Chapter 15

SABINA

“The night I ended our friendship, I was a mess. I didn’t want to walk away from you, Aboloft. I swear, leaving you was the hardest, most painful thing I’ve ever done.

“Your face when I told you we couldn’t be together anymore, couldn’t even see each other—it split my heart in two. But I did it for you, for your future.

“I wanted to be selfish, but I knew it wouldn’t end well. So, I left you.

“I walked home, even though all I wanted was to turn back and hold you tight. It was late. I knew my dad would be mad, probably hit me, but I didn’t care.

“I needed a real goodbye, no matter what my father’s reaction would be.” My voice hitched as memories of that night flickered in my mind like distant flames.

“What happened then, Bina?” Aboloft asked. I was about to continue when he added, “I was hurt. It hurt so much when you said you didn’t want to see me anymore. I wanted to hurt you back, demand an explanation.

“I wanted to keep you locked up in my castle so you could never leave me. But you told me you weren’t happy with me. You said you wanted a new friend.”

“I wasn’t always honest with you, Aboloft. The only time I was truly honest was when I told you that you were my happiness.

“I never told you about what I faced at home, what I endured because of the people of Wilsden.

“I knew the only way to cut you out of my life was to lie to you, to tell you I wanted someone else, that you didn’t make me happy. And I’m so sorry, Aboloft.

“I’m really, truly sorry. I’m sorry for hurting you, for coming into your life, I’m sorry for everything.” More tears slipped down my cheeks as I hiccupped.

“Tell me what happened, Bluebell.” Aboloft kissed my forehead, his lips steady.

“I was walking home, trying so hard not to cry. I didn’t want anyone to see me, because if they did, they’d tell my father, or maybe they’d start throwing stones at me.

“Either way, I didn’t want to be seen. But I guess what I wanted didn’t matter.” I took a deep breath, preparing to tell him about that night.

“I was cornered by four men. They stopped me. I tried to get away, but they weren’t letting me go. They called me horrible names and made disgusting suggestions.

“I tried to run, but they pushed me down. I tried to fight back, but it was useless—it was four against one, and they were so much stronger.”

I buried my face in Aboloft’s chest, not brave enough to tell him what happened next. How I lost everything that night.

“Tell me what happened, my beautiful goddess. Tell me and I’ll make it better. Tell me and I’ll take your pain away,” Aboloft whispered, kissing my temple.

“They—they ripped my clothes. They took away my only shield. And then they started to beat me.” I started panting, unable to speak.

“Breathe, my sweet. Breathe. I’m here. It’s in the past. No one can hurt you here. I promise you, no one will hurt you. Tell me, Bluebell, tell me what those monsters did to you. I’m here.

“You’re safe with me,” he coaxed, his hand rubbing up and down my back, soothing me, giving me a feeling I hadn’t had in a long time—safety.

“They kicked me and punched me, all the while calling me disgusting names. They touched me.” I lost my voice for a few seconds before I continued.

“They touched me…everywhere. I cried and begged them to stop, but they didn’t; they just laughed and kept hurting me. A couple of them grabbed thin branches and started whipping me with them.

“They whipped me until I bled. And then they left me there to die.”

Aboloft’s grip on me tightened to the point of pain. Maybe he was angry about what happened to me, maybe he was disgusted. I wasn’t sure.

Whatever he was feeling, it was negative, I knew that much. It had been eight years, but I still knew how to read the man I loved.

“Did they do it? Did they take advantage of you? Did they steal your innocence, Bina?” Aboloft demanded. His voice was a clear command for me to answer.

I shook my head. “No. They did a lot of things that night, but they didn’t take my innocence. I’m pure, Aboloft. I swear to you on my mother’s grave.

“The world may not believe me, but I am. You have to believe me when I say that I’m pure. I didn’t give my innocence to anyone. And I was grateful to those men for not taking it,” I told him, needing him to believe me.

It would give me peace to know that there was someone who believed me, who believed in my purity.

At least there would be one less person who wouldn’t call me a whore. Who wouldn’t look at me like I was a walking disgrace.

“I believe you.” Aboloft kissed my cheek. “I believe you, my sweet. You don’t have to worry about it. I believed you before, and I believe you now.

