Authors: Julia P. Lynde
Paying the Price
Paying the Price
by Julia P. Lynde
I struggled with my captors as they carried me swiftly through the streets of Darlor, the capital city of Norinia, but my struggles were ineffective. They had come out of nowhere, using stun stones to incapacitate
me
and my two bodyguards. The kidnappers had actually been gentle about it, catching the
three of us before we'd fallen
to the hard cobblestones and then dragging us down a dark alley and into a back door. I had watched helplessly as they had then used sleepy darts on both my bodyguards. I hadn't begun to shake the effects of the stun stone before they'd had
slipped a magic block amulet over my neck then had
me trussed, gagged,
blindfolded,
and
tossed into a rough leather sack.
My captors had been silent the entire time, speaking not a single word. As soon as I'd could, I had tried to raise a lot of noise, but it was late, and so far I hadn't heard any indication anyone had noticed the small woman sized bundle that was struggling and making noises as it was carried by several sets of arms.
I tried to escape from the bonds they had used on my arms and legs, but they didn't budge. They may have been magicked. If so, I wouldn't be able to release myself short of the spell wearing off or being immersed in salt water. Or, of course, released by whoever had cast the original spell.
The blindfold and the gag were equally impossible to remove.
The amulet prevented me from using my magic or I could have been free very quickly.
The sounds changed as they carried me, and I realized we were drawing closer to the harbor. I renewed my struggles, which was rewarded when they dropped me. It hurt. Without a word, they picked me back up and continued our trek.
Then their footsteps changed. Instead of cobblestones, they were walking swiftly across wood. I realized we were on one of the piers.
I couldn't let them take me onto a ship! I couldn't! If we made it out to sea, my sister would never know what had happened to me. She wouldn't know where to search for me.
I struggled and yelled, the sounds muffled by the gag, and the struggles limited to wild squirming, and wondered where the guards were that patrolled the docks. Then they took a turn to the right and the sound changed again. They were carrying me up a gangplank.
Then I knew, just knew, they had carried me somewhere below decks.
I was so screwed, but if they wanted me dead, I would be dead. Ransom? I don't think Linara would actually pay it. Instead, she'd hunt for the kidnappers and destroy them. The land of Norinia knew me. The land would tell Linara where I was.
The land knew its princess.
But not if I were at sea. The seas belonged to no one, and the sea didn't know me.
The men carrying me set me down. They were even gentle about it. It felt soft under me, like perhaps I was on a bed.
I continued to struggle but was pushed down onto the bed, then I felt ropes or a net of some sort pulled over me. After that, the people carrying me left and I heard a door close.
I struggled for a long time after that. The bonds were definitely magicked, as were both the blindfold and the gag. I'd have been able to remove them otherwise. I tried to crawl off the bed I was on, but the net pulled over me kept me more or less in place.
Then I heard the sounds of a ship coming to life. I heard clanging and feet on the deck above me. Then the world shifted, and I knew were were pulling slowly away from the pier.
I truly began to panic. "No," I tried screaming through the gag. "No!"
Eventually, my throat raw from screaming, weak from struggling, and dank with sweat and fear, I slept.
I woke sometime later when the door to my cell opened. From the movements, I could tell immediately we were well at sea.
I was so screwed.
Still, I immediately renewed my screaming and struggles. I felt someone sit down on the bed next to me and put a hand on my hip.
"Don't touch me!" I tried to yell into the gag. Of course, it came out as muffled and unintelligible, even to my own ears. I screamed and screamed into the gag and tried to kick whoever it was with me.
"If you calm down, we can have an intelligent conversation," someone said in accented Norinian. It sounded like a woman's voice.
"Piss off!" I yelled, still trying ineffectively to kick my captor. I struggled and screamed for some time before she rose from the bed.
"I will return later," she said.
"Piss off, bitch!" I yelled. Or tried to yell.
* * *
They left me alone for some time. I couldn't have told you how long. It was hot in the sack. I was thirsty and really needed to relieve myself, but I wouldn't give them the joy of seeing me wet myself. The door opened and someone sat on the bed next to me again.
"Are you ready to talk calmly?" she asked in her odd accent.
She was Tendarian.
I was so screwed.
I didn't answer her.
"I will take your silence as 'yes'," she said. She got off the bed and I felt the net holding me down released slowly. Sev
eral people had applied it earlier
, but it seemed like perhaps she was in here alone with me. That may prove to be foolishness on her part.
"Let me explain your situation," she said. "You have already guessed you are on a ship at sea. We are
outside sight of land, and there are no sails on the horizon. You are alone amongst your captors. There is no escape even if you flee this cabin."
I screamed at her. "You bitch!"
