Into the Azure: A Fantasy Bad Boy Romance (4 page)

I heard the crash of the wooden doors closing behind me and felt the firm grasp of guards hands on my bare arms. The cobblestone of the courtyard was cold on my feet, my toes only grazed its wet surface. I lifted my head, my dirty hair in my eyes and saw the brilliant sunset of the land. It was glowing in a vibrant lavender hue through the trees, turning purple and then pink over the rolling green hillside. The barren trees looked like skeletons dancing in the distance, a thick fog had begun to set in across the land; its vapors oozed down the hillside, a brilliant purple smog.

In my shaken state, I had been momentarily in awe of the absolute beauty of the new land. Even among the chaos I had been dragged through, I was able to breath in the sweet air for a moment to take in what this new land around me was; A masterpiece. The cold air whipped at my naked skin and tasseled my long brown hair. I jerked in resistance as the guards firmed their grasp on me, their fingers digging into my skin, and hurried their gate away from the castle. In the distance I could still hear the desperate screams of the prince, the shouting of the guards, and the crash of furniture being thrown about the stone room.

    “AZARE ARKIN AMAN!! AZARE ARKIN AMAN!! AZARE ARKIN AMAN!!” I could hear the Prince shouting through the windows of his chamber, his bellowing voice richening off the stone of the castle and the cobble stone of the courtyard. The sound of the pain in his voice, how frantic he seemed to have been; was I really in danger. The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

     I jerked my head up and opened my eyes. I tried to loosen the grip of the guard’s strong arms, I struggled under the weight of their massive hands, trying to at least turn my head to shout something, anything to the prince. In my terrified state all I could think of was him protecting me, perhaps saving me from whatever hell I was about to be dragged into. He had seemed decent, for whatever he was, and seemed like the only thing that could stand in between me, and my certain death.

     The guards carried me and muttered to one another in their langue, their voices low and stern. They dragged me around the side of the castle and out of sight of the prince. I was sure that they were planning on killing me in that moment. In my head a voice was screaming at me to fight, try to break free, run, scream, do anything. In my mind I had wanted to not simply give up at the hands of these brutes, but my body was not willing, the only thing at that point that was keeping me off the ground were the guards, and they were going to do with me whatever they cared.

     They loosened their grip and I dropped to the ground. 

     “Ow, fuck,” I muttered, as I held the back of my head.

     Everything had gone quiet in that moment and I could no longer hear the screaming of the prince and the shouting of the guards. All around me had grown silent and I laid my head on the soft grass, almost too frightened to lift my head.

     I heard the guards continue to mutter back and forth to one another in their language. They whispered, almost as if I could have somehow understood their strange dialect. 

     “ALA MIE LEVO,” The one shouted to the other as I was lifted to my feet.

     Around the corner of the castle, a large, wooden wagon appeared, drawn by two massive white horses that stood magnificently against the amethyst sky. They ran up to us, one of the masked guards sat atop the wagon, holding on to their long, leather reigns he used to direct them. The horses printed their proud, black hooves as they trotted up to us, their muzzles soft and black, their long, flowing hair the color of cream. They stamped their hooves repeatedly in the mud, almost as if they were dancing, as the wagon came to a stop before up. I looked at its wood - it was stained a brilliant red, almost like mahogany. Into its side were strange symbols and shapes, almost seeming like they were trying to tell a story. Perhaps it was the letting of their strange language?

     I stood staring at the wagon for a moment, my head tilted, almost transfixed by its strange beauty. The horses bellowed and whinnied as the guards spoke to one another.

     “AKIN,” One of them screamed in my face, his breath was hot against my skin.

     He motioned towards the door of the wagon with the tip of his gun and nodded at me.

     “Wha-What?” I stuttered, confused as to why I hadn’t been shot yet.

     “AKIN!,” He shouted again and grabbed my arm.

     He pulled me forward and opened the heavy wood door of the wagon. He shoved me inside, almost picking me up off the ground, and slammed the door behind me. I looked around and for a moment I am in awe as to what I was seeing.

