Cinderfella

Story: Cinderfella 2: A New Life

Chapter: 2 Deena

Author: Eric McQueen (mcqueen.richarderic@gmail.com)

Mature Readers only due to sexual situations and graphic sexual content

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What? Did think I was through? Hell, no! The story never ends. As long as I'm alive, I will write. When the characters die, but that doesn't mean the story ends. It changes. I stood outside the theater having seen Bed Knobs and Broomsticks and I remember asking, "Then what happened?" Mom asked me, "What do you think happened?" "I don't know," I said. "You imagine it and write it down," she tells me. This is all her fault. Guys with short hair, few beards, and none of those ballooning pant things. Pants! Otherwise, your imagination is right.

Deena

"This may take a while," I said as I sat, Seth sitting next to me. I mean, right next to me. No air between us.

"We have time," Samuel said sitting, too, ready to listen.

Telling him, he listened for the hour or more we told him what we knew. He never interrupted, listening intently. Something he'd learned to do since becoming king. Then when we were done he sat forward with a sigh.

"They knew this was happening?" Samuel asked. "But did nothing to stop it."

"From what I understand, they didn't because Thorne could have changed his mind." I thought, "At the last minute, gone back and took whatever the trigger was off."

Samuel nodded sadly, adding softly. "But he didn't. Mother died."

Seth got up and walked to Samuel. "People do stupid things, for stupid reasons." Then he smiled weakly, "If it hadn't happened, you may be married to someone else. I wouldn't have met Erik. We won't have married the ones we chose. We both have good things now."

Samuel frowned. "We do," He nodded. "Is it fate?"

"Fate? Destiny? I don't believe in those things," I said. "Our choices shape our lives. I love what we have now. How it got here, I don't claim to understand or want to explain. I'm just glad we have it."

Seth smiled at me nodding, "Right. "

Samuel sighed with a shrug, "Right." He took a deep breath and got up. "No use wasting time trying to figure it out. It is."

"Now, you have a wife you clearly love to go to and assure her you're fine," I said reminding him.

"And our father," Seth said taking my hand. "And I mean, our father." He said to me.

Getting back in the large room where Terry sat with a sleeping Michael and Alex. Terry gave Michael to Alex and rushed to her husband, never asking him anything, just glad he was alive and here.

Alex got up, put Michael down in the chair he'd been in that was still warm from Alex's body heat. He walked over hugging all three of us in one embrace. "You're okay." He sighed with relief. "My boys."

"We're fine, Dad," Samuel said softly. "We just...had some things we needed to discuss first. We didn't mean to worry you."

"It was Deena Thorne," Seth told his father.

Alex sighed and hung his head and shook it. "It makes sense."

"I should have been more strict with her," I grumbled.

"Don't do that, Erik," Alex said quietly. "You were merciful. Don't question your actions then and hold yourself responsible for what she's done now."

"Still..." I said sadly.

"Well, I could have taken the judgment call," Seth argued. "But I knew you'd be more reasonable."

"But I wasn't," I argued.

"Could have, would have...she did it! You followed the law." Samuel stated. "The question is what do we do now? How do we find her?"

Seth looked at me, "You've seen Deena. That person you saw...was it male or female? Was it Deena?"

I shrugged, "To say for certain? I can't. It was that big." I held my fingers a half an inch apart. "And it was dark." I frowned, "It was human, again, I assume, since I couldn't really see."

Seth nodded, accepting what I said. How could he say anything? He didn't see whoever it had been.

"Now, we have new problems," I said slowly as I thought. "We can count on this being the first of attacks by her."

Alex nodded, "If she wants to hurt you, and she will try. He's right."

"We need to think a little preemptively," I said further. "She will do more. We've got a shipment going out soon, what two weeks? We should be prepared that she will try and rob us."

Samuel nodded, "We," he pointed to Terry and himself. "Should head back first thing in the morning. Terry and Michael should not be allowed to become targets. They killed our mother. I wouldn't put it past her to kill either of them."

Seth nodded but looking at me, "What did you have in mind?"

I grinned at Seth. "Well, you know how fond I am of using decoys." Reminding him of the decoys I'd used that first ball to hide that I was the prince and could hear the others since they saw me as a servant, and not important. "We send some other people to pick up the payments."

Seth nodded, "Good idea. As the payments will be in gold makes it an easy target."

I grinned, "If she is using hired thugs, she needs to pay them. Gold is the only way."

"Don't you send armed men?" Samuel asked. "To gather the payments?"

"We do," I answered. "But by diversifying the transport...giving the payment to a very unlikely suspect, she would have less luck finding it."

Samuel nodded, "How many are you planning to send?"

