Loves Sacrafice

Ch 2: Love and Loss

Damian's POV: 

    "Something is wrong with you. I can't put my finger on it, but you are acting strange." Stephan looked at me with a worried look. We made it back to the castle and were walking down the hallway to my room for the night. "I don't know Stephan I met a girl today and...." Stephan gave me that look of shock. "A girl, was she pretty and came from a well to do family?" I shook my head. "No, well, actually, I don't know. She was wearing a ragged dress, and her face was all bruised up, but underneath all of that, I fell like she would be one of the most beautiful girls one would ever see. Stephan, I also felt something was different about her. Remember the stories that were told to us as children about elves and fairies and all different types of other mystical creatures." Stephan nodded his head. "Yes, your highness, but they are just stories, nothing more." I looked at Stephan. "What if they are real, though? What if they do exist and have been living among us for hundreds of years without us knowing." Then a deeper voice spoke out. "They did exist, and they still do. We have been at war with them for hundreds of years." We turned around and saw my Father, King Nicholas standing behind us. "Father, why are we at war?" The king just stared at me. "They accused us of stealing something of value to them, and we said that we stole nothing. They stay in their forest Kingdom, and we stay here in Sopria." I looked between my father and Stephan. I could not understand why my Father kept this from me. Did Stephan know about this, or was the wool pulled over his eyes as well? "It was not but ten years ago that they found that which was stollen and for her betrail she was killed along with the man she was with." I looked at my father. "Then why are we still at war with them?" I was so confused. "We are not at war with them. I said that we were at war with them for hundreds of years. But one wrong move can send us back." 

    ****A few minutes later****

    I shook my head as I sat down on my bed after leaving both my father and Stephan since I was surprised that mystical creatures do exist. "Maybe that girl is one of them, but she did not look like one. Oh, I hope she is one well, no. I hope she is not one. Uhhhh, why is it so hard? I hope she is one because that would be interesting to know one, but on the other hand, her life could be in danger if she is one."  I plop a pillow on my head in hopes of getting my thoughts cleared of the girl in the market, but they would not go away. "I am just going to have to make sure she is alright from here on out." That was what I was going to do. I was going to have to slip out of the castle every day to go down to the market to make sure she was safe. There was something about her that all the other ladies at court did not have. Maybe it was the fact she lacked a few things, but one thing was for sure I wanted to see her again. I got ready for bed and closed my eyes and began to dream about that girl.

Celeste POV: 

****A month later*****

    It had been about a month since I had first met that man in the market, I still did not give him my name, and he told me to call him Dane, but I could tell that that was not his real name, it was also not the last time I saw him. Every day he was there at the market in line for honey buns. I felt a little weird, but he always came over to talk to me after he got them. "Hello, Dane." I smiled at him, and he did get a little upset that I had some new bruises and red marks on my face. I told him that I tripped and fell. I could not say to him that my aunt and uncle beat me for things that I did not mean to do. I could never tell him that my life was miserable. I was too afraid to do it.  My mind was screaming at me. "Tell him he needs to know; maybe he can take you away from this, maybe you can stay with him."  I shook my head to clear my thoughts then I looked up at him. He had asked me a question. "Sorry, what was that." All he did was smile at me. "What do you like to do when you are not selling flowers?" I stopped and had to think. "I don't have a lot of free time to have fun. I mean, I love to sing and dance, but that is when no one is looking." He looked at me and seemed like his smile got bigger. "Well, I am going to fix that. Meet me here at seven." I nod and smiled. I gave him the usual flowers I gave him. As I turned around, he managed to slip a gold coin into my other pocket that did not have the currencies I had made selling flowers.

I had noticed him doing this about a week ago. When I got home one day, after handing my Aunt Isabella the money, I w walked down to the basement and stuck my hand in my pocket. I found seven gold coins there. I was surprised that my aunt and not heard the sound. I had quickly hidden the money in a sock and placed it under my bedroll. I smiled as I began to walk to my aunt's and uncle's house. I was going to try and make one of my dresses look a little more beautiful than it already did. Suddenly my arm was grabbed and was yanked into a dress shop.

    The lady in the dress shop looked me up and down. "I don't know what he sees in you, but he told me to get you set up with a nice dress so that I will do just that." She sighs as she busied herself, looking for the right dress for me. I tried on dress after dress, but none of them did not seem to look right on me until finally, after about forty-five minutes, I was in a light blue long-sleeved dress that laced up in the back. It had a modest neckline, so I was not showing to much in front. I twirled around in it and smiled. I looked so pretty.

