The Duke's Thoughts

The moon hung in the sky with an ominous glow as the crow pecked on the dead and dried branches. Their eyes open and search for their next prey.

A crow in this world is known as the bird of death and if its nearby it means someone's about to die. The crows stopped their crowing as hurried footsteps were heard. Their eyes widened as they flew up and chased the sound.

A gown flowed in the air as it was tugged and scratched by the dry and torn branches, the figure's body was bung scratched by the branches as she continued her relentless effort to run.

Her breathing was becoming ruffy as she jumped a fallen tree only for her gown to get stuck, which sent her tumbling straight to the ground.

The crows lament as they watch the scene, awaiting the girl's death. Her body was still so only the crows sound could be heard.

A groan and she started to move, her silver brown hair being a statement to her beauty as her blue eyes were marked with pain.

She groaned again and tried to pull herself up, only to scream in pain. Her side was bleeding, she seemed to have got stabbed by a branch when she fell.

'Why?'

'Why me?' The girl asked as she struggled to move.

'I have given them everything, my heart, my soul'

'Even my love!'

'Can't they just leave me alone' the girl begged as tears threatened to fall from her face, but she held them back and proceeded to push herself back to her feet while keeping a hand on her injured side.

She staggered but continued to move, her breath becoming more ruff as the bleeding continued flowing effortlessly as her hands did nothing to slow it down.

My name is Lucille Celeste, an illegitimate daughter of the Celeste family. In all my life I have never received love.

My mom was a maid in the house of Celeste when she was impregnated by the Lord, who was a womanizer and never kept his hands to himself.

My mom, on finding this, was taken in and made a mistress of the Lord, but was still treated as a forsaken maid.

My mom and I were constantly bullied by the other families and even the servants of the house saw us as nothing but dirty garbage. It continued on until my mother fell ill and died.

I was then taken in and given the title of princess, but I knew I was just a vessel to gain political power for the family and that's why I'm in this predicament, Lucille thought, as she used a tree to balance herself.

She balanced herself on the tree as her vision swirled. The tears that she was holding back had fully begun to fall as her face was drenched.

She groaned and held her breath as she almost screamed when her hand brushed her injured side.

A huff and Lucille's eyes snapped open. She didn't remember closing them. The huff grew stronger as they galloped through the dark forest.

Lucille was petrified with fear as she pushed herself to move forward. She needed to escape, that was the only way she would be free from this nightmare.

"Damn it!" A voice shouted in anger as the horses came to a standstill. The person who cursed had the same light color as Lucille.

"How could you let that thing escape? You're supposed to be the best guards in our Dukedom, and you can't even keep a girl who is already on her way to death in check", the man screamed in total anger as he waved his sword to the guards beside him.

"We're sorry, sire, but she tricked us with the excuse of relieving herself" stated a guard as he bowed to the man. The man was Mark Celeste, the firstborn and the heir to the dukedom.

He sneered at the guard before looking at the dense and dark forest. It was creepy, no one in their right sense would enter this forest unless they were courting death.

But his stupid and dirty sister just had to make his day more worse. It was a good thing father was marrying her off to that darn ugly old man. He can do anything he wants to her, even sell her parts for all he cares. But because of making him look for her like that, he would be sure to give her a brutal beating before sending her off to her own hell.

Mark smirked as he noticed the fallen tree and the shape of a shoe climbing over. He giggled as he pulled his horse to face the tree and sighted a blood path leading straight.

"Look alive soldiers" he said, pointing to the blood stains on the ground.

"It seems she won't be able to go very far" Mark giggled manically as he pulled his horse into a gallop and the other guards followed behind.

Lucille's body screamed with fear as she heard the gallops getting closer and closer. She had forgotten her injured side and was now on a full blown sprint.

She needed to escape. No, she had to escape.

If she didn't, this may be the last time she may ever see the light.

The adrenaline of not wanting to be captured gave her the strength to run. She dragged her legs as her side burned with tremendous pain.

A light shined at the end of this dark forest, she was almost free.

A wiping sound was heard as she felt a sharp pain in her leg before falling to the ground, her side hitting the floor like a brick as she screamed out. Lucille groaned and fumbled her body like a ball, trying to drown out the pain.

"Huh. You really thought you could escape me?"

Lucille paled as the voice sent shivers down her spine. The horse galloped had gone quiet as a horse hove stamped in front of her vision.

"No" she prayed, she cried, she should have escaped.

She can't go back. She won't go back!

Mark looked down at her as a smile appeared on his face. The moon hunged in the sky like a warning.

