“Hmm…I see why they might have been distracted from their mission. You are a feisty one, aren’t you? You dare meet my eyes.”

His eyes flashed with an unrecognisable emotion; and before she could decipher it, he was already out of her sight.

He circled her slowly.
She could feel his heated gaze upon her skin, burning through the tattered fabric of her dirtied dress.

“I might just allow you to live. You will give us all the information you have; and my men will have someone to occupy their time with.”

Rayna spun around with a glare, and saw him seating himself in a chair at the opposite end of the chamber.

“I have no information for you.”

He lips turned up with amusement, as she spit out the words.

“I think otherwise. You were the chieftain’s daughter.”

Rayna held her breath as she bit back,

“Am. I am the chieftain’s daughter.”

His smile grew wider, much to her discontentment.

“No, you are not. You are in my palace. You are my prisoner, woman. And I might do what I want, with you.”

The slight edge in his voice, cautioned her to tread carefully.
She reminded herself of her precarious situation. She had to device a way to escape this situation, not dig herself a deeper hole.

She held her tongue, aware of the repercussions. This was the same man, who had ordered the death of countless people. She did not want to do anything to warrant his anger on her.

“Why, did you lose your spirit so quickly? I was just beginning to have some fun here. What do you propose, I do with you?”

Rayna did not know what compelled her to say what she said next,

“You can let me leave.”

She saw his brows jump up in surprise, and had to stop herself from giggling like a lunatic.
Maybe she had lost all sense; was she finally going mad?

“You have got quite the gusto…Perhaps, I should keep you for myself. You will be a good distraction from that wretched court.”

He ran his finger along the length of the chair’s arms, looking down at the ground.

When he next raised his head, he held a sinister sneer on his face.

“What do I do? Help me decide, would you?”

Rayna could see the scrutiny in his eyes. She knew she had to measure her words.

“You will anger my father, if you decide to do anything to me.”

She knew the second the words were out of her mouth, that she had taken the wrong step.

His jaw hardened, and his spine straightened.

“I do not fear the likes of your father. I have crushed greater men under my feet. I am Algar, the ruler of this land. If you had heard about me, you wouldn’t have dared to speak a word.”

Rayna decided to take a gamble, and spoke in the most unsubtle implicative tone she could gather,

“Oh, I have heard plenty about you.”

She almost smiled with victory, when she saw him rise to the bait. He frowned, and his face was eloquent of his restrained curiosity.
Trying his best to remain aloof, but failing miserably at it, he barked out his question,

“And what have you heard?”

Rayna had realised one thing during this short conversation- Prince Algar did not take kindly to any threats.
The way his eyes had flashed with aggression at her words, was a clear indication of his weakness.

He was just a boy, after all. Ruling a kingdom as vast as theirs, required patience and calm.
And he clearly had none. He was just a spoiled little boy, desperate to escape the shadow of his father. She could see the way he masked his insecurity with anger.

Rayna purposely avoided his eyes, as she feigned reluctance.
Just as she had gathered, he could not keep his cool for long.
His voice soon bellowed in her ears.

“Speak, wench! What did you hear about me?”

She felt her heart thud with an asinine fear, despite being the one to rile him up.

Swallowing her uneasiness, she spoke in a tentative whisper,

“They say the King is still alive; that you are just a mad Prince and the people will never be happy under your rule. You are ruthless and merciless.”

She knew she was treading on very dangerous grounds. One wrong word, and he could immediately have her head.

All she could do, was await a miracle.

When he spoke next, his voice was eerily calm, but his face was tight with tension.

“Huh. They will soon know better… And what about you? Do you agree with them?”

‘Yes. I couldn’t agree more.’

Rayna held back the words.

She saw her chance, and grabbed it for life.

“I disagree. I think you are a merciful man. And that is why you will release me. You wouldn’t want to carry the stain of murdering a woman with child.”