     The inside of the carriage was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen in my life.  The entire interior was a dark, red velvet; the lining of the golden thread danced across the material, creating a magnificent pattern that almost danced in the sunlight coming through the carriage windows. The curtains were a deep purple and shared the same golden thread.

    “This,” I thought, “This must be royalty looks like.”

     Before me, in-between the other chair sitting across from me, is a table containing platters of delicious looking food and treats, almost like someone had prepared a feast for only me. One of the plates had piles of fresh grapes, and another with chocolate, sliced assorted meats and cheese. There was also freshly baked and sliced bread and a decanter of dark, purple wine. All of the delicacies of my life on earth were displayed before me, almost taunting me with their fragrance.

     I could see the guards still talking to one another out of my window. My stomach rumbled as I looked at the spread and teased myself with the thought of simply just taking one bite. I was titillated with temptation as the thick smell of the sweet chocolate and the pungent cheese pierced my nostrils and filled my lungs.

    I licked my lips as my stomach rumbled. I reached out my hand to take a grape and then recoiled.

     Poisoned? I had thought. It could have defiantly been poisoned, and it would have been the perfect way to punish the new slave girl.

     No, I thought, as I touched my bare stomach as it vibrated under my fingertips with hunger. I reached out, my arm shaking and plucked a ripe, red grape from the bunch. I looked out the window of the wagon and eyed the guards, making sure they didn’t see that I was stealing some of their delicious food. I slip down low in the velvety chair and popped the plump grape into my mouth. I sunk my teeth down into it and it burst with sweet flavor, filling my mouth and made my tongue tingle. I leaned my head back and moaned, letting myself get all consumed by the flavor; it was like nothing I had ever tasted. The entire world seemed to drift away when the door of the carriage swung open. I jerked myself upright and looked forward, standing before me was the King.

     “AMEN TORO,” He yelled waving his hands to the other guards who saluted him and ran back off towards the grey castle.

     He picked up the bottom of his robe as he climbed into the carriage and sat himself across from me. I sat up straight and stopped chewing, my mouth still full from the massive grape. I could see him smiling underneath his leather mask and he motioned with his hand at the plate of food.

     “Amas?” He questioned as he picked up the plate of grapes.

     “No,” I said waving my hand in front of my face, my mouth still full.

     I saw him frown with his eyes and he gave me a forlorn look, his grey eyes sinking beneath his leather mask.

     “Amas?” He said again in a comforting tone, pushing the plate closer to my face.

     The fruits scent filled my nostrils and I cave in, plucking off yet another one of the massive grapes and pushing it into my mouth, this one almost better than the last. I could barely contain my enjoyment and my eyes rolled back as I moaned, my mouth half open The King chuckled and the pulled the plate back. He removed his gloves one by one and placed them on the velvet seat next to him, he then lifted his hands to his mask, and with one smooth motion he pulled off his leather, revealing his face.

I coughed as I nearly choked. What I saw before me was a shock; I had expected him to be ugly, to be even grotesque, but nothing could have been further from the truth. Number one, he looked human, except all of his features seemed almost exaggerated; his eyes were bigger, his nose broader, his features more defined and elegant than the normal man. His dirty blond locks fell to the side of his face, just gracing his angular features. His eyes were deep and wide as he looked at me, obviously noticing the stunned look on my face. He had one small scar that ran underneath his right eye; a battle wound? I guessed trying not to stare. His face was beautiful and ancient looking, there was something about him that commanded respect.

     “Oh-oh my,” I muttered with my hands over my mouth, trying not to look like a pig.

     He chuckled again to himself and reached behind his seat. He pulled out a long, crushed red velvet cape and draped it over me. The softness warmed my skin and I felt a sigh of relief as he sat back down and motioned again towards the grapes.

     “Amas,” He said again with a grin, obviously pleased with himself.

