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Ophelia’s head felt heavy as if she had drunk too much the previous night as she woke up from a deep slumber, lying on some kind of wooden floor. As she opened her eyes, she couldn’t see much as there seemed to be a sack over her head. She groaned slightly as she tried to get off the floor, yet the binding of her wrists in some kind of handcuffs and her rather sore body prevented her from doing so. As she lay on the floor, she could hear the crashing of the waves and feel the rocking of a boat.
She kept her wits about her as she thought about how she ended up here. She was traveling with Alenia to the north to find the Black Tnotingy. They were passing by a small village when there was suddenly a raid, and despite trying their very best, the two got captured. She then got separated from Alenia, and the last thing she remembered was a woman with white hair violently hitting her across the jaw, knocking her out.
She clicks her tongue in annoyance, but a voice suddenly speaking out made her jump. “Finally awake, huh?” She heard a deep male voice say, seemingly right beside her. “Seems we’re in quite a precarious situation.” She turned her body to the source of the voice, nodding her head. “I suppose. And you are…?” She asked hesitantly. For all she knew, this guy was one of the ones who had kidnapped her.
“Taldryn Irenor of House Irenor. I imagine you must be someone of importance to be locked away with me.”
She sighed, cautiously introducing herself to her fellow captive, “Ophelia Robella of House Robella. It would be a pleasure if we weren’t kidnapped.” She immediately didn’t like this guy, as anyone from House Irenor left a bad taste in her mouth. Sure, she was a bit racist, but their house took slavery and racism to a whole other level. However, due to their position of power and being of a higher house than hers, she had no choice but to give them proper respect.
There was then an awkward silence between the two, unsure of what to say in this situation. They didn’t have to sit through this awkward silence for long, as the sound of heavy footsteps and then a door slamming open. “Hey! Hey! What are you doing-“ and the loud thud of a fist colliding with a solid object filled the air. She froze up before relaxing, pretending to be knocked out.
She could hear the woman slamming her fists into the Irenor guy each time she asked a question and he responded in a way she didn’t like, easily pulling the answers she wanted out of him. Ophelia almost scoffed at how easily he gave away information about himself, his family, and his position in the empire. Of course, he couldn’t give this information without saying something hateful and narcissistic, often resulting in her doing something to him that made slick, wet noises, making him scream in agony. She shivered, wondering just what this woman was doing to the Noble besides her to elicit such a reaction.
Faking being asleep didn’t save her, however, as she heard a woman’s voice say, “Get up, lazy ass,” and then felt a sudden thud of pain as something slammed into her torso, knocking the breath out of Ophelia as a result. The sack on her head was pulled off, granting Ophelia a view of her captors, her inmate, and where she was. It seemed to be an office of some sort, with a desk against the other wall and a mirror in the corner. To her right was a pair of doors, where two guards stood, blocking any hope of escape.
She was picked up forcefully, made to stand before her captor as she pulled Ophelia up from the ground by the hair. Ophelia yelled in pain, finally getting a look at her captor. The woman had snow white hair and pale white skin, and wore black clothes and armor. Her emerald green eyes glared into hers with hatred and disdain. She didn’t look like a snow elf, but there was this… necrotic aura around her.
She leaned in near Ophelia, a smirk on her face as Ophelia struggled to maintain her balance. “Now tell me, girl, who are you? I can tell you’re important by the way you dress and the way you stand,” she said, her eyes scanning her victim’s body. Ophelia held her tongue, her eyes glaring holes into the other woman’s. If she didn’t have such a tight grip on her hair, she would’ve turned her nose up at the white-haired woman.
Gods, this woman was tall, Ophelia realized as she stared up at her. While the high elf was quite tall, this human variant easily dwarfed her by a good 5 or so inches. She clicked her tongue in disappointment at Ophelia’s silence, wondering out loud, “I wonder if you’ll be harder to break than that pathetic male.” She turned Ophelia over quite fast so that she would see the Irenor guy. There was blood leaking from his mouth and his nose, and darker bruising spots littering his face. His clothes seemed to be nearly in tatters, with various holes accenting his skin tones, but no wounds.
