Chapter Three

Lysa

“Wake up,” I hear a voice shout at me. “You useless whore. Wake up.”

“Mmmm,” I groan and force my eyes open.

“Get up,” Mom demands. “Now.”

“Why?” I groan as I force myself to stand.

“You are moving rooms. Let’s go,” she says before turning and walking to the door. I quickly grab my small bear and follow behind her.

The castle is in absolute chaos as we walk to the main living quarters. We come up to Dad and Aldric and they look concerned. “What are you doing?” Dad asks.

“Taking her to her new room,” Mom says simply.

“Get her new clothes,” Aldric says.

“Come along,” Mom says.

I am so confused, but I know better than to keep asking questions about why she is doing this. “How long was I asleep?” I ask.

“Two days,” she says as she opens a door and walks in. When I step in, I see it’s a beautiful room with a real bed. Everything is clean and Petra is laying a dress on the bed. “I thought she might need something better to sleep in, so she doesn’t dirty the sheets,” Petra says, keeping her head bowed.

“Get her as clean as you can and give her something to let her sleep a while longer,” Mom says.

“Thank you,” I say quietly.

“You are not to leave this room, Lysa. Understood?” she asks, grabbing my face and making me look at her.

“Yes, ma’am,” I whisper. She leaves the room, and I look at Petra in confusion. “What is going on?”

“Let’s get you clean,” she says simply, before taking my hand and pulling me into the bathroom.

“What’s going on?” I ask in a hushed tone. “Why is everyone acting so weird?”

“They broke the treaty,” she says with a smile.

Sucks for them. Maybe the dragons will burn this place to ash. It was their fault for casting the spell, whatever that was. They should have been more cautious considering the castle is made up of nothing but wood, glass, and stone. If your enemy breathes fire, maybe don’t live in something that can be destroyed by flames.

Petra cleans my hair and body thoroughly before helping me dress. My body is still sore, but the potion she gave me helped tremendously. From what I can tell, the bruising is gone. All that remains is an ache. Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about my dad or Aldric ever getting me pregnant since my mom performed a sterilization spell on me at ten. I am saddened by the fact that I will never have kids, but I also don’t think I will ever find love outside of this hell.

“Didn’t she want you to give me something to…” she starts to say.

“If she asks, I did. I don’t want you unconscious when they arrive,” she says quietly. “I will find my way to you, okay? If you hear commotion, hide. I will come for you, Miss Lysa.”

“Okay,” I say. “But where will we go?”

“Where the dragons cannot find you,” she says.

“Uh… okay,” I say as she points for me to lie down. “Thanks? ”

“Things will get better, Miss Lysa. I promise,” she says. I nod and she pulls the covers up to my shoulders. “Sleep now. We have time.”

I am startled out of my dreams when I hear a loud bang outside of my door. I jump up from the bed and back away, trying to urge my brain awake. I hear another bang, followed by screams and I remember what Petra told me. Before I can get to the closet, my door is kicked in and a large man comes in. He is every bit of seven feet tall, and he looks angry. “Are you going to run from me, little witch?” he growls. His body is tense, like he is ready to chase me if I run.

Here's the thing though… I don’t want to run. This man terrifies me, yes, but he still looks nicer than Dad on one of his good days. This giant man is wrapped in thick muscles and no doubt would break me into pieces without any effort, but I hope he does. I hope I am killed so I can be rid of this loneliness.

I rapidly shake my head and he walks closer. “Where is your sister? You have an older sister, yes?”

“She’s dead,” I say, confused.

“Hmm,” he says. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-three…”

“You’ll do nicely,” he says. “Are you going to walk with me, or do I need to drag you? ”

“I’ll walk,” I say simply. “Can I… bring something?”

“As long as it’s not a spell book,” he says sarcastically. I roll my eyes at him and go to the bed to get my small bear. He yanks it out of my hands to inspect it. I frown deeply at him before snatching it back from him. “Come along, little witch.”

“I have a name, ya know,” I say as he grabs my wrist and pulls me along with him.

“Where is your family?” he asks.

“Hiding from you, if I had to guess,” I say. “I said I’d walk. You don’t have to drag me.”

“If you run, I’ll make you regret it,” he huffs.

“Are you a dragon?” I ask as I walk beside him. He has his hand on my back, not trusting me when I say I won’t run.

