THE Knight's Hidden Princess
Chapter 187: Step One Complete

Chapter 187: Step One Complete

I knew there was something more to Branderson but I just didn’t expect it to be tied to me. No wonder he was so hesitant to speak to me. Seeing my face must have been nothing but a trigger to him. My father had attacked his kingdom on the day of his daughter’s wedding. He had taken an army and launched an attack on Branderson who wasn’t prepared. He lost and my father had killed everyone including his daughter’s husband. He had then killed his daughter right in front of him even though he surrendered, my father made sure to wipe everything that belonged to him. His daughter had also been around my age when she had been brutally murdered.

The day that was supposed to be the happiest day for both father and daughter turned out to be nothing but a nightmare. It was a wonder how Branderson was able to look at me without getting vengeance for what happened. It didn’t help that Reagan had been the one to also lead the army, a man I was married to and started a family with, a man that robbed his daughter off the chance of ever having the same.

But now I was stuck here with him, I bet he thought of it as some sort of karma with me, although there was something inside of me that told me that wasn’t the case with him. I’ve been around lot of people who wanted vengeance based on the crimes my father committed and Branderson wasn’t like that.

I also do not think I can be around him. While he may not act like he wants my head on a pike or wants to smother me in my sleep, I can’t bear to look at him. It feels like I have a lot of blood on my hand. The people my father killed are just too much and I never even stopped to consider the amount of people that Reagan might have killed.

Not by choice, I know he was acting on my father’s orders but that doesn’t make it any less better.

So I decided to steer clear away of Branderson. I couldn’t look at him, not after everything I just learned. Sometimes I wonder when my father’s sin will end, except there was no end to it. I’ve been told that my father’s sin weren’t my own but how do I move forward when I feel like the sin is constantly hovering over me? It doesn’t matter where I go, I will always meet someone from his past. Someone that he had wronged and I am stuck figuring out how to get redemption from those people. Which was part of the reason I became the black knight in the first place, except the way I see it there’s no redemption at all. It doesn’t matter what I do, his sins are too big for me to just wash away.

Being here, I suppose is an opportunity from the gods, the only way I can seek the redemption I truly needed was by getting all these people out of this place once and for all and I was going to be doing it without Branderson’s help. The only thing I was going to rely on was few friends and my wits.

I gazed around only to see the soldiers watching us closely as we worked. They were watching to ensure that no one tries anything foolish, me in particular. Too bad I wasn’t too good at doing what anyone tells me to do. With that said, I continued my work like I was supposed to do. I continued to push round the while trying to avoid the whip the soldier was busy lashing out so we could work faster.

I calculated the time the whip was just going to strike and just when the soldier was going to strike, I purposely slowed my steps. The whip lashed out at me and several others immediately. Everyone screamed as they fell down to the ground. A smalls scream escaped my mouth as I fell down to the ground, the sharp end of the whip had hit me and I was still recovering from the several pain I had.

"On your feet now and get back to work!" The soldier yelled cracking his whip for effect.

The people immediately rushed to their feet, whimpering as they did so. I didn’t stand up, I laid on the ground, whimpering and shaking with more force than necessary so it would be visible to the soldier.

"Alright princess, get up already!" He snarled at me.

I whimpered as I slowly crawled forward. "Please, I can’t do this anymore. I don’t think I can do this, so please."

"Well tough shit princess, you are going to need to get up right now!"

I shook my head at him, "I’m sorry but I really can’t. I’m so tired."

The soldier growled before he approached me. The other people who were watching shuffled backwards just as the soldier reached forward and grabbed me by my arm, yanking me up roughly. I whimpered as he drew me closer, his hand tightening on my arm.

"What is it you just said?"

"Please, I really cannot do this for I am tired and..."

Before I could get another word out, the man backhanded me so hard I fell into the snow. There was a metallic taste in my mouth as I slowly turned to look at me. The man cracked his whip probably trying to threaten me into getting back up and working. But I had already told myself I wouldn’t budge, even if he whips me to death. I wasn’t going to budge at all, this was the only plan I have and it was going to work, it has to.

When the soldier saw that I wasn’t standing up, he lifted his hand, ready to use the whip on me. I still didn’t stand up, instead, I braced myself for the pain I knew was sure to come. Suddenly we were interrupted by another soldier just as I was about to be whipped.

"And what on earth is happening?"

The soldier who wanted to whip me glared at me, "She is being difficult."

Heaving out a sigh, the other soldier stepped forward then went to whisper something in the other man’s ear. Their gazes were fixed on me as they spoke and I watched them with curiosity not sure what it was they were saying but still interested because it was about me.

The other man’s gaze widened for a second before he tucked away his whip. "Alright, you can take her elsewhere, not like she was any good here." He sneered down at me.

"Take her away? Where are you taking me too?" I asked feigning fear.

"Just get up from the ground and shut up!" The other soldier snarled at me before he roughly yanked me up from the ground.

I protested a little bit but the soldier grabbed me roughly by the collar of my neck and led me back inside the gates. I could feel the eyes of the people on me as I walked but I didn’t stare at them. Instead, I continued my pretense of being a coward as I walked towards the gate.

My gaze collided with Branderson who watched me his brows furrowed in confusion. I looked away and just focused on where I was being led to. The soldier led me down a long corridor which was lit with several burning torches, making the reflections of the flames look like ghostly shadows swaying about. I noticed we took another turn and this one seemed to more underground and I was a little surprised but I didn’t let it show on my face.

I also noticed there seemed to be fewer guards around which was a bit strange, my senses sharpened and I turned to look at the guard leading me but he just continued to stare straight ahead. I didn’t say anything but I was suddenly curious. I haven’t been to any part of this place before and I was curious as to where it was.

"Where are you taking me?" I said it again and this time with a little bit of fear in my voice.

"Shut up!" He snarled at me as he shoved me forward, something I didn’t like.

"Okay, perhaps be a little more gentle?" I asked as I stared at him but he didn’t say anything which wasn’t surprising.

They never interact with prisoners except when they are doling out punishments or giving orders. I continued to walk till eventually the man led me towards a big gate which he knocked three times. The door suddenly opened and then I was shoved inside.

I met a couple of women who were standing with dirty apron around their waist.

"Congratulations, you got a fucking promotion!" The soldier sneered at me, "Try not to stab yourself with a knife in the process!" He said earning scattered chuckle from the soldier guarding us and all I could do was just stand there with a look of fear on the inside but on the inside, I was fucking ecstatic.

Step one complete!