I'd cried for nearly half an hour before I was finally able to pull myself together. I had no idea what was going on with me. I laid back in my bed and turned on the TV in the corner. I flipped through the channels, but nothing interesting seemed to be on. I finally got up the courage to make my way downstairs, where I somehow seemed to run into Sebastian first thing.

He gave me his warm closed eyed smile. "I hope you are feeling better, My Lady."

"Yes, thank you." I then walked past him and out into the garden.

I ran straight through to the edge of the property, then found the old tree swing my father had put up for me when I was small. It was just a wooden plank tied to a low branch with some old rope, but that place was the most special to me in the entire large area that my family owned.

Smiling at the memories of my parents, I sat in the swing and gazed up at the afternoon sky. The clouds were a puffy white and the sun was shining brightly behind me. I took a deep breath, and relaxed in the spring breeze.

I could've sat there forever, but I had to face reality at some point. I took the time at the swing to think about what Sebastian had told me earlier. He had told me not to dwell on how much time I had left, but to make the most if it. How was I supposed to do that? 

I heard a twig snap, instantly pulling me from my thoughts and causing me to jump out of the swing. I quickly looked around, but saw no one.

I started to slowly make my way back toward the house, but gradually picked up speed as I realized that I had no idea who this could be. I lived on a private property. Not even the police were allowed here without special approval.

I was almost back to the house when I felt someone latch onto my hair. Feeling the yank on me as they stopped running after me caused me to stop running and hold my head. They grabbed my arms and covered my mouth as someone else tied my arms around me. I hadn't even noticed there were two of them! I tried to free myself, but to no avail. I tried to scream, but the person's hand was clamped firmly over my mouth. I felt tears in my eyes as I finally realized that I was actually being kidnapped. 

Forcing the tears away, I managed to remain strong. I refused to cry in front of them. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

They put me in the backseat of their car, blindfolded me, then drove off.

***

When the car finally stopped, I'd thought I had been tied up for ages. They must have driven out of town so they couldn't easily be found. 

They pulled me out of the car and carried me inside. Once there, they pushed me into a hard wooden chair and tied me to it. I screamed at them to stop, but the only thing that did was get them to put a gag in my mouth. I tried to scream around it, but it came out muffled and quiet. I gave up on crying out for help, and simply sat there silently, a tear or two dampening the blindfold.

The people began whispering to each other, and the only thing I could tell was that they were definitely both male. They had deep bass voices that were raspy and thick.

I sat in the chair for what felt like maybe five minutes before the men spoke up, clearly directing their attention on me. "Chrystal Foster, you are going to be staying with us for a little while. At least until your parents fork over the money to get you back."

I tried to speak, but it was muffled and choppy. One of them sighed, and removed the gag.

"If you're waiting for my parents to give you money, you'll be waiting for a while."

"And why's that?" the other asked.

"My parents are both dead." 

"Well then who keeps up with your money?"

"I do."

"Well then someone else in that big mansion of yours will hand it over. Surely they can't live without their princess."

"I'm the only one who knows where my money is. Not even my head butler knows."

I could hear one man growling in anger and frustration. I did my best to seem calm, but my hands were shaking by my sides and I felt terrified. I wanted to go home.

I opened my mouth to say something that might get them to let me go, but didn't get to speak. 

One of the men had punched me in the jaw. I heard it pop as my face immediately burst with the sensation of terrible pain. The chair I was tied to fell over and slid across the room, and my head hit the wall.

After that, I couldn't stand it anymore, and did the last thing that I ever wanted to do. I moved my hands under the rope and put my right hand over my left wrist, which had the contract mark on it, and said softly, "Sebastian, help." I then thought, Bring me my swords.

Yes, My Lady, rang through my head as he replied to me.

"Who's Sebastian?" One of the men asked. "Whoever he is, he can't save you. No one can track this location."

"Are you sure about that?"

I smirked at the men, who I could still feel staring at me. When they looked away to find the source of the voice, I felt myself being untied and brought to my feet. Once my blindfold was removed, I glanced up to see Sebastian smiling down on me. 

"May I say, My Lady, that your face looks, ah..... nevermind." 

"Good call," I said, rubbing my sore jaw. "Did you bring them?"

Sebastian nodded. "Here they are, as you requested."

"Perfect." I took my shining silver swords from him and turned to the men. "Now, about that money you wanted."

The men smirked and each pulled out a gun and shot at me. I smirked in return and quickly reflected the bullets back at them with my blades. They hit each of them in the stomach, with almost as much force as the bullets had directly after being shot from the gun.

The men stumbled back, but didn't stop. One kept firing, the other throwing his gun to the side and running for me.

"Sebastian," I called out.

"Yes, My Lady," he answered, and took out the man shooting at me.

The one who had been running at me had somehow managed to grab both of my wrists, and was keeping me from fighting him. I struggled against him momentarily, then stopped. He smiled for a second, then I let go of my swords. One fell to his side, harmless, the other cut a deep gash in his arm, causing him to pull away. 

I quickly grabbed my swords again and stabbed him in the stomach with one of them, the other pointing at his chest. He scowled at me, and I hesitated to kill him. I had never killed someone before, and I didn't want blood on my hands, or to dwell over it within the year of life I had left. I pulled away. "Sebastian."

Sebastian immediately moved, and within a second, the man was lying dead on the floor, blood pooling beneath him. I felt my knees go weak and fell, but Sebastian caught me and lifted me up. I rested my head on his shoulder. "Take me home, please."

"Of course, My Lady," he said kindly, then carried me all the way back home.