From this view alone, Ophelia could tell this woman was vicious and sadistic. She most likely healed up his wounds after injuring him, possibly to get as much out of him as she could. She shivered, wondering just what was in store for a frail woman like her. “And? You’re showing him to me because?” She finally spoke to her captor, a hint of boredom in her voice.
“'Cause you’ll end up worse than him, depending on your answers.” She said, her hand snaking its way out of her hair and around her neck.
With that, Ophelia got yanked back until her back and restrained arms were slammed against a desk with a loud whack. She grunted and wheezed in pain, certain that this would leave a large bruise on her back. “Now, who are you?” Ophelia closed her eyes and turned her head to the side in defiance, not even willing to say no to her captor.
This elicited a laugh out of her captor, a grin settling on her face. “Good! Good. You’ll be fun to break so I can get the information I want and enjoy myself while I’m at it!”
A loud crack resonated through the room as Ophelia suddenly felt white-hot pain shoot through her nerves. The pale woman landed a punch on her face hard enough to break her nose. Blood immediately dripped out of her nose as she started to struggle against her captor, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. She willed herself to breathe out of her mouth as blood dripped down her throat, swallowing the blood until it slowly stopped.
“Well? How about now?” She said, the paleness of her knuckles contrasting with the blood from Ophelia’s nose. Despite still reeling from the pain, Ophelia shook her head, not willing to tell this woman anything. She might endanger her niece if she told her anything, and would rather bear whatever torture this woman may have in store for her. This time, her fist aimed straight for her mouth, easily busting open Ophelia’s lower lip and slamming her head back down onto the desk.
Ophelia let out a laugh instead of a cry of pain this time, unable to help herself despite the dangerous scenario she found herself in. Taken aback by the high elf’s different reaction, the captor asked, “What are you laughing at, elf? Did I knock your brain silly?” She asked, forcing Ophelia to sit up by pulling her hair towards the woman.
With a smirk on her face, Ophelia couldn’t help but respond, “Nothing, just that… I notice that you keep hitting my face. What are you, jealous of my youthful and beautiful looks?” As she looked up at her captor's face, she gave her a defiant, smug look. This angered the taller woman immensely, grabbing Ophelia by the chin and hissing out, “I’ll make sure to break your spirit as well, then, and parade you around the boat as an example.”
Ophelia’s breath was cut off as the woman began to quickly strangle the elf, pulling out a dagger with her other hand. Ophelia shut her eyes, expecting the worst out of this woman. She surprised her, however, as she instead began to cut the clothes that kept Ophelia’s body hidden from the world. She cut a straight line down the middle of her top, not being careful and nicking Ophelia’s skin with the dagger in the process, leaving small red lines in her otherwise unmarked skin.
The lack of air wasn’t a concern for Ophelia; rather, she was more worried about why this woman exposed her. She looked up at the woman’s face in a panic, wondering what was going through this woman’s mind. She saw nothing more than a sadistic grin and eyes that hungered to inflict pain and humiliation. She even cut the straps that held her top to her body, her breasts exposed to the chilling air of the cabin. If Ophelia’s hands were free, she’d be casting her magic to fight this barbarian off, yet she felt as if she had been cut off from magic since she had woken up. As it stands, she was vulnerable to whatever devastation this woman wanted to inflict on her body.
“Look how pampered you are, not even a single battle scar on your perfect skin.” She spat out ‘perfect’ as if it were an insult, digging the blade into her stomach to cut the skin open on purpose. This time, Ophelia didn’t laugh; instead, a scream of pain escaped her lips as the pain wracked through her body. The tears that previously threatened to fall out of her eyes finally spilled, trying to jerk her body away from her assaulter.
“Tsk, that’s no good. Stay still, would you?” She mumbled, straddling Ophelia to keep her still. Her thighs held her hips down while her hand pushed down hard on her chest, keeping her in place. Her cuts were shallow, yet if left to heal like a proper wound, they would leave marks on her body forever. By the time she was done, she grinned at her hard work, with Ophelia sobbing in pain, some blood dripping out of her wound. “Take a look, elf, I think you’ll like your new ‘battlescar’.” She got off of Ophelia, forcing the woman to get off the desk and turning her to the corner of the room where the mirror stood. She kept her eyes shut, scared of what she might find if she opened them. “I said to open your eyes, you disrespectful bitch.” Ophelia cried out as the dagger was shoved into her back, right into her right shoulder, opening her watery eyes, her breath short as she took in the image reflected in the mirror. On her waist, right underneath her left side ribs, was a crudely cut-out ‘M.’
