A thorny path

She was kneeling on the cold stone floor of the main hall with her hands tied behind her back. Not daring to face the intruders she kept her head low and her gaze fixed on the ground. She was only wearing a nightgown and her messily tied hair had started to come undone, causing lose strands of auburn colored hair to cover her face. She was thin; way to thin as most would probably say. Her beautiful features were concealed by sunken cheeks, dark circles and a dull complexion. Beside her was the rest of the family, all of them kneeling in a row with their hands tied back. She hadn’t gotten a good look but from the corner of her eye her father had appeared to be badly beaten... *** The man who had killed her family that night had been truly terrifying. His face was entirely unfeeling as he beheaded them and he did not flinch when their bodies hit the floor. So why had that man defied the king's orders just to spare her life? Amelia thought that her miserable life would continue being filled with nothing but abuse. She had not expected that she would be treated kindly, both by him and by his servants. And she had certainly not expected that she would slowly begin to let her guard down aroud him. *** (Cover art from pinterest)