    I then looked at the tag and began to take it off. "I can't afford this." The shop lady shook her head. "No, the gentleman who came by the store earlier said that he would take care of the cost." I smiled even bigger. I took the dress off and put my own on, and the lady put the new dress in a bag. I thanked her and walked back out and started for home. I managed to get into the front door and put the money into that I made today into a container on the front table, minus the gold piece in my other pocket. I started to head to the basement to get ready. I managed to get the door when I heard my aunt calling me from the living room, and she did not seem happy. "Celeste, get in here right now!" I put the bag on the first step leading down to the basement and closed the door.

    I then made my way to where my aunt and uncle were. Aunt Isabella's face was as red as an apple. "You dare hide coins from us!" I look at my aunt, not sure what she meant, but then I went pale when she pulled out the sock of gold coins that I had saved up over the last month. "Now, where did you get all this from." I was very much afraid. "I don't know I found them in the pocket of my dress only recent....." What I said only made my aunt madder. "Your lying, and for that, we will punish you for what you did. Fifty lashes for keeping money from us and also lying to us." I was taken outside tied to a post, and my back was exposed. 

    I don't know what was worse the cold or the first bite of the whip on my back, but I was grateful for the cold night air because it numbed some of the pain. I don't recall when they finished because my mind was on my back than anything else, it was the kind of pain where you don't want anyone to touch you or anything for that matter. I managed to clean up a little bit, but it hurt super bad. I threw on my new dress, though, and it hurt a lot. I then put my hair up into a bun and snuck out of the house. I staggered a few times but kept upright. It was just minutes before seven when I came up to the meeting spot. I saw him looking so handsome, and he was talking to someone, but what made me stop in my tracks was who it was.

    I could not believe Seraphina was talking to him. I began to walk towards him when he saw me and waved me over. I looked at Seraphina; she was not happy to see me, especially wearing such a cute outfit. " What are you doing out here so late, oh and have you met Prince Damian?" I don't know what hurt worse my back or the fact that Dane was Prince Damian, and he had lied to me about his name. I had a feeling he had been since he told me, but I was not one hundred percent sure that he was. "No, I have not. I was supposed to meet someone by the name of Dane, but if he is not here, then I shall take my leave. Your highness, please have a good night." I tried so hard to fight back the tears I thought he was different. If anything could not get any worse, the rain started to come down. I was thoroughly drenched, and when I was finally out of view of Seraphina, the tears came. 

    I started to feel a new pain, one that was in my chest. I was not sure what it was, but it was not a good feeling. Suddenly I heard someone come up behind me and I turned around to see the prince. I quickly turned around and had my back turned to him, not wanting to talk. "I am so sorry I should have just told you the truth about my name." He took my arm and made me face him. He then took my chin in his hand and made me look up at him. "Why were you so nice to me? Was I just some poor girl that you wanted to help so that it would make you look good in front of your subjects?" The princes shook his head. "No. I have seen many girls at court who only wanted to be near me because of my title even that girl called Seraphina wanted to be near me because I was the prince. You, on the other hand, did not know my title and treated me with respect, and it was almost like you saw right into me." He suddenly leaned in and kissed me on the lips. The kiss took me by surprise. I quickly pulled away and broke the kiss. My heart had been fluttering when our lips were locked. But after I had pulled away, there seemed to be an unexplainable emptiness. He went to touch my back, which made me cry out in pain. The prince drew his hand away as if he had caused me injury by doing so. "Please just leave me alone I don't want to get into any more trouble." I took his hand and placed something in it, and walked away. 

Damian's POV:

***hours before***

    I walked into a dress store and looked around the lady came up to me. "Do you see anything you like and I bet the young lady will love it." I shook my head. "I am not here to pick anything out. I heard you are the best seamstress in Sopria. There is a young lady that comes in this way every day. She has long, dirty blond hair, ragged gray dress, and striking blue eyes. I want you to bring her in and have her pick out a nice dress. I think this should cover whatever the expense maybe and a little more." I shop keeper nodded her head as I plopped a big bag of gold coins in front of her. "Yes, sir. This common girl must be significant if you are buying a dress for her." I smile and nod my head as I walked out. I made my way to Little Sparrow Barkery as I usually do and ordered the Honey Buns I then make my way over to the girl selling flowers. In the month that we have known each other, she has not told me once what her name was always saying that she was a nobody and was not significant. Today was no different. So I decided to change the subject to something else for now. "Hello, Dane." She smiled at me as she greeted me like she did every day. I did get a little upset when I noticed new marks on her face but decided not to ask her because she was going to say that she fell again. "What do you like to do when you are not selling flowers?" She looked at me. "Sorry, can you repeat that?" I smiled at her and repeated the question. "What do you like to do when you are not selling flowers?" She stopped and had to think about it. "I don't have a lot of free time to have fun. I mean, I love to sing and dance, but that is when no one is looking." I looked at her, and my smile got bigger. "Well, I am going to fix that. Meet me here at seven." She nods. She gave me the usual flowers, and as she turned, I placed a gold piece into her pocket as I had been doing for a month. I began to head in the other direction, back to the castle to get ready.