Her breaths were shallow, panicked as she wondered what the M could mean. Does this woman know about her past? Know about her ex-husband and the shame that came with him? No, no way. She doesn’t even know who Ophelia is, much less who the M in her past could be.
“Ahh, there’s that panicked look I’ve been wanting to see,” she said, licking her lips with a hungry gaze in her eyes. Ophelia could feel something pressing into her back at this point, but it wasn’t a dagger or anything sharp. Rather, it felt hard and round. A disgusted look appeared on her face as she realized just what was pressing into her, and she immediately started to struggle in her grip.
“Let… go… of me… You brute!” Ophelia shouted as she tried to get out, using all her strength to try to escape her captor’s grasp. It was of no use; it was like trying to move a mountain. She easily tired out after a few minutes, then got pushed back onto the desk. Her wounds were sore, feeling as if constant needles were being pressed into them.
She let out a chuckle as she took her dagger, licking the blood off it as she kept eye contact with Ophelia. She slid the dagger lower and lower until it reached the waistband of her skirt. The garment easily ripped under the pressure of the blade, and soon enough, Ophelia’s lower half was exposed to her captor as well. She looked over desperately to the guards, wondering how these people could be okay with such a degrading act. They merely looked away from her, and she could see the faintest hints of their arousal under their clothes as well.
The pale woman followed Ophelia’s gaze, taking note of what she was staring at. “Guards, stand outside and make sure no one comes in, no matter what. Especially not the captain.” She commanded.
“B-but Melzhina-”
“Now!” She yelled out, angered that they even mentioned her name in the same room as the captives. They jumped, bowed, and then exited the room in quick succession.
“Bloody idiots, I’ll make sure they get their punishment later…” Melzhina mumbled before her attention turned back to Ophelia.
“So, you know my name now, little noble, so why can’t I know yours…?” She purred, leaning near Ophelia’s elven ear before biting the cartilage roughly, hard enough to leave marks.
Ophelia bit her lower lip, not wanting to say anything at all. The less this dangerous woman knew, the better. Someone would come to save her and whoever else got captured, right?
The woman hummed at her response, in turn flipping Ophelia over. She traced a finger around the wound her dagger made on her back, causing Ophelia to tense up in preparation. “Let’s see how tough you are after this one, hmm~” she hummed softly before roughly shoving a finger inside. Ophelia yelped loudly, tears once again making their way to her eyes as she struggled to stay breathing. Melzhina rubbed her finger around the wound with dangerous precision, easily orchestrating a variety of pained noises from her captive before sliding a second one inside. The inside was wet and squishy, yet so delectably tight around her fingers. If she wiggled her fingers juuust right, she could feel hints of a wet, hard bone that was hidden by the muscles on her back. “Your name?” She asked once more.
When she didn’t get a response, she dug her fingers deeper into her back. Her fingers met with resistance as she tried to dig them deeper under Ophelia’s skin, ripping out loud sobs and screams of pain from the high elf. Blood was leaking furiously out of the wound, lubricating her fingers and leaking down Ophelia’s back onto the desk underneath the two. “O-Ophelia! Ophelia Robella!” She screamed out, thrashing as much as she could underneath the woman. Melzhina hummed in approval, yet continued to rub her fingers around the wound, sending streaks of pain throughout Ophelia’s nervous system. She only pulled her fingers out after she got bored, licking them clean of her victim’s blood.
Ophelia was shaking, hyperventilating underneath Melzhina as her cries became quieter, the pain still thudding throughout her body, her wound aching. She closed her eyes, mind lost in thought for a moment. She’s never been through such humiliation, such pain before, even when she almost got killed. She wondered, for a second, if this was karma for her previous actions and inaction.
She had no time to contemplate, as before she knew it, she could feel unfamiliar skin poking against her ass. Her wrists strained against her restraints, knowing exactly what the woman had taken out while Ophelia was lost in thought. Melzhina got off her then pulled her by the back of her hair to get off the desk. Practically forcing the high elf onto her knees, Melzhina forced her to come face to face with the biggest cock she had ever seen. Thick, veiny, and easily the length of her face and then some, Ophelia couldn't help but gasp at the size, dread overcoming her form.