"If it seems you may actually cooperate, I will release you from the sack and remove the gag. Then we will talk. If you do not appear cooperative, I can go away until tomorrow. I imagine you would like to relieve yourself like a lady. I imagine you are thirsty. You may be hungry. I am willing to solve all these needs."
She let me think about it.
"If you would like me to remove you from the sack, say something at a polite volume."
"You bitch," I said, but I said it quietly.
She chuckled. "Would you like to try again. I understood what you said. Do you want me to release you from the sack?"
I didn't respond right away but finally said, "Yes."
"Ah, perhaps you will cooperate."
"Bitch!"
"I understand your anger and feeling of helplessness. Being trussed in the bag isn't helping with that, is it? Last chance to be polite. If I go away, I will not return until tomorrow. You will undoubtedly soil yourself. That will probably bring you a certain amount of embarrassment. Your choice."
It galled me to the bottom of my soul, but I spoke into the gag, "Please release me."
She
patted my hip and began work,
fumbling with the sack near my feet. It took her a moment, but I felt the mouth of the sack open. She began working the opening up my body. I wriggled this way and that to help her. Finally she pulled it from my head, and I felt relief from the suffocating, sweaty warmth of the sack.
She sat back down on the bed. "As you can guess, all your bonds are magicked. Well, except the sack. It was an ordinary, although somewhat large sack.
I cast the spells on your bonds myself.
Your guards were unhurt, although this may not have been good for their careers."
I didn't respond.
"You were carried to the ship without notice. The patrol was distracted. This was an exceedingly well planned operation. We were well at sea before your guards could possibly have woken up. There will be no pursuit."
I was so screwed.
"I do not say all this to frighten you. Indeed, I am trying to assure you of two things. First, we are not barbarians. We did not kill. We did not need to, and we didn't. However, you will not escape. Do you understand?"
Reluctantly, I nodded.
"Good. If I remove your gag, will you speak politely, by and large?"
I didn't respond.
"I can come back tomorrow. Or I can leave you like this for the entire voyage. It is your choice. Will you speak politely, by and large?"
Reluctantly, I nodded.
I felt her hands at the sides of my cheeks, then the gag relaxed, and she pulled it from my mouth.
"I am a princess of Norinia! You can't do this!"
"I know who you are, Princess Meorie. You are the Butcher of Kilara."
"We were in legitimate pursuit of the raiders who had just sacked Leeman, and your village was sheltering them."
"An argument you may share at your trial, Princess."
I didn't say anything. I wouldn't get a fair trial in Tendaria. We sat silently for a moment before I said, "This ship. It is the
Ysura Martani
?"
"Yes.
The name means White Rider.
"
"And you are?"
"You already know. I am Dareena, captain of this vessel."
"What happened to the vaunted Tendarian honor? You came under a white flag to negotiate peace. Instead, you kidnap
ed
a princess, ensuring war forever. You don't think my sister will realize what happened to me? You have no honor." I would have spat at her if I'd had any spit left to share.
"Meorie, your sister gave you to us. For peace."
"You lie!"
"I know you will feel betrayed. We can discuss this later. Should we perhaps see to the immediate needs?"
I was silent.
"I can leave you trussed like this. I will need to renew the magic on your bonds, probably every few days. This is no trouble for me. We can give you water and food if you remain verbally polite. Or we can leave you in here alone. If you are verbally abusive, I will replace the gag. Do you doubt my ability to do these things?"
"No."
"Would you like a demonstration of how easy it is to replace the gag, now that it knows you?"
"No."
"It would be no trouble at all," she said. "I don't mind providing a demonstration."
"You have won," I said. "I see that Tendarian honor includes taunting the condemned."
She was silent for a moment. "You are right. You have my apologies. I was ungracious."
Neither of us said anything for a minute or two. "Why am I still alive?"
"So that you may stand trial for your crimes."
"As if I will receive a fair trial."
"I vow you will receive a fair trial," she replied.
"Excuse me if I don't place much faith in your personal honor."
She hissed, and for a moment I thought she would replace the gag. I was a dead woman, anyway. What did I care anymore?
Then she stilled. "I can understand how it would appear that way to you," she said gently. "But you did volunteer."
"Excuse me? In what delusional state are you in to believe that?"
"Three nights ago during the peace talks. You stated quite clearly you would gladly give your life if it would ensure peace between our lands. I heard you. Your sister heard you. And we both believed you. Did you misspeak?"
"No, but how does kidnapping me ensure peace?"
"Your sister is holding a peace treaty, signed by both Queen Fridara of Tendaria and Queen Linara of Norinia. I have a copy. The treaty is conditional upon, amongst compromises on both sides, you standing trial in Rendarin for your role in the deaths at Kilara. You have helped to buy peace."
