Chapter 1 Katarina

She stared out the window to look at the stars. It felt so good to feel the breeze on her skin. She wondered how long she had to enjoy it.

He would soon be back and her little happiness would fade. Six months of anguish and abuse. Six months of pain, Six months of being treated like an animal. She looked down at her body in shame.

Scars. All over. She didn't even want to talk about her face. It had the ugliest of them all. He had done that to her with a dagger cause she tried to defy him. Some days, she subjected to the torture of angry wolves. Other times, he would do it himself.

Sometimes, she prayed she would die and escape it all like when he almost drowned her for talking back at his Luna. She could run away but that would cost her mother's life.

Her mother. She chuckled at the thought. The reason she was stuck here. She just had to steal from him. Why couldn't she go somewhere else? Someplace safer?. Somewhere she wouldn't be caught.

She didn't even know if the woman she was suffering for was still alive. He said she was but he could be lying. After all, he took her against her will and used her whenever he felt like.

He had a wife. A Luna. Yet she was stuck with satisfying his hunger. It's been six months already and she was yet to set eyes on her mother. The door opened and she scurried away from the window.

He walked in with his usual confident smile and all she could do was lower her gaze. It was a serious crime to look the king in the face. A rule she found ridiculous. What was so special about that face of his? He was the least attractive man on her list.

He walked over to her and lifted her face to meet his. He liked the hatred he saw each time he stared into her fierce eyes.

"Katarina" He called softly.

"Your highness" She replied with undisguised spite.

"Why are you still dressed?" He asked huskily.

"I..didn't think think you would....Actually I was just taking it off" She said quickly letting the robe fall. He smiled and walked away from her. His champagne was always on the table. She made sure of it.

Last time she forgot, he had her whipped and starved for days. SHe watched him pop it and serve himself.

"Your mother's judgement is tonight. I want you to look your best" He said sipping his drink. Her mother?. She almost jumped in joy. Her patience was finally going to pay off. He was going to keep his promise.

"I will do just that. Should I go now or...."

"You know I've always loved that look in your eyes each time I come close to you. Tonight, I feel it's gonna be my favourite. I'll let you get dressed but you have just ten minutes" He said before ,exiting.

She didn't give his words another thought. She was happy she would finally see her mother. Happy they could finally go home. Proud she had resisted the thought to poison him most times.

She quickly dressed and ran out to meet him. She met with one of his guards instead.

"Come with me" He said coldly and walked ahead without bothering to look if she was following him. She didn't mind though. She wasn't going to let anything ruin her happiness. Or so she thought until she entered the courtroom and realised how wrong she was.

Her mother was in the center on the room with chains binding her hands and feet. She starednin disbelief at the woman who was supposed to her mother. She looked worn out and haggard. She was still in the clothes she wore the day she stole and her skin, tatted with bruises and scars and dirt.

She couldn't even stand properly and her once charming blue eyes were blood shot and swollen. She couldn't even blink. What tortured has she been going through to make her look this terrible?.

Tears strolled down her cheeks as her mother moved her head slowly to look at her. The raw pain she saw in those eyes broke her. What huge thing had she stolen that they had to batter her this way?. She was so sure even death would have been more merciful.

Her eyes traI led up to the king who wore a smug smile. The true meaning of his words registered at that moment. He had kept his word long enough to watch her hurt. He wanted to see the pain in those eyes. Not hate. Pain. He had gotten his wish but she was afraid he was done yet.

"There's no need for protocols since we already know the punishment thieves and trespassers. Not just any thief but one with guts to steal from the King" He said and her heart raced. He couldn't do this to her. Not after enslaving her for months.

"Except anyone feels she deserves to be heard" He added and she glanced around. No one spoke. No one even wore pity. They stared with pure hate and she couldn't fathom why.

"She doesn't deserve anything. No human does on our land. Not even that pathetic daughter of hers" Someone spat and conniption gripped her.

"Why should we harbour humans after what they did to us? Our park's might but we can't" Another supported.

"And a thief at that. Both mother and child should be hanged. Theft obviously runsin their veins" Another said. Tears rolled down her cheeks There and then she realised this was more than theft.

Ofcourse she stole most of the times but it was mostly for survival but this people had something more against humans. She was still dealing with the fact that she was living with non-humans and now they hated humans too?. She was doomed.

"Behead both of them" A fierce voice yelled.

"Hang them" Another angry voice sounded. Soon they were chanting. She slowly retraced her steps in fear.

"Silence!" He thundered and everywhere quieted down. His eyes rested on her as he continued to speak.

"Having heard it all, I can't go against your wish" He said and her heart jumped to her throat. He was going to kill them. He broke his part of the deal. He broke it all.

"They shall both be hanged" He concluded.

"Cheater! Liar! You broke your promise. You went back on your promise" She roared and all eyes turned to her.

"I hate you. I hate all of you. You will pay I will make sure you all pay. You will shed blood for every tear you made me shed. You will suffer for every pain you caused me. Your lives would be taken a thousand times for snatching ours. A human will be your ruin, I swear to you. Even if I have to come back a thousand times to make it happen, I will. Your women and children will pay for your wrong. If it doesn't happen in this life, it will in the next. Katarina will come back for you all" She yelled.

"Seize them" He ordered. The soldiers pulled her mother roughly. The fear in her mother's eyes fuelled her anger. She didn't want to die but She could do nothing. She couldn't do anything to save her mother.

They seized her as well and lead them out of the palace. People we're already gathered outside like they were just waiting for the King to order their execution. They threw things at them. Stones, chairs, food items, everything.

When they finally got there, they were both sent up. A soldier was already on top to place the ropes round their necks. Tears ran down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, mom. I'm so sorry" She sobbed as the crowd threw hateful words and objects at them. She couldn't even get her mom's answer as the lever was pulled and the planks fell.

Bodies of both mother and child dangled in the air.