“Bite it, and I will cut your tongue from your mouth and rip out each tooth you have. Then I’ll simply heal you and use your mouth as a fucktoy for the men on my boat,” Melzhina threatened, her grip on Ophelia’s hair never faltering. She brought the pink-haired woman’s face close with one hand, the other holding the shaft of her cock still as she pushed the tip against her lips. When her mouth didn't open, she gathered as much saliva in her mouth as she could and then spat right into the elf's face. This, too, provided no reaction from the elf, her mouth still closed in defiance.
Impatience consumed her as Melzhina decided to let go of her cock, using her hand to pinch Ophelia’s nose closed, blocking her ability to breathe. At first, Ophelia felt fine, glaring up at her captor with defiance and hatred. The fact that this woman hadn’t broken completely yet filled her with excitement, rubbing her cock alongside the length of her face. As the seconds ticked by, the high elf’s lungs started to burn with the need for oxygen. She could feel her head starting to go light, her heartbeat thudding in her ears, and tears forming in her eyes.
The moment Ophelia took a breath, mouth wide open and panting for air, Melzhina made her move. She easily shoved half of her cock straight into the female’s mouth, groaning softly at the feeling. Ophelia tried to pull back, tried to resist, yet her captor’s hand held steady. If anything, her hand was forcing Ophelia to take in more of her length into her mouth. Any cries that she would’ve made due to the forced intrusion were muffled by her cock, tears finally leaking out of her eyes.
Once the whole length sat in her throat, Melzhina let out a soft chuckle. “Not even choking? What, no gag reflex? Seems like the Empire’s nobles are nothing but a bunch of filthy whores.” Ophelia was unable to breathe, finally opening her eyes and looking up at the woman frantically, a pathetic look in her eyes. “Oh, you wish to breathe? Think of this as a little punishment. How long will it take for you to pass out and choke on my dick?”
Ophelia couldn’t even muster the strength to resist, her body sore and wounded, the air in her lungs trapped and becoming stagnant. Her makeup created dark streaks on her face, dried blood coating her upper lip. The defeated look on Ophelia’s face gave Melzhina a sense of accomplishment, of victory over her body. Yet, she wouldn’t be done any time soon, as the pale woman wanted to ruin this noble of the Daeruin Empire thoroughly.
Seconds feel like minutes. Minutes felt like hours. Ophelia was actively suffocating on the cock of a woman, her lungs screaming for air, burning for oxygen. Her vision was getting blurry, her heartbeat in her ears, her head lightheaded once more. This time, she had no choice; her throat swallowed around the thick cock in her throat involuntarily as her body pleaded for air, her limbs feeling heavier and heavier as she couldn’t hold herself up anymore, the light slowly fading from her eyes.
Satisfied, Melzhina pulled her cock out of Ophelia's throat enough to allow her to cough and retch around her. She smirked as the light in Ophelia’s eyes returned once more, air filling the elf’s lungs as her chest heaved. With no resistance, she began to thrust into the throat of Ophelia, enjoying the warmth, wetness, and tightness the woman’s throat provided. She enjoyed the noises the elf’s mouth and vocals made, gurgling around her cock while letting out muffled whimpers and cries. Ophelia’s saliva dripped onto her clothes, the floor, and down her own chin, onto her body.
For Ophelia, a process that took minutes felt like hours. Her brain couldn’t even process the fact that Melzhina was fucking her mouth like a personal fuck toy. She just… allowed it to happen. There was no point in resisting, as she couldn’t get away, she couldn’t cast magic, she couldn’t even scream for help because she was on a ship full of enemies.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
Finally, she could feel the throb of her cock within her throat, her thrusts becoming more frantic and erratic as she got closer to her orgasm. Loud grunts and groans filled the room, her hips slamming roughly into Ophelia’s chin and nose as she chased her high. Ophelia merely closed her eyes as she accepted her fate, tears falling down her cheeks, her jaw sore from taking in such length and girth for a long period of time. Finally, she felt Melzhina release her load down Ophelia’s throat, groaning extra loudly as she continued to thrust shallowly in Ophelia’s mouth. After a couple of pumps, she pulled out and released the remainder of her load onto Ophelia’s face, a twisted grin forming on her own face as she did so.