I looked at Seth, "We will send the crates by carriage in a couple of weeks. I'd love to send many, but three? Is that alright with you? That's what we have to do." Seth nodded.

Samuel smiled now too, "Send as many as you need." He shrugged. "If you want, send five. When I get back to the palace, I'll send some of the guards to you. Use them as decoys."

"But they will be paid," I said firmly. "By us," I said indicating Seth and me.

Samuel frowned shaking his head, "This isn't about you." Then he held up his hand. "I mean, not directly. This is for Blethos. Protecting my subjects is part of the job, being king. Safeguarding Blethos' business is just a part of that protection."

Seth nodded, "Sounds like we have a plan."

"We'd better get some sleep. We have a lot to do to repair the damage," I said. "If we sleep later, that's fine, but we should get some rest."

As tired as we were, Seth and I still took the time to soak in a hot tub washing the soot and dirt away. Then fell to sleep almost as soon as we hit the pillows. The next day we assessed the damage.

"It's mostly structural," Seth told me as he looked about, and other men and women worked to clean up. "We did lose a press. Another can be made...portion of the wall and some furnishings were damaged and have to be replaced."

"The connection to the storage is damaged but can be repaired," I smiled. "It could be much, much worse. The response time was important. We got to the second fire before it went too far."

Seth nodded, "We should make some preparations for if it happens again."

"We have the barrels," I waggled my eyebrows.

Seth chuckled, "We do indeed."

Samuel, Terry, Michael, and Alex headed back to the palace leaving two of their guards, Samuel promised others would be arriving within the week. A few letters were drafted by me and Samuel, both sealed with our two rings, mine was for the royal house of A'Dore, and Samuel's as the king of Blethos authorizing payments to our representatives. One was a man just traveling through on seemly unrelated business, another a man hauling pigs. Pigs! A farmer, and another man hauling hay. One more traveling with a wife! And it was really his wife. She insisted. They were all sent to their destinations at different times but would be there when the wine arrived and travel back at their own paces.

My goals on improving the lives of the town went forward. Lamps were added to the streets of Royal Valley. A school for the children of Royal Valley opened its doors. The school for the employees and adults of Royal Valley continued. For a while, we almost forgot that Deena was a threat. Almost, but it was always in the back of our minds.

Twice, our payments from the various towns were robbed. But when it was found that the men coming back on the wagon that carried the wine to the towns didn't have the gold on the way back. It stopped.

But Seth's and my life was influenced more than we had intended to but should have known would happen. As we were gathering from our evening meal. Zeb, a man we employed with Grace as house staff came in the dining room.

"There are two young men to see you, Sirs," Zeb said. "I told them you were at dinner, but they asked to speak to you as it was important."

Seth and I looked at each other. The unspoken question to each was, were we expecting anyone? The equally unspoken answer was no.

"Okay," Seth nodded, and we both followed Zeb to the entrance.

In the foyer were two young men. To me, they were just a few years younger. But still, teenagers approaching manhood.

"Sorry to intrude, Prince Erik, Prince Seth." One of the young men, the blond man said.

"It's okay," Seth smiled. "And it's just Seth and Erik."

"What can we do for you?" I asked. You could see something was troubling them both. The other boy was perhaps a year younger than the blond man. Both were nice looking young men. The dark brown-haired man was stockier. Not fat, but stocky. He fiddled with a hat he'd removed and held in his hands. "You're Ezekiel, aren't you?" I asked. "The blacksmith's son."

The dark-haired boy nodded, smiling that I knew that. "I am, sir," He put a hand on his friend's shoulder, "This is Gabe."

"That's short for Gabriel," The blond man said, putting his hand out to both Seth and me. "We wanted to ask your advice."

Seth nodded, "Alright." He looked at me, "We were just sitting for dinner, may we offer you some?"

Gabriel was shaking his head no, but Ezekiel smiled at the offer, "If it's not too much trouble."

"Zeke!' Gabriel muttered to his friend to chastise him.

Zeke looked at his friend, "I'm hungry!" He defended.

Gabe rolled his eyes, "When aren't you hungry?"

I chuckled at them, "He must be still growing." I motioned for them to follow Seth and me back to the dining room.

"Growing fat if he isn't careful," Gabe said dourly.

"We have plenty," Seth grinned as we walked. "Grace is an excellent cook. Beef stew tonight. If it's not used, it'll be wasted."

I saw the ease the two were with each other. Friends were that way usually.

Grace came in with the stew she was about to give us. "Two more?" She smiled, "I'll get bowls." She looked at the new guests. "Hello, Gabriel. Ezekiel. How are your parents?"

"Fine." They both answered together.

Once the meal was underway. I looked at them, "So, what advice do you need?"

