Damsel in Distress. NOT!

"Father... Brother... Someone... Anyone... Please help." Serena sobbed as she recoiled in the corner of the moving carriage. A huge burly man peeked inside, smirked at her appearance, then laughed sinisterly. "No one is coming to help you, princess!" she heard the others laugh at his comment. "But what are we to do with her, Bart? And here I thought we had hit the jackpot by getting the job of abducting the princess, but not even a single penny was given in exchange for her freedom. No one even tried to negotiate." "Turns out our precious princess is not precious at all. Seems like she's an unwanted presence in the palace." A sarcastic remark came from one of the men. The others laughed at his remark. "No worries. We were paid generously by the royal mistress but we can still gain from this girl. We may not get a ransom, but aside from the payment we got in exchange for seizing her, we can also sell her as a slave to another country. I heard they pay well for nobles. How much more for a princess, eh?" "Now you're talking!" the group laughed boisterously again. Serena sobbed even harder at what she heard. She was the third princess born from a second concubine. Her mother was a princess from the Lavin Kingdom, a country found in the east. As a part of the peace treaty, Serena's mother was given as a concubine to the king of Abella. Her mother, being a beauty, was favored by the king. However, when Serena was five, her mother died of poison. From then on, Serena was placed aside until she was forgotten. But she never thought that she placed no value on the king's heart to this extent. She was kidn*pped for goodness sake! Shouldn't he at least look for her? And why the heck did her stepmother ask her to be kidn*pped when she had been living in the shadows for years? She tried so hard to be ignored. She never did anything to stand out and attract her father's attention. And despite the pain and sufferings that she had been through, she never uttered a word about it to gain sympathy from others. So why did the king's concubine despise her this much? Was it because her son, the crown prince, liked her? But that is not her choice. No matter how much she tried to avoid him, he always came to find her, claiming that she was the cutest among their siblings. So shouldn't the royal mistress blame and scold him instead of her? But then again, the crown prince's mother had always been a madwoman. She was always jealous of anyone who came close to the king and of those she thought were better than her in terms of appearance or skills. And she kills, tortures, or beats anyone with or without reason. Now that the crown prince came to mind, could he possibly be looking for her? He always clung to her in the past just like how orangutans cling to their babies, so maybe he is. Or maybe he listened to his mother and didn't. But that is not what matters now. What if they sold her to another country? Does that mean she will never see her home again? What about the knights and heroes that she read from the books? Are they not coming to save her? She had always believed that if she got into danger, there would be someone who would come running to save her. But looking at her situation right now, it seems like all those were just wishful thoughts. Is there no hope for her? Serena wailed loudly at the thought of not being able to go back or even escape. "Shut up kid!" the burly man snarled, but instead of keeping quiet, she wailed even louder. "Ah, damn!" the carriage stopped and the door opened violently. Before she could react, she felt a pang of pain in her nape and everything turned black. "Ugh!" Serena slowly opened her eyes, feeling dizzy from the rough and uncontrollable swaying movement. "Where am I?" she thought as she took in her surroundings. The room she was in was dark, but as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see that she was surrounded by sacks and wooden crates. Suddenly, the room tilted from left to right and all the things in the room started to slide. Fortunately, her hands were not tied, so she was able to hold on to the permanently attached cabinet. When the movements calmed down, Serena headed slowly towards the door. To her surprise, it was not locked. She opened with caution and after making sure that no one was outside, she stepped out and followed the narrow hallway. After climbing the stairs, Serena was surprised by the scene that unfolded before her. Ocean! But not just the ocean. She could see the huge waves crashing after the other. The rain was splattering at her without mercy and the wind howled ferociously. Does this mean she is on a ship? And that ship that she was on was now in the middle of the storm?! What rotten luck does she have to be in this situation? Could this be any worse? "Oh no." Serena thought as she saw a huge wave heading towards the ship. Before she could grab anything to be her lifeline, she was thrown off the ship. Serena felt the coldness seeping through her bones, the dark underwater engulfing her as she sank towards the ocean floor. Flashbacks of scenes from her favorite books crossed her mind. Lies! They are nothing but lies! They gave her hope and a dream to hold on to, only to be crushed by reality. She thought that someday, a prince, a hero, or a knight would come and take her away from that hell of a palace. That is the only thing that helped her to keep her sanity and keep on living despite the t*****e and a***e from her siblings and stepmothers. "Could this be the end?" Serena asked herself. "No!" she jolted and started to move her legs and her arms. "I refuse to die like this." She flailed her limbs with all her might until finally, she reached the surface. She desperately gasped for air and, without losing any seconds, she searched for something to cling to. Not far from her, a barrel was bobbing up and down. With her remaining strength, she headed straight for it. She forced it open and sunk herself inside it, ignoring the cold wine that it contained. She clasped her hands at the rim, not intending to let it go because she knew that if she did, it would surely