The question set her mind in a pendulous state. His glare was furious and his eyes changed colours. Black, cloudy grey, brown with sparks like that of lightening. He was losing his cool, something very unusual and frightening of him. Rose couldn't think of anything except for going half numb. The climate was changing. A moment ago it was a clear night sky now an overcast thick and scary night with bolts of lightening.

"Who were you with?" He asked.

"No one. I was here in this room." Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Why was he asking this?

He took a step closer until there was only an inch gap between them. "How dare you lie to me?" Hoarsely he said and his jaw twitching in disgust. Rose slightly shook her head. He got hold of her arm so quick and pulled her close, "Explains your nature. Your denial. Your staying aloof." She winced in pain as his grip tightened.

"You dare take me for a fool?" His voice grew louder and he pushed her to the nearest wall. There was no escape, she was trapped between his frame and the wall in addition to that the pain was growing unbearable. "I am not lying. I was with no one. I was here in this room an hour ago. I-I am not lying." She answered all the questions again with her voice breaking down and she gasped as he caught hold of her other arm, gripping it hard.

"You utter a word false again and you will be punished. Don't try me." He warned, speaking as low and darkly as he could.

"I am not speaking anythi-" Before she could complete he threw her on the floor and a tear escaped her eye. There were red finger marks on her arms, she looked back at him with teary eyes that's when she noticed something unnatural. Red glowing eyes. His sharp canines descended down. Her breathing hitched, her eyes went wide. She couldn't believe the view she was watching. Was it really the King?

He knelt down beside her, his predator eyes travelled all the way down from her face to her feet and he instantly grabbed her neck. She gasped for air and everything seemed to darken around her. Before completely blacking out she heard his faint words, "You will pay for this."

The world around her crumpled into darkness.

********

The small ray of sunlight pierced through the small part of the glass slide that was left uncovered by the curtains.

Rose squeezed her eyes and tried sitting up. Her head was pounding as if beaten by a hammer. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked around, she was lying on the cold floor and her arms ached due to pain. There was even a piercing pain in her neck and she suddenly flinched on seeing a pair of red eyes glaring daggers at her. He stood up with the scepture in his hand. He looked furious and immaculately dressed. Taking two strides towards her, he got down on a knee and stretched his arm towards her neck which made Rose push back in fear. Will he hit her?

His fingers traced something on her neck which was paining badly. She bit her lip to ease the pain.

"Awake already..." He said.

"Your list of punishment is something endless. Consider it like eternity, since you are bound to me. Your display of loyalty last night will make it even harder. You won't be addressed as the queen anymore but a mere slave of mine who liked to please men a lot. Isn't it." His words dripped harshly of venom. Rose, being weak even to speak due to the unbearable pain.

"Step outside this castle and you are dead."

She experienced another striking pain in her head, without him touching her and she fell unconscious again.

Few hours later when she opened her eyes, she mustered up all the strength she could to stand up. Walking slowly to the door she tried to open it but it was locked. Flopping down on the floor, she cried her eyes out. This was a real nightmare. He was not even a human. She was accused of something she didn't know of. What did he mean and why didn't he trust her? She was not lying, she couldn't even afford to. Knowing it would affect her parents' lives. If she went any against him, he would hurt her and may be even her parents. She was stuck into something where she couldn't even speak the truth or go against his orders. Taking the support of the nearest furniture, she stood up and decided to treat the wounds in her arms and when she checked herself in the mirror, she was shocked to find two puncture marks on her neck.

He drank from her.

The following nights were not any good, he tortured her hard as he promised. Made her his slave, did everything that could make her weak in every way. A slow mental torture. It was unlike him. So strange, she never believed that he could be so cruel.

Ordered her to move on her knees, sleep on the cold floor without lighting the fire, sometimes let her freeze outside the room for the whole night. Never to speak unnecessarily and bear all the additional cruelties that he would perform.

She was threatened that if she didn't obey her master, her parents would suffer. She prayed every night but they went unheard. He would drink from her mercilessly but never too much to kill. Rose wished to die simply by a sword or any other weapon but he wanted to drag the life out of her slowly. He enjoyed everything even if at some corner of his mind, a voice would tell him not to. But he was way too far now.

Slowly she started accepting all this treating and abuse. She thought that someday she will be free even if she knew that would be never. She used to write in her diary everyday. Tried to compose her self as much as she could. At least her parents were safe was all she could think. The thought of her parents made her forget everything even when he would be giving her so much pain. She did whatever he told to. Never complained. Never tried to displease.

She became empty inside out. Sometimes he would play his passive tricks by humiliating her and calling her a low life. None of it mattered, but his words would ring in her mind.

