The Sea Orb

CHAPTER 2

The surrounding was dark and damp. Marin was sleeping peacefully when someone's footsteps and the clicking of Keys broke her slumber. Having spent a few years in this eternally quiet prison even the slightest of the sound managed to break her sleep. The darkness haunted her. It took her quite a while to adjust to this after they shifted Callum out 2 years ago to a different prison.

She slowly sat upright from the cold slab of stone that was her bed, only to find a soldier opening the gate. She looked at him blankly.

"Stand up! The king ordered to bring you..." The harsh voice echoed as he grabbed her arm to support her weak legs.

Standing was an effort with her frail body. She was malnourished. Her cheeks were hollow and her skin inhumanly pale from the lack of sunlight. Her brown lustrous hair was now rough due to the lack of care. The amount of food given to her, did little to suffice her stomach but enough to keep her alive.

Ignoring everything, he continued to drag her and she felt nothing. The darkness followed her until the rays of the sun hit her face. Light. After all these years. Her eyes were burning. It felt as if thousands of needles were poking them.

She was dragged inside the palace until she was in front of the king. The walls were high up carved extensively at the edges donned with gold. And the most ostentatiously detailed pillars she ever saw. Portraits of people she never knew were hung up. Every single thing screamed at her that she didn't belong there.

The king was sitting on his throne and surrounded by his court. How familiar. When she arrived here for the first time, they dragged her to the prison without a word. She was only a 13-year old. The age when she was just starting to understand the ocean and the eternal freedom it offered.

But she was dragged down into the depth of the dark prison, caged in the forever darkness.

The darkness devoured every bit of her memory until all she could remember was the cold dark cell.

As she grew the only memory she could recollect was, a 13-year-old her standing on a ship looking at the beautiful blue that surrounded her. She could hear the music playing. The seagulls flying close to the sea waters making happy noises and her giggles that followed as she danced around.

She held on to that memory longingly. One day. She will go there. Go back to her life. She whispered comforting herself.

She was brought out of the trance as a warm hand held her. She looked up to see Callum who too was dragged here like her.

"Since both of you are present I would like to announce something." The king spoke standing from his throne. His eyes gazed at the two of them for a moment before he gestured the soldiers to move away. Callum supported Marin putting his hand around her waist.

"Yesterday I had a private meeting with my prime minister. After observing you guys for the past three years he deemed that you are not like the ones of your kind." He spoke while Marin tightened her fist. Not like the ones of your kind...

"So I would like to offer you both to join my army. Serve under me for 3 years and then you will be free to do whatever you want. " he continued and sat on his throne again.

Marin and Callum were frozen with shock. They felt like they were hallucinating.

"Oh, I think this is way better than the prison." The prime minister added looking at them.

Callum looked at Marin to find her already looking at him. They knew it was a gamble to believe the person who threw them in prison the moment he saw them. But still, they wanted to desperately cling to this only hope of freedom.

Callum nodded at her and looked at the king "We agree."

The palace guards were dumbstruck the moment they saw the commander rushing towards the palace nevertheless they were in no position to stop her. Marin climbed down and entered the king's court ignoring the shrieks of the palace guards who tried to stop her as the king was in a private meeting.

She entered in only to find the king laughing with his prime minister. The moment she saw him rage blinded her eyes as she lunged forward grabbing his collar and ready to throw a punch when her hand was held by the prime minister.

He held her hand and pushed her away "How dare you to try to harm the king!" He spoke sternly.

She looked at him gritting her teeth "And how dare you kill Callum...? What about our deal...?" 

The king chuckled tidying his collar and spoke: "So the news has spread."

Heck, she didn't like that expression on his face.

"Yes, I was the one who dispatched the men. Who said anything about obeying my part of the deal. I needed you in the war so I sent you. I am the king Marin I don't make deals. I only offer what others deserve and keeping you alive is what you deserve." he spoke with a smirk while looking at her who was now looking like an angry bull.

"You may be a king but I am not some commoner that will obey you. I am not your citizen." She spoke, her eyes were determined.

The smile on the king's face faded as he spoke. "Until you are in my country you are considered as my citizen and you have to obey me."

She held his gaze and uttered dangerously "I. WILL. KILL. YOU." as she stepped forward again but was held back.

"I will kill you." She yelled struggling as four guards clasped her and brought her to her knees. But her struggles didn't stop.

The king turned around and left without another word.

The prime minister came forward and looked at the girl kneeling with her head hung low. Not in shame or not in despair, but to calm her anger.

He chuckled and spoke with a bewildered expression "What...? Feeling humiliated already, but it has not even started yet."

She snapped her head at him.

"You have barged into the king's private meeting, made a ruckus, tried to harm the king, and spoke about your intention to kill him in front of him... For all these violations you should have been beheaded by now but since the king was benevolent enough to let you leave I command the royal guards to beat ex-commander Marin to oblivion," he spoke sternly and left leaving the guards grinning.

Marin's eyes widened and before she could react pain hit her. Someone had kicked her. And before she knew it she was being beaten up by her subordinates.

They were more than happy to beat her, after all, she was the devil commander who trained them until their body was sore.

After being beaten until every part of her body was either bruised badly or bleeding she was thrown out of the palace gates.

Pain. Humiliation. Anger. Loss. Her mind was in chaos the only thought dominating was the desire. Desire to kill everyone that was responsible for Callum's death and her condition.

She will make sure of it.

With a newfound determination, she got up. Every part of her body stinging as if someone tore her skin apart. With a final vow to herself, she took a step in the opposite direction of the castle. Her leg was hurt but she continued to move forward limping and blood dripping down her forehead slightly.

Each and every blow, each and every word was engraved deep inside her head.

She promised to pay back ten times more.