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I cover her eyes with my hand. “Shush. Close your eyes.Thisprincess didn’t know she was a princess yet. And so, this princess, even though she was very beautiful, she lived with a very ugly man. One of those men who is ugly inside and out.”
“Because he was mean?”
Images of Martin flash through my mind. “Exactly. Very mean. The worst. He didn’t like it when she went outside because he knew that whenever she did, other people would see howbeautiful she was and try to steal her away. The princess wanted to run away because of how mean he was, but she was also very afraid?—”
“Why?”
“Well, she didn’t know what the rest of the world was like. She only knew what the inside of her house was like, and so she figured that all people were as mean as the ugly man.”
Sweet merciful heaven, Willow actually remains silent.
“One day, the princess snuck outside of her house and ran to the nearest village. She didn’t know that that was the day the prince planned to ride through and see his kingdom?—”
“Was the prince handsome?” Willow asks, this time a bit more sleepily.
“Very handsome.”
“Because he was good, inside and out.”
God, if only.“He’d like to think so. Anyway, the princess tripped and fell right in front of the prince’s horse and was almost trampled. But the prince stopped and helped her up, and that’s when he saw how beautiful she was.”
“Did… he steal… her away?” She’s fighting sleep. She’s putting up a good fight, too, but she’s gonna lose.
“He wanted to. He showed her his castle and all his gold and treasure and showed her how powerful he was. And when she agreed to come live with him, the prince bragged to everyone in his kingdom about how stunningly beautiful his woman was. Listening to him brag and brag and brag was the evil witch of the woods, Baba Yaga.”
“Who’s Bobby Yay Guh?”
“Baba Yaga was not very beautiful at all. And because of this, she was jealous of the princess and wanted her beauty for herself. So, one night, Baba Yaga distracted the prince with promises of gold and fame… and then snatched the princess up and ran off into the forest.”
Willow’s only response is a soft hum of acknowledgement. I’ll take it.
“The prince cried for his love, and then he began searching everywhere for her. Who could find Baba Yaga? Who saw the witch carry the princess off into the woods? Which way did she go? No one had any answers, but the prince never gave up. Finally, one day, he decided to go deep into the woods until he found Baba Yaga and her house. When he knocked on the door, he demanded that Baba Yaga give his princess back to him. But the only way she would agree was if he correctly answered three riddles.”
Willow’s breathing is even. She’s no longer responding to the story; I’m pretty sure she’s sound asleep.
So… I wrap up the story for myself. Quickly, and glossing over a lot of detail because there are still some things I haven’t worked out in my head. “The prince got all the right answers and took the princess back to his castle. But she was angry at him for letting Baba Yaga kidnap her, so she made him prove to her this would never happen again. And that’s how she became a princess: the prince gave her a crown and promised her the world.”
I tuck Willow’s hair behind her ear and sigh.
“And, unlike a certainpakhanin a certain Bratva in a certain desert city, the prince actually kept his word. He gave his princess the world, and she loved him for it.”
47
CLARA
I don’t know where I am.
My eyes slowly adjust to the dim lighting as I take a deep breath to start taking inventory of my surroundings.
Starting with the fact that I’m naked.
I’m naked, and Ihurt.Everywhere.
Well… almost everywhere. Thankfully, and I do literally say a small prayer of thanks for this: I’m not hurting between my legs.
It’s a weird thing to take stock of, but I can’t imagine any other reason as to why Master would feel the need to drug me and make me unconscious. Why use a date rape drug unless he plans on raping me?
I slowly push myself upright and immediately regret moving so fast. My head is throbbing, and every muscle in my arms and torso hurts.
