Rescued

~~~

The slight shaking and whirring of the ceiling fan were the only sounds in the dark room. She stared straight above her, unable to see light of any sort. The barely-furnished bedroom felt like a prison, a torture chamber. She was chained to the bed, unable to move her own body.

***

Light poured into the open balcony doors of the castle. The sun had risen many hours prior, but she had not moved from her tiny corner of the bed. A soft breeze shifted the thin curtains, and, despite the warmth of it, she shivered.

~~~

She tried to ignore the warmth of the body beside her, but it seemed impossible. She was warm enough without the heat radiating from the large, muscular body taking up most of the queen-sized bed. She slid her corner of the comforter off herself, placing it between them in her attempt at separation. Exposing her naked, sweaty body to the slight movement of air made the room a little less suffocating. Asleep, he was less formidable, less dominating, but his presence overwhelmed her nonetheless.

***

The absence of the king made her more uncomfortable than if she had woken up beside him. Unconscious, he was soft, tender. Awake, he was fierce, powerful. She stared at the wrinkled sheets where his body had lain the night before; she had stayed awake for hours after he had rolled off her, immediately falling asleep. It was no wonder she had remained in bed so late into the morning, but she still did not feel well-rested.

~~~

Unaware of the time, she groped with one hand along the nightstand for her phone. As her hand ran over it, the screen came alive -- 4:56 a.m. If she fell asleep now, she could get two hours of sleep before her alarm went off and she had to get up for work. If she left now, however, she wouldn’t have to deal with him until tonight.

***

The handmaiden softly knocked on the door before entering, carrying the queen’s robes. She dressed without a word, staring at the stained white sheets on the bed. The handmaiden, following the stare, sensed her discomfort. She promised to have new, clean sheets on the bed within the hour; although, the wedding sheets must be kept if the queen’s virtue was ever questioned.

~~~

Slowly, she rose from the bed, careful not to jostle him while he slept. The night before she had placed her uniform in a neat pile underneath her side of the bed, ready to grab if necessary. Grabbing her phone, bag, keys, she snuck into the bathroom. She allowed herself only two minutes in the scalding hot shower, scrubbing her skin till it was raw. She brushed her teeth quickly, ran a brush through her hair, and dressed. Grabbing her things, she tiptoed quietly through the bedroom once again. Walking through the hallway, she passed his office. She paused, staring at the order of it. The books on the shelves, the organized desk, his briefcase placed on the table next to the door, ready to go. His passion for his work appeared in the care he took of it. She looked back at the cracked bedroom door, remembering the way that they had met. He’d rescued her from a lot of trouble then, and he’d been taking care of her ever since.

***

She excused the handmaiden after she had readied the bath. Her robes slid to the floor as she stepped one foot after the other into the warm tub. The heat stung the sore parts of her body, but she tried to embrace it anyways. She stared out the bathroom window at the endless green gardens of castle grounds. Servants tended to the lawn and bushes, carriages came up and down the long, winding pathway. The sun poured in through the window, making the bathwater sparkle over her bruised body.

~~~

Once outside, she breathed in deeply the crisp air. An owl from the front tree greeted her - the only sound in the still morning. Walking down the sidewalk from the front of the house, she approached her old, battered car parked in the street. She slid into the driver’s seat, throwing her phone and bag into the passenger seat. As she turned the key over in the ignition, however, it only sputtered. Her heart beat a little faster as she tried it again. Instead of the engine roaring to life, there were only continuous clicks. She tried three, four, five times before she let her head drop to the steering wheel.

***

Prior to the wedding, she could find him among the gold. As she and her servants had planned the ceremony and reception, he and his had been planning where his new treasure should be placed. Three large rooms had been filled with the gold, woven from straw by a magical little man, as she had faced death. Vaults were being designed as the king trusted no one with his valuables. “You have brought me great fortune,” he often said. He would stare, wide-eyed at his gold. She would not speak as she stared at the king, as he stared at his most valuable possessions.

~~~

The sound of the front door slamming startled her into sitting up. Glancing back at the house, she saw her boyfriend approaching her from the house wearing only a pair of red and black plaid pants. She opened her car door and got out, expecting the worse, but it never came. “Need a jump, babe?” She nodded slightly. “Why don’t I just drive you to work this morning, and I’ll take a look at your car later.” She followed him back into the house as he threw on a shirt, shoes, and grabbed his keys. He said that if she had to go into work early, she should have let him know. He’s always happy to take her to work.