     I stuffed two of the large fruits in my mouth as the wagon jolted and we started moving. The king stared watching me eat with a long smile on his face. He didn’t touch any of the food himself, just sat in pleasure at the sight of me stuffing my face as the juices from the grapes rolled down my chin and on to my chest. I turned my head away from the king beginning to feel uncomfortable with his glare. I stared out the window and watched as the castle grew smaller in the distance. The purple sunset illuminated the Kingdome, the heavy violet sky growing darker with every passing moment and made the land look like it was infused with amethysts.

     As we slowly drove forward I could hear the guard on the roof of the wagon yelling commands at horses, who huffed to move faster, their massive hooves shaking the ground. I watched as the castle disappeared into the distance. I felt my heart beat grow slow as a slight feeling of doom began to spread over me.

    Where was I going now? What was he going to do?

    All of these questions ran through my worried mind as I swallowed. All my life all I had wanted to do was leave my home town, to just run away and never be found. I would have taken Eva with me but now I didn’t even know I didn’t even know where she was., or if she was even alive. My heart began to race as I thought about my home, my job, my apartment. The homesickness sent waves through my body, I clenched down on the soft velvet cape and pulled it tighter around me, trying to swaddle myself.

     My eyes had begun to water with the thought of Eva as I stuffed another grape into my mouth. I must have looked like a mess; my long brown hair knotted, my filthy body, stuffing delicious food in my face as tears streamed down my cheeks, what a mess.

     The king produced a linen napkin and handed it to me across the table. He sat back and watched as I wiped away my teas.

     “Eva,” I whispered to myself in a cracked voice.

     I felt the king place his massive hand on my cold knee. I looked up at him and saw the sympathy in his gray eyes. He took the napkin from my shaking hand and wiped away a small tear. He took my chin in his paws and stared into my eyes.

     “There, there,” He cooed, his voice was now soft and calming.

     “No need for tears to come from such beautiful eyes, no need for them to stain such a beautiful face,” he said, stroking my hair.

     I couldn’t help but smile underneath his gentle touch and soft gaze.

     “There we go, smile, that’s what I like to see.”

     He moved back over to his couch and sat, crossing his massive legs.

     “Wher-where are we going?” I stuttered almost too scared to ask him, afraid of wheat I might hear.

     “Do not worry yourself with those thoughts now,” he said in a soft but commanding tone, “Right now you are to simply rest. I will explain it all to you soon, but for now lay your head down and rest, sweet girl.”

       Doing as he said I laid down on the soft velvet seat and pulled my robe complete over me, covering my head, only peaking one eye out from under its thick covers.

     The carriage rocked and swayed as we were ushered off through the tall bare trees that reached for the night sky, and into the darkness of the woods. The sun set and all in the carriage became dark. The king leaned forward and lit a small, golden lantern with a short, wooden match. He turned the flame down low and the light barely illuminated the cabin of the carriage. I Laid there with my eyes half open, feeling them grow heavier and heavier. Out of his cape the king pulled out a few rolled up maps and placed them on the table, securing the sides of them with the plates of meat and cheese, leaning in close to them. He squinted his beautiful grey eyes and examined them closely, tracing the drawings of the triangular hills and the curving of the rivers with his fingertips, I looked in his eyes and could tell he was in deep thought.

     The maps had reminded me of the kind I had used to see on school field trips when I was young. The maps had hung up behind thick glass or red velvet ropes, lest anyone get in close enough to touch its brittle paper. I wondered, that with all of their modern enmities, how could this world look so much like the one I had known so well. It seemed as though they had taken our world and turned back the clock, only had left themselves in place. I felt my eyes begin to close and everything went black.

     My mind raced with questions as I fell off to sleep; Who were these things? Where was I? What did this so called “King” want from me?

     My heart began to race with thought and I took a deep breath, knowing that nothing was going to be answered for me now, or anytime in the near future. I felt much like a castaway at sea. All I could do was hope, be at the mercy of the waves of the ocean, and wait.

      Eva? I wondered.

      Eva, are you still out there?

      Eva…..