Chapter 6-Nora

It’s been a little over a week since Iris viscously beat Clara. Once my room was ready the Alpha had her moved to my room. My room is large. I have a large bed and there is a small bed for Clara even though she will be in bed with me. I worry about her so much. She’s been in and out of consciousness for days. Her night terrors are persistent. I can’t tell if she is experiencing new or old trauma. 

If only they could see her for who she really is. I never expect Killian to enslave her. I thought he would let her be. I thought he would be even more inclined to help her when he learned the truth. My poor friend. All her good deeds have gone unnoticed and instead I’m the one left getting the credit and rewards when it was her idea. It was all her trying to be a light in the dark world her father created. 

I can understand why they might hate her. I was eight when I became the princess slave. We are around the same age. I was so scared of her thinking she would be like her father, but to my delight she was nothing like him. I think I’m the only former slave in this place that didn’t suffer. Clara, my Clara, my friend, my sister. She is a beautiful broken soul and I hate that this is happening to her. I hated her fathers abuse and now this. Now she is a slave who everyone hates. I’ve heard the way others openly talk about her. I try so hard to correct them, but their hate is far too strong. I haven’t told them the truth because I’m not sure it will matter. It didn’t seem to matter much to Killian. 

Clara is resting in my bed. She still can’t lay on her back so for now she is on her side. I finally got her to eat something today, but I can already see her slipping away into her darkness. I’ve seen this before. It’s her way of coping. This time I fear she may not come out of the darkness. Her mind has always been slightly unstable thanks to her father. She’s found ways to cope in her music, but I’m not sure she has that anymore, not as a slave. Only if she is to perform for her master. 

I’m very disappointed that Killian made her a slave. He didn’t even hesitate when I watched him collar her. My heart dropped. When I first saw him approach her as she was sandwiched between two warriors. I wasn’t sure what he would do, but enslaving her was never a thought that crossed my mind. Why would he enslave her knowing what a slave's life is like? Wasn’t he supposed to be better? After all he freed all the werewolf slaves and even most of the human slaves. I was so happy and then I watched with horror as he enslaved the very person who saved him on that fateful night. The very person who helped him escape in hopes that she would be free from her father, that everyone would be free from him. 

The hope she had in her heart died. I watched it and it broke my heart to see it. She was so hopeful. After Killian escaped with some other slaves we spent the next three years hoping he