Ezekiel paused a moment, looking down, then looked up. "Everyone knows you two are married."

Seth nodded, "I'm sure they do."

Gabriel continued, "And we all know that the marriage was to get a king for Blethos."

"But everyone also knows that you two..." Ezekiel looked at us, "...are lovers."

Seth frowned, "That's really no one's business."

I put my hand on Seth's hand, "Wait." I cautioned, "You've probably seen us kiss."

Ezekiel nodded quickly, "Sure, who hasn't? And we don't care, really...it's just that..."

"We are..." Gabriel continued. The rest of it sort of stopped. But then I saw Ezekiel take Gabriel's hand.

I smiled now know why they were so hesitant, "Oh, I see."

Seth's frown disappeared, replaced with a smile of understanding. "How long?"

Ezekiel shrugged, "I guess...what...three years?"

Gabriel nodded, "About that. Almost as soon as the hair appeared on our bodies...down there." He pointed to his groin.

Ezekiel grinned, "Well, that was a little longer for you, Gabe. Being blond and all."

"You never complained!" Gabriel shot back.

"Guys," Seth said with a chuckle. "The reason I asked was to be sure you both were serious. This isn't just an excuse to have sex."

"No," They both said again together.

"You two are in love," I continued.

They both looked at each other with smiles. "We are," Ezekiel said.

"It's still a dangerous thing," Seth said softly.

"It is against the law," I said. "The reason we were allowed to marry was a political ploy. For the betterment of both our governments."

"The Church will never approve," Seth reminded.

"And there will be a lot of resistance," I added. "Not from us, or even the crown. King Alexander never prosecuted any man for what you're doing. Or us."

"The others...the people aren't that tolerant," Seth said. "If they do find out, and they want to prosecute you, they will."

"In most towns around Blethos and A'Dore, they could choose to execute you," I said sadly. "Now, Seth and I would do what we could to stop that, but the law is clear."

"Even with us," Seth said. "If they wanted to, Erik and I could be executed."

"But that won't happen," Ezekiel argued. "Everyone likes you two."

"Not everyone," I shook my head.

"Does either of your families know?" Seth asked.

"No!" Gabriel shook his head.

"If my Dad finds out, he'll kill me," Ezekiel said in a near panic. "And Gabe!"

I gave a shrugging nod, "Maybe. With time? Do you think he'd get over it?"

Ezekiel pondered that a moment. "I don't know."

"It's your decision," Seth said. "And the dangers are clear. But familiarity is key. The more people who know the better."

"If you have the support of family," I began. "And the people around you, you'll be safer."

Seth nodded. "We came here with everyone knowing we were married. They all knew before we were really married just like every other couple, doing the same things."

"Well, a little different physically. But no surprises." I added. "With the two of you, there will be. Doing it here would be better. Starting a life together. You're both known here."

"But that doesn't mean you're safe," Seth said. "You could move to another town. Begin again and slowly, tell people as you earn their trust."

"The bottom line is, we don't have an answer," I shook my head. "Because there isn't an answer. Until mankind realizes love is love, things will never change."

Ezekiel looked at Gabriel, "I told you."

Gabriel nodded, "At least we told someone. And they understand."

"I wished we'd been more helpful," I said quietly.

"You didn't send us to the gallows," Gabriel said with a smile.

I nodded, "I wish you the best."

Later, in the steam rising water of our bath, I lounged against Seth's chest as we just enjoyed the warmth and the company of each other.

"It's a shame," I said. "Two young people wanting nothing but to love one another face the same fate as a man that kills another."

Seth nodded, "Both punishable by death."

"It's a good thing Deena is operating on the other side of the law. She could press charges against us."

"Samuel would stop the death sentence for us," Seth growled.

I turned to Seth, "But why should he have to?"

Seth shrugged, "Like you said until mankind accepts that love is love, it won't change." Then he grinned. "Want to do something very illegal?"

"I do!"

We never left ourselves unprotected. There were men that patrolled the outside and grounds. There were a few incidents we weren't sure about. Like the new lamps in the town to make it safe for the night were all damaged. It had to be deliberate. All of them!? The small tax was implemented on all items purchased. The budget was fine. We even hired a couple of men to walk the streets at night to watch for whoever was doing the damage and any wrongdoing. The damage to the lamps could have been a prank. We had just over a thousand families that lived in Royal Valley. There were the others that were single still, and there were businesses here. A baker and a butcher. Even a dressmaker! There was a store that supplied most of what the people needed. Stores and shops were opening, and the town was growing. Farms nearby grew most of the crops we used for the town adding another few hundred families. We found a man to run for mayor and he and one other ran for the job, but we all knew the first one was going to get the job since he could read. That's kind of important. Was there any doubt? We had occasional thieves. But as it was a very small town, most everyone felt safe. It was almost six months after the fire when something...well. I was warned.