“Do you ever stop talking?” he asks. I smile when I realize that my talking is annoying him. If he is going to kidnap me, he’s going to have to listen to my mouth. Maybe I’ll get lucky, and he will snap my neck.

“What color are your scales?” I ask. “I bet they are purple. You look like you’d be purple.”

“Walk faster, witch,” he grumbles.

“My name is Lysa, and I have little legs compared to you. Chill out.”

I see Petra and I immediately turn and run for her. “Witch,” the man shouts as he charges after me. I ignore him and hug Petra.

“What’s going on?” I ask. The man grabs my arm, and I smack it away. “Get your hands off me. I’m saying goodbye.”

“Hurry up,” he frowns

“He’s a grumpy bastard,” I say to Petra, and she smiles. “You have to get out of here. It’s your chance to get away from them.”

“Miss Lysa, don’t you worry about me,” she says softly.

“No. If I’m missing, they’ll kill you. You need to go,” I say. “Ham Hock. Can she come too?”

“What did you just call me?” he asks.

“Would you rather grumpy purple dragon?” I ask.

“It’s okay,” Petra says.

“Are you going to be annoying too?” the man asks Petra.

“No,” she smiles. “I would be thankful if you could just get me to the neutral zone.”

“I’ll have one of my men take you,” he says. “Keril.”

“Yes sir?” a man asks as he comes up behind us .

“Take this woman to the neutral zone,” the man says.

“Uh… Okay,” Keril says. “Is this the oldest?”

“No. She’s dead, apparently,” he replies.

“When?” Keril asks me.

“When I was six,” I say. “My dad killed her.”

“She’s telling the truth,” Petra says.

“This one is annoying, but she fits the type,” the man says. “Come on, witch.”

“Go, Miss Lysa,” Petra says, hugging me again. The man pulls me away after a moment and I walk with him.

“When are you going to kill me?” I ask.

“I’m not,” he says as we step out to the front courtyard.

“What?” I ask. “What the fuck?”

“Do you want me to kill you, little witch?” he asks, turning to face me.

“Uh… I don’t know,” I say.

“If you do anything but get on my back, I’ll cremate you where you stand. Is that understood?” he asks. I nod rapidly again and he steps back .

I watch as scales start to develop on his skin and his entire body grows. I am completely stunned as I watch him shift in front of me into a massive dragon but bust out laughing when I see that his scales are black with an iridescent purple hue. “I told you that you were a purple dragon,” I say as I look him over. He huffs smoke at me and I involuntarily yelp, understanding that he meant it when he said he’d burn me alive. How the fuck do I do this? I look around and he is visibly pissed as he stomps closer to me. I spot another giant man and yell at him. “Hey. You. Muscle man.”

“What?” he asks, turning to me. He looks at the dragon and it’s almost like they are talking to each other. I have heard that shifters can talk in their minds. Is that what this is?

“How do I… What the fuck am I doing?”

“He told you to get on his back,” he says, slightly annoyed. “Are you going to be difficult? I hope you understand what happens to witches who piss us off.”

“Calm down, muscle man. How do I get on his back? He’s huge and I’m tiny,” I say. “You guys are terrible kidnappers.”

“Come here,” he laughs. I step closer to the dragon and the man lifts me up to set me on the dragon’s back. “Hold on tight. He won’t let you fall.”

“How kind,” I say, rolling my eyes. “What’s his name? I don’t think he likes Ham Hock.”

I scream when the dragon bucks and nearly throws me off him. “Eyrx,” the man laughs. “And no. He does not like Ham Hock.”

“Thanks,” I say. “I think.”

Eyrx takes a few steps forward and I whine as I hold on to the spikes on his back. When he leaps, his wings move, and we are lifted into the air. I lay myself down on his back and wrap my arms around him as best as I can as we soar through the air. I am in a constant state of feeling like I’m going to fall, so I am tense. Over time, I relax, but I don’t dare move.

After a few minutes, I quickly lose strength. I am still sore from the beating I took, and I haven’t eaten in days. I try to readjust my hold, but I start to slip. I desperately try and grab a hold of him as he flies, but I lose my grip and fall.

I scream as I start to plummet toward the ground, but Eyrx swiftly catches me in his claws and keeps a tight hold on my body. I am too stunned to cry, but I feel safer like this. We descend toward the ground for a bit longer before he levels out and continues on.

