Chapter 25
Though a tray of food had been brought to my chamber, I could not bring myself to touch it. My appetite had long since vanished. I had spent the better part of the afternoon pacing in small, anxious circles across the carpeted floor, my thoughts a tangled storm of confusion.
The woman from earlier must have been the Duchess. Although I could not see her face clearly because of her large hat, Princess Yseldra's letter mentioned her name.
My stomach clenched with unease.
What troubled me more deeply than anything was Nerissea's silence. She had shown no resistance. She had gone with the Duchess willingly. And the Duchess's final words… paired with her grotesque actions… I knew what was being done to Nerissea.
But why? Was Nerissea not someone Her Highness cherished? If not loved in the way one loves a paramour, then at least valued as one would a loyal companion? I cannot think my princess to be cruel of heart, for she has ever shown me gentleness, and if at times her passion grows fierce in our intimacy, it is but the nature of love.
None of it made sense. There was something else going on here. No matter how I turned it in my mind, I could not reconcile it. I wished with all my heart that Sister Alethea were here.
I suddenly remembered what by chance I had seen upon Princess Yseldra's desk.
'The support of Duchess Rowena Draymoor in exchange for the services of Nerissea.'
A chill crept slowly up the back of my neck. Chances are Princess Yseldra had remained in town all this while to gain the Duchess's support, and the cost of such support had been Nerissea. Could this be why she holds such loathing for the Duchess? It must be so. Perhaps she strove to find some other way, unwilling to surrender Nerissea, but at the end the Duchess desired none but her. And now with the King gone, my beloved had been driven in her despair to yield rather than let the Duke tear the crown from her.
Oh, Ombrithar…
A knock sounded at the door. I turned at once and hurried to open it.
"Let us resume our journey," said Sir Rhaevin.
"Nerissea?" I asked.
He gave a slight tilt of his chin down the corridor.
Grief surged through me. I bit down upon my lip in an attempt to stifle the sob rising within me. Nerissea walked toward us slowly. I could see plainly that she was in pain. Her gait was uneven.
I knew that walk. I had moved just so the morning after my first time with Princess Yseldra. But this… this was not Nerissea's first. This was the walk of someone who had been treated cruelly.
As she drew nearer, the signs became all too clear. Her lips were slightly swollen. There was bruising about her neck, as if something had been drawn tightly against it. Faint impressions of teeth marred the soft skin there. Her usual fair complexion looked a touch too pale. Her lovely pastel pink hair which had been neat before, now hung slightly disheveled, strands clinging to her skin. It was damp from sweat.
She offered a faint smile and my eyes blurred. This was not right. This was so very wrong. No one deserved to be treated so.
"Forgive me for the delay," she said softly. "Did you enjoy your meal? And were you able to rest well?"
I turned to Sir Rhaevin. "Nerissea requires medical attention. Please, Sir."
"She shall be examined once we reach the palace." He motioned toward the stairs. "We must be on our way."
"But Sir-"
"I am quite well," Nerissea interrupted. She stepped forward and began her slow descent down the stairs.
"Please, Sir," I implored.
"Will you walk," he said coldly, "or shall I be obliged to carry you?"
Ashamed and afraid, I bit my lip and quickly descended the stairs after Nerissea. When I reached her, I slipped my arm around her waist gently just as Sister Alethea had once done for me when I could barely stand.
"Permit me to help you," I whispered, wiping at my own tears with the back of my free hand.
She glanced at me and offered a faint smile. "You are most kind."
We descended the stairs together, one careful step at a time, and I could feel the strength it cost her. When we reached the carriage, I saw the strain it placed upon her simply to climb inside, though she gave no sound. Not a cry. Not even the faintest sigh. She endured it all in silence.
The door closed behind us, and the carriage began to move.
"Stay on guard, soldiers!" came Sir Rhaevin's voice outside. It was followed by a chorus of assent.
"Yes, Sir!"
It was dark, but the moonlight spilled through the thin curtains, casting pale silver across Nerissea's face. I moved beside her, unable to remain apart. My eyes roamed over her, searching.
"Where does it hurt?" I asked in a whisper.
"It is not so bad," she answered with another soft smile.
"Lying is unkind," I said, near to tears again. "Tell me truly. Where does it hurt?"
"I am quite well," she murmured, leaning her head against the wooden panel.
That same dreadful, sorrowful smile that tore at my soul with every glance.
My hands moved of their own accord, trembling as they reached forth. I lifted the dark folds of her skirt, and with each inch of pale skin revealed, fresh tears welled in my eyes.
She wore no drawers. Only a pair of long black stockings, garter belt and a tightly bound corset. The skin of her thighs bore cruel marks of bruises, bite impressions, discoloration. The outlines of rope were unmistakable, crisscrossed with such precision that they appeared deliberate, even artful.
She leaned back slightly as I gently parted her legs. Her hairless sex appeared to be untouched. I drew a breath of relief. But that comfort was short-lived, for my gaze shifted lower, and there I saw the truth. Her rear was bruised to a dreadful extent, swollen, discolored. A few thin trickles of blood glistened against her skin.
I felt as though something inside me had been torn open.
I removed my cloak and detached the hood. I folded it and pressed it against her, careful not to cause her pain.
"You are bleeding," I whispered, my voice breaking. "What manner of instrument could do such a thing…"
"She used a harnessed length," she replied and still she smiled.
"What is that…" I whispered as I made sure the cloth remained in place before covering her once more.
"It was a kind of belt. It fastens around the hips and secures beneath, where it is drawn between the thighs and attached again at the back. Upon the inner side, there is an artificial part, shaped in the likeness of a man's, which is meant to be placed within the wearer. And upon the front of the belt there is another such form, crafted for penetration. She used that."
"So cruel," I murmured beneath my breath, then turned to her. She had resumed her quiet posture, leaning with deceptive ease against the side of the carriage.
"Nerissea, I have seen you take Her Highness before. You were well. But now… something was done to you. Something more. You are hurt. You bled. What happened?"
She turned to me and gave a faint smile but did not answer.
"Ambush!" cried Sir Rhaevin.
In an instant, Nerissea seized me and pulled us both from the seat to the floor of the carriage. Only then did I hear her stifle a soft gasp of pain.
"Stay low," she whispered.
"The princess was right," came the voice of a soldier just beyond the carriage wall. "Those fucks have followed us."
The sound of steel drawn from scabbards rang sharp in the air. I felt my breath falter. The clash of metal against metal broke out with dreadful rhythm, shouts and curses interwoven with groans of pain. My heart threatened to stop. My body trembled uncontrollably, drenched in sweat and fear.
The carriage lurched forward violently, gathering speed. Nerissea and I were tossed upon the floor repeatedly. I reached for her, clutching her tightly. She was damp with sweat. Her face had gone dreadfully pale. Her eyes were half-lidded, as though she were drifting from consciousness. No faint smile adorned her lips now. I tried my best to cushion her back, I know she was drowning in pain.
"The Duchess's men are here!" Sir Rhaevin shouted.
"I truly believed she would not go through with it," another muttered with ragged breath. "She could have sent them earlier. Curse her wicked heart."
A sudden, sharp knock echoed against the side of the carriage. I flinched and pulled Nerissea closer.
"Thank you, Nerissea!" came a soldier's voice.
"Escort Lady Naevia and Nerissea to the palace!" Sir Rhaevin roared. "I shall remain and hold the enemy at bay with the Duchess's forces!"
"N-Nerissea… what are they saying? Who are they fighting?" I asked.
But she did not answer. Her eyes fluttered closed, and her body slackened in my arms.