At Any Cost

With only twenty minutes to do this, there was no room for error here. I was rather surprised to find a note in my bedroom after my training with my teachers. The lesson was supposed to be educational for the daughter of a nobleman but for me, I would much rather tell a good joke to Celia rather than watch my teachers demonstrate how to embroider a piece of fabric or dinner etiquette. My natural characteristics were never looked at with appreciation, but as Mrs. Contina put it, “You my child might have been blessed to have been born to the poor rather than the wealthy.” I would roll my eyes and would say, “I don’t have an attitude, I simply have a personality you can't handle.” Mrs. Contina would groan, quietly curse under her breath and continue with the lesson. 

The rumors that I had heard of the darkness ruling my fathers dungeon was true. Cell fourteen, I repeated to myself. The rusty iron door looked like it had survived many wars but still had the strength to stand up straight.

“Nick, are you here?” I whispered hoping my voice would be heard by the right person. Moments of silence passed as my nervousness multiplied in size. Even though it was far away, a person had accidently stepped into a puddle of water. Giving away that they were coming to Cell Fourteen. My hand was ready to grab the sheathed dagger that was hidden in the pocket of my trousers. Although I was considered a princess I knew how to defend myself. 

“Nick,” I sighed with relief when he entered the cell. I hoped that some of the shadows covered a little bit of my face because I could already feel my cheeks shifting into shades of red. Why was he so handsome? 

¨Vivian, there is someone I would like you to meet.¨ his words bore a note of worry which filled my mind with more questions than ever. 

It was obvious that it was not my father. I had met him plenty of times before. I stiffened when a ridiculously tall man entered the room. So this is the person Nick wanted me to know. 

¨Nick you may leave this room,¨ he said, waited for him to leave and introduced himself. 

¨My name is General Borin, one of the leaders of a resistance movement that is currently growing throughout your city and our country.¨ The general circled around me more than once and I assumed that he was studying me carefully for a reason I had no idea what for. I started to throw questions at him, trying to reach the truth about something that I needed to know. 

¨What is the purpose of your organization? There is no conflict between any of the other countries or so far from what I have heard, from the palace. ¨ 

¨That is where you are wrong my lady. We do not know when or where but Irill is preparing for war. Furthermore our generous king has become insane and cruel since the death of his wife.¨ That part I did not know. Which rattled every bone in my body. I felt so naive, as a daughter of a nobleman I should know some of these things. 

¨But enough questions about me, Nick tells me that you wish to join us. Why is that?¨

It took a moment to respond but I finally said, ¨I have something to offer you that no one in the kingdom can offer you.¨ That clearly caught his attention. 

¨Go on, I´m listening¨ he said, his voice sent a shiver up my back. 

¨I am willing to offer you information, money, food, and many other things to support the resistance as best as I can as long as you teach me how to survive . I am willing to become a spy, a traitor, and if necessary, a killer. Now General Borin stopped circling around me like I was his prey. Good I was becoming a little annoyed by that. 

¨My lady, do you know how your mother died? The actual truth not a false story.¨

That was a question that I was not expecting he would ask. Tears stung my eyes as the scene rushed back into my mind. 

¨She was killed by a criminal deep beneath the castle. Somehow he had been set free and murdered my mother.¨

The general clicked his tongue. ¨No my lady, that story is not true,¨ he held up a simple pearl necklace that was the only prized possession that I had left of my mother. My tears dried up quickly as anger surged through me. This was a game to him, one that I would win at any cost. 

¨Give that back!¨ I commanded, he had no idea how much that meant to me. 

¨You know what, I like your personality my lady. What many people do not notice in you is that you are a warrior and you possess a fire that no one can put out. Here.¨ he said as he put my mother´s necklace in my hands which I quickly put in a pocket where I hoped that no one would look. 

“One of our own members witnessed her death. Your mother was killed by Irillian soldiers.” He let that sink in. My skin boiled with anger, revenge, maybe even hatred. 

“If you are to become one of us you must swear loyalty to our cause.” When I did not give him an immediate answer he frowned 

“Give me your response my lady!” Borin growled 

“Yes,” I said praying that this would not be a mistake. A smile spread across his face, he was happy with my decision. Borin gestured with his wrist for two men to come forward. One held a metal rod that was red and orange at the tip the other held a bucket of water and a rag. I knew what would happen next and closed my eyes. There was no way to escape this. 

“Do it,” Borin commanded 

The first wave of the metal onto my arm was possibly one of the most painful I could ever experience. As the metal burned at my skin, pain was shooting across my entire body. My head was pleading with my me to move away from this torture. All I could do is bite down onto the gag and scream in silence. Tears had spilled to the ground, at this point I think I will be burned alive.

“What are you doing to her?¨ Nick yelled as he watched me. 

Now I understood what the water was for. The water should have calmed the burn but as the icy water hit my arm it felt as if I had jumped into a pool of frozen water. I jerked my arm aways which cost another wave of pain to spread throughout my body. My vision was blurry but Nick caught me before I hit the ground. That last thing that I could hear before I went unconscious was Nick whisper to me, ¨I’m sorry.¨ 

The general leaned in closer and hissed, “Welcome Lady Vivian Titolius to The Order of the Lost Guard. This burn is an oath that you will obey our orders. In time you will learn to respect me. Until we meet again. ¨ 

All I could do is nod before losing consciousness.