Hello, lovely people! This story has been in the back of my mind for a while and I finally let it out. It is another short, period piece full of action and romance. The character development is done mostly through dialogue and by reading in-between the lines. Still, I hope you all enjoy it!
XOXO SkylerLuv
******
“I have to go.” It is a statement I usually do not offer a whore.
In the past I would leave without a word, after paying, and never look back. This time I say it because I feel a tiny urge to root myself. To have someone know something, no matter how minuscule, about me. That sentence alone does not say anything about me, the saying it out loud is far more telling. But she doesn’t know that.
She moves near the edge of her bed and comes to lay her head against my shoulder. “Stay.” She murmurs.
Her dark curls rest against my back from the movement.
I know she does not mean it. And if she does, it is only for the money. The tiny urge vanishes. I revert back to what I am familiar with.
I turn to look into her dark eyes. She sits up and stares at me without blinking. Her eyes search for something. Anything. Something that many have done. I wonder what they see.
“There is nothing.” She simply states.
Not so dumb for a whore.
“Hmm.” I don’t bother responding in words.
******
Sitting on the ledge of the window gives me a full view of the town.
It is high enough to see even the furthest house. The moon is nowhere to be found tonight, hiding behind thick dark clouds. The homes in the distance are either completely dark or have a low fire burning, indicating someone is unable to sleep. They are just shadows of the real town during the day. Where in the day the streets are flooded with bodies and chatter, there is now only outlines and silence. There are not many people out at this time. Anyone who is, must surely be up to no good.
There are frogs croaking by the pond below and crickets fighting to be heard over the rustling grass. This is a nice little town, nothing like the cities I’m used to working in. The air is less polluted, everyone knows everyone, there is only a small community to worry about. The challenge of being caught is less threatening here. Less prying eyes, less untrusting individuals. They smile at strangers and offer them something to drink. Almost unheard of in this day and age.
I look down at Royal from the ledge I’m sitting on. He’s eating grass, enjoying the wide-open space as well. He dislikes the cities as much as I do. His black coat does not shine without the moon.
My ears perk up at the sound of a housemaid leaving the Princess’ room. It’s about time. My butt is starting to go numb from sitting on these bricks. Out of all of the nights that I have watched her light go out at night, this has been the latest by far. She must have had a long day. Too bad it was nowhere near ending. I wait a while longer, letting her get comfortable and ready for bed.
With stealth that I have acquired over the years, I get up from my sitting position and walk alongside the walls of the castle to the window next door. I slowly push the window open and lift myself into the maid’s quarters. They make it a good habit of locking the Princess’ windows and balcony doors at night but they don’t think about themselves. They probably don’t consider their lives at risk since they are only servants and to an extent, they are correct. But now, because of her negligence I have full access to the Princess’ room straight through the connecting door. I know the maid is downstairs with the stable boy and she won’t be back until sunrise. Just like she has been each and every night.
I turn the nob and silently make my way into the quiet room next door.
It is carpeted, full of colorful drawers, wardrobes, tables and other excessive things fit for a future queen. Not so bad for a tiny town. Even if this small part of the region doesn’t make up a quarter of the neighboring country’s population, they were granted their right to be independent and have their own leadership. This small little town fought for their right to break away and have played nice with their previous captors since. They don’t bother anyone and keep to themselves. That is probably why they were really given their freedom. They were nothing to worry about. Their previous King and Queen led a peaceful term before they died and now it is time for the next heir to the throne to continue the peaceful treaty. Of course, I am going to interrupt that line of succession, but that is beside the point. This little town gained their freedom. That is definitely something to be proud of.
I turn to the lying figure. Her bed has four posts covered in layers of expensive silk. Along with the wallpaper, I am sure this room is full of life during the day. Right now, everything is gray and black, almost lackluster. Like this sleeping Princess before me. I take my knife out of its secure spot in my pantaloons. The carpet makes it easier to walk straight to her bed, bilecik escort undetected.