“You are pure, in every sense of the word,” Aboloft said, lifting the weight of guilt from my shoulders.

“Thank you. Thank you so much. You’re the first person to believe me. Thank you so much for believing in me, Aboloft.” I held him tight, soaking in his warmth.

“Tell me what happened after that,” he said. After what he’d just given me, I would do anything for him, give him whatever he wanted.

“My clothes were in tatters. The men had ripped them apart. I couldn’t use them to cover myself. I was just grateful my house was close by. I sprinted towards it.

“When I reached home, my father took one look at me and any trace of affection he had for me disappeared. He jumped to conclusions, labeled me a whore and a curse.

“That night, my father tried his best to end my life. But for some reason, I survived.

“I guess God must hate me, because I wanted to die. At least I was dead to my father. He believed I had spent the night with a man.

“His dreams of marrying me off to a respectable man were shattered. He knew that no one would want to marry me. That I would be a burden on him forever.”

“How can you think like that? How could your father consider marrying you off to any other man when I was there? How could you even contemplate marrying another man when I was there, Bina?” Aboloft sounded furious.

“Aboloft, we are worlds apart. There’s no way a prince could marry a farmer’s daughter. I was better suited for a lumberjack or maybe another farmer. But a prince? That was out of the question.

The world would’ve never left us alone. Your Kingdom would’ve crumbled because of me, and I can’t bear that. You deserve happiness, Aboloft. And I can never be your happiness.”

Even though nothing would make me happier than to be loved by Aboloft and to be his wife, I knew it was a pipe dream.

“Finish telling me everything, and then I’ll deal with you and your absurd notions,” he grumbled, loud enough for me to hear.

“My notions aren’t absurd,” I countered. Fatigue was pressing down on me. I just wanted to rest my head on Aboloft’s chest and drift off to sleep.

This Aboloft was a figment of my imagination, but I craved the real Aboloft now; otherwise I would get used to this one. He was a mirage. His love was a mirage. And believing in this would be like hurting myself.

“Tell me the rest,” he ordered.

Taking a deep breath, I continued. “After that night, my father refused to acknowledge my existence. The people of Wilsden continued to torment me.

“Whenever I walked by, they would label me a witch or a whore, whatever they felt like. A stone or a piece of trash would hit my face or my back.

“My father had told every single person in Wilsden what happened to me—or rather, what I did—giving them all the more reason to torment me.

“My father pleaded with people to marry me. But no one wanted their son or brother to marry a witch. Nobody wanted me to bring disgrace upon their family. Marrying me would be like cursing yourself to hell.

“I was the devil’s spawn. Everyone, including my father, told me how I was the reason my mother died.

“They said that my mother couldn’t bear the shame of having me as a daughter, so she prayed to God to take her life.

“Maybe they were right. I was a bad person. I ~am~ a bad person. I went against my values and morals and befriended a prince.”

“Why did they call you a witch?” Aboloft asked.

“They believed I cast a spell on you. According to them, the only reason you were my friend was because you were under my spell. They thought I made you drink love potions.”

I chuckled, thinking about how people used to think. It had been eight years and they still thought I was a witch.

“I see. Continue,” Aboloft said.

“My father grew weary of begging men to marry me. The people of Wilsden grew tired of me polluting their lives. So, they found a solution.

“One night, I was sleeping, exhausted from another long day of icy stares and harsh words. No matter how hard I tried to be immune to those people and their terrible behavior, I couldn’t.

“Every word hit me like a whip. Every menacing glare was like a stone on my bruised body. It never got easier. It always hurt.

“I woke up because I was feeling hot. Sweat was trickling down my back, and there was a foul smell in the air. Blaming it on my imagination, I got up to drink some water.

“There was a mug on the table by my bedside. I was about to drink it when I saw smoke. It was everywhere, engulfing me.

“I panicked and tried to call my father, but he was nowhere to be found. I called out to him, but he didn’t respond.

“I opened the door only to see fire. It didn’t take long for it to invade my room. The mug of water I had in my hand dropped and shattered, the water doing nothing to quench the fire.

“I was scared—terrified. I wanted someone to help me. I wanted my father to help me. I screamed for help, for my father. But no one came. No one heard my cries. Or so I thought.

