Chapter 1: Trapped
Looking down from the high palace terrace, one could see the vast city spread before them, a glistening jewel in the night. Gold and marble temples with great polished steps, rose from the sea of orderly buildings. Giant theaters with grande columns of red granite adorned hilltops like crowns. Stately villas of senators and wealthy merchants, looked down upon the poor middle classes below. The 7 great hills loomed in the distance, hiding the sunrise from mortal eyes. Seated on her couch placed on the balcony, Merida gazed out along the foreign landscape with a sigh of frustration. She felt trapped here and hated it all...everything the riches, the people, the city. Finding no solace in her lonely thoughts, she turned from the view and entered her chambers. Walking across polished mosaic floors, she swept past the fine furnishings and decor of her lavish room. to throw open her door and head down the hall. As she walked, dim torches cast strange shadows upon the marble statues and beautiful mosaics on the walls. Continuing through she approached the main hall where the roof opened to show the night sky twinkling down to reflect on the pool of water below.
"You shouldn't be wandering around at night, Princess."
Startled, Merida whirled about and faced the owner of the voice. A tall silver haired man was leaned up against a pillar a few feet from where she stood, he got up and started walking toward her. Drawing herself up her eyes flashed with barely controlled wrath, as she gazed into his eyes, sneering.
"And why should I not be here...Captain?"
He returned her look with one of his own as he drew next to and towered above her, much to her chagrin. He leaned towards her as he said in a low voice,
"Because some in Rome wouldn't pass up the chance to say they claimed the life of Boudicca's last daughter."
Merida drew back sharply from him and turned to keep walking, but his arm shot out and grabbed her arm. She jerked, throwing her elbow towards his face while yanking her captured one around to off balance him. He anticipated and held her arm firm, but didn't see the other until it was in his face, "Oof!" Yanking her arm out of his grasp she sprinted away from him down another hallway.
"Hey! Stop!"
Heavy foot-steps started after her, but she didn't bother to look behind her as she swiftly made her way through the dark corridor. Weaving in and out of the shadows she tried to shake off her pursuer whilst looking for a place to hide. Up ahead were two separate hallways and she paused to get her bearings. Then to her left she noticed a door half hidden by a large marble statue.
More shouts and footfalls echoed down the halls.
"She headed that way!"
Without thinking she turned and burst into to the door and swung it almost shut behind her. Peering out through the crack she watched as the captain sped past heading to the second hallway. She softly closed the door and sagged against it, trying to catch her breath closing her eyes she breathed a sigh of relief. She opened her eyes and observed the room before her, it seemed like a small library with a writing desk under a large window. Pushing off the door she ventured further into the room, the shelves held great leather bound volumes, dusty papyrus scrolls littered the desk, a huge map of the empire draped on the one wall that wasn't covered in books. She paused at this and looked to the far west of the map, across the sea to a green island by itself in the corner.
Hesitantly her hand brushed against it as memories began to play in her mind... Riding bareback through dense green forests, walking through the cold corridors of the winter castle, and standing on the high white cliffs of her country... Britannia her home.She winced as other memories took over her mind... Stony faced men with red capes draped over their shoulders, her tired mother encouraging battle weary men to arms, the day when she had walked in to her mother....
Stop it. Don't think about that.
Shaking her head, desperate to stop the pain and heartache that was sure to follow that next memory. She quickly turned her back on the map, walking up to the desk she bent to skim over the parchments looking for anything of interest. Quills, paper scraps, and a letter opener were spread out on the desk-top, but something caught her eye. A dark leather bound bundle with gold stitched words on the corner, her eyes widened in recognition, it was her mothers.
Cold steel pricked her back, and she stiffened as cold fear rose in her, a low voice whispered next to her ear.
"Well well well your Highness. Not many people have been in this room, none without my permission... who left alive." The voice hardened," Stand up."
Slowly she rose up, glancing at the letter opener on the desktop, before she turned to face the man. Her eyes fell upon the dagger at her chest, then slowly traveled up to the man holding it. She regarded him coolly as she leaned carelessly against the table crossing her arms, not bothering to draw away from the tip pointed at her. A second past, then another.
"Well then why don't you kill me and get it over with? Wouldn't want to ruin your record."
His arm slowly lowered to his side, but his eyes never left her face.
"Now where's the fun in that?"
She couldn't stand the mockery in his look, Drawing herself up she walked to the other side of the table and placed herself upon the seat as though it where a throne. Reining in her emotions as her mother had taught her, she once again let her gaze fall upon him.
"My mere death wouldn't suffice for you then? Perhaps you want to make a spectacle out of my mangled body. To boast of the pain you inflicted, the blood you spilt? To say how I... begged for death?" he didn't move, didn't flinch. " Then listen closely to my words Roman and remember them, for they will be the last I, Merida Dunbroch, Princess of Britannia will utter to you. You shall Never have such satisfaction from me."
She quickly grabbed the knife on the table and threw its sheath aside, she raised it to plunge into her heart but the man launched himself on her, knocking it aside. Their combined weight shattered the chair sending them crashing to the floor. Desperate Merida pushed the man off her and tried to crawl towards the knife, but he kicked it aside grabbing her leg and pulling her back to him. She swung her other leg towards him, but he caught it putting his weight on them to keep her from moving. She thrashed kicking and squirming her legs, while her hands tried to find a object to hit him with but found nothing. Finally he had managed to grab her arms and pin them over her head, immobilizing her completely. They sat panting for a moment, staring into each others eyes.
"Now," he said mockingly," what would you go and do that for?"
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So this is a demo I'm trying out to see if you guys like it, if you do I'll re-upload it to make it complete or make it into a 2 part. I I'm working on my writing style and would love to hear your thoughts below!!
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