Bondage (formerly Escape from the Obstinate Prince)

Jack saw Ami slip on the moss but he was too far away to do any good.

“Ami!” Jack yelled and quickly stood up, chasing her along the riverbank.

She had been staggering before she plunged into the water, which could only mean she was dizzy from the heat, lack of air, or both. Jack’s heart beat quickened. He quickly kicked off his boots and tunic and dived in after Ami.

He avoided the rocks as best he could and grabbed the end of Ami’s dress and reeled her towards himself, hugging her tight against his body and he slowly edged his way to the bank of the Crystal Brook.

Before he could grab hold of the mossy edge, another wave overtook them both. He came back up, barely keeping his hold Ami. The water fanned out and calmed a bit; Jack took the opportunity and made his way to the bank, pushing Ami up over the edge and hoisting himself over as well.

He took no time to rest and quickly sat up and looked to see if she was breathing. He couldn’t tell.

What am I supposed to do? Jack thought frantically. He thought back to his tutor and his lessons about healing.

Only, the books taught him that if someone floated or if they could swim, that they were witches or sorcerers. Curse those superstitious writers.

“If she can’t breath it could be from her corset being too tight, right?” he mumbled to himself before he quickly turned her on her side and ripped open the back of her dress. “How on earth am I supposed to get this dumb corset off?” he cried exasperatedly. His knives were either in his boots or tunic, both of which were not within his reach. He hurriedly came to the conclusion that he would have to rip it with his bare hands.

He used brute force to tear the material and a loud riiiiiiiiip met his ears.

Ami sputtered and coughed water up onto the grass and she held her stomach, gasping for air.

Jack cringed and gently patted her back.

When Ami finished coughing up water, she squinted up at Jack and her chest heaved up and down with every breath she took.

She looked at Jack.

Jack looked at Ami.

Neither one said anything; both still too shocked from what happened only minutes ago to say anything.

Ami stayed lying down on the grass for another couple minutes.

“What happened?” she asked.

Ami put a hand to her throbbing head and attempted to sit up.

“You fell into the river and I fished you out,” Jack replied without venom nor compassion.

“Thank you,” she looked as if she still didn’t quite understand, “how am I alive?”

“I ripped your corset,” Jack coughed and avoided looking straight at Ami.

Her eyes widened and she gasped. “You what?”

“Would you have rather died?” he replied indignantly.

She looked down at her dress.

“Be glad I at least had the decency to tear the back of the dress and corset,” he muttered.

She looked thoroughly embarrassed.

Then she burst into tears.

“What!” Jack exclaimed. “I didn’t even do anything!”

She sat with her head between her head and arms, ashamed at herself for crying.

Ami felt a hand on her back, timidly patting it as if to comfort her.

She didn’t even know why she was crying. The frightening events that happened were burned into her memory - ready to haunt her dreams at night.

Never before in her whole sixteen years had so many eventful things happened than when she had been in Carenthia. Never before had she been treated so badly by a fellow Royal. Never had she ever felt so alone.

There was the Queen, King, Madison and Freya, but they weren’t family. She didn’t know them that well and she wasn’t familiar with anything. Their style of clothing was different, their food was different, their customs were even different.

She felt no matter what she did, Jack hated her and that she could never be good enough to earn his approval. She felt as if she was always blundering. She hated the dresses she had to wear. She hated that no matter how independent she tried to be, she seemed to always need rescuing.

She continued to shed tears for another five minutes when she seemed to have run out of tears to spill. Her nose was running and she kept sniffing uncontrollably.

Jack had said nothing for awhile and she almost forgot he was there. The silence was too good to last.

“Are you finished?” Jack’s hand ceased to comfort her.

Ami nodded, not trusting her voice and looked up.

“I suppose we should head back to the castle, so you can change,” Jack suggested.

Ami nodded.

“Although how am I to get you back without someone noticing your ripped clothes?” he mused.

Ami sniffled some more.

She heard Jack sigh. Then felt two steady hands on her arms, helping her to her feet. She kept her head down, not wanting to display her red eyes and tear stained cheeks.

Jack hoisted her into a horse, she soon realized it was his horse, and he climbed on after her, his boots back on his feet and tunic in his hands. She supposed he didn’t put on his tunic simply to aggravate some snotty castle hands.