One evening, I sat in the office of the house. I heard a bell ring. Not alarmed, I turned to look around to see where the bell was. Then a familiar head appeared sticking out of a wall.

"Demetrius," I grinned.

He stepped in, but his face was not happy, "I rang a bell."

I nodded, "Okay."

He looked very worried, "I'm here to warn you."

I put my quill down. I could tell this was very serious, "Warn me about what?"

He came in and sat, "Something is coming. Something very, very bad."

My heartfelt the icy dagger hit my heart, "To Seth and me?"

He nodded, "Yes. I can't say what...but depending on your decisions, your choices...I don't know."

"Is one of us going to die?"

"I can't say," Demetrius was now crying quietly. "I would stop it if I could. Believe me." Then he put a hand on my arm. "Seth loves you! I mean, he really does. I know you love him. If you two make the right choices..." he was now crying more. "I can't stop her! I can't come if you call." He got up. "What you choose, and what happens, will shape who you are."

I stood, "Shape us."

"Like chipping away at a rock and seeing a diamond," Demetrius explained. "Only I can't stop it! I won't be able to stop this chipping." Then he hugged me. "I'm sorry." Then he released me and vanished.

That's when two men came rushing in dressed in dark clothing. Big men. Immediately grabbing me as I started to fight back.

"Hold him!" I heard a woman's voice demanded behind me. Then a sharp pain in the back of my head and all went black.

I woke up cold. Which I realized I would be, I had been stripped naked and tied up. Looking around I saw the rock walls of a cave. Around me were crates, various things had been pulled out and scattered around. Everything from cloth to pots and pans. There was jewelry coming out of one, or at least a necklace was hanging out of a crate that had been opened and contents searched. I had no idea where I was. Depending on how long I was unconscious, it couldn't be far from the house. It almost looked to me like a pirates' stash from what I'd read as a child. I tested the rope I was tied up with but felt and heard the chain that was attached to shackles. Even if I got free of the rope, I'd still be chained. I wasn't going anywhere. The light I was seeing by was due to a fire in another part of the cave where I listened. No voices, nor did I hear movement.

"I'm awake!" I shouted if there were anyone waiting. Nothing. No replies. I sat there about an hour before I heard two men speaking to each other as they returned from...wherever.

"...yeah, but that's not what Miss Deena wants..."

I cleared my throat and shouted, "What does Miss Deena want?"

The two voices stopped, then I heard them come closer. Both were not attractive at all. One had an abundance of teeth missing and probably never heard of a brush for teeth, heavy and balding. The other had long stringy hair of unknown color. Blond? But so unwashed it could have been blond but was darkened by the dirt.

The first one smiled, "The sleeping one awakens."

"Hey, Bert," The second one nudged his friend. "I heard this guy likes it up the ass!"

Bert groaned and waved his head around, "She told us not to use our names, asshole."

"Sorry," The other man said. "But he likes to get fucked!"

Bert smiled at me, "He probably likes sucking cock."

"He probably does it really well, too." The second man grinned unfastening his trousers, "Deena said we can do what we like but keep him alive." He pulled his penis out.

"Try and make me..." I growled, "...and I'll bite it off!"

"Do that, and I'll kill you," The second man said angrily.

"Then you won't be doing as Deena instructed, would you?" I asked.

The one called Bert smiled, "No, but there's always a good fuck." He was unfastening his pants now. "Never fucked a man before. Ya think it'll stink?"

I was scared. They could do it and there was no one to stop them.

"We'll find out," The second man laughed a little sickly, as in he was a bit crazy. "Why not? He's already naked."

"If either of you touch me, it's going to stink. Because of you. You stink now!" I said but kept it even as I said it.

Bert walked a little closer, waving his penis at me, "Come on, one lick?" He chuckled. "One bite and I hurt you."

The smell of his unwashed skin, the smell of old urine and sweat was nauseating even a few inches away.

"Wait, boys!" The same female voice said behind them as Deena walked in. She was still a beautiful woman, but dressed as a man, in pants. All black. Her red hair hung past her shoulders.

"But you said..." Bert whined.

"And I'll deliver," She assured, then wrinkled her nose. "Put that away." She waved at Bert's penis. "If things go according to plan, you'll get Seth to...do what you said, first. Both of you. Then you can have Erik." She smiled at them. "Besides, you both stink."

"Why?" I asked.

Deena smiled at me, "As payment. You ruined my life."

"I gave you your life," I reminded her. "After what your father and brother planned..."