His surprised gaze fell upon her midsection, as he absorbed the meaning behind her words.
She knew she was taking a huge gamble. It could very well go against her…

“Were my men aware of this?”

Rayna shook her head in denial, trying to keep the best guileless front she could manage.

His gaze bore into her, and she resisted the urge to escape his sight.

“And why should this revelation be of any concern to me? Is it supposed make me change my mind? I do not think it has any bearing to what I might decide for you. I better get rid of that child. Or maybe my men will do the task for me, when they handle you personally, to their liking.”

She knew he was testing her. But she wasn’t going to back down now.
She knew now, that he was her only hope.

She had to decide what she wanted- to rot in a dingy prison cell, amidst men who would leave no chance to devour her like a pack of wolves; or to be here- compromising on her pride and making the best of her situation...

It was no longer a question.
She knew what she had to do- for her son, as well as for herself.

She neared his chair, with his eyes following her every step. Kneeling down on the ground in front of him, she looked at him with hooded gaze.

“I know you are not as ruthless as the people make you out to be, Your Highness.”

She purposely emphasised the title, making sure to exploit his vanity to her advantage. Her plan seemed to work, as his chest puffed out and a satisfied smirk adorned his face.
She continued with an impeccant expression,

“If you allow me and my child to live, I assure you- I will serve you faithfully. You and only you, will be my master- my King.”

His eyes probed her with an unflinching critique.

“Do you think you have any other choice? You are in my palace, under my mercy. Even a tinge of betrayal from your side, will send you down the path to your own personal hell. You might think I am gullible enough to fall for your words, but I am not.”

Rayna felt the thread of hope, slipping from her hands, and she made a desperate attempt to grab it.

“I will satisfy you like no other woman ever could. My body will be at your service whenever you want.”

A flare of lust sparked in his eyes, and he bent his face closer to her.

“I will have you if I want. I do not need your permission for that. What is stopping me from claiming your body, after I have gotten rid of your child?”

Rayna wanted nothing more, than to shield her son from the cruel words. She knew she had to do everything in her power to avert this crisis.

She fixed a dispassionate look on her face.

“Of course, you can. I cannot stop you, if you decide on that. But then, you would only get a corpse of a woman. You may take me however you want, but you will never get what I am capable of giving you.”

His face neared her with an alarming alacrity.

“And what is that?”

Rayna unsheathed a beguiling smile, speaking in a tone that was filled with promises and temptations,

“Passion. Pure, unadulterated passion. If you let me live, and spare my child, I promise to please you like no other woman would ever have. You will know desire, as you have never known before. I will make sure to satisfy your needs, and a lot more.”

She could feel his breath upon her face, coming out in unrestrained puffs, his eyes heated.

She felt her pride shrivel.
She swallowed her shame and reluctance. Showing any of those emotions on her face, would mean welcoming her own death.

“Show me.”

His voice was a mere whisper, as he leaned back against the chair, keeping his scorching eyes on her.

Rayna knew she had to prove her worth to him, even if it meant deriding herself.
It was all or nothing now.

She put aside her honour, and curved her lips into a tempting smile.
Keeping her eyes fixed at Algar, she dragged her fingers up his legs, caressing him through the fabric of his trousers. She saw his hands tighten into fists, where they lay on the armrests.

And as she reached to pull open the waistband, she saw him take a feverish breath.

Rayna pushed aside the image of Gillian’s hateful glare from the forefront of her mind, as she lowered her face to the Prince’s lap.

She knew the moment she heard his pleased moan, that she was going to live.

Trying not to heave in disgust, she continued, giving her all to this man.

She knew not what to do.
The only thought, that forced her to continue, was the will to live. She had to survive- for her son.

All she could hope for, was rescue. For, a stupid corner of her heart still dwelled on the hope, that Gillian will come to save her; if not for her, then for their child.

And till he, or her father’s men, came to save her, she was on her own.

And for now, she had to get this boy on her side.
______________________________________

Lynette awoke to a throbbing pain in her head and an unmoving arm.