Jack’s body covered Ami’s ripped dress, his arms wrapped around her as he held onto the reins of his horse.

His horse started trotting along, Ami’s horse followed.

They both rode in silence, mostly, although Ami was still sniffing as it was beyond her control. Neither said a word to the other as a conversation wouldn’t have done either one a stitch of good.

Her clothes were no longer soaking but due to the humidity they were still wet and clung to her skin like pollen on a honeybee.

Jack stopped his horse in front of the castle walls. “What shall I tell people if they ask why your eyes are red and puffy?”

Ami shrugged. “The truth.”

Jack raised his eyebrows, then kicked his horse and making it walk through the castle and to the stables where he returned the two horses.

“How am I to get to my room?” Ami asked Jack.

“You walk with your two legs.”

“I meant, how am I to get there without people staring at me and laughing at their soon-to-be Princess?”

Jack shrugged. Then he sighed. And then he called over a servant. “Can you get a cape for the Princess?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the servant bowed and then scurried towards the keep. He returned after a few minutes with a cape in his hands, looking a bit confused as to why the Princess wanted a cape on such a warm day but did as he asked without question.

“Here you are,” Jack wrapped the cape around Ami, then asked almost tauntingly. “Will you need an escort also to your room?”

She glanced at him. Her blue eyes surrounded by red puffiness.

He sighed, rolled his eyes, then put an arm around her shoulders, walking with her to her bedroom.

She kept her eyes cast down the whole time as Jack led, holding onto his shirt for guidance.

She pretended to ignore the whispers of the servants, as it didn’t seem to bother Jack - or maybe he was used to whispering castle workers but she knew that their opinion of her had gone down.

“Jack? Ami?” a distinct voice approached from behind, and with that voice came along Mad. “Is that you?”

Jack turned around, bringing Ami with him. “Madison! This is a surprise.”

Mad raised an eyebrow. “I’m usually in the castle, roaming the halls…”

All three stood in awkward silence for awhile. Madison coughed. “Might I ask why Ami is wearing a cape when it is so brutally hot outside?”

Jack looked at Ami. Ami looked at the ground. “She uh...kind of fell in the river.”

“She what?” Madison said rather loudly and some of the passing servants looked their way.

“Shh! Not so loud,” Jack hushed Mad. “Yes, she fell into the river.”

Mad looked at Ami incredulously. “How?”

Jack rolled his eyes. “I’ll talk to you later, Ami needs to get to her room.”

Mad didn’t say anything, he looked at Jack, then he looked at Ami. “Is she alright?”

“Yes,” Jack answered curtly.

“Then why isn’t she talking? Did you cast a spell on her or something?”

Ami twitched and brought her head up. She fixed her gaze on Madison. He flinched slightly upon seeing her red eyes. “Jack, what did you do to her?” he said slowly and kept his eyes on Ami.

“Nothing! Once and for all would you just let me take her to her room? I’ll tell you all you want to know once I’m done, alright?” Jack sighed exasperatedly.

“Alright. But I’m keeping to that. By the way, the noon meal is about to be served, the King and Queen expect both of your presences,” Mad turned to go.

“Do I have to go?” Ami murmured.

“If you aren’t feeling up to it, I’m sure you don’t have to,” Jack shrugged, “though they might think I poisoned you or something if you don’t show up.”

Ami smiled a tiny bit. “In that case I guess I had better.”

They reached the doors to her room. “Do you think you’ll be alright?”

“Yes, I’ll just send all of my lady’s-in-waiting away,” Ami thanked him.

“Should I wait outside for you?” Jack asked.

Ami shrugged and opened the door to her room.

“I’ll be waiting, just in case,” Jack called after her.

Ami bit her lip and closed the door to her room. What happened to Jack? Did someone put something in his food? Had a witch cast a spell on him? Ami shook her head. Witches aren’t real. Although, why is he being so nice?

She remembered when she has asked the Great Father to help her be nice to Jack, so he would in turn be nice to her. She smiled. Perhaps He did hear me.

She looked around her room - no servants or lady’s-in-waiting. She shrugged off the cape given to her and inspected the back of her dress in her big bedroom mirror. It looked bad. Very bad. And her corset looked as if an inexperienced person (who had never touched a corset before) ripped it, when they could have simply untied it. “What will they think?” Ami wondered aloud. She could just tell them the truth. But then they might never allow her outdoors or anything ever again. Or else they might think Jack pushed her into the river in purpose.