be the end for her. The next day. "Cal! Is everything alright in your place? The storm last night was quite strong. I was afraid that our house would be blown away. Luckily, it didn't last long." Riley, the village head, asked the tall, well-built man. Calisto came to their village five years ago with nothing but a single bag. He never talked much about himself and the only thing they knew about him was that he was a man in his forties with no family or relatives. At first, the villagers were wary of him, thinking that he could be a criminal on the run, especially since he does not smile nor talk that much, adding to his mysterious aura. Calisto is good-looking, despite his age. He is taller than anyone in the village and one can see that the muscles in his body were well-toned, either from rigorous training or hard labor. His shoulder-length wavy hair was a mix of black and gray, a sign of his age and wisdom. Another reason why the villagers suspect him is because he built a house at the foot of the mountain, a place where no one dares to venture or come closer due to the numerous wild animals. However, after months of living with him, they soon realized that he was a good man. And a strong one, too! After he started living there, the threat of these wild animals lessened, allowing the villagers to go to the mountains to gather herbs. He is also a quiet and reserved man. Nevertheless, he never turns his back to those in need, just like now when he is visiting house to house, making sure that everyone is safe after the storm last night. "Cal! Calisto!" a hurried and panicked young man called to him loudly as he ran towards him. "To the beach! Quick!" Without asking any questions, Calisto dashed towards the direction that the man was pointing. From a distance, he could see a few people gathered at what seemed to be a lump of seaweed and a barrel. "What's going on?" he asked. "We found this at the beach," a young boy answered while pointing at something wrapped in green, which is what made him think of it as seaweed a while ago. After getting close to it, he saw a girl dressed in green, lying unconscious or maybe even dead. Calisto kneeled on one knee and checked for a pulse. It is there but it is weak. He checked if she was breathing but she was barely doing so. Without any hesitation, Calisto moved and tilted the girl's head. She opened her mouth and held her nose tightly. Then he blew air into her mouth. The people gathered there gasped at his actions but he paid them no attention. All that matters now is to save the girl. With quick and precise movements, Calisto performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, an emergency aid that was only familiar to the doctors, soldiers, and knights of the empire. After a while, the onlookers suddenly heard a cough coming from the girl, and water flowed out of her mouth. The onlookers gasp again, but this time, in awe of Calisto's skills. Calisto sighed in relief. The girl was now breathing steadily but still unconscious and her body was still cold. She needs to change her wet clothes and get her body warm or she could get hypothermia. Without any effort, Calisto carried the girl in his arms. "I am taking her to my house. She needs to be properly tended to." He turned to a young girl and said, "Yena, come with us." "Yes, teacher," the girl replied. At Calisto's house, the fire was burning warmly in the fireplace. The girl was now sleeping on the bed, fully changed and cleaned up with the help of Yena. " Is she settled down?" Calisto asked Yena, as she carefully closed the door behind her. "Yes," she answered politely. "Her temperature also started to rise to normal and it seems like color is now back in her cheeks." "That's good." "What do you think happened to her? She seemed to be from a wealthy family, judging from her clothes and appearance." "What do you mean?" Calisto asked calmly. "Her skin was soft and pale, and her hands did not have any callouses, which meant that she never had to work or do any chores. Her clothes are made of expensive materials that can only be afforded by rich families. And I also found a gold locket inside her dress. I placed it on top of the bedside table." "Quite observant." Calisto smiled approvingly at the girl. Ever since he came here, he has also started to teach the younger generations how to read and write, swordsmanship, as well as skills that he deemed necessary in their lives, and Yena is one of his students. "What else did you find?" "Her hands and feet have bruises and wounds that seemed to be quite recent." "So, it is possible that she was abducted for ransom." "But teacher," Yena tilted her head as she placed her hand on her chin, a mannerism she had while thinking. "Her body is also filled with old scars and wounds that looked like a week old or so." "Old scars?" Calisto narrowed his eyes at the girl's words. "Yes. And what's odd is that they overlap each other. It's like she was wounded, then healed, then wounded again." Yena explained. "What?" Calisto's brows furrowed. 'a***e?' he thought to himself. "It was like she was abused," Yena uttered loudly as if reading Calisto's mind. "But secretly." "What do you mean?" "The recent wounds and bruises were found on her feet, legs, hands, and arms, even her face, which are all visible even if she wears clothes. But the old wounds and scars are concentrated in areas that will surely be covered as soon as she gets dressed. Places like her back and abdomen." Calisto looked at Yena closely, taking her words in. Yena may be young and inexperienced, but she has a sharp mind, making her his best student, thus he cannot just disregard her words. And what she said might be true. "But teacher, what do you think she is doing here? And in that state, too? Was she washed to the shore by the waves? But what could she be doing in the sea?" Yena looked at Calisto, her eyes brimming with curiosity. Calisto chuckled but instead of answering her questions, he asked, "What do you think?" "Hmmm." Yena held her chin again and started to think. After a moment she jumped up from her seat." No way!" she exclaimed when