"I could have been queen!" Deena shouted, "At least the sister to the king, but no..." she shook her head. "You ruined my life!"

"And if you get caught, your life ends," I pointed out. "King Samuel will not stop until you hang."

She laughed, "I won't get caught. Sam was not that smart. He's just a child."

"A child you haven't seen in what...five years?" I asked. "He's not a child now."

She nodded, "Maybe." She looked me up from head to toe. "It's a shame though," She smiled. "We could have had fun. You are very good looking."

I grinned at her, "It probably won't come as a surprise to you, but your opinion of my looks doesn't matter to me."

She leaned in closer, her hand drifted to my bare thigh, "Have you ever been with a woman?"

"No," I said simply. "And I won't be any time, so forget it." Then I looked at her very seriously, "Why not tell me your plan..." I shrugged. "If only to prolong my agony?"

She smiled evilly, "Your right, it would be better." She ran her hand up, cupping my manhood and man orbs, gave them a tug which hurt scratching the soft skin underneath with her sharp fingernails. I knew there'd be blood, I could feel the soft flesh tear and I had to concentrate to keep the sudden sharp pain off my face. "I'm going to catch Seth, bring him down here, then let the boys loose on him. They can rape him, beat him...I don't care." She looked at the two men. "But I kill him." Then she turned back to me. "But know I will do it slowly." She stroked her neck above each corroded artery. "A slit right here. He will slowly bleed to death. But that's after these two have their fun with him." Then she smiled brightly. "You get to watch!" Then glared angrily at me. "You took my father, my brother and my house! I'm taking what means a lot to you and you get to watch him die! Raped and tortured, then die right in front of your eyes. By then you'll be begging me to kill you." She chuckled. "Maybe after a while, I will."

My heart ran cold thinking of anyone doing that to my Seth. In my terror, I thought about what I could do to stop her. I was naked and bound. "Slut," I said.

Her eyes grew a little. "What?"

"Whore," I said calmly, then glared at her, "Or do I just call you a bitch?" I asked. "I can't think of a word to put to you to tell you what you are. What's lower than bitch?"

Her eyes narrowed and her anger flared. She stood immediately and slapped me as hard as she could. I've been hit accidentally hit, no one has ever hit me on purpose. The small hand of a woman hurt!! It stung. "You don't speak like that to a lady!!"

I laughed at her. "Lady!? You are a thief! Soon to be a murderer if not already! You most definitely are no lady! Female, I grant you. Not that I'm surprised what you turned out to be, you're the daughter of a traitor, thief, and murderer!" I shouted at her. The pain was lessening to just a heat that was radiating from my cheek. "You...are...a...WHORE!!" Then it was my turn to laugh. "But that's too good! At least the whore is trying to eat!! To survive! What are you doing? You got cheated out of a life in the palace!?" I was now laughing harder. "Oh, boo hoo for you! You don't even comprehend why the palace is there! You dumb, evil, stupid bitch!!" And again, her temper flared as she slapped me again. "That palace wasn't built for you! It wasn't built for the king! It was built for Blethos! To better her people! That grand palace is to impress and entice people to trade with us, to ally themselves with us so maybe a part of that grandeur can be theirs! All you see are clothes and parties. That's not for you!! It's for Blethos! As king or queen, you should be the best that Blethos has to offer. The example all should follow. You are the lowest being I've ever come across. You're a cunt! A slut. You...are...WORTHLESS!!!"

"My father was..."

"My father was a KING!! My brother is king! I'm married a man who was king and now my brother-in-law is king!" I shot back, "Don't tell me about your birthright! You took Seth's away!! You humiliated him! You almost destroyed him!!" I had never hated anyone as much as I hated her right then. My goal was to make her so angry she'd do something so stupid she'd be easily caught. "If I get free, I will kill you. If Seth finds you, HE WILL KILL YOU!!! If you do this and get by with it, our brothers WILL KILL YOU! Both kingdoms will be looking for you. There is nowhere to go that will be safe. Your life is OVER!!!"

"My life is over," Deena repeated, then she moved in closer her eyes ablaze with hatred. "My life was over the minute you crossed into Blethos' territory!" She shouted, then thought. "No, that's not quite true. It was over when King Alexander wrote that damned letter to your brother, proposing the marriage of one of our family to a royal member of your family." She reached and grabbed a pot used for boiling water for tea. Then she swung it as hard as she could hit me in the jaw! I never understood what people meant when they said they saw stars when hit, but now I did. I literally saw flashes of light, the pain of the sudden impact made me dizzy, and I tasted my own blood. "This whole thing is your doing! If King Alexander had just appointed the next king. None of this would have happened."