***

She wandered her new home alone. High ceilings, endless rooms, it was more than she could have every possibly imagine for herself. There were maids and servants everywhere, ready to wait on her. The kitchen bustled at all hours. The flow of visitors never stopped. She stopped briefly at the window, peering again at the new life she’d been gifted. She had been rescued from her poverty, her family, her happiness. With a sigh, she turned away from the sunny outdoors. A large intricate mural of a barn owl watched her go.

~~~

They rode in the car quietly. The dashboard read 6:33. Her hands absentmindedly skimmed across the softness of the passenger seat. She rode in his car very little, partly because they rarely left the house together, partly because his car was an expensive luxury that she was too afraid to touch. Removing one hand from the steering wheel, he placed his hand on her thigh and talked continuously. He talked his usual talk. She was going to have to work harder if she wanted to get anywhere in life. He’d taken a lot of risks, put in a lot of effort to make it into the law firm. He pushed because he cared. She ignored his words, focusing on his tone, as she often did. Among the smooth ride of the car, the soft music, and the gentleness in his voice, she relaxed. As he pulled up to her workplace, he leaned across to kiss her briefly. “I’m sorry about last night; I’ll make up for it this evening.” His lips brushed across her cheek, lingering just a little too long. With a quick goodbye, she got out of the car – dashing into work almost an hour and a half early.

***

The king’s absence during the day was apparently typical, so she ate dinner alone. The long, dining room table stretched out before, capable of fitting upwards of a dozen people. At its end she sat, accompanied only by her small plate and a couple of candles the servants had brought out to her. Her loneliness filled the room, expanding it in her mind. She desired to fill the table with friends and family, but she no longer had any. Even the king’s absence weighed down on her after a while.

~~~

Her pants were too tight, and they bothered her while she worked. Helping guest after guest, she did her best to ignore the snugness and the chafing. On her break, she browsed the department store next door, looking for similar slacks, but with only a twenty-dollar bill in her pocket, there was nothing for her there.

***

The queen took a walk after her dinner, requesting the company of her handmaiden. She was unaccustomed to having someone there to answer her every beck and call; however, she was in dire need of a companion. Still unaware of her husband’s whereabouts, she felt a mixed sense of freedom and uneasiness. She and her handmaiden walked around the castle grounds, so she could get the feel for the land that was now hers too. The grounds were well-kept but simple, only shades of green and grey. Rock and grass, sculpture and bushes, gravel and trees. The queen asked her handmaiden about the trampled grass, paw prints, signs of large animals, but the handmaiden had no information to offer. They returned to the castle in silence as the sun set, turning the sky from blue to purple to pink.

~~~

A coworker offered a ride home, and she gladly accepted, shooting her boyfriend a quick text to let him know. The ride was short and quiet. She stared out the window as houses and businesses flew by, making no attempt at small talk on the way and imagining her happily ever after. An image of the perfect two-story house, the white picket fence, the chocolate lab in the yard came to her mind. A stable life without worry, without trouble. Her mistakes from the past wouldn’t follow her into this life. When she dropped her off, her coworker asked her if she was alright. She nodded, quickly slipping out of the car with a quiet thank you, offering a wave as she walked up the sidewalk.

***

As she readied for bed, the queen had still not seen the king. The handmaiden helped her out of her complicated gown and into a simple nightgown. She pulled the queens hair from its intricate braid and began the process of brushing, but the queen stopped her, wishing to continue the errand herself. She dismissed the handmaiden with much thanks and stared into the mirror as she brushed through her golden waves methodically.

~~~

The house was quiet as she unlocked the front door and stepped inside. On the dining room table stood a vase of flowers, and she smiled as she read the attached note. A small gift bag beside it caught her eye. As she reached in and pulled out the long, skinny box inside of it, her heart sank. A pregnancy test. The smile now gone, she looked down at her too tight pants, trying to do math in her head. Everything seemed fine, she’d just put on a little weight was all, but she couldn’t stop her heart from pounding.

***

The king returned just as she was laying down. He flung open the door dramatically, calling out her name. Approaching her, she flinched only slightly -- not enough for him to notice. He stunk of sweat and ale. His clothes were ripped and dirty. She asked no questions about his disappearance, expecting it to be a common occurrence now that the wedding was over.

~~~

When she looked up from the test, he was standing in the doorway with a giant grin on his face, he was still dressed in his suit from his work day. “I can just feel it,” he said. “Our family will be perfect.” He pushed her into the bathroom. She stood in front of the sink, staring at her midsection in the mirror. She didn’t want to take it; she didn’t want to know, but she had no choice.

***

The king pulled his wife out of bed and sloppily claimed his love for her. Her golden skin, her golden hair, her gold! It was all so grand. He kissed the hands that had brought him such fortune. She had made him the richest man in the world. The queen stayed quiet. Peering into his eyes, however, she saw the greed appear. Yes, she had brought him much value, but it would never be enough. He stared at her with an insatiable, animalistic hunger. He would always want more: power, gold, sex.

~~~

The test sat on the counter, ready to be looked at, but she couldn’t do it. There was an eager knock on the door before he barged in. His excitement vanished as he looked down on the pregnancy test. His attention turned to her, perched on the edge of the bathtub. She cowered beneath his large, bear-like figure as he swore at her. He thought they had agreed they were trying. She was a cow for gaining weight without being pregnant. How dare she get his hopes up like that? Relief washed through her, but she kept her expression neutral, ignoring his anger. She stared past him, into the dining room, where the flowers still stood on the table.