her

lence. I had grown into my body, curves were now where angles once we

s, I was no longer just the mute disappointment of a father who wished

was not just a battlefield, for fists, but for greedy eyes and lecherous hands. There was n

obles had once said, his fingers grazing my j

f yours stays shut, I coul

but my silence didn't save me,

I once overheard him growl to a visiting lord, "but she's not ugly. If she can't

ood what I was to him, I wasn't just his

a curr

ress. He was a visiting ally, wealthy, and bloated with drink and lust, he had gi

ains were drawn tight, and the windows were bolted. He was a

understand then. I remember the coldness of the sheets, and the sharp snap of my wri

the ghost huh? You'll

e was

id

ugh thrusted deep into me and for the first time in my life, I screamed, I screamed so loud the walls themselves trembled

tal

e," another laughed, "

ake noise

e rough enough to

aking, and humiliated, and all they did was throw my torn clothes

idn't st

ts, allied comm

me. My body became a passage for politics, a r

fications got simpler, "She's not worth much, mig

ard, to hide my face beneath veils when I could steal one. Becau

d for the first time in weeks, I thought maybe I could breathe, but mo

half-drunk and half-bored, surrounded by three of their friend

n called out, s

fr

hear me? Come

kept walking. One more

ring the b

I tried to fight, bu

hadn't eaten in days. The stench of wine and sweat made my stomach twi

at that," one of the friends sa

effort could do. A dres

dress," my younger br

sides Father says sh

to bac

d, the words breaking free fr

hey s

ds gasped mockingly, "And here

this day keeps getting

lse you've cha

o.

et far, their hands grabbed me

ip h

icked and cried. But they were stron

r, some turned away and one of

his." But he didn't st

k of, every last shred of dignity I clung unto wa

he stone cold floor, laughing and stumbling

oor, and looked back

lly useful f

attered, my throat sore

es, not for hours, but that

ed how

ike fire. No...no, this hatred was quiet, it

faces, every hand, ever

everything would change, I don't know how, or

d send them