The Imprisoned Princess
Chapter 33

Jesse

I watch as her tears well up. I’m pretty sure I know what happened. She’s not been the same, she’s barely wanted to be around me. And someone has terrified her, she screams at certain guards, she runs from others. There’s one thing they have in common, dark hair and scarred in some way. Her face blanks. My brow furrows at her sudden shift in body language. Then she begins to talk in a voice I’ve never heard from her before. It’s monotonous with zero emotion.

“He came into my cell, he told me he was going to show me what a real man was like. He ripped off my pants. He r-r-r-r- sexually assaulted me. I begged him no. He didn’t listen. He liked that it hurt me. Then he left. Until the next day. And the next day. When I stopped begging him to stop he didn’t come back.” It was so cold the way she was saying it... it was the strangest experience I had. I almost didn’t register her words. But I registered enough to know my suspicion had been right.

I sat staring at her, unsure what to say. I want to hug her but don’t know if that’s what she wanted. So I just touch her hand that lays limp on the branch. A small sad childlike voice forces me to hold her hand. “You can leave now... I know I’m not worth it anymore. It’s OK... I’ll be gone by morning.” Tears stung my eyes at what she was talking about. I instinctively pull her into me, she didn’t resist. I quickly mind link the King ”My King, I’m well out of my depth here, what the hell do I do?" I quickly push the memory that’s going to hurt him, but I have to. I show her confession and that she’s ‘leaving’.

"Fuck," I hear back. If I wasn’t hugging Dely I think I’d have fallen out the tree. The King doesn’t swear. “It’s OK Jesse... you don’t have to hug me. Everyone’s going to disown me now,” again that childlike voice. It sends chills all over my skin. I push her away from me and look into her face “Adelaide... no-one is disowning you. No-one is angry at you. Everyone loves you and no-one wants you gone,” my tone probably a little too harsh but I couldn’t lose my best friend. Not because of a stupid belief she’d obviously worked herself up to believe. Her golden eyes drop from me. Her head down.

Dely’s normal voice comes back... but she’s still not her. “You don’t have to lie to me. I’m sorry. You can’t stop me. Thank you for being my friend while I was me. But I’m not me, I lost the right to everything I love that day.” Before I can react she’s climbing down. I quickly scramble after her, losing my footing a few times in my haste ”Stop her," I mind link to the guards and the King.

By the time I’ve climbed down Wade has his arms wrapped around her while she wriggles to free herself from him. But she can’t, he’s stronger than her. But I also think she’s lost her fight. “It’s OK Wade... Reject me, I know you want to,” her words obviously surprise him. It surprised me, his arms slacken around her allowing her to push her way out. She only makes it a few steps when Gary and Malcom stand in her way. She looks up to them then looks around for another escape route.

We’ve positioned ourselves so we can each catch her if she tries to run. She turns to the King “I’m sorry Father... I’ve disgraced myself.” She bows her head “Disown me, I’ll walk away and never look back. You can pretend you never had a daughter. I know it’ll be easier than looking at me.” His eyes glisten with tears. “Do it,” her voice cracks finally showing some emotion. The King takes in a shuddering breath which makes Dely’s knees hit the floor hard. Her shoulders slumped.

The King kneels and wraps his arms around Dely and he cries. He clings onto her like his life depends on it, and at that moment I think it does. “My child, how could you think that of me?” he sobs into her hair “I’m not pure for my mate...” I can hear she’s crying. I can relate to that. Tears are good. The zero emotion and defeat was much worse. “My darling, that doesn’t matter.”

“He’s going to reject me when he finds out.”

“No, he won’t my darling.”

“Then I won’t be able to be a princess because I’ve dishonoured the family.” Tears are rolling down my cheeks now. The same can be said for Wade who’s staring at Dely. Dumbfounded. He looks pained but stunned.

“Do something,” I mutter to Wade through gritted teeth. He makes an ‘O’ with his mouth and kneels behind Dely. He brushes her hair from her neck and places his hand on her bare neck “My love, I’m never rejecting you. I want you for always. You’re mine.” Her head slowly turns to him

“But... I... he...”

“It wasn’t your fault. You’ve done nothing wrong,” a small growl had entered his voice. But it was protective rather than anger. I hope she can tell the difference.

It took almost an hour to convince Dely she wasn’t going to be cast out from the pack. Then it took another half an hour to convince her to leave the woods. She was fragile. We decided we couldn’t just pick her up and take her. She needed a softer approach.

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