She wasn’t done with the elf, turning the woman around and pushing her down so that her ass was up in the air. Due to her restraints, she couldn't stop herself from crashing into the wooden floorboards, scraping the skin of her cheek, knees, and chest on them. She merely let out a grunt, opening her eyes after her collision.
Her eyes met those of her fellow captive, Taldryn Irenor, who seemed to be wide awake with an uncomfortable problem in his pants. Her face twisted from one of defeat to one of disgust, wondering just how long this lowly male watched her get violated. Granted, he was as bound as she was, but he didn’t have the decency to look away?
She felt hands on her ass, immediately tensing up in anxiety and fear, already anticipating some kind of pain to be inflicted on her. Her fingernails dug into the palm of her hands as she felt the tip of Melzhina’s cock press against the entrance of her cunt. She initially resisted, using her knees to try to escape from her intrusion to crawl away; unfortunately, her grip on Ophelia’s ass didn’t allow for escape. The pale woman’s fingers dug deeply into the flesh of her butt, easily piercing the skin and leaving small, crescent-shaped wounds in her skin. The elf could only whimper out as her body resisted this intrusion. Her saliva acted as a lubricant for Melzhina’s cock, helping her cock bully its way into her tight cunt. Ophelia’s body could only tense up, not used to taking in such a large cock inside of herself, her breath already becoming rather ragged.
Melzhina continued her conquest over Ophelia’s body, groaning as the elf squeezed the life out of her. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought Ophelia was enjoying herself. The shifting of someone other than the two in the room immediately pulled her attention to the source, noticing that her other prisoner was finally awake. She gave him a smirk, knowing exactly what would piss him off.
“Watch as I conquer this high elf noble, much in the same way I'll be conquering the other women of your empire, while you're too weak and pathetic to do anything about it.”
In an instant, she snapped her hips forward, forcing Ophelia to take nearly her entire cock in one motion, pressing her tip against the entrance to her cervix rather tightly. Ophelia opened her mouth in a choked scream, almost collapsing from the shock of her inner walls being spread apart so suddenly, so forcefully, nearly tearing her in half. “Nngh… such a shame. Seems like I might have to.. hah.. train you to take my full length in.” Melzhina panted out, already thrusting her hips forward and back.
For a moment, Ophelia zoned out, disassociating from the situation, from herself. It was as if she was watching what was happening to her, and then it clicked. This is what Morotis meant when he said there's worse fates than death, that their daughter could be suffering if she were alive, that it would be better if she were dead. For a moment, she wanted to cry, to mourn for her little Araleth, who was too pure and young for such a cruel and unjust world. She wondered if she was alive, suffering the same fate, but for the last ten years, all while Ophelia was unaware.
Ophelia felt Melzhina's grip on the hair of her scalp, pulling back roughly to bend the elf backward rather unnaturally. She wasn’t allowed to disassociate as Melzhina violated her body, though, as she felt herself being able to feel and hear what was happening once more. The sounds of skin slapping against skin, the sound of her cunt making lewd, slick noises, and the smell of blood, sex, and sweat in the air. She could feel the woman spreading her slick cunt apart, sending pleasure up her spine with each thrust into her body. She felt her muscles contort and stretch uncomfortably, the stretch reawakening the burning of her wounds. Her nerves felt like they were on fire, conflicting information filling her brain as she felt both pleasure and pain.
No. She shouldn’t be feeling pleasure as she got violated; her body was betraying her mind in the most unforgiving way possible. She bit her lower lip, breaking the skin as she tried to hold in the moans, screams, and cries of pleasure that wanted to escape from her lips. Tears fell from her eyes once more, and she couldn’t tell if it was out of sorrow or out of pleasure. Maybe a mix of both, as her spirit got destroyed by Melzhina’s rough thrusts, the rough pulling of her hair, and her own self-deprecating thoughts.
“Conquer our woman?” She heard Taldryn speak, smugness in his voice as he taunted Melzhina. “You can’t even make her scream. You wouldn’t be able to make our women whimper.”
