Chapter 4

SABINA

I kept my eyes glued to the floor, my heart pounding against my ribs, as I braced myself for Aboloft’s fury. I knew I was being disrespectful by not responding, but I couldn’t give him the answer he wanted.

“Sabina, I asked you a question. I expect an answer, now.” His words hit me like a punch. Fear made my body shake, but I kept my lips sealed.

“I’m sorry, my lord, b-but I c-can’t t-tell you what you w-want to know,” I stuttered.

Aboloft growled in response, his anger radiating off him like heat from a fire. I shrank back from his glare, his rage warming the chilly cell.

I wished I had stayed in Beth’s cottage instead of going to the market that day. The men had taken us away, and now Aboloft’s fury was worse than death. I wished he would just kill me.

“Why?” he asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

“Be-because I haven’t done anything to my hair,” I lied.

I knew Aboloft recognized me, but that didn’t mean I had to acknowledge him. I decided to pretend I had no idea who he was, hoping to avoid his wrath.

I yelped when he grabbed my arm, forcing me to stand. He then shoved me against the brick wall, the impact knocking the wind out of me.

I dared to meet his gaze, only to be paralyzed by the intensity and rage in his eyes.

“You think I don’t remember what your hair looks like?” Aboloft asked, his voice deceptively gentle.

“Ho-how could you remember, my lord, if yo-you’ve never met me?” I knew lying wasn’t the best strategy, but I hoped he wouldn’t catch me.

His growl told me I was in trouble. He knew I was lying.

My fear was confirmed when he grabbed a handful of my dark hair. His touch was gentle, but the anger radiating from him made me shake.

“You think I’m a fool! You think I wouldn’t remember you after eight years?! You think you can lie to me, pretend you don’t know me, and I won’t notice?!”

His words cut deep, reminding me of his power.

“I remember everything about you, Sabina. Your green eyes, your thick, red hair, your pale skin that glows in the dark. I remember it all.

“And just because you pretend not to know me, doesn’t mean I believe you. I knew you recognized me the moment you stepped into my castle. Playing dumb won’t help you, Bluebell.”

The nickname made my heart flip. He used to call me that because bluebells were my favorite flowers. He would tell me how the flowers suited me every time he gave me a bouquet.

I loved that nickname and held it close to my heart. Now, after eight years, he had called me Bluebell again.

He remembered me when I had tried so hard to forget him. He remembered everything about me, just like he was etched into my mind. Was I foolish to try to forget him?

~No. Leaving him was the right choice.~

When I didn’t respond, Aboloft ran the back of his hand over my cheek. I flinched and glared at him.

“Don’t touch me!” I snapped. I couldn’t let him do this.

His eyes hardened, and I wanted to kick myself. I was provoking his wrath without meaning to. But I had no other choice.

We weren’t the same people we used to be. We would never be the same again, and Aboloft needed to understand that.

“You dare to order me!” he roared. His voice made me tremble.

Without a word, I clutched my shawl tighter around me. I couldn’t let him see my bare chest, not when he was this angry.

“Forgive me, my lord,” I said softly, looking down.

“Say my name,” he commanded quietly.

“My lord—”

He cut me off. “Say my name!” His voice rose.

I bit my lip but didn’t obey. I thought I knew what he was trying to do, but I wouldn’t play along. He was my past, nothing more.

“I can’t do that, my lord. It would be disrespectful,” I replied.

“This is a direct command,” he stated.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not worthy to speak your name, your highness,” I responded, grateful for the shawl around me.

With a sigh that made me wish for death, Aboloft turned his back to me, running a hand over his face. I could tell by the movement of his arm.

Silence fell for a moment before he broke it. “Eight years. It’s been eight years since I last saw you.”

He paused before continuing. “You pushed me away. You told me to never see you again. And I listened.” He laughed bitterly. I stood there, taking in his every word.

“I listened to you, and I lost you. I lost you for eight years.” Aboloft turned to face me, and the determination in his eyes made my heart flutter. “But not anymore.”

~What did he mean?~

“Not anymore, my beautiful goddess.” His voice was barely a whisper, but the conviction in his words echoed in my heart.

When I didn’t respond, he continued after a few minutes. “You know, I could’ve found you if I wanted to. I could’ve brought you here, but I didn’t. I wanted to respect your wishes.”

He paced around the cell, my eyes following him. “I thought maybe I shouldn’t force you to see me if you were happier without me. So, I did nothing.

“Eight years slipped by, and all I had was the memory of you.” His lips curled into a triumphant smile. “Then, as if by fate, you landed right where you belong.” He halted his pacing to stand directly in front of me. “With me.”

“You had your men kidnap me!” I spat out.

“True, and maybe they deserve a raise. You see, I didn’t order them to snatch you, to bring you here, but they did. So, Bluebell, you can’t deny the power of fate.”

“You honored my wishes before, didn’t you? You can do it again. I don’t want to live here. I want to go home!” I insisted.

“But that’s where you’re mistaken, my dear. I respected your wishes when you were outside this castle’s walls, but now the game has changed.

“You’re in my territory, my home, where I make the rules. This is where my word is law. So, I won’t be respecting your wishes, my beautiful goddess.