I had a sick feeling in my stomach, my head was swimming. I looked at her. "He was following the law."

"My father knew Darius would be king." She shouted. "Or perhaps I would be queen!" She was again enraged and struck me again, making my head swim more, but the force of the hit didn't hurt as much as the first one. Not that it didn't hurt, but my body was ready for it. "You could have chosen me. You could have chosen Darius! Instead, you choose Seth!?"

"I was allowed to choose Seth to set things right," I said weakly. "He was born to be king. You know that." I shook my head. "And yet you still don't see why?" I asked unbelievingly. "You don't see the cause and effect? None of this would have happened if your father hadn't killed King Alexander's wife! He opened the opportunity for you and Darius to be king or queen, but it wasn't to be you or Darius. You were one in over a hundred choices. There was no guarantee."

"Seth wasn't meant to be king!" Deena shouted.

"He was!" I argued. "He was king!" This was going nowhere. She was hell-bent on revenge and couldn't see it. "How'd you get in my house? It was guarded."

She smiled, "It wasn't hard." She chuckled. "Darius was good with a sword, but with a bow and arrow, I'm deadly. A shot to the throat at dusk, the guard didn't shout out for help. He couldn't."

My blood went cold again. "You killed him." The agony of this situation hit me anew. "All of the guards on duty had wives and children. You just made a widow and rendered his children without a father."

Deena mocked a sad look, "Oh, the poor things. Now they know how I feel. My father was killed."

I looked around the cave and its contents, "What is all this?"

Deena looked at the surroundings. "This? This was put here by my father. He used this cave to store things..." she looked for a word, "...he appropriated."

"Stole, in other words." I shook my head. "Traitor, murderer and a thief. That figures."

Deena shrugged, "It doesn't matter." She stepped toward me again. "You will soon know what it's like to lose something precious. Seth is going to die. Then you are going to die." She turned to walk out but stopped when something caught her eye. She went over and pulled a piece of delicate red cloth. I recognized it as silk from Asiana. "Still, he got some beautiful things." She held up the cloth. "Look how sheer this is! You can see right through it!"

"And your father shit on it," I said angrily.

"What!?" Deena looked at me.

"Do you know how long that took to make?" I asked. "I don't. I can't even imagine. Hours? Days? Weeks!? When your father stole it, he took whoever's work that took time, painstakingly done when the people who made it sent it here to trade. The reward for their hard work was stolen. You should use it as shit cloth."

Deena frowned, "Why are you talking to me like this?"

I chuckled, "I don't use this kind of language when in the presence of people. Whether I like them or not. But I hate you, so, no problem." Then my bladder sent a signal to my brain, and I just peed right there making her jump back more to keep my urine from hitting her in the splash. "To keep you at a distance," I explained with a smile.

Deena scowled. "It won't be long before we have Seth. I hope you're cold." She looked at her two hired muscle. "Now, let's go get Seth."

The pain was now aching in my face. I didn't have to imagine what I looked like. The biggest problem was, being tied even to a chair didn't help with the passing of time. If it was dusk when she entered the house, it was after dark now. But not knowing how long I was unconscious; it was perpetually dark in this cave, so I had no idea what time it was. I'd get no idea if the moon was out or the sun. I doubted it was daytime. There was no way of telling how deep where I was. It could be noon, but most predators preferred darkness. Deena and those two thugs were predators. No food or water was my clue of the amount of time that passed.

My attention was drawn to the cave's unseen entrance when I heard some people coming in and from what I heard, dragging something.

"Careful." I heard Deena. "Don't damage him yet."

Then I watched as Deena led the two men as they were dragging an unconscious Seth.

"Just drop him there," Deena instructed, pointing to the ground in front of me. "It took a while, but here's your husband." She crossed her arms. "We'll have to wait for him to come to before we begin." Then she smiled at the two men. "In the meantime, strip him, boys." Then she looked at me. "No please don't? No begging me to stop?"

I shrugged, "You already told me what you plan, I can't stop you. Besides, you'd lie."

She nodded, "True."

They stripped him, not delicately either, until he was as naked as I was, then bound him as I was. Chaining him as I was but leaving him on the ground. A part of me wished him to remain unconscious, but it wasn't too long before he groaned and began moving. Waking more, he opened his eyes and looked around. Then spotting me, he looked alarmed.

"Erik?" He struggled to get up, but of course, he couldn't. "Oh, Erik," He looked horrified. Maybe I couldn't have imagined how I looked.