A bang was heard as Lucille's hair was dragged and thrown to the ground like garbage.

Her hair was being pulled by Mark as her dress was stained with leaves and mud. She was struggling as her breath was leaving her. Her vision was swimming as her mouth opened to scream for help or for him to stop, but she was kicked in the side by Mark, who dropped her hair.

He groaned in annoyance as he watched her deafened form wither on the ground like a shrunken leaf.

He smirked and pulled her up by the hair as Lucille screamed again in pain; her side had started to bleed, and the blood was making her faint.

"You seriously thought you could outrun me with those ridiculous short legs of yours," asked Mark with a disgusted look as he held her chin.

Lucille couldn't move; the pain on her side was unbearable as her legs and hand had been bound by the guards.

She shivered and tried to look away, only for Mark to grip her chin hard enough to draw blood.

'She was almost free; why couldn't they just let her be free?' thought Lucille in dismay as tears engulfed her face.

Mark noticed this and groaned annoyed. He flicked her face away before gesturing for the guards to pick her up and lay her on the horse.

"That darn old man must be waiting for his bride; we can't let him wait any longer," Mark stated as he looked to Lucille, who had gone quiet but still struggled when the guards picked her up and ruffly drew her on the horse like a sack of potatoes.

She groaned in pain as her side was touched.

"Oh, be careful. We can't hurt the merchandise," stated a guard as he slapped Lucille back.

"She's the key to our life of luxury," another gaurd stated in laughter as they mounted their horses.

Mark just looked disgusted at the comment. 'That thing is used to buy my luxury; I'd rather give it to the pigs to have their way with it,' thought Mark as he mounted his horse and proceeded for it to move, not before pulling Lucille's tight body closer to not allow her to find a way of running.

Throughout the run to the forest end, which had a brown carriage awaiting them, Lucille was quiet.

Why wouldn't she be quiet? Her life is about to be taken away from her by a cruel and ugly old fart.

She was about to become a caged and bed-pleasing woman shackled down until the day she died. Dreaming about her freedom from a locked window.

What crime or sin have I committed to go through this torture?

I had never in my life asked for anything; I had always been the one giving. Taking the blame for my siblings and being beaten and ridiculed by my father and stepmother for things I had never done.

I had never spoken back to them like my siblings, so why? All I wanted was to be loved.

All I wanted was to be cared for!

Lucille whimpered as she tried to wiggle, only to be gripped by Mark, who gave her a dark glare.

She groaned before trying with her little strength to look at the sky. Staring at the beautiful moon, she wished she could become it and free herself from this miserable life.

But her thoughts were not answered as the moon just continued to shine on her already defeated state.

They reached the carriage and ruffly dropped Lucille to the ground before Mark took her by the hair and dragged her into the carriage.

He dropped her on the ground as he moved in and pulled her face towards him.

"Try any funny business again, and that ugly man will have to live with a virginless bride," stated Mark as he flicked her face away before moving out and slammed the door shut.

Lucille laid them on the ground; her tears had seized, and her eyes had become emotionless. She was like a broken record, as her hands and legs were red from the rope.

Mark huffed, annoyed, as he mounted his horse and told the coachman to move.

The carriage moved, and they continued on their journey. The scene changed, and we were now in the ugly man's home.

More of his bed chamber. Lucille had been bathed as she was dressed in a nightgown that was almost revealing.

The window was opened as air blew into the room, illuminating Lucille's defeated form. Her hair was loose as it fell and covered her face, but we could clearly see the empty eyes as she stared at the sky.

Her hands and legs were freed, as only the red line could indicate that she was ever tied to begin with.

Lucille's blue eyes were empty but sparkled with determination. If she was going to become a darn bitch for the rest of her life, it was better to not live at all.

She moved towards the window, not before taking the kitchen night from the food tray. Her gaze was fully on the night moon as it beckoned her towards it.

She stopped and glanced out the window. The man chamber was very high up; a fall from here would settle death.

She smirked and proudly climbed on the window edge. The wind blew, welcoming her to them as Lucille breathed a sight of air. Her eyes are now filled with joy.

"Lucille!" Mark's voice shouted as he flung through the door in a hurry to catch her. His face was red as he glared daggers at her.

Lucille turned pale as she instinctively used the knife to slash Mark on his wrist when he proceeded to grip her.

He recoiled back in shock, and this allowed Lucille to take the final step of the ledge.

Her body fell through the sky like a stone, but she was happy. A smile on her face as she stared at the moon.

If I am ever given a second life, I would never live for my family.

Instead, I would live for myself, Lucille thought as her body finally collided with the ground.