“After screaming for help, I heard distinct voices chanting, ‘Die whore,’ ‘Burn, you witch.’ Among those voices, I heard my father. He was chanting the same words as the other people.

“I yelled at him to come help me. I begged and pleaded for everyone to help me, to get me out of the burning house. But no one came. They wanted me to die. They were burning me alive.

“They almost got their wish. According to them, they got their wish. The fire burned me enough for me to die. The people of Wilsden thought I was dead, and they had succeeded in their mission to rid their town of evil.

“I mean, I thought I was dead. The way the fire burned me, the way it licked away at my skin, my bones, it was the worst pain imaginable, Aboloft. I truly wished the fire would end my life.

“I had been praying for death since that terrible night and believed that my prayers were finally being answered.

“Since they thought I was dead, the people left. They left my body to rot under the ashes that were once my house. I didn’t know what happened to my father until much later, when I finally gathered the courage to see him again.”

“How did you manage to get out, to save yourself?” Aboloft asked in a deceptively gentle voice.

“Beth rescued me. I didn’t know what she was doing, wandering around near my burnt house, but she saw me and pulled me out. She had an older brother, David, whom she called for help.

“They brought me to their home, my body limp and unconscious. They nursed me back to health, caring for me as I healed from the burns that covered my body. It took months.

“The scars are still there, a constant reminder of that night. Fire terrifies me now, but they never made me feel like a burden.

“They cared for me, met my every need. I could never thank them enough for that.

“Beth and David became my family. When I tried to leave, they wouldn’t let me. They told me I was part of their family now. And I was glad.

“For the first time in a long time, I was accepted. They didn’t call me a witch or a whore, they called me by my name.

“David passed away a few months after I moved in. Beth and I mourned him together. If it hadn’t been for him, Beth wouldn’t have been able to save me that day. I miss him so much.

“We held a small funeral for him behind Beth’s cottage. After that, it was just Beth and me.

“I didn’t want the people of Wilsden to know I was still alive. I’d finally found peace, and I wanted to keep it. So, I changed how I looked.

“I dyed my hair black with plant extracts so my red hair wouldn’t give me away. I was the only redhead in Wilsden, which made me an easy target.

“When I felt strong enough, I started helping Beth with her fruit business at the market. I helped run the stall, selling fruit.

“But the first customer nearly fainted when he saw me. He couldn’t believe it was me—well, he ~didn’t~ believe it was me.

“He thought I was another woman who looked just like me, but with different hair. So, the people of Wilsden started to think my ghost was haunting them.

“They still called me a witch, but they stopped hurting me, afraid I’d kill them.”

“They thought you were their punishment?” Aboloft asked, stroking my hair.

I nodded. “Yes. They thought I looked like Sabina because they were being punished. So, they started treating me like Sabina.

“They stopped throwing stones, but they still called me names. They still accused me of being a witch and a whore,” I said.

“And your father? What happened to him?” Aboloft asked.

“I saw him nine months later. He could barely walk. His back was hunched, and he used a cane. He looked awful. His eyes had lost their spark.

“His skin was wrinkled, and his complexion had faded. My father looked sick.

“He came to buy fruit. I thought he’d recognize me, but he didn’t. So, I didn’t tell him who I was. I just gave him his fruit, and he left.

“After that, I only saw him a few times before I heard a woman telling her friend that he’d died.

“She said he’d been suffering from a terrible disease that finally took his life. He died in pain,” I finished, sighing with relief.

“Is that everything? Is there anything else you need to tell me?” Aboloft asked, gently pushing me down until I was lying flat on the bed.

I shook my head. “No. That’s it. I’ve told you everything. I’m not hiding anything else from you.”

Aboloft kissed me softly, his lips gently brushing against mine.

“Good. Now sleep, my beautiful goddess. Everything will be okay now. No more bad days. No more suffering. You’re not a farmer’s daughter anymore. You’re a queen. My queen. Sleep now.”

With a smile on my face, I closed my eyes and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. I knew when I woke up, this dream would be over, this illusion would be gone.

Instead, King Aboloft would be there, and I just hoped he wouldn’t greet me with another punishment.

And with those thoughts, I fell asleep.