Lilac
"This wasn't what you promised me!" Kira screamed, appearing frantic as she struggled out of the grip of the men holding her back. Our uncle only smirked darkly before shaking his head while regarding Kira.
"You probably shouldn't have ratted your sisters out to me then, don't you think so?" He drawled, crackling while Kira screamed and kicked at the guards holding her back.
"You said you wouldn't hurt them! You gave me your word!" She cried out, tears streaming down her face and voice desperate.
Hailey was sobbing beside me in our kneeling position and I reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly.
After we got dragged over to the throne room, our uncle was waiting on the throne. Turns out that Kira indeed ratted out our to him.
But not maliciously, from the looks of things… but it still didn't make a difference. She had single handledly ruined my life and Hailey's without realizing it. Her first mistake in this situation was trusting our cunning uncle to keep to his words. Hailey had gone to bid her goodbye before we began to sneak out, and that was when Kira horridly went to the new king, asking him to stop us from leaving.
Anger and fear churched in my stomach, because if Kira hadn't intervened, we'd have probably fled successfully. But now we got caught and I already know we'd get punished tremendously.
"Well, I changed my mind. As king, I can decide to change my mind whenever I want to." Our uncle snickered and his men laughed loudly.
"I only asked you to stop them from leaving because I knew they were making a mistake which they'd regret. You're not supposed to punish them." Kira sobbed, eyes wide and frantic as she kept speaking.
Our uncle finally huffed and then he was waving at his guards. In the next moment, Kira was being carried out the throne room by the guards despite how much she screamed and struggled.
"I'm so so sorry, Lilac!" She cried as the guards stepped out of the throne room with her, her voice filled with so much regret, but I was too hurt to look at her.
After she was gone, only a few guards were left. Only small sounds of sobs kept escaping Hailey. I Instantly want to apologize to her for dragging her into this but our uncle stood before us and began to speak.
"You know you'd have to be punished right? For daring to flee!" He bent and gripped Hailey's hair and she screamed, tears streaming down her face while our uncle spoke into her face. "And you, you dared tried following your sister? After one of my friends already selected you? What did you hope for me to tell him once he comes for his bride?" His voice was low and filled with anger as he spoke, tugging harder on her hair.
My hands shook with how furious I felt. I hated whenever my sisters cried. I detested it so much and whenever I hear them crying, my first instinct is to try making things better for them.
Our uncle continued to scream in Hailey's face, uncaring that she's literally still a child. Foirteen yeste old! A literal baby!
I remained silent, forcing myself to keep calm, but after my uncle slapped her across the face, rage so hot exploded within me and I was pulling her into my side, eyes burning with rage.
"Leave her alone! Don't hit her! She's still a child! How dare you hit her?!" The words were out before I could stop it, but I didn't regret them, not when right now, Hailey slowly passed out in my arms, worsening my anger.
My uncle's eyes were blazing and filled with rage when I glanced up at him. The first thought that filled my head was to apologize, but I couldn't bring my mouth to move, not when I was still feeling so much anger over him laying a hand on my little sister.
"That's it! Your sister won't be punished anymore, you'll take it all!" He announced sharply, nose flaring and I met his gaze as I bit out a response.
"I dont mind. Just don't lay a hand on her anymore."
I knew I was basically digging my own grave right now but I didn't care, all bets were off after he touched Hailey. I'd willingly give my life up for my sisters so I wasn't sure I'd care If he wanted to kill me right now.
However, my uncle just laughed while stepping back.
"A rebel, huh? Didn't know all this attitude is hiding underneath this docile act." He bit out before waving one of his guards over.
"Take her to her quarters, hand her to that brat- Kira." He instructed to the guard and I heaved a sigh of relief as Hailey was taken away from me. At least now I'm certain she'd be fine. I didn't care of what happened to me here tonight so far my sister is safe.
