The kingdom of Winters was everything Laura had hoped for. The kind man she had traveled with took her all the way up north, even giving her some warmer clothes and few gold pieces to spend. It was more than what most people had done for her, but he had to continue on his way, leaving her to find her own way. Much like Asth's kingdom, the town surrounded the castle, however there was much more space between the homes so people could get around better. The area was cold, being so close to the mountain, but was spared the endless snowstorms thanks to the high peaks.
It was a new start, and she had no idea what to do with herself. She had some gold, at least enough for a few stays at the inn, but she needed a job. However, she never really did anything outside of just clean, and Asth used her for everything but to clean. Still it was something to go with as she headed to a large cabin that served as a inn for the large city. The place had a few people within. Mostly those that needed a warm meal, and a warm drink as traders talked about different items they had to sell. She moved slowly to the innkeeper and stops herself just short of making it to the counter.
It was still hard, her legs shook as her eyes look at the man behind the counter, cleaning a few glasses. He looked harmless enough, well built from the years of tossing people into the streets after having one to many beers. A short fluffy beard covered his chin as he keeps his eyes down. His shirt was a simple thick fabric that seemed to pull tight over his muscles as he worked. But in Laura's mind, he was just another guard. Another one of those monsters that would corner her, and take her against the wall. It wasn't bad enough the king let all his men use her, one after another, before he let all his men join in at once.
She had no idea she had been shaking so much, to the point the bartender saw and frowns a bit, thinking she was shivering from the cold. He moves as he gets out a thick blanket and wraps it around her. Before he could even speak, she screams. All those memories, everything she tried so hard to forget, just comes crashing down as she slumps to the floor, shaking even more. The traders talking soon stop in wonder what was going on as the poor man slowly kneels down and holds her, lightly, hoping not to scare the poor thing anymore than what she already seemed to be.
"Shh, it's okay, I'm not going to harm you..." Laura soon calms, looking up at him, sobbing now. He frowns a bit as he stays close by. "You don't need to be scared lass, no one here means you any harm..." She looks up at him as she lets out a choked sob. It all came back, she couldn't run from what Asth did to her, it all comes out. "Don't tell king Asth I'm here, please I beg you.." He looked confused as he looks to the other traders. Only one knew of the man. "The king of Lonelywood..." The bartender turns his gaze back to the girl. "Lass that kingdom is miles away, what do you have to fear of this king?" It takes her a minute to answer. "Because if he finds me, he'll kill me.."
After a few minutes or so he was able to get her off the floor and onto a chair. He got her something warm to drink as she calmed down a bit. The others had long stopped talking, interested in this poor girl and what had happened to her. She tells them everything. "I was sold to the king, to be his new maid, turns out he buys girls to use for his own sexual needs...." She takes a long deep breath. "Whenever he gets someone new, he ties them down and....rapes them over and over all the while his guards watch. When I got there, it was one by one, he changed it, when he got someone new, he let the guards use whatever they could get a hold of..."
No one said a word as she kept going. "He lets the guards continue to rape the other girls, for their 'loyalty', I ran when one of the girls didn't take his....'potion' and got pregnant, he killed the babe and her mother..." In all his years as a owner of this bar, he never heard something so horrific. "From what I've seen, he even lets one of his personal guards keep a little girl for his pleasures, she's only eleven...." She jumps when the bartender slams his fist into the table, breaking it in half. "This king, does this to all the girls he employs?" She gives him a weak nod.
"No one does anything, and those closest to him don't see it, he hides it well, stowing away the girls as he talks to other kings, he bounds them to the floor so he can rape them as he talks.." He was shaking now, what sort of monster was this king? "And no one else knows, what of the other girls, why don't they try to run?" She gulps a bit as she curls up. "He kills them, if they do run, most girls kill themselves however, once they realize it's the only way out." He shakes his head as he looks to the others. "King Mathus must know of this right away, miss....?" "Laura..." He takes her hand slowly. "Miss Laura, you must let our king know, this monster must be stopped."
Laura was still scared as she keeps her eyes on him. He gives her a sad, but understanding smile. "I will, and swear to keep you safe, or my name's not Sir Varris Snider." Poor Laura just blinks at him a bit. "You're...a knight?" He gives her a small shrug. "On my off days, for you, I'd gladly take it up again." She gives him a warmer smile as she takes his hand. "Sorry lads, bar is closed." The others just nod and pick up what they brought in, some picking up weapons. "We're with you sir knight." He smiles as he holds Laura's hand tightly. "We will stop this monster, I swear." For the first time in a long time, Laura had hope.
He would take her all the way to the castle and stays by her side. It was far different that Asth's castle. Unlike his, the place was warm, people going about like normal. The guards at their post as maids walked by, she waited, but the girl went unmolested by the man. These guards didn't even look at them, they didn't have that hunger in their eyes. Varris smiles as he takes her to the king himself. A tall, graying man in his late forties. His queen at his side as he sits up to look at the knight. "My lord, please, listen to this girl, she brings dire news." She takes a slow breath, and tells them everything. King Asth's rule, was slowly coming to a end.