I snap my eyes open when I am gently placed on the ground. As I jump up, Eyrx lands in front of me. He slowly walks closer before dropping his head a bit and opens his mouth. I squeal when I see my small teddy bear fall out of his mouth. “Oh, my Gods! Thank you!” I pick it up as he shifts back, and I scrunch my face up when it’s dripping with saliva. “Ew.”

“I noticed you dropped it,” he remarks simply.

“I appreciate this… really,” I say. I know this is a serious situation and these people are dangerous, but he’s not as scary as he thinks he is. He just saved a tiny teddy bear for his captive. Assholes don’t do that.

“Call me Ham Hock again and I’ll burn it in front of you,” he says, and I smile. “Let’s go.”

I turn to follow him and see a massive castle made of obsidian. It’s stunning. Everything here is stunning. There are flowers everywhere from the flower beds to bushes, to the fields around the castle. “It’s beautiful,” I say. “Oh… Thanks for catching me.”

“You’re weak,” he says as we walk inside.

“I haven’t eaten in a few days,” I say simply. He stops dead in his tracks and turns to face me.

“What?” he asks.

“I haven’t eaten in a while. That’s why I’m always weak,” I say. He studies me for a moment before turning back and walking. Others are watching as we make our way to the left wing of the castle. Everyone looks sad .

What did my family do to break the treaty that made them all so sad? I feel bad for them. I wish I could help. I would if I knew how. As far as I know, they always honored the treaty, so I don’t think they deserved to be made to feel this way.

We walk into a massive room and Eyrx turns to me. “This is where you will be staying. You are not to leave this room. You may go onto the balcony if you wish. I’ll have servants bring you food and clothing. They will also bring you some books to read to entertain you. Before you eat, I want you to take a bath and clean the filth off of you. I expect you to remain clean. Servants will come in daily and clean the room. Don’t make their lives harder by being messy. ”

“Yes, Sir,” I say.

“When someone enters the room, you are to kneel and stay where you are. If you try to run, you’ll be placed in the dungeon below the castle,” he adds.

“Yes, Sir,” I say. “Are… Are you the king?”

“No,” he says. “Drakarus is the king.”

“Oh…” I say. “Am I expected to… uhm… service anyone?”

“What? No. No one is allowed to touch you but the king. If anyone does, tell me immediately,” he says. “The servants are not your friends. You are a prisoner. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” I say.

Is this their version of prison? What a joke. This is luxury. I will be on my best behavior if it means I get to stay in a room like this and get treated so well. I actually get a real bathroom and bed here. Plus, they are going to feed me. No way I am screwing this up. I don’t even care if I end up having to service someone the way I was forced to with my dad and Aldric. I will definitely suck a dick for consistent meals.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he frowns.

“I am just thankful is all,” I say.

“I will return later. I must greet my wife,” he says.

“You have a wife?” I ask as he walks away.

“Yes. Why?” he asks as he turns when he gets to the door.

“Just curious,” I say. “I realize my questions are annoying. I apologize. I just don’t get to talk to many people. I’m sure it’s sketchy… considering.”

“Considering what?” he growls.

“Petra said that the witches broke the treaty with that spell they did. I assume that’s why you took me. Plus, everyone looks sad.

“What do you know about the spell?” he asks, walking back to me.

“Nothing,” I say .

“Liar!” he shouts as grabs me by the shoulders. “Tell me what you know, witch.”

“I don’t know anything,” I plead. “I wasn’t there when they did it.”

“I don’t believe you. Tell me,” he yells as he shakes me.

“Ow! You’re hurting me,” I complain.

“Eyrx,” a woman scolds from the door. “You’re going to break her neck. Stop shaking her like that.”

“She’s a witch, Julianna. She did this to…”

“Stop,” she says softer. “What is your name, witch?”

“Lysa,” I say as I sniff back tears and step away from Eyrx.

“Everyone is a bit on edge. You’ll have to excuse his anger,” she says.

“Are you his wife?” I ask.

“I am,” she says. “I am also the king’s sister.”

“It’s… am I supposed to bow? I am so sorry. I don’t know what I’m doing,” I say as I tear up again.

“It’s alright,” she says. “My name is Julianna. Just call me Juli.”

