Whipped, a Hundred lashes

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"How is the girl, is she ready to oblige?" King Epirius asked as he sat on his seat in the dining hall.

"Your Majesty, that girl's determination is strong she's not even complaining despite the impossible things we ordered her to do," General Samuel said making the king hit the table with his fist.

"Determination, strong? I promised that bitch a place by my side but she prefers to suffer than lie with her king, she should be grateful!!" Epirius said in anger.

Five servants came in carrying a tray of meals, Athena, Rose, and Belle were among the servants assigned to serve the king and the General. Athena walked to the table, her head focused on the ground avoiding their gazes, she carefully placed the tray down and turned to leave but was called by the King. She froze and clenched her jaws walking towards him.

"Yes, your Majesty?" She bowed.

"Pour me tea," He said, his eyes not leaving her face. Rose and Belle could not help but gulp down the knot that sat on their throats. The doors opened and Evie walked in wearing a black dress with no arm straps, it hugged her upper body while it danced behind her as she walked with her heels making a skoin sound.

"Good day, Father, Good day General Samuel." She bowed and sat on the left-hand side of the table, opposite General Samuel.

"You are my bride-to-be darling, you should not address me with my status." General Samuel said with a grin that made Evie's insides twitch and not in a good way. She didn't look happy and just put on a fake smile as Belle served her meal.

Athena took a silver cup, emptied the King's tea inside, and avoided eye contact with the king because she could somehow feel the dirty look he was giving her.

She felt something warm on her bare legs and it was non-other than King Epirius's hands. She jolted in shock and with a smile on Epirius's face, he trailed his hands from her knee upward to her thighs. This action made her lose the composure she fought to keep and she accidentally dropped the cup and the hot tea spilled on the king.

Everyone present in the hall had their eyes wide open. Athena fell to her knees and kept her head down.

"Have Mercy, your Majesty, I... I didn't mean to, it was an accid..." She felt a Slap land on her face which sent her straight to the floor, he then grabbed her by the hair and took a knife from among the utensils, and pointed it to her throat.

"How dare you spill tea on me, I should just slit your goddamned throat right now." King Epirius uttered with gritted teeth. Belle and Rose instantly fell to their knees as they begged the king to spare her life.

"Your Majesty, please spare her" Rose begged rubbing her hands together.

"Father, please spare Athena, she does not look well so it might be that she felt dizzy," Evie said also not knowing if her father will listen to her, but still, she had to try for a friend.

To their surprise King Epirius pulled away, he stood upright returning the knife to where he had taken it from.

"Guards!!" King Epirius called and two soldiers came in a hurry standing ten feet away from him and bowed.

"Take her away, give her a hundred lashes on her back." King Epirius said and everyone turned their gazes to him in shock. The bulky guards lifted her, holding both her arms. King Epirius used his finger and raised her chin so she could meet his gaze.

"You are going to feel the pain of disobeying or making a mistake with me," He said in a whisper and stared directly into her silver moon-like orbs as he beckoned for them to take her away.

"Father! Whipped, a hundred lashes... How could you be so heartless?" Evie said raising a brow, but as soon as Epirius turned his attention to her, glaring hard at her, she immediately brought her head down, back to her meal.

"You do not question my decision Evelyn, or you would join her." He said and she clamped her mouth shut.

They took Athena to the Torture yard, right in front of the dungeon gates except that the two places were separated by a metal fence, The stench of the place was enough to make someone puke out their intestines and the sight was unbearable, and disgusting to look at. There were whips, canes, and sticks hanging on a hook with mats covered in dried blood, the soil was black and there were broken things scattered everywhere, a hot furnace burned with hot irons placed inside it, and in the middle of the yard was a wood where they behead people.

They stripped Athena naked with no piece of clothing on her, the guards and soldiers' eyes feasted on her perfect body which was about to get dismantled with marks. Shelayd was on the mat feeling depressed at the embarrassment of having those barbarians look at her naked body and she couldn't help but clench her fist and grit her teeth. Rose and Belle reached the gates and she could hear Rose yell her name. There was a huge crowd at the bar gates as they watched the soldiers getting ready to whip her.

"Get the barb wire whip." The soldier in charge of the torture yard ordered one of the soldiers to bring a whip. The whip was covered with sharp wires circulated around and against the thin rope.

The two soldiers without a warning, started with the beating, Athena remained silent and would only groan as they beat her. The Sound of the whips cracking on her back reminded her of all the people she loved and the ones most important to her. Her mother, Margaret, Jeremiah, Rose, Madam Lisa, Sarah, Alex, and Xavier. Their images flashed in her head as she clenched her fist, determined not to cry out or whimper. She was not going to show them she was weak because she wasn't. Blood oozed from the injuries inflicted on her and the marks were deep and scattered on her back in a rough pattern.

When the soldiers were done they opened the gate and left, Rose rushed to her sister tripping several times but still got up until she reached Athena, she covered Athena up with a white bedsheet, Athena lay there helplessly, she was sweating heavily and not breathing properly, she looked like someone who was going to pass out any second from now and they were shocked she didn't after receiving all that strokes, after all, she was a girl.

"Oh my god Athena," Rose sobbed, attempting to touch her wound but Athena winced in pain as soon as her fingers made contact with her skin, so she withdrew her hands immediately. Belle and Rose took her to the room, laying her on the bed.

"I'll go get something to treat her wound, so it would not get infected," Belle said and Rose nodded.