"I'm glad you finally woke up," Deena said calmly as she brought over a couple of tools. "This will be a lot better with you awake." She looked at Seth. "You know? I almost hate what's about to happen. When you were cursed and scarred, the thought of touching you revolted me." Then she smiled, "But since you've been cured, it will be a shame to scar you again. You are very handsome now." Then she bent down, taking one of his man orbs in a vice, then squeezed it almost shut making him shout a long cry of pain, his teeth gritting. Releasing the vice, she took it to one of his bound hands, taking a finger she tightened the vice again, this time I heard the crack as a finger broke at the knuckle. Again, Seth screamed from the pain, and my heart was aching with him as I felt tears come from me. It was agony for me to see. "I promise, this is going to go on for hours," Deena assured. "I am not going to crush your man orbs, not yet. I'll give that a chance to heal a bit, though I'm sure it's throbbing now." Then she unlatched the vice and took another of Seth's fingers, squeezing again as he screamed, breaking another finger at the knuckle. Then again, she moved to his other man orb and squeezed again. Again, not shut, but his cry of pain was hitched as he fought for air! She looked at me, the tears on my face were coming freely. "No demands for me to stop?"

"You won't," I cried. "This is what you wanted, me to suffer. I am."

Deena smiled, "Good." Then she turned to the two men with her. "Okay. Who'll be first?" She asked in a happy mood. She was a cold amoral creature I no longer saw as Human. "You wanted to rape Erik but start with Seth." She stepped back allowing the two men to come closer. "Then I'll do this again."

"I'll start," Bert claimed happily.

"Why you?" The other protested. "Says who?"

"Because I said so." Bert groused.

Deena rolled her eyes. "Who cares!?" She pointed at Seth. "Just do it! Though there is time."

I was now sobbing as Bert bent over Seth and rolled him so he could get to him. He unfastened his trousers and again pulled his now fully aroused penis out. My begging them to stop was pointless. Calling for Demetrius would get no reply. All I could do is watch this horrible man rape my beloved husband! Bert ran fingers over Seth's backside. Touching his entrance, he frowned. "It's going to hurt." Then he nodded at a thought and cut a slit on Seth's skin just above his entrance, blood seeped slowly, covering his entrance. "There, that's better."

Deena was smiling, very pleased with what was about to happen.

Bert pulled Seth up a little to ease his penetration into Seth and was about to enter Seth. My cry of agony just came out! He was going to rape Seth!! You can't imagine how it hurt me!!

Then I hadn't seen him as we were all distracted, but a sudden move, I heard someone swing a sword. Bert's penis was now lying on the ground and Bert was bleeding in spurts where his penis had been. I looked up and saw one of the other guards that had been assigned to guard us! The blood on his sword. His elbow flew up and hit the other man in the bridge of his nose sending the other man flying back.

"What the..." Deena looked up in shock. Then she hurried toward me.

The guard held his bloody sword up to Deena keeping her at bay and approached slowly.

I looked up to see Ezekiel standing, looking horrified at what he was seeing. Then down at Seth, he quickly knelt by Seth, taking the clothes scattered about and covering Seth. He pulled the pins from the shackles and began untying the ropes.

"Stop!!" Deena demanded the guard who stopped approaching her as she put a dagger up to my throat. "Any further and he's dead!"

That's when others entered the cave. Gabriel was leading more men in the cave, one was the newly elected mayor, Keith Davidson. Dark hair with a bald spot at his crown and his middle said he enjoyed his wife's cooking a little too much. He was beautiful to me. All of them were!

"She'll do it anyway!" I shouted. "Stop her!"

I felt the blade enter a little. "I will kill him!!" She assured.

Say what you will, this new mayor walked forward a little closer to Deena. "Erik says you will anyway." Then he shrugged and smiled, "But consider what will happen then."

She looked like the animal she was cornered, "You'll kill me."

The man nodded, "Yes, but not right away." He shook his head. "I promise you will stand trial. You killed the guard at the house. You've kidnapped two men, both of royal birth. You will stand before the king, and he will put you to death, of course." He grinned a little evilly. "Now, how that death will occur is up to you. You could hang, or just lose your head." He did the motion across his own throat making the sound you always did for slicing a throat. "Quick or if you do kill any more...." He pondered a moment. "...have you ever heard of quartering?"

Deena looked confused, "Quartering?"

The mayor's dark eyes brightened, "I read about it. It's a very brutal form of execution from ancient times. See, you take four horses. You bind a leg and arm to each horse, then slowly have them move away from each other, ripping the person apart. Of course, the slower it's done, the longer the agony. The person is literally quartered as they are torn apart." He sighed sadly, "Of course, the arms and legs will come out of their sockets first, the executed often passes out from the pain. They stop the quartering and wait for the executed to come to again and start over." He glared at Deena. "The point is, you will be awake and aware when you have finally pulled apart. Only then will your suffering end when you bleed to death." Then he smiled, "And I'm sure neither King Samuel nor King Christian would object in the least to that! In fact, I'm quite certain King Christian will want to be here to witness it if you kill his brother. King Christian or King Samuel, they're both his brothers."