“Uh… Okay,” I say.

“What do you know about the spell?” she asks .

“Nothing. I swear. I wasn’t there,” I say. “I was preparing a meal for their celebration. I just know that my parents came and got my brother and said they were starting the spell. I figured they were up to something because they never gather like that for a spell. Petra told me when I was moved rooms that they broke the treaty.”

“Okay. How about this… Let’s get you settled, and we can talk more later,” she says.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” I say, bowing my head to her.

“What the fu…”

“She isn’t going to tell you shit if you treat her like garbage,” Julianna scolds him. “Be nice or I will take over.”

“Fine,” he huffs. “She called me Ham Hock, Juli.”

“I’m going to cut your ham hock off if I catch you shaking her like that again,” she warns. “Lysa, Eyrx will be up shortly with food. Go take a bath.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I say. When they leave the room, I turn and walk to the bathroom. I don’t want to piss her off. She’s nice to me. Eyrx seems to be under a lot of stress, so I need to be careful of how I push him.

The bathroom is large and clean. This place is so much nicer than where I’m from. I turn the water on, find a bottle of what looks like soap, and pour it in. I strip off all my clothes and get into the hot water. The soap smells amazing and it soothes me. I start by washing my body and hair before eventually laying back and trying to relax for a second. I wasn’t permitted to relax, but how could I not?

I gasp and start to get out when I open my eyes and see Eyrx at the door. “I-I’m sorry. I was just…”

“No, relax,” he says, shaking his head.

“This bath is just so nice,” I say. “I know I wasn’t permitted to relax but…”

“Stop,” he says. “Turn. Let me see your back.”

“Uh… Okay,” I say. I turn in the bath to face away but he is silent for a while. “Juli, come in here.”

“What?” she asks.

“Look at her back,” he says.

“Lysa, can you step out, please,” Julianna says as she walks over to me.

“Y-Yeah,” I say.

Fuck. I’m going to get beaten. I knew I shouldn’t have relaxed. I should have just done what I was told to do. Maybe they won’t hit me as hard as my mom? I drop my head and get out. When Julianna touches my back, I flinch. “Who did this to you?” she asks. I don’t answer because I don’t know if I should tell the truth or not. “Lysa, who did this?”

Julianna turns me to face her and lifts my face. “My family,” I say quietly.

“Which one?” she asks. “Eyrx mentioned that your father killed Unika?”

“They all did it,” I say. “Mom, Dad, and Aldric.”

“Dear Gods,” she sighs. “How did Unika die, Lysa?”

“Uhm… Dad wanted to take me for the first time and Unika protected me. He beat her until she went limp and my mom made me leave the room,” I answer quietly.

“What? He was going to rape you? How old were you?” Eyrx asks.

“Six,” I say. “He did it anyway the next day. Unika just wasn’t there to protect me that time.”

“What?!” Eyrx roars. Julianna gently touches his arm, and he huffs as he runs his hands down his face.

“Was it just the once?” Juliana asks.

“No,” I say. “He did it a lot. Aldric started helping him when he was sixteen. The last time was a few days ago before I fell asleep.”

“You slept for days?” she asks .

“Yeah… Uhm… It’s complicated,” I admit.

“Tell me,” she urges.

“After the celebration, Dad and Aldric were drunk. I knew they would come to torture me. They took turns on me, but my mom came in at some point. When my dad was taking me, Aldric fucked her while she held me down. Aldric ended up… uhm… helping Dad by taking my throat instead of finishing with my mom. After I was throwing up, she started beating me with something. A metal rod, I think. Petra snuck in to help me clean up. When she helped me lay on my cot, she gave me a little bit of a potion to sleep. I woke up to my mom having me move rooms. Petra came to help me clean up again and change clothes. Then, I woke up to Eyrx coming into the room,” I explain.

“That’s why you asked if you had to service anyone,” Eyrx says with a sigh. “This doesn’t change anything, Juli. We…”

“It doesn’t, but he is stable. She needs to rest before we ask that of her. She needs her energy,” Julianna says.

“Fine,” Eyrx frowns.

“Lysa, there is food out here for you. Eat and relax. We will give you a week to relax, but then we will get to why we brought you here, okay?” Julianna asks.

“Are you going to kill me?” I ask her.

“Not if we don’t have to,” she says, and I nod.