Ami heard feet shuffling outside. And then heard Madison’s voice. “So, what really happened?”

“Ami fell into the river,” came Jack’s reply.

“You said that already, but how did she fall into the river? How can you fall into the river?” Mad tried to keep his voice low but Ami couldn’t help but hear.

“I think her corset was too tight and she blacked out.”

“Oh,” Mad sounded slightly stunned. “Oh, oh, oh.”

“And so I fished her out.”

“She can’t swim?”

“Most people think it’s sorcery to be able to swim, Mad.”

“Well, I’m glad she’s alright,” Mad said quietly, then added. “I must say the change in you is very refreshing.”

So he notices the change too, Ami thought as she quickly changed out of her damp clothes and into a new set of clothes.

“What change?” Jack genuinely sounded confused.

“You. Your demeanor. How you treat Ami. If I didn’t know you better I’d say that you two had been friends for a long time.”

She couldn’t see what Jack’s face looked like and she doubted she wanted to find out. Jack and Madison didn’t speak for a minute.

“I’m not being nice to her,” it was Jack talking.

“If you say so,” Mad mumbled.

Ami didn’t like where the conversation was going and she opened the door. “I’m ready.”

“Great,” Jack replied, absentmindedly offering his arm to Ami.

“Splendid!” Mad clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “I’m starved.”

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting,” she apologized.

“It’s no matter,” Mad smiled, “I was just having a little talk with Jack.”

Yes,I heard, she thought to herself. “Oh really? What about?”

“Oh, you know,” Mad came close to stuttering. “Things.”

“Anything that might interest me?” Ami pried.

“We were discussing how hot out it was today, weren’t we, Jack?”

“Yes, yes of course” Jack’s mind seemed to have still been elsewhere.

They reached the dining hall and a pair of servants opened the door.

“Ami, my dear! And Jack, love!” the Queen beamed at the sight of Jack and Ami. “And, Madison.”

“So lovely to see you too, Your Majesty,” he grinned at the Queen.

“How was the outing?” she directed the question at the pair of young royals.

“Grand,” Ami answered with a short-lived, small smile.

Jack looked at Ami; Madison looked at Ami. Both of them raised their eyebrows.

“And you, Jack, how did you like the outing?” the Queen picked a grape and popped it in her mouth.

Jack mumbled something.

“I don’t believe I heard that,” the King commented.

“I said it was just dandy,” Jack said a bit louder, smiling one of his fake smile at his father.

Ami frowned. She was forgetting something. Why had she fallen in the river? She had been running from something.

And some actually still believe in this God, Jack’s voice came back like a haunting dream.

She stumbled back a bit, becoming slightly woozy.

“Are you alright, Ami?” the Queen sat up and hurried to her side. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling quite well?”

Ami put a hand to her head and looked at Jack.

He was looking straight at her, slightly concerned.

“I-I think I should go rest. The wedding is tomorrow after all, I should make sure I’m well rested,” Ami glanced at Mad. Did he know about Jack? Had he kept it a secret? Or did they just not care? Maybe it wasn’t a big deal to them. The Queen patted Ami’s back timidly, as if afraid Ami would bite.

“Do you believe in the Great Father?” she asked suddenly, directing her question towards the Queen. It was not an accusing question, simply curious.

“Why, yes, of course I do. Don’t we all?” she answered.

Ami desperately wanted to say no and to tell the King and Queen of their son’s disbelief. She glanced at Jack. He was looking at her with fire and fear in his eyes. He remembered why Ami had run from him. He knew which track her mind was heading towards. His chin tilted upward, daring her to tell his father.

She didn’t answer the Queen and instead fled to her bedchamber.

How am I expected to marry this man if his beliefs aren’t even the same as mine? When he thinks that I’m a child for believing in a Superior Being. How am I to live with him? Ami face planted into her stack of pillows, lifting her head every so often to get a fresh lungful of air. I never asked for this life. I never wanted it. So why as it given to me?

It seemed to Ami as if the God above had better things to do as of late instead of listening to her and never had time to process any of her requests. She let out a muffled scream and kicked her bed.

Tomorrow she was marrying her worst nightmare and she would be living with him for the rest of her days.