Ophelia suddenly shot her eyes over to his, seeing nothing but cruelness and arousal in his eyes. She glared at him, anger filling her face, as he was about to make her punishment even worse. At least in this position, she could bite her lower lip and deny Melzhina any hints of seeing her in pleasure. At least in this position, she could somewhat pretend she's not here. At least in this position, she could hold in her screams of pleasure, only making soft gasps or groans.
Melzhina, up to this point, was only focusing on chasing her own pleasure and orgasm. She stopped, pulling out of Ophelia, as she had a contemplative look on her face. Taldryn, despite being the cockiest and most arrogant bastard, was right about the fact that Ophelia wasn’t making much noise as she should be. She released her grip on her hair, letting her face slam into the floor, her hands now resting on both of her ass cheeks.
“Let’s fix that.”
“W-wait-” Ophelia couldn’t even protest as the woman immediately started to contort her body, easily manhandling Ophelia. The lower half of her body was forced through the loop her arms made so that her bound wrists were now ignorant of her body, rather than behind. She looked back at Melzhina in confusion, expecting her to dislocate her shoulders or something more violent. Melzhina then slid herself back inside of Ophelia, groaning softly as her warmth engulfed her once more.
She grinned down at the elf before standing up, picking Ophelia up in her strong arms by her thighs, hooking her legs in her elbows, and locking her hands behind her head. In this position, she could see everything - her pussy greedily engulfing Melzhina’s cock and even the mark that still lay on her stomach. She tried to shift, but found herself unable to move, locked in place. Melzhina moved the pair closer to the other prisoner, standing right above him so that Ophelia’s cock-stuffed pussy was right in front of Taldryn’s face.
“You’ll get a close look as I breed your women and stuff them until they can’t bear anymore.”
She pulled out until just the tip remained inside before shoving herself back inside Ophelia, eliciting a loud cry of pleasure from her. While she could hold in her noises and resist in her own way in the other position, watching Melzhina’s cock bully its way into her slit, stimulating her nerves all while hearing the lewd sounds her cunt made, made it impossible for her to contain any noises she made.
Quickly, her moans and cries of pleasure filled the room, an unfamiliar pressure building up in her bladder as Melzhina thrusted inside of her. Her thrusts were precise and strong, abusing the entrance of her cervix as she stuffed the elf full. Ophelia felt as if she couldn’t breathe, focusing on resisting whatever orgasm that was about to crash into her at full force. Her eyes locked in with Taldryn’s, and for a second, she felt herself blush in embarrassment. She hated every second of this, yet the way her inner walls squeezed around Melzhina’s cock said otherwise.
Her breaths became shallower, her cries louder as she was forced to the edge of an unfamiliar precipice. Her tears leaked down her cheeks, her body giving in as she just… let herself go, unable to resist anymore or deny what was happening. She felt an unfamiliar liquid squirt out of her body, her blush spreading as the liquid landed on Taldryn’s face. Her pussy was milking Melzhina’s cock for all it was worth at this point, her thrusts becoming sloppier yet rougher as she approached her own end. Each thrust forced Ophelia to squirt until her body had no more to give, pulling screams of pleasure out of her throat. Finally, she grunted as she thrusted for the last time, as deep as she could into the spasming cunt of Ophelia, painting Ophelia’s uterus with her cum.
She pulled out of her before she could fully empty her ballsack within the elf, tarnishing Taldryn’s face with a couple of courts of cum. Ophelia watched as he tried to dodge the liquid, yet due to the proximity of her cock to his face, he was forced to take whatever she gave him. He grunted in disgust, with no way to wipe the sex liquids off his face. There was a wet spot in his pants, right where there used to be a boner, and for a moment, Ophelia couldn’t help but feel disgusted by the male below her. Using her pain and suffering to get himself off was truly an unforgivable crime in her mind.
Ophelia was dropped roughly to the floor as if she were a toy that Melzhina was bored with. She couldn’t even move, exhaustion and pain overwhelming her form as she finally passed out.