She’s laying splayed out in the center of her bed. This is the first time I have seen her up close. Her porcelain skin glows against the dark sheets around her. Her gold hair is spread out around her head. Though her high cheekbones and long lashes are enough to consider her pretty, it is her lips that draw the eye. They’re both full, with the upper lip being slightly bigger than the lower one.
One of her hands is splayed out next near the edge, palm up. Her legs are spread out. Either she is a crazy sleeper or she had trouble finding a comfortable position to sleep in tonight.
I move onto the bed, making it shift as little as possible. I move my hat back to get a better look at her. I bring the knife up to her neck and dig it just enough to wake her.
Her eyes flutter open. A moment later she is staring at me with fear. I place a finger against my lips when she opens her mouth. I dig the knife in just a bit more to get my point across. It doesn’t cut through the skin, yet. If I so much as hear a squeak out of her I will be forced to go with plan B, something that I have to try to avoid in this mission.
“I need you to get up and follow me.” I whisper.
It is hard to see what color her eyes are. They’re not dark, light blue maybe?
She nods, her hands shaking as she removes the blanket and follows me off the bed.
“You have five minutes to put on a dress and shoes of your choosing. We will leave in five minutes whether you have anything on or not.” I push her towards her wardrobe.
Although I can see the fear in her eyes and the way that her body quivers, she is proving a lot smarter than I anticipated. Usually, the upper class and noblemen try to bribe me out of doing my job or think they can call their guards to save them. It turns into a bloodbath by the time I finish with everyone and then I am forced to finish my job quicker than anticipated. This trusty knife has never let me down. I keep pointing it at her as she removes layers of white, shapeless night dresses. Once she gets down to her a simple nightgown that presses against her modest breasts and rounded hips, she looks back at me.
“Nothing that I haven’t seen, sweetheart. You have three minutes left.” My knife doesn’t waver.
She doesn’t remove the thin cloth. Instead, she puts on a bodice, that she ties from the front, a petticoat, and what looks like a riding dress. This is the part I don’t understand. Maybe I don’t make myself clear enough, when I tell them they only have five minutes to get ready and then we are leaving. If I was getting kidnapped and had a knife against my throat, I would throw on the most comfortable clothing I could find. Anything that gave my full range of motion. Running away in a heavy dress proves impossible every time I’ve seen it done. Where does she think she is going? On an outing?
She is trying to put her hair up by clips when her time runs out. I grab her wrist and pull her towards her window.
“Wait! I need a hat.” She pulls against my grip.
I hold on tighter and push her against the window. “Trust me, you won’t need it.”
******
The sun burns at my back. It is unbelievably hot.
I have the Princess sitting in front of me as I guide Royal through the woods. Her back is rigid and she is trying to put as much space between us as she can but I can tell she is uncomfortable from sitting up so high. Her body must be hurting from sitting in the same position for so long and her muscles probably ache. If she is not used to riding a horse her ass might be sore too. Her head lulls to the side. Apparently, she’s also tired. A few meters later her body gives out and she lays back against me. With her legs to the side, she shifts until her cheek is pressed up against my shoulder.
I’m taken aback by the situation but continue to look forward. When I know she is fully asleep I look down at her face. Her lips are slightly open and her fair brows are furrowed. I still don’t know what color her eyes are. Her cheeks are flushed a deep rose, her skin is going to peel from the exposure to the sun. There is no freckle or blemish on her face. I pull out a white cloth from my bag and place it over her face, to block any more sunlight from getting to her skin.
When we finally get to the cottage, I wake her and help her down from the horse. I leave the knife in my pocket as I tie up Royal. I fill up his water and pet his neck.
“I’m thirsty.” She says behind me.
I don’t think Royal will want to share.
I turn back towards her but grab her tied wrists. We walk to the cottage in silence.
It is a small space. There is a bed in the corner, a fireplace, a table next to it, and some pots and pans on the other side. I untie her and push her towards the bed.
“Get some rest.” I remove my hat, allowing my long, chestnut brown hair to tumble past my shoulders. I also take off the black bandana hiding the bottom escort bilecik of my face.