Even I was amazed at this. Deena's eyes grew as Mayor Davidson had described it slowly and in gory detail in gruesome glee.

"Now, we can do this, take you to trial, which you will be executed. But whether it's fast or slow is your choice. So, do whatever."

Deena swallowed. I heard her! Then dropped the knife. The guard and another man rushed on her pulling her hands behind her back and bound her hands.

Seth was hurting, but he sat up. His face was tear stained and the pain was evident on his face. But he rose, didn't bother putting his clothes back on as he stumbled toward me. "Aw, baby," He cried touching my face, which still hurt. Then he hugged me. Searching the chains, he pulled the pins that held the shackles. Once they were off he untied the ropes, then pulled me from the chair to stand as he held me. "I am so sorry."

Glad to be free, and glad we were alive, I held him tightly. "You didn't do this, but thank you."

Seth nodded as he kissed me, "I love you, Erik."

Those words felt wonderful to hear. "I love you, Seth." Then I looked around. "I'm freezing."

Seth stood away a little. "Right! Your clothes." He looked around, "I'll find them."

I stopped him from leaving. "Stay here."

Seth looked uncertain a moment. "Oh, okay." He put his arms around me tighter. Then looked at the mayor. "Can someone find our clothes?"

The mayor nodded with a chuckle, "Absolutely." He was speaking to the other men and the guard. They went to find my clothes as Seth just stood there with me not letting me go.

"I didn't mean you couldn't get dressed," I said to him.

Seth looked down. "Yeah, right." He reached down and got his pants, then grunted as he used the hand with the broken fingers.

"I'll help you," I smiled as I held his pants up so he could slip them on. "How did they know where to come?" I asked him.

Seth grinned. "Well, that's because of Zeke, here." He patted Ezekiel. "I saw them, he and Gabe as I was being escorted out of the house. I told him it was great having him and his girlfriend, Drusilla the other night."

"Drusilla?" My eyes grew. "His girlfriend?"

Gabriel nodded, "That was his way of telling me, that even if he was saying that creep and he was heading off to do some business. Zeke and I knew something was wrong. So, we followed them. Saw the cave. I went to get the others."

I laughed at the two. "Nice thinking." My jaw ached. I touched it, but that hurt, too. "I probably look like shit."

Seth shook his head. "I've never noticed how beautiful you are, until now," Then he chuckled. "Well, that's not true. I noticed you were beautiful, sure, but now..."

I chuckled, "I got it."

The mayor came with my pants and gave them to me. I slipped them on. "Mayor Davidson, that was a pretty gruesome execution you described."

The mayor smiled, "Well, yes...but I figured a gruesome execution would stop her from doing what she was threatening to do. Men can come up the goriest things." He shook his head.

I looked at Bert, who was in the process of dying as his bleeding had slowed, most of the blood covered his pants and beneath him where it bled out. "There's no hope for him. He'll bleed to death." I looked at the other man that was bleeding from his nose that was broken as he was tied up with Deena. "What about him?"

"He'll stand trial with Deena Thorne." The mayor looked at the man. "He's known as The Slicer. He's wanted for some brutal crimes as well. There's no question that he won't be executed, too." He looked at the cave. "Of course, all of this will be returned. Traded. They will be sold as they were intended." He shook his head at both Seth and me. "You two need a doctor."

I took Seth's arm. "I know the fingers hurt." I smiled sympathetically at him. "What about you man orbs?"

"At least she hadn't gotten around to crushing them. They're very sensitive right now." Seth groaned. "Like I was kicked in the groin by something unreliably strong. It'll pass."

My pain at him being hurt made me hold him again. "I'll be there, baby."

Seth nodded with a smile as he ran a hand over my face where I wasn't hit. "I know you will." He kissed me gently.

Mayor Davidson chuckled, "I admit it, when I heard you two were really married, I thought that was just so wrong. Now, I understand. There's real love between you two."

Seth and I nodded. "There really is." Seth hugged me.

Both Seth and I were seen by the local doctor. After he set Seth's fingers and our cuts, tended my abrasions, and cuts we were told to go to bed.

The sun was rising when we crawled into bed, both did so gingerly. The thought of either of us having sex right now was out of the question. But Seth rolled over putting his arms around me, laying his head on my chest.

"Is it over?" I asked quietly as I stroked his hair. "With the Thornes?"

He nodded, "As long as she's alive, there is a threat. Once she's dead..."

"Then we need that to happen soon," I sighed.