Chapter 1.4: Ten Lashes

Chapter 1.4: Ten Lashes

Trigger Warning: Torture (not graphic)

What happened next could be described as chaos. Leila felt her stomach drop as a guard hoisted her up and put her on his shoulder. The court became unruly as the prince hurried to leave. His whore was held tightly to his side as he calmed her down. The teenager didn't know whether to be happy or afraid. There was no guarantee she had escaped a later execution date.

However, the trial was different from what she read. Instead of being beheaded, she lived. It took everything in her not to scream from raw emotion. She had done it. She had saved herself by simply going against what the author planned. But as she was carried into the dungeons, her blood chilled.

She didn't know what would happen next. The last chapter was complete and now she was on her own. Leila clenched her teeth as she lay in pain against the burly man's armored back. She made sure to keep her composure as she was brought to a room. The guard dropped her onto the ground and her chain clanked loudly.

Her arms were red and her body throbbed in pain. Before she could say anything the room's door slid open. At first, she couldn't make out what she was looking at. But then she started to make out a weapon that made her feel sick. It was a whip, which looked to be metal built into it for more pain.

"Get up," Leila stayed on the ground earning her a kick to the back. She groaned as the guard got rougher with her. "I said get up!"

She knew if she didn't move the man would bring his foot back down on her body. With tears in her eyes, she got off her side. She planted her palms on the cold metal beneath her to help push herself up.

This was harder than expected as her legs nearly gave out from how malnourished she was. They looked like toothpicks when Cleo was always described as being thick. The teen's anger grew as she realized just how much she'd gone through.

The floor felt ice under her feet as she shuffled forward. The room had been used recently as dry blood splattered the walls. The book mentioned the king's torture chambers briefly, mostly as the build-up to when the prince returned home.

She knew that people had been locked in darkness to be eaten by rats for their crimes. And that criminals and political prisoners would be whipped until their muscles showed. All of this terrified Leila, she came to a stop in front of what would bind her.

Her chains shook as she trembled. She wasn't sure if it was from her anger or fear, both were strong enough to control her. With the skill, this body had she could kill the guard and make a run for it.

But doing so was useless, another guard would be not far as they knew how dangerous she was. They'd tackle and beat her to death if she even made it down the hall in one piece. The teenager had to stay put and allow herself to be beaten for the best outcome.

The chains fell off her body one by one as the guard stood behind her. "If you scream, the princess said add another ten, whore." The man was mocking her as he immediately started locking her into the board. There was joy on his face as he watched the woman who could kill him be bound like an animal.

There were four cuffs for her to be locked into. It spread her arms and legs enough to strain her muscles as she winced. The board brushed against her body painfully, pieces of wood splintering on her soft skin. Leila swore that once this was over, she'd find some way to kill the bastard king. And his daughters and bastard son. It was insane that she was being punished for a crime she hadn't committed. Her chest moved erratically as she heard the whip crack in the air.

Leila tightened her hands into fists, digging her broken nails into her palms. She couldn't show fear. She needed to stay in control and maintain composure against this brute. If she allowed herself to cry the punishment would go on longer. Her lips clamped together as the whip kissed the air once more. It made the hair on her arms stand, an electric strike spreading through her chest.

Her chest pressed up on the board as the guard came closer. He stopped and she felt him touch her backside. His hand slid down until it reached her ass and he cupped it briefly.

The touch was unwelcome and she was relieved when it was gone. This relief soon vanished as she heard the air slice into two. The whip was cracked loud enough to send a shiver down her spine as it landed. Like salt in a wound, the strike stung overwhelmingly.

"One." She felt like she was going to throw up. Her stomach twisted as her body ached.

Her legs trembled as her throat tightened. The whip had cut her upper shoulder deeply with its blades.

The cut was so thick she instantly could feel blood dripping down her now ruined dress. A stain formed under the slash as the whip flew back and slashed at her legs. A gasp left her mouth as she shook in pain. Her nails felt like they were cracking as she clenched harder and looked down to see her ankles. They were bruised, and inflamed from the attack.

"Two." The guard's voice sounded muffled as she watched her ankles swell. They looked like tiny, red lumps by the time she managed to look away.

She closed her eyes as the guard laughed. The man hated her, and all of them did. The prince had fed them information to turn them against her. Didn't matter that she spent months bringing them lunch and praising their work. None of it mattered. All they saw was a criminal. The whip came back down and slashed at her shoulder. Leila bit her lip to keep from yelling from the immense pain she was in.

Before she could even breathe, two more stages rained down on her. The whip plunged into the open wounds on her ankles and widened them. The wounds bled furiously with blood covering the bottom of her feet entirely by now.

Her body jerked as she instinctively tried to avoid the attacks. Her eyes were red from tears she fought to keep from shedding. The teenager was overwhelmed with emotion. She wanted to break free and kill the bastard brutally.

"Five." He walked to the side to grab at her chin but she kept her head down. He wasn't allowed to see her so weak, even if she earned ten more slashes in the process.

The guard huffed and walked back behind her.

"Don't act picky now. You threw yourself at me not too long ago." The whip was dragged against the floor loudly. It was splattered with her blood.

'Just five more,' Leila thought to herself as a tear fell onto the bloody wood. 'Just five more and I'm done.'