By the time Ophelia was rescued, she was already a different woman. Alenia found her mistress lying on the floor, passed out, naked, hurt, and covered in unfamiliar liquids. She wouldn’t go anywhere near Taldryn Irenor, though the cleric who accompanied her couldn’t figure out why. Despite her physical wounds being healed by the cleric in the party that rescued her, along with her sweet niece, her mental wounds could never be healed. Even then, they left unsightly scars on her body, with Melzhina’s brand forever marking her stomach. Alenia noticed that her master seemed quieter and jumped whenever she heard an unfamiliar sound, knowing what had happened in that room when she couldn't save her.
Her clothes were utterly destroyed, so the young man gave Ophelia his coat to wear until they escaped to a safe place. She merely nodded, at least acknowledging the young man’s generosity. He felt like something was off, and from the various bruises and wounds that littered her body, he could only infer what had happened as they were attempting to rescue the boat captives. He felt terrible, unable to say anything to yet another victim of war.
As she escaped that stuffy cabin, the smell of salt in the air, the cawing of seagulls, and the feeling of a cold breeze filled her senses. She sighed, closing her eyes and welcoming the icy breeze to cool down her hot body. As she opened her eyes, she looked around the boat, scanning her surroundings. As her eyes neared the center, she locked eyes with familiar pale gray eyes.
Yet she didn’t smirk. She didn’t give him trouble, nor did she say anything to him. Her eyes gave him a blank look before moving on, trying to keep her breath steady to prevent herself from panicking. Of course, the one person she wouldn’t want to see her at her absolute worst was here. Oh, how the gods laughed at her; maybe they marvelled in her sorrow and pity. She sighed, wondering what was in store for the rest of her journey to safety.
Morotis, on the other hand, was confused as to why the woman didn’t pick a fight with him in front of all the others, yet he was relieved that she chose to ignore him. A rarity really, and it made his mission to support Prince Midari all the more easier. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, his mask back in place as he talked to Astreal, Lune, Midari, and Minnow.
The group of survivors made their way to a nearby inn after escaping the ship. Leaving Melzhina alive felt like a mistake; it felt like they were leaving a loose threat untied. This woman knew her name, and it would be easy for her to find Ophelia, where she lived, and hurt her more than before. She shivered at the thought, the cold snow eating at her bare skin.
Everyone had gone inside the inn or gone their own way, yet Ophelia stayed behind. She gave Alenia enough gold to rent the two of them a room for a night, then sent her inside, insisting that she needed some alone time. The young elf could sense her aunt needed some alone time, so she complied with her wishes and went inside. She was shivering, her fingers feeling as if they were frozen solid, yet she couldn’t stand the idea of being inside where it was warm and where people were happy - she would only bring down the mood of whatever they were celebrating.
The sound of lithe footsteps behind her made her jump, turning her whole body to the source of the sound. Before her stood the familiar form of her ex-husband. He looked like he didn’t want to be here, like he was uncomfortable merely being in her presence. She sighed and turned back around, her arms pulling her knees close to her chest, staring into the dark woods that were before the two.
“Young Astreral would like his coat back sooner rather than later. I’m sure you have your own now that you’ve reunited with your companion, so…” He started, wondering why Astreral sent him on this errand instead of anyone else. Maybe the boy had a sharp intuition, or maybe the girl who looked like Ophelia told him about their previous relations. She seemed… different than before. Sure, the divorce was eight years ago, but she never seemed to be the type to change unless something drastic happened.
She nodded her head, humming softly in confirmation. The silence between the two was thick and suffocating, at least for him. She seemed as if she didn’t have a care in the world, or maybe that she had too many cares to handle. He couldn’t exactly tell; usually, he was able to read the older elf perfectly. He turned away from Ophelia, about to head back inside, stopping in his tracks for only a moment.
“You were right. There are fates worse than death.” Barely above a whisper. He almost missed it, her voice sounding choked and like she had so much more to say, but she refrained from doing so.
He felt… bad. Getting a woman as stubborn as her to admit her mistakes, to admit she was wrong, he could only imagine what happened to her on that ship. He didn’t even know what to say, his mind struggling to formulate a response.
“Yeah.”
He continued inside, plenty on his mind as he left her alone.
Ophelia let one tear fall from her eyes as he left, her pride shattered and her mind broken. She still had to keep going, to find the Black Tincture Society with Alenia, regardless of what transpired. Her fingers felt as if they could fall off at this point, so she got up and went inside the inn.