realization dawned on her. "We assume that she was kidn*pped for ransom, right? Maybe her family didn't give the ransom so she was thrown into the sea by the kidnappers!" "That is possible. But if you were the kidnaper, would you simply throw her away?" "Then what do you think happened, teacher?" "Hmm... It is possible that she was not important in her family, based on the a***e that she had received. Thus, she was not ransomed and her life was left in the hands of those who abducted her. However, if I were the kidnapper, instead of killing her, I would think of other ways that I could use her and earn more." He glanced at Yena. "Sell her!" she cried out when she realized what her teacher was trying to say. "That's right. They could sell her as a slave or as a p********e. " Calisto nodded. "But in fear of getting traced and caught, they are shipping her to another country instead of selling her here within the empire," "The nerves of those people!" Yena gritted her teeth, fuming in anger. "When I become a knight, I will hunt every single one of them and beat them to a pulp before locking them up! I will give them back tenfold of what they did to this girl and their other victims! How could they do such a thing to a delicate and fragile child!" She clenched her fist and beat the table. Yena, a girl who came from a poor, common family who lived through fishing and farming, always had a virtuous heart. For her, it is the duty of the strong to protect the weak, that is why she swore to become stronger and protect those people. At first, it seemed impossible to attain her dream since she had no proper training and education, but when Calisto came to the village, her dreams were now almost in her reach. He trained them and taught all the children in the village and now, she is preparing to be a knight. If nothing goes wrong, she could be knighted within this year and serve the baron who rules their village. "Good. That is what I want to hear from you, Yena." Calisto nodded proudly. "As for that girl, it would be better if everything that we learned about her would remain between us. It would do her no good if the kidnaper or her family found out that she is still alive." " I understand. I will tell the villagers not to say anything about her. But what will we tell them, teacher?" "Just tell them that she is an orphan who ran away from the orphanage and fell into the hands of slave traders. That way, they would not volunteer to search for her family. You know how nosy they are, especially the baron." The villagers may be poor but they have a kind heart and if they found out that the child was abducted, they would most likely do their best to find her parents, especially the baron. "Yes. However, what are we to do with her?" "I'll try to raise her as my own child." "But teacher, what if she refuses?" "Then I'll force her," Calisto answered nonchalantly. "And if she tries to escape, I'll tie her up. Maybe then, she will realize what's good for her." "But teacher-!" Yena gasped in surprise. She knew that her teacher was only thinking about the welfare of that girl but wasn't tying her up just too much? "No buts," Calisto said firmly. "It's getting late. Go home before your mother starts to worry. But be sure to come back tomorrow." "Yes. I understand. " Yena stood up and, after bowing to Calisto, headed towards the door. Calisto watched as the young girl walked away. When she disappeared from his sight, he entered the house and went straight to where the girl was sleeping. He picked up the locket that was lying on the table that was mentioned by Yena. With one click, he opened it. His eyes widened at what he saw. He stared intently at the picture inside and looked at the sleeping girl. "Sierra," he whispered as he watched the sleeping girl. She stirred from her sleep but did not wake up. "Is she your daughter, Sierra? She looks just like you. But why is she here?" Serena's eyes twitched at the brightness of where she was. Slowly, she opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was a wooden ceiling. She blinked her eyes a few times, adjusting them to the bright sunlight coming from the window that was flooding the room. "Oh! You're awake!" she heard an excited voice beside her. She turned her head from where it came from and saw a tall young woman sitting there, holding an open book in her hand. She was pretty. She has sun-kissed hair that reaches her shoulders. Her caramel skin tone complements her deep green eyes. And her high bridged nose and freckled cheeks complete her beautiful face. "Who-" she croaked. Her throat felt so dry and she felt so weak. Upon hearing her croaky voice, the girl suddenly stood up and poured water into a cup. Without saying anything, she helped her sit up and even assisted her to drink from the cup. After drinking, Serena cleared her throat and tried to speak once again. "Who are you?" "Oh! I apologize for the late introductions. My name is Yena. What about you?" she answered with a smile. "I-I..." Serena hesitated. Should she tell this girl her real name? Could she trust her? In the end, Serena decided that there is no harm in telling her just her first name. "I'm Serena." "That's a beautiful name." Yena smiled warmly. Suddenly, a loud growl filled the room. Serena blushed profusely. She never had such an experience in her whole life. Despite being abused, she was never lacking in food and was never hungry. The girl simply chuckled at her reaction. "You must be starving. It is understandable, especially since you haven't gotten anything to eat since we found you. I'll go grab something for you from the kitchen." she said cheerfully. While Serena eats the porridge that was prepared by Yena, she tells her about how they found her near the beach, on the verge of death, and how a man named Calisto saved and treated her. She also tells her that she is now in his house. Be that as it may, she could not meet him today because he had to report the matter regarding her to the baron. After eating, Yena changed the bandages on her wounds, then instructed her to lie down and get more rest. When she woke up, it was already dark.