She opened her eyes with a groan, startling the man who sat beside her, holding her hand in his.

“Lyn! You are awake!”

Seeing Gillian’s relieved face, brought more confusion to her already muddled senses.

“What are you doing here?”

Wasn’t he supposed to be at his home- with his wife?

The thought of Rayna, caused the flood of memories to rush through her. A horrified gasp escaped Lynette, as she recalled all that had happened, before her fateful fall.

“Oh!”

A tear escaped her eye, causing Gillian to wipe at it tenderly.

“It is alright, Lyn. You are safe. I am here.”

Lynette frowned as she blinked back the rest of her tears. She could still feel the wretched man’s hands on her, and it made her sick. She choked, turning to her side.

Gillian’s soothing hand was at once at her back, rubbing soft circles on it.
She quickly composed herself, before looking back at him.
She remembered the hurtful words of his wife, and then the relief she had still felt upon his presence.

“How did-"

“Shh.”

His finger pushed against her lips, stopping her from continuing.

“You need rest, Lyn. You need to heal.”

She looked down at the cast covering her hand and the swelling on her ankles. Then she remembered the other woman.

“What happened? Where is Rayna?”

Gillian’s jaw clenched upon hearing the name, and his eyes heated up with an anger, that she had never before seen on his face.

“Do not speak of her! That woman is unscrupulous! I knew something was wrong, the moment Olga had informed me of her wish to meet you alone. I should have protected you from her.”

Lynette’s confusion rose with every passing second.

“I-I don’t understand…Where is she?”

He looked at her with a disbelieving frown.

“How can you still ask about her, after what she did to you? She pushed you off of that horse, Lyn! She wanted you dead!”

Lynette remembered the way Rayna had defended her, and shook her head vehemently.

“No, Gillian! You are wrong. She had tried to save me from those people. Yes, she did push me off that horse…but I think that it was her way of saving me. I fell on the soft ground. If she wanted me dead, she could have pushed me near the rocks.”

Her words seemed to have little effect on Gillian. His expression remained sceptical, though a spark of doubt ignited in his eyes.

“Now, tell me- where is she? And who were those men?”

Lynette held her breath as she waited for his answer.

“They were from the capital. That bastard prince must have decided to attack with stealth. But you do not need to worry about all that. We will fight those men. You just need to rest for now. As for that woman, I would not trust her if I were at you place. She has a talent of manipulating people for her own needs. She must have tried to act a certain way before you, Lyn. But do not be mistaken, she is evil. It might be a good for her to learn a lesson.”

Lynette found herself mad with disbelief.

“What? Those men have your wife, Gillian! I don’t care what you might think of her, but she is still your wife. And she carries your child- your flesh and blood.”

She interrupted his protestations with a firm shake of her head.

“She saved me Gillian; at least, she tried to. There must be a reason for her to push me. How could you abandon her like this? You did not hear those men, Gillian! They were brutes. They talked of unspeakable things. Think of what they might do to her! They might harm your child… And what about the chieftain? She is his daughter.”

Her words caused most of the anger on his face, to be replaced by sanity. His eyes cleared, and a hesitation entered his face.

“The Chieftain has already ordered for the troops to be prepared. I-If she is alive, she has to be in the palace. He is fuming with anger and sick with worry. He will go to the palace with some troops to negotiate. Let us see what happens…”

As he faced Lynette’s disapproving glance, his head swam with the possibility of all that could happen with Rayna…and his child. The thought sent him reeling with discomfort, as he forced to contemplate-

Did he really care what happened to them?
_

_____________________________________

Author's Note-

Hello to all my wonderful readers!

Thank you all for having such patience. I am always grateful 💕

So, what do you think of Rayna's move?
Do you think she will be successful in saving herself?

Is Prince Algar really that susceptible, or is it just a front?

What do you think Gillian will do now?
Will he have a change of heart?

(P. S. I am sorry for the typos!)

Till the next time 👋