In This Life And The Next
Chapter Four

Alec looked on confused when he seen his family approaching without Aurora, he glanced at Caspian, who looked just as confused as him.

“What happened?” Caspian asked, helping his mom off her horse.

“That man.” Laura spat, looking furious. “I believe he’s the reason why Aurora looks the way she does”

“What do you mean?” Blake asked, hurrying to keep up with her.

“The poor girl has been locked away and kept to-” Laura threw her hands up in the air in frustration. “I don’t know what for!”

Alec looked at Liam for an explanation, Liam only shook his head.

“Her hand was bandaged. Been cut.” Victor said.

“Her lip was split, her eye blackened.” Ben added.

“There was something wrong with her arm. The way she was holding it, it could also be a cut.” Liam said, softly.

Everyone trailed after Laura as she unhooked her cloak, passing it off to Blake; who folded it neatly over his arm. She made for the throne room, her long red gown catching the light, glinting. Her children trailed after her, trading glances with each other. Not used to seeing their mother so upset about something.

“That house was spotless. And it looked like both her butler and daughters hadn’t done a day’s work in their lives.” Laura went on, spinning around in the throne room, her gown flowing behind her and they all stepped back.

Everyone thought it was King Richard who taught her children to fight, but they were wrong. King Richard had been a useless alcoholic who did everyone a favor by drowning in the nearby river after being on a three day long drinking binge while his sons and daughter and wife fortified defenses and attacked Alistair’s army.

“She’s kept as a servant, when she is the daughter of one of the oldest families our kingdom knows.” Laura huffed, pacing back and forth. “No doubt she’s smart, capable and wealthy. Why doesn’t she fight back?” She asked, stopping in front of Blake, demanding an answer.

“We’ve seen it before. Children raised in households such as this, are less likely to fight back against their attackers even when they’ve grown up and able to defend themselves.” Blake explained gently, his eyes on his boots and the ground. He was no longer thinking about his adopted family that Caspian rescued him from. It seemed like Blake and Aurora’s lives had a lot in common.

Laura nodded. She knew that. She just didn’t wanted to hear it.

Alec asked, “What do you propose, mother?”

“That you take your brothers and sister and go hunting tonight.” Laura said, shaking with anger. “I will not stand for this just down the road from where I lay my head at night.

Alec nodded.

“And when it’s done, Aurora’s to come straight here, no stops, no breaks. She’s under royal protection as long as there’s a Valor on this throne,” She said, pointing to her the throne in the middle of the room. “Are we clear?”

“Yes, your Highness.” Everyone said.

“Good. Go and get ready.” Laura ordered, turning to Blake. “I need a drink.” She told him.

Blake nodded and left.

***

The shackle that held Aurora in place was high up on a beam, forcing her to stand on the tips of her toes and after a short time her calves were already begging for a rest. Sweat dotted her forehead, calmness settled over her mind.

When she gets out of these shackles she’s going to leave this godforsaken house and go to the castle, ask for Prince Alec using the instructions he’d given her and leave the kingdom, after having served her Prince for whatever need he could possibly have thought of in the short amount of time they had met each other.

At the side of her eye she spotted something peeking out from the corner pile of straw that severed as he mattress, it was the cloak the prince had given her. The claps, a metal Raven’s claw, she could maybe use that to get her out of the shackle and let her regain enough strength to escape.

Aurora reached out her foot, huffing when she realized she was three inches to short, she narrowed her eyes and tried again, stretching her arm to it’s absolute limit.

Still two inches short.

She looked around for something, anything to help. But there was nothing, nothing that could help in anyway. Her room being pitiful as it was, with her straw bed, two blankets, shard of glass she hid away from one of Ivy’s ‘accidents’. Neatly folded clothes in the corner of the room, there’s nothing near that could possibly help.

Aurora looked at the shackle again, sighing. There was only one thing she could do, taking three quick, deep breaths, Aurora jerked at the shackle until a fiery pain ripped through her shoulders as it dislocated, she felt it running down her back, the muscle spasming and she bit back a scream.

The sweat was now running freely down her neck and back, she forced her eyes open, but away from her arm where it was hanging at an unnatural angle.

She could easily reach the cloak from this position.

With a hiss, she tore the raven’s claw off the cloak and made quick work of the lock. When her arm was free, her calves felt better but her shoulder was still a mess.

Oh well, it’s not like it’s the first time.

She forced herself to stand, stumbling over to the closest wall, with another three quick breaths and a sharp, hard thud, her shoulder was back where it should be.

Aurora did crumple then, her eyes falling shut.

When she opened them again night had fallen and Phil was standing in front of her twirling one of her father’s daggers he supposedly sold.

“You’re a lair.” Aurora said, flatly.

Phil narrowed his eyes. “Aren’t we all, dear.”

Aurora barely had time to duck before Phil rushed towards her, she landed awkwardly on her injured shoulder and she hissed, rolling over before she had time to get up Phil was on top of her.

Her dress was tangled between them, torn which gave Aurora enough room to get her leg up in between them, aiming between his legs she managed to shove Phil off, he stumbled back with a groan, his eyes full of rage.

“Let me leave,” Aurora begged. “Please, I won’t tell anyone.” She promised, meeting Phil’s eyes. “You have my word.”

“The word of a whore? What good is that?” Phil spat, baring his teeth at Aurora, taking another step forwards. The dagger looking at home in his hand. “I’d rather kill you now, bury you’re worthless body in a shallow grave. No one cares enough to come looking for you. And I’ll use the rest of your inheritance.”

It wasn’t the first time he’s threatened about killing Aurora, but there was a plan behind this one, there was intent.

“You said there was no inheritance.” Aurora muttered, not the least bit surprised he lied about that too.

Phil charged again roaring and Aurora felt the hot slice of the dagger across her shoulder before being pined against the floor again. He ripped her dress even more. “I think it’s about time I teach you a different lesson.” He snarled, shoved her torn dress further up her legs.

Aurora’s eyes went wide when she realized what he meant. All the beating she got since she was nine, all the small cruelties inflicted on her grown up over the span of sixteen years, never once did he try anything like this. And that’s what caused her to snap.

She blindly reached out, knocking the knife from his hand before grabbing the shared of glass and pressed it against his neck, pushing him back until his back was against the wall.

Phil’s eyes widened as he looked down at Aurora, she easily overpowered him for the first time in her life and he looked down at her with fear in his eyes.

“So she can fight back” Phil taunted. Aurora pressed the glass harder against his neck.

“Get on with it then.” He snapped. “If your mother was here she’d be ashamed of you, whoring yourself out to anyone who will loo-”

His words stopped abruptly when Aurora shoved the shard of glass into his neck as far as she could as Phil tried to collapse she held him up. “I never asked you for anything, all I wanted was to be treated with kindness, instead you and your daughter’s abused me, treated like dirt, killed the only friend I had. I hope you rot in hell.” Aurora hissed, letting Phil’s body drop to the floor, blood was already beginning to pool around his body.

Aurora stood there, watching his blood drain from his neck in a surprisingly short amount of time, Aurora always dreamed of this, but not Phil dying by her hands.

Aurora made the stairs to Phil’s room where she tore down the curtains from the window, the rest of the house was quite and Aurora realized it must be close to midnight.

Upstairs she wrapped Phil’s body in a blanket, dragging him down the stairs, blood was everywhere. But it didn’t matter. She’d be gone or imprisoned by morning.

In the stable, she got the oldest and sweetest horse they owned, one of her mothers. And threw Phil’s body over the back of him. She took the reins and led the horse out of the stable and into the forest behind the house, never once looking back over her shoulder to the house she once called home.