It was a new start, and she had no idea what to do with herself. She had some gold, at least enough for a few stays at the inn, but she needed a job. However, she never really did anything outside of just clean, and Asth used her for everything but to clean. Still it was something to go with as she headed to a large cabin that served as a inn for the large city. The place had a few people within. Mostly those that needed a warm meal, and a warm drink as traders talked about different items they had to sell. She moved slowly to the innkeeper and stops herself just short of making it to the counter.
It was still hard, her legs shook as her eyes look at the man behind the counter, cleaning a few glasses. He looked harmless enough, well built from the years of tossing people into the streets after having one to many beers. A short fluffy beard covered his chin as he keeps his eyes down. His shirt was a simple thick fabric that seemed to pull tight over his muscles as he worked. But in Laura's mind, he was just another guard. Another one of those monsters that would corner her, and take her against the wall. It wasn't bad enough the king let all his men use her, one after another, before he let all his men join in at once.
She had no idea she had been shaking so much, to the point the bartender saw and frowns a bit, thinking she was shivering from the cold. He moves as he gets out a thick blanket and wraps it around her. Before he could even speak, she screams. All those memories, everything she tried so hard to forget, just comes crashing down as she slumps to the floor, shaking even more. The traders talking soon stop in wonder what was going on as the poor man slowly kneels down and holds her, lightly, hoping not to scare the poor thing anymore than what she already seemed to be.
"Shh, it's okay, I'm not going to harm you..." Laura soon calms, looking up at him, sobbing now. He frowns a bit as he stays close by. "You don't need to be scared lass, no one here means you any harm..." She looks up at him as she lets out a choked sob. It all came back, she couldn't run from what Asth did to her, it all comes out. "Don't tell king Asth I'm here, please I beg you.." He looked confused as he looks to the other traders. Only one knew of the man. "The king of Lonelywood..." The bartender turns his gaze back to the girl. "Lass that kingdom is miles away, what do you have to fear of this king?" It takes her a minute to answer. "Because if he finds me, he'll kill me.."
After a few minutes or so he was able to get her off the floor and onto a chair. He got her something warm to drink as she calmed down a bit. The others had long stopped talking, interested in this poor girl and what had happened to her. She tells them everything. "I was sold to the king, to be his new maid, turns out he buys girls to use for his own sexual needs...." She takes a long deep breath. "Whenever he gets someone new, he ties them down and....rapes them over and over all the while his guards watch. When I got there, it was one by one, he changed it, when he got someone new, he let the guards use whatever they could get a hold of..."
No one said a word as she kept going. "He lets the guards continue to rape the other girls, for their 'loyalty', I ran when one of the girls didn't take his....'potion' and got pregnant, he killed the babe and her mother..." In all his years as a owner of this bar, he never heard something so horrific. "From what I've seen, he even lets one of his personal guards keep a little girl for his pleasures, she's only eleven...." She jumps when the bartender slams his fist into the table, breaking it in half. "This king, does this to all the girls he employs?" She gives him a weak nod.
"No one does anything, and those closest to him don't see it, he hides it well, stowing away the girls as he talks to other kings, he bounds them to the floor so he can rape them as he talks.." He was shaking now, what sort of monster was this king? "And no one else knows, what of the other girls, why don't they try to run?" She gulps a bit as she curls up. "He kills them, if they do run, most girls kill themselves however, once they realize it's the only way out." He shakes his head as he looks to the others. "King Mathus must know of this right away, miss....?" "Laura..." He takes her hand slowly. "Miss Laura, you must let our king know, this monster must be stopped."
Laura was still scared as she keeps her eyes on him. He gives her a sad, but understanding smile. "I will, and swear to keep you safe, or my name's not Sir Varris Snider." Poor Laura just blinks at him a bit. "You're...a knight?" He gives her a small shrug. "On my off days, for you, I'd gladly take it up again." She gives him a warmer smile as she takes his hand. "Sorry lads, bar is closed." The others just nod and pick up what they brought in, some picking up weapons. "We're with you sir knight." He smiles as he holds Laura's hand tightly. "We will stop this monster, I swear." For the first time in a long time, Laura had hope.
He would take her all the way to the castle and stays by her side. It was far different that Asth's castle. Unlike his, the place was warm, people going about like normal. The guards at their post as maids walked by, she waited, but the girl went unmolested by the man. These guards didn't even look at them, they didn't have that hunger in their eyes. Varris smiles as he takes her to the king himself. A tall, graying man in his late forties. His queen at his side as he sits up to look at the knight. "My lord, please, listen to this girl, she brings dire news." She takes a slow breath, and tells them everything. King Asth's rule, was slowly coming to a end.