***hours later***

    I managed to get back to the castle and dressed in a new linen shirt, blue embroidered doublet, black trousers, and black boots. I had gotten to the spot where I am supposed to meet Rose. I started to call her that name since I don't know her real name, and she was as pretty as a rose, and she did sell them, so I thought it was fitting. I did not wait very long when someone came up to me. She was pretty, but I could tell that it was only on the outside. Her black hair was in ringlets that fell to her shoulders and was half up. She had too much makeup on, and her dress was too revealing in the front. "Your highness what brings you out so late." She flutters her eyes and smiles at me. "I am waiting for someone." The young woman tilted her head, and it seemed like her smile went from ear to ear. "Well, since you are waiting for whoever it is, maybe I can stay and talk to you. My name is Seraphina, by the way." I did not even get a chance to respond for out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rose, and she looked shocked. I waved her over and smiled at her. She looked at Seraphina, who was not happy to see her, especially wearing such a gorgeous outfit. " What are you doing out here so late, oh and have you met Prince Damian?" There are no words to describe the hurt that I saw written on Rose's face. "No, I have not. I was supposed to meet someone by the name of Dane, but if he is not here, then I shall take my leave. Your highness, please have a good night." I could tell that she was upset though she tried to hide it. I turned to follow her when Seraphina grabbed my arm. "Don't go. We can talk more, and then maybe we can...." I cut her short and shook my head. "I am sorry, but I need to go." I pulled my arm away from her and began to run after Rose. It had started to rain, and I was getting soaked, but soon, I finally reached her.

   When I got to Rose, she saw me but then quickly turned away "I am so sorry I should have just told you the truth about my name." I took her arm and made her face me. I then took her chin in my hand and made her look up at me. "Why were you so nice to me? Was I just some poor girl that you wanted to help so that it would make you look good in front of your subjects?" I shook his head. "No. I have seen many girls at court who only wanted to be near me because of my title even that girl called Seraphina wanted to be near me because I was the prince. You, on the other hand, did not know my title and treated me with respect, and it was almost like you saw right into me." I leaned in and kissed her on the lips. She quickly pulled away and broke the kiss. I went to touch her back, but when I made contact, she cried out in pain. I drew my hand away, thinking that I had caused her some harm or injury. "Please just leave me alone I don't want to get into any more trouble." She took my hand and placed something in it and walked away. I looked down to see a bag of gold pieces in my hand. I just watched as she walked away. 

Seraphina's POV:

    I was so mad at Celeste. How long had she been seeing the prince and how did she get such a beautiful dress. I was going to make her suffer more now than she ever did. I began to smile. I was finally going to get the nuisance of a cousin out of my life. The chance of me even landing the prince was very high. I ran home tears in my eyes, and due to the rain, I was soaking wet. My mother and father were worried when I came in. "Sweetheart, what happened?" I sobbed harder. "Celeste.......she stole.......a dress.......from me.......and said.......that she wanted...... to meet the prince. I was on my way......to meet up with him when .......she came along accusing...... him of lying, saying that he .......was not the prince and that his name was Dane...." My parents came over to comfort me. "That girl is going to get punished severely this time." My father said, and my mother agreed. I was going to look forward to this.

    When Celeste came home, we are waiting for her at the front door. Her hair was dripping wet, her eyes red and puffy, and the dress was all muddy at the hemline. My father grabs her roughly. "How dare you steal that dress from Seraphina." Celeste looked confused. "I stole nothing; it was a gift from someone who I thought cared for me." Her voice was soft yet firm. What she said did not sound anything like the Celeste I had known. "You dare speak back to us like that, you ungrateful little child." Celeste's eyes widened. "Me ungrateful, please don't make me laugh. I have been nothing but kind to you, and you treat me like the ground you walk on." Both my mother and father had it.

    Mother slapped Celeste, who fell to the ground, and father grabbed her by the hair. He then began to drag her out to the yard where she was tided up once more. Her already injured back was exposed. The rain fell on to her already open wounds, which made her flinch. Then the whipping began. I had lost count at how many times they had whipped her. I think it was over fifty this time. When they finished, my father roughly grabbed her by the arm. He took her to the front and sent her flying down the stairs. "I never want to see you in this house again, you understand me." Celeste looked up at father and clearly said, "You don't have to worry. I won't be back." I watched her shivering body stand up and began to walk away.