“You’re going to stay here forever.” His words felt like a permanent stamp on my soul. If he meant what he said, then I was trapped here forever, and that was the last thing I wanted.

“You—you can’t do that!” I bit my lip, shocked at my own outburst. I couldn’t believe I just told a king he couldn’t force me to stay. I needed to rein myself in before Aboloft did something terrible.

The smirk that played on his lips made my heart sink. “And there’s the fire I remember so well.” His words sent a flush creeping up my cheeks. He remembered. He remembered everything about me, just like he claimed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I looked away, trying to hide how much he affected me. Damn it, why did he have to remember?

“And the blush on your cheeks never fails to amaze me, Bluebell,” he commented.

No matter how hard I tried to keep my cool, I just couldn’t. He always knew exactly what to say or do to make me lose it, and that hadn’t changed over time. So, just like eight years ago, I lost it again.

“Stop it. Stop calling me Bluebell, or any other name. My name is Sabina and that’s it. You don’t know anything about me, so it would be best if you left me alone.” I was panting by the time I finished.

Aboloft tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. The faint touch of his fingers made my skin tingle.

“I’ll call you whatever I want. And as for leaving you alone, Bluebell, that’s not going to happen.” He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing, his voice icy.

“But I’ll tell you what ~is~ going to happen. I’m going to make you pay for every single moment you made me spend without you.

“You’re going to pay for every minute I was forced to stay away from you. You’re going to pay for every single minute of those eight years you weren’t in my life.”

I closed my eyes at his words. No, dear God, please no. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t handle this. I wasn’t strong enough. Aboloft held all the power, and I had unwittingly brought his wrath down on myself.

But I’d had no choice. I didn’t want him to leave. But I was forced to sever ties with my best friend. This cruel world forced me to abandon my best friend. And now he wanted revenge for something I had no control over.

“Don’t do this,” I begged. “Please, don’t do this. Please show mercy, your highness.”

“Mercy? I didn’t see you for eight years. You won’t get any mercy from me,” he declared.

“Please. For the sake of our past friendship, please don’t do this,” I pleaded.

“No. You’ll endure what I did. You’ll go through what I was forced to go through. And when I think you’ve suffered enough, that’s when I’ll show you mercy,” he informed me.

“But I had no choice. I had to leave you,” I protested. If he asked why I was forced to leave him, I would lie. No matter what happened, I wouldn’t tell him the truth.

“It doesn’t matter. You made a mistake, Sabina. A serious mistake, and now you’re going to pay the price. Only once you’ve paid the price will I show you mercy. But until then, my sweet, you’re my slave.”

Those words felt like the final nail in the coffin of my freedom. Aboloft had just declared that I was his slave. He had effortlessly stripped me of my rights, my identity, and turned me into a slave.

“Please, my lord, don’t do this.” My voice cracked at the end; tears welled up and spilled over.

“You’re my slave. And now, you’ll do exactly what I say,” he commanded. With that, he shot me one last intense look before storming out of my cell.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind him, I broke down. Tears streamed down my face as sobs shook my body. I couldn’t believe Aboloft had declared me his slave.

Was this what he wanted, for me to suffer? He had made it clear, but if he knew why I did what I did, would he still do this?

I thought he hadn’t changed, but he had. The Aboloft I knew was kind and gentle, not a cold, ruthless ruler who enslaved people.

I was sure he had plenty of slaves, but why did he make me one? Was he that angry? Was he that desperate for revenge?

After a while, the door opened again and a woman in a gray dress, the typical attire for the working class, entered. Her dark hair was pulled back in a bun, and her brown eyes were devoid of warmth. She held a garment of some sort, which she dropped in front of me.

“Wh-what is th-this?” I stammered between hiccups.

“The king has ordered you to wear this,” she replied in a monotone. Even her voice was void of emotion. Was this what this place did to captive women, stripped them of their emotions, their spirit?

“What’s this?” I asked, cautiously lifting the piece of clothing. It unfolded to reveal a short, sleeveless dress that would barely skim my knees. Why would he want me to wear something so revealing?

“It’s your new outfit,” she answered.

“But...this is too...exposed,” I stammered, looking at the dress with a sense of dread.

“This is what the slaves of Quopia wear,” she retorted, her tone flat.

Her words silenced any protest I had. He couldn’t be serious. This had to be some kind of cruel joke. He couldn’t mean it. I couldn’t be a slave. I’d already endured eight years of suffering, and now he intended to heap on even more?

When I didn’t respond, the woman turned and left the cell, leaving me alone in the chilly room. I clutched the dress to my chest and wept for the life I was about to begin. Leaving Aboloft was starting to feel like the worst decision I’d ever made. Nothing had gone right in the past eight years. I could barely remember what it felt like to smile.

I’d thought I’d faced the worst of it eight years ago, but I was wrong. Now, I was about to face something even more terrible. I was a slave. And with a king like Aboloft, I knew this wasn’t going to be easy.

Taking a deep breath, I removed my shawl and began to strip off my ragged clothes. I’d seen Aboloft again after eight years, and now I was about to become his slave. With that thought in my mind, I slipped on the dark gray dress.