~~~
Perhaps I had spoken too soon
I cried out as the fifty-seventh stroke of the whip landed on my battered back. Blood was dripping down the sides of my body, pooling on the ground underneath me. I was sobbing so hard that my ribs and lungs rattled with each breath I struggled to inhale in.
I still have to get to a hundred stroke, and I fear that I might pass out before then.
My uncle was standing at the far end of the verander, eyes glinting as he watched every stroke land on my back.
I had feared that my little attitude towards him back in the throne room might have worsened my attitude, but I never could have predicted it would be to this extent.
I sobbed and sobbed, as I got whipped mercilessly till I passed out.
~~~
I gasped as a bucket of water got dunked over me, stinging the open wound over my back and a scream got wrenched right from my chest as I sobbed, shivering as cold wind engulfed me everywhere.
"Oh, that's enough now, your have a visitor." My uncle's grating voice pulling me out of the haze of pain and I forced my eyes open, peering up at him and the two masked men standing at his side who were slowly assessing me all over.
"She'll do." One of the masked men said and the second one nodded.
My brain felt sluggish but I forced it to focus on the situation at hard.
"Wh-" the word was slurred but I tried again.
"What do you mean?" I managed this time, but they all ignored me. I watched as the two masked men shook hands with my uncle, they were dressed in an attire I couldn't recognize, but it looked very regal and exquisite.
In the next moment, two guards who clearly came with these two men approached me and instantly began to tie me up with some ropes. I struggled against them, screaming with everything in me while panic flared within me. Nothing made sense anymore and I didn't understand what's happening.
"Enough tantrums, Lilac. These people have just bought you and would be taking you along with them." My uncle's sharp voice cut through the air and I instantly went still, eyes widening in horror as I gaped at my uncle in abject horror.
"W- what? Y- you can't do that…" I whispered, feeling extremely horrified, all the color draining from my face at those words.
My uncle snickered, folding his arms. "You should have taught of that before mouthing off to me, freak."
As the guards began to lift me up, I began to struggle harder, ignoring the splinting pain in my back while tears poured down my face.
"No, please no. Uncle, don't do this, I beg you. I'm sorry I was rude to you, I'm really sorry!" I sobbed desperately, heart almost bursting out of my chest.
"The deal has already been made, Lilac. You've been sold off in exchange for a deal with these people. Don't give them too much trouble if you care about your sorry life." He informed me and my chest got tight as I struggled to breath. Panic so intense flared within me and the thought of being separated from my sister made my head to spin. I might have been mad at Kira but it didn't mean I hated her. And Hailey? Who'd protect them in my absence?
"Please, uncle!" I sobbed as I got picked up like an object and shoved into something that resembled a sack. All my struggles weren't making any difference.
"Who are these people? Who did you sell me to? Where are they taking me to?" I demanded frantically and my uncle grinned darkly this time.
"They're messengers of the Enwulves, from the other side of the circle, and they brought you as a present for their king. Goodbye, little lilac." He turned around after speaking and I screamed, struggling with renewed strength as those words burned through my mind, making me delerous with fear.
The enwulves?
Oh gods.
Anyone but them!
Please!
Enwulves are heartless monsters. Psychotic monsters. No one has ever seen any of them before and lived to tell the tail. There are so many rumors about them. Unlike the neighboring kingdoms, the enwulves were completely separated from humans, because they were monsters. Literally beasts who feeds on human flesh! Which is why they live at the other side of the circle, very far away from humans.
I used to believe they didn't exist… till right now.
And I've just been sold to them??!
"Please just let me die instead! Please! Kill me-instead!" I screamed to my uncle's retreating back which got blurry as fresh tears filled up my eyes, while my chest almost exploded from how fast my heart was racing. Getting killed right sounded like a better fate that being taken to the Enwulves, that's a fate worse than death! What did I do to deserve this? Just because I defended my sister!
But my uncle didn't turn back, and the two people who made this fucked up deal with my uncle said something, then I was being fully shoved into the sack, which instantly made me pass out.