The moon being her only view as red blood covered the garden ground.

She smiled and finally closed her eyes.

Only for her eyes to pop right open.

Sweat baited her body as her eyes glimmer with pain. She groaned and tried to roll, only to stop in shock.

What's going on? Thought Lucille as she stared at the ceiling. Shouldn't it have been a night sky? Why was it now the ceiling of a room?

But not just any room, but the room she was forced to live in when she was crowned a princess and forced to marry that ugly old fart.

Her eyes rolled around before she jumped out of bed in shock; her eyes scanned the full scene as she couldn't believe where she was.

Forgetting about her sweat-soaked body, she pulled the blanket from her body and hastily ran to the window. She threw it open as the wind engulfed her in strives.

Her blue eyes shinned as the wind blew her hair; the scene was beautiful as we saw a garden placed outside her window. The aura of beauty, but Lucille's face paled.

This was the Celeste household; this was the place of her doom and horror. Hadn't she left here already? Wasn't she supposed to be dead on the ground of that ugly fart home? Her body is being prepped for her funeral.

The scene was unbelieving as Lucille just stood there, like a statue.

A bang and the door flew open. Lucille was shaken from her still gaze as she turned to face the door. A maid walked in holding a tray of food with a scrowl of disgust when she sighted Lucille awake.

"Oh, miss, I thought I would have to wake you, but it seemed you made it easy for me," the maid said with a sinister look as she eyed Lucille from up to down.

It was only then did Lucille look at her clothing; she remembered that even though she was a princess, she was never given the best of clothes. She was wearing a nightgown that was too long and had turned a brownish dirty color.

It was an additional texture to the room she was in. From the outside, it looked like a door of royalty, but the inside was average; there were chairs and tables having reached the stage of breaking. Her window and cabinet had cobwebs lining every edge, and her clothes were too big and made her look old.

But the real reason was to hide her malnourished and scar-covered body from the world, as she would have to make appearances now as a princess.

Lucille stared at the maid as she rudely dropped the tray on the table; the food was just a cup of water and some bread. It was even a miracle to get bread, as some days it was only water.

The maid stood at the seat waiting for her with a glare. Lucille quickly shook herself from her thought and moved towards the table. She sat down and quickly ate the bread and water before returning back to the window.

The food hadn't fully digested, but right now she needed to clear her head about thinking, so it was best to not show them any mistakes or less she be whipped.

The maid looked at the empty plate before smiling at Lucille as she placed back the whip in her gown. She took the tray and left the room, not before stopping.

"Get dressed on your own; you're to attend dinner with the Duke and his family."

"Don't be late," shouted the maid as she slammed the door shut.

Lucille still stood at the window, her body still, before she crumbled to the ground.

"This can't be; it has to be a nightmare; there were no ways she had gone back to this hell hole.

All she wanted was to be free.

Free?

Lucille thoughts stopped as she remembered the request she made when she jumped from the window. The moon shinned that night as if answering her wish.

Could it be?

Lucille looked to the room as her eyes scanned around before pushing herself up and running to a dirty cabinet.

If I really was reborn, then it should still be here? Thought Lucille as she ransacked her cabinet, pulling drawers from drawers and until she pulled a drawer open and stopped.

Tears engulfed her face immediately as she took out a small doll; it was ruffly made, but she didn't care and hugged it tightly.

She couldn't believe it; it was still here.

This was the only doll her mother made for her; it was the last thing she had in remembrance of her deceased mother.

If this is still here, then the marriage talk with the ugly old fart hasn't been done yet because her doll was burned by Mark on the same day it was declared that I was to wed the ugly fart.

Lucille looked up at the doll as she cleaned a small spot from its cheek. If she really was given a second chance, then she wasn't going to live this life again.

Wiping her tears, she dragged her nightgown and pulled herself up. She closed her eyes, taking a breath of fresh air before opening them again.

Her eyes, once devoured of life, now had a fire burning in them. She was going to escape from this place.

She took the doll and walked to the table; sitting down, she took a pen and paper and proceeded to write.

If she was going to finally escape this place, she needed to write down all the events that happened up until her death. All bad experiences and good ones, never leaving anything out.

She needed a plan and a route of escape, remembering how Mark caught her in the woods and dragged her back to that fifty place.

She groaned and dropped her pen, thinking it was making her head hurt.

She looked up and faced the window as the wind blew a rose petal into her room that fell and landed on her desk.

Her smile mask her face as she picked up the petal.

Yes, I need a way to not just escape from this place but never be able to be caught.

A smirk appeared on her face.