“You’re a woman?” Her eyes are wide. So, they’re green.
Ignoring her question, I walk to the side of the room with the container full of water and fill two cups. I hand her one, her eyes watch my every move.
I purposefully keep my hair up, hide my face, and bandage my breasts against my chest to give the illusion of being a man. Very early on I learned that people fear a man with a knife a lot more than they do a woman. Somehow if a woman is committing a crime, she can be talked to rationally because she is a woman or she is dismissed as being insane because of the same reason. If I am at that point where I am committing a crime, shouldn’t that be enough to indicate that there is no rationality left? I never understand their logic. But it also wouldn’t do to have descriptions of a woman fitting me characteristics floating around each town I went to. Hence, my reliable disguise.
She stops drinking her water long enough to ask, “Why are you doing this?”
I stare into her eyes. Yes, their undertones are green but there are splashes of blue in there as well. That much is clear to see in the daylight. Her moss green riding dress brings out the dominant green in them.
Her already pink cheeks burn brighter as she finishes her water.
“I have some business I have to attend to in the next town over. I will be back tomorrow.” It should go without saying that she shouldn’t run away but I cover my bases. “The nearest town is five miles away from here but that is only if you know where you are going. It is very easy to get lost in the woods and if you don’t die from dehydration, you will from whatever will eat you out there.”
She looks scared again but there is something else.
“You’re leaving me alone?” She nervously wrings her fingers.
“Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Please don’t leave me here alone.” Her foot taps against the wooden floor.
I move towards the door and she stands.
“Please!” There is real fear in her eyes.
Not even when I had my knife against her throat did, she look as panicked as is now. In the past, this damsel in distress act would have annoyed me. But this doesn’t feel like an act. She genuinely looks terrified.
My eyebrows furrow. I’ve never had a kidnappee ask to spend more time with the kidnapper.
She moves closer to me and stops a few inches away. She looks up at me and leans further in until she is pressed against me. “Please, I will do anything. Just don’t leave me here alone.”
My body heat rises but my face remains unchanged.
“You can’t come where I am going.” Not that she needs to know where I am going.
“I can stay outside while you take care of your business.” She is still leaning into me, more out of being scared than anything else.
I grab her arms and firmly push her away. “No one will help you if you tell them you’re kidnapped. It will only get you into more trouble.” That is the type of place I am going to. Does she still want to come now?
She shakes her head. “I won’t run away.”
For some stupid reason I believe her.
“And why is that?”
“I don’t want to go back to that castle, ever.” Her conviction is unshakeable.
******
V doesn’t look surprised to see me so soon.
She knew I would get the job done in half of the time I was allotted.
Her office is small and cluttered with pages and pages of her girl’s invoices, who owes what, what bills she has to pay this month, how much she gets to keep to herself. She leans back in her chair and gives me a sexual smile.
“He’s going to be very happy with you. You might even get additional money.” She flicks her cigar. Her breasts are overflowing in the black bodice she is wearing. Her black curls frame her weathered face. Her red lips are full and inviting. Not so bad for someone her age.
I met V a couple of years back when I first got into this business. She loves the idea of supporting the female anti-hero. Every once in a while, she will find work for me to do and get me in touch with those who are willing to pay my price. I’ve done better about finding my own clients through references and getting to keep most of the money myself. But V still manages to get some good deals for me. Our partnership has been convenient but strictly professional.
I know she wants me to spend some money here while I am in town but I stay away from brothels like this for a reason. Some of the girls are nice to look at but there are signs of malnourishment and diseases. V is definitely the most taken care of woman here but she does nothing for me.
“I’ll be back in two days to get his response.” I get up from my chair and kiss her hand before leaving her office. She stares at the letter I left on her desk. She will get it to him as soon as humanly possible. We are both ready to be paid and move on to the next best thing.
The girls that are not busy at the moment come to speak bilecik escort bayan to me, some to catch up and others to try their luck. It never works but they still try.
As soon as I am out the door, I spot Royal, exactly where I left him. What I don’t see is the small figure that is supposed to be on top of him.
