Luna's Cruel Fate

Luna's POV:

Cold seeped into my bones, my fingers numb and raw as I scrubbed the stone floor. The small kitchen was dark, barely illuminated by a flickering candle that cast shadows over the worn, chipped walls. My hands shook-exhaustion clung to every muscle-but I kept working. If I stopped, even for a moment, I knew there would be consequences.

"Luna!" Lady Seraphine's shrill voice cut through the quiet in the house. I stiffened, my heart racing. I knew that tone; it was laced with cruelty, dripping with disdain.

"Yes, my lady," I whispered, rising to my feet and dusting off the dirt that scattered on my thin, threadbare dress. I took a deep breath to steady myself, but the dread had already settled in my stomach.

I entered the great hall, and there she was, waiting for me, her arms crossed over her chest, a snide smile twisting the corners of her full lips. She was perfect, as she always was, her dark hair twisted in an elegant coiffure, her dress flawless and costly beside my worn and tumbled appearance. Her gaze roamed over me, her sneer deepening.

"Have you ever seen yourself, Luna?" she hissed, the malice in her tone like a cold, vicious spread. "You are pitiful, a blight on this house. I am surprised you would even dare show your face."

I clamped down on my rejoinder, setting my tongue aflame. She enjoyed it when I reacted like any display of resistance was a reason to goad me further. I cast my gaze down to mask the rise of ire swelling within me.

"I'm so sorry, milady," I whispered, the words bitter on my lips.

"Apologize?" she spat, her pace slow as she circled the predator assessing its prey.

"Apologies mean nothing from someone like you. You think you're suffering now?" She leaned in close, voice low, a hiss.

"This is only the beginning. You have no idea what true suffering is, but I'll make sure you learn."

Her words sent a cold shiver down my spine, and I never batted an eyelid to give her the pleasure of knowing she had caused me fear.

"And what of the tax?" she jumped in right away, shrill and high-pitched. "I noticed you're late again, Luna. Or maybe you think you're above the rules?

I felt my bristling skin flush as desperation set in. The tax. She knew quite well that I could scarcely afford enough to feed myself, let alone the usurious taxes she insisted on taking. Every little coin I could gain running errands or doing odd chores barely covered the mere essentials. Nothing was left of that for the tax, and she knew it.

I'm... I'm working to get it, my lady," I stammered, hating the tremor in my voice. "Just a little more time, please. I'll have it soon.

Her laughter was cold and echoed in the empty hall. "Soon? You have had weeks, and yet here you are, still making excuses. You are nothing but a useless leech, sucking off my charity." She seemed to narrow her eyes, and a dangerous glint flashed in them. "I will not tolerate it anymore.

I opened my mouth to beg, to plead, but before I could utter a word, she raised her hand, beckoning to someone behind me. Heavy footsteps sounded, and I spun around as two guards came into the room, their faces impassive, their eyes glacial.

"Take her," Lady Seraphine ordered. "She refuses to pay her dues. See she is made aware of the consequences.

The guards took a step toward me, and I retreated backward, panic scratching at my chest. "Please, my lady," I pleaded, my voice cracking. "Just a little more time. I'll have it, I swear!"

Lady Seraphine's lips curled into a pitiless smile. "Too late, Luna. You've had your chance. Now, perhaps a little time in the dungeons will teach you respect and remind you of your place.

One of the guards clutched my arm in a bruisingly tight hold, and I struggled, deathly fearful. "Please!" I cried, but my plea fell on deaf ears. They dragged me from the hall, my feet barely touching the ground as I struggled against their iron holds.

They hauled me through the house and out into the cold night air, everything a blur of hallways. The village was dark and quiet and empty, the few houses shuttered and silent. I could feel eyes watching from the shadows, but no one dared to step forward. No one would risk Seraphine's wrath for a girl like me.

The guards pushed me in the direction of the main square with rough, unbending hands. I fell against the stones with the screaming pain of my bare feet. I tried to steady myself, but my legs felt weak, my body shaking with fear and exhaustion.

"Please," I whispered hoarsely. "Please, I shall get the money.

One of the guards sneered-his face a mask of contempt. "Shut up, girl. We're tired of hearing your whining.".

And they just kept pulling me on and on, deeper into the middle of the square, until one of them gave a push forward, and I went down onto my knees, a shock right through my skeleton. My eyes blurred over with unshed tears, looking up into the implements of the stocks facing me, a portent of humiliation, a punishment. My stomach was twisted in dread.

Put her in," one guard grunted, grabbing my wrists and forcing them into the rudimentary wooden holders. I felt the coarseness of the wood as they secured the stocks around my wrists and neck, entrapping me in their place. I was exposed, vulnerable like an animal on display.

They took a step back, each wearing satisfied smirks at the way I flailed under the tight restraints helplessly. The square had turned silent and empty save for the scattered figures that passed by, looking in my direction with pity and disdain. I fought the shame inside, the burning humiliation growing in an attempt to get the better of me.

This was all a product of Lady Seraphine. She gloried in my misery, reminding me of the fact that I had nothing and that I was hers to do with as she pleased, to punish as she so wished. It was she who stood over me, her puppet in the sadistic games she played, and naught was to be done about it.

The night wore on, the cold gnawing at my skin, my body shaking uncontrollably. My muscles screamed in agony, and my wrists were on fire from the rough wood that dug into them. All hours melded together into some sort of torturous haze of discomfort and humiliation. I couldn't move, couldn't get away. I was trapped-must endure this punishment, this reminder of helplessness.

With the first light of dawn, a gray thin haze permeated the square, and people came out one by one. They mumbled to each other and turned toward me, some with a glance of pity, others full of spite. I didn't lift my gaze from the ground and wouldn't allow these people to see the depth of my shame.

The crowd grew, and with it, the murmurs. I could hear them talking, their voices one indistinguishable mass of judgment and speculation. They spoke of my failure, of my inability to pay the tax, of my place as Seraphine's scapegoat. In their eyes, I was nothing more than a cautionary tale, a reminder of what happened to those who dared defy the powerful.

And then, finally, Lady Seraphine arrived.

She swaggered up, head held high, a satisfied smile tugging upward on her lips as she looked down at me. The crowd parted for her, their eyes wide with that mix of awe and fear. She was untouchable, the queen of this small world, and she knew it.

"Well, Luna," she said, her voice carrying across the square, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Maybe now you understand what happens when one disobeys. Maybe now you will remember your place."

I said nothing; my jaw was clenched as I fought the tears back that wanted to spill. I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me break here, not in front of everyone.

She leaned in closer, and I would hear her speak in a low tone, the smile spreading over her face. "This is only the beginning, dear. You have such a long way to go, and I will be right there with you, making sure that you feel every bit of it.".

With that, she straightened, turning to address the crowd, her voice like silk. "Let this serve as a reminder to one and all," she announced. "Disobedience, failure, and disrespect will not be tolerated. We must all contribute, must we not? Everyone has a role to play, even the lowest among us."

Mumbles of ascent sounded through the crowd, each nodding in unison as though she were some kind of benefactor, not the monster I knew her to be. I longed to scream-to tell the truth for all to hear. My voice was stuck, my words stifled by the wood stocks and the weight of my shame.

With that, she turned and strode away, the crowd breaking off to go their various ways, leaving me quite alone in the square figure frozen in place by humiliation and despair.

And in that instant, I vowed to myself that one day I would find a way to break free. One day, I would make her pay for every ounce of suffering she had forced upon me.

For now, I was ready with bated breath, caught in this waking nightmare, holding onto the little spark of hope buried deep within my heart.