"Hopeless and adopted. Is that why you lack principles?"

"Poor, foolish and helpless."

"Must be countless men you would have spent nights with. Using your illusional appearance to please and lure them."

She would sob and get curled up in a ball at the corner of the room and he would be using all in his power to break her down.

Suicide seemed to be the last option available to her. Taking a deep breath, one evening she decided to jump off the parapet that's when she was pulled into darkness.

"Easy death is something not for you." Rose heard him. Rest was something understandable. His tortures.

That night, he took her pendant away, crushed it before her eyes stating, "You value this very much don't you?" She couldn't do anything but collect the broken pieces after everything was over.

She would cry every night herself to sleep. Sometimes even the sound of her sobs got her in trouble.

******

An unearthly energy seemed to spark in her on one morning. It was four and still dark. She had to do her daily chores before he wakes up. He used to leave at the break of the dawn. She took a warm shower which seemed to sooth her wounds. Rose dressed in her best and smiled at her reflection in the mirror, silently working, she prepared his every thing including his daily glass of blood and took a deep sigh that's when through her peripheral vision she saw him getting up, yawning and rubbing his eyes like a child which made her smile sweetly.

Perhaps a smile and politeness could change his behavior towards her, she thought.

Even though he was the most cruel beast to her she never actually hated him. She tried but she just couldn't, knowing one day he would forgive her. Rose sometimes found him disturbed about his matters. She even tried talking to him or helping him out but he just would ignore her or push her away. Even while torturing sometimes he would abruptly stop and leave with guilt visible in his eyes. Lately, he was going somewhat easy on her, he tortured her less and sometimes even let her go unpunished. Once covered her in her sleep from cold with a blanket.

Henry moved in the washroom for a shower. She had prepared everything the steamy hot water for him. His breakfast. His clothes. She never gave him a chance to complain.

Once out of shower he dressed and found her somewhat happy which made him feel strange and raise an eyebrow at her.

Before leaving he saw her smile which irritated him somewhat that he broke a glass on purpose to increase her work and she would hopefully get injured but she was careful enough and didn't mind his behavior. The actual reason for her happy nature was actually the letter she received from her father the previous day which stated that he was very much fine with her mother and all their debts to the sadistic moneylender were cleared by the King himself.

At night when he returned he was still confused to find her in a pleasant mood. She greeted him politely as usual but with a cheerful smile. While he sat at the couch sipping on his blood, she silently knelt beside him and spoke softly, "Thank you, your highness for helping my father. It means a lot to me." Caught off guard, he stared at her blankly. She seemed so serene, so beautiful. He couldn't say anything. She bowed her head and continued on her work.

A thought occurred to his mind, should he forgive her...

No, that would be weakness, he thought. This help might give her hope and she would again take an advantage, all this innocent acting was actually melting him. She was the cheater. His brain was blocked, reading her mind for the past days seemed like a heavy task because he couldn't. It was absurd but what he saw back at the gardens made him furious.

He abruptly threw the glass of half filled blood which made her flinch in fear. He picked her up by her elbow and slammed her to the nearest wall. He gripped her neck and said, "You, how dare you smile and think everything is will be okay."

"Your game is over." He continued, "I give you two choices, if you survive this night it will be good for you or else I will kill you tomorrow in front of your parents." He threw her on the floor leaving her gasping for air, stepping back he punched her arm and she broke down with her hands joined and she constantly begged for him to stop. Henry picked Rose up again by her neck and slammed her against the wall making a thud noise. He was about to hit her face when he saw something in her tear filled eyes. Emptiness, hopelessness, agony. A tear rolled down her cheek. He had an urge to wipe it away but he did otherwise. She fell on the floor.

He stood before her, brought a hand before himself, above her face and twisted the fingers in a strange manner.

When he did that, Rose could feel strange pain and current through her body. She was lost at this point, scared, helpless and whatever he did sent jolts of pain and lowered her energy to survive drastically.

This was her end. Her body was numb. She looked at her hands dripping blood and closed her eyes. She could feel body bleed, small drops of blood trickling down her skin. It was like ants crawled her body, stinging her entire skin and a large shock of current. Both at the same time.

It was too much to bear.

"You make a noise and I will hit you harder."

A few fleeting seconds later she heard him step back and move out of the room, locking the door up as if she could actually escape now.

Her visions blurred. Everything around her seemed to fall apart. She lay on the floor, motionless. Silent tears falling off her eyes. She would now be free. The weather outside was calming down.

"I am sorry mumma.... papa." She faintly whispered and closed her eyes.

****

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