“Fuck.” I mutter.
I swiftly walk down the steps and look down each end of the street. No sign of anyone. Great. Once I reach Royal, I look past him and see her leaning against a wooden fence. The sun is seconds away from being completely engulfed by the ground below.
I yank her back towards Royal and throw her on top of him.
“I told you not to move.” I jump in behind her and kick Royal to start moving.
“I didn’t.”
“I came out and you weren’t on the horse anymore.” I continue to push Royal as fast as I can. It was very stupid of me to bring her. She could have run away and my money for this month would have gone down the drain. She could have also been someone else’s golden ticket and I would have been left high and dry. This is my fault.
“I just wanted to see the sunset.” She doesn’t sound scared. Have I been too easy on her? To make her believe she can just do whatever she wants and speak whenever she wants?
“When I say don’t move, I mean don’t move a muscle. And don’t speak unless I tell you to do so.” I grunt.
******
The next day I teach her the basics of the cottage. Where she can pump water from, where are the traps I have laid out for small animals, and where she can shower if she wants. Her cheeks turn a bright red at the thought of showering in the nearby river out in the open.
She tries to ask me more questions about who I am and why I do what I do but I ignore her. As the day progresses, I can see her demeanor change. She is looking around the woods, probably trying to think of the best escape plan but there is a nervousness beyond trying to escape. There is an anxiousness. Anxious to leave? Perhaps. I brush Royal’s mane and watch her closely. She is digging in the dirt, picking out some vegetables from the garden. Her eyes look around, trying to catch any noise around her as if she is expecting someone to pop out of thin air.
My hand stops brushing and I just watch. She looks like a bird caught in a cage with a cat sitting nearby. I know in that scenario I am supposed to be the cat but it feels misplaced. She doesn’t even look in my direction once. She is looking for someone else.
I look around the woods as well. No one else beside me and the person who hired me for this mission knows about this location.
“Start cooking now.” I interrupt her panic attack.
She finally looks up at me and nods her head.
******
That night I lay on the floor, staring up at the ceiling.
Tomorrow I will get my response, move her to her new destination, and get paid. This will get me through the rest of the month unbothered until I have to do it all over again. I’m thinking of heading north afterwards. I’ve heard there is good money up there with all of the political corruption-
The Princess shifts in her bed. I would have ignored the noise if I didn’t see her sit up to look down at me. The fire has died down and now only the coals burn bright red. There is enough light to see her silhouette. She’s only wearing her nightgown.
My eyes are barely open, allowing her to think I am sleeping. I take even breaths and watch as she gets up from the bed. Would she really be stupid enough to try and escape in the middle of the night? Did she think I was lying about the animals out there? I see something in her hand as she gets closer. It is not as big as my knife but it can do damage, especially if handled incorrectly. I think it is safe to assume Princesses aren’t taught to use knives in charm school. Still, she could hurt one of us if she is not careful.
She stands over me, watching me for any movement. My heartbeat accelerates as she lowers herself on top of me. She places a leg on each side of my hips, straddling my thighs. She leans down, causing her hair to fall around us. Her face is inches away from mine. My fingers tingle the way they do when I am about to do something reckless.
The cold, sharp end of the knife comes up to my throat. I want to laugh at her choice of position but don’t move a muscle. I want to give her a moment of control. Allow her to think this is all going according to plan. If she was to actually try and kill me, I would diffuse the situation and scare her onto another lifetime. I wait to see how she plans on waking me up since obviously the knife against my throat isn’t enough. I should teach her how to properly hold it and where to actually place it if she wants to hurt me. She is no better than a toddler playing around with a knife, only one way that will end.
She is looking down at me, probably contemplating the easiest way to kill me. But if she was to kill me how would she know where to go? Do they teach navigation and travel in charm school too?
Her face moves further down. I hold my breath. The fireplace crackles lightly as her lips lightly brush against mine. The electricity between us shocks me out of my fake slumber. The instant heat I feel throughout my body radiates from between my legs. I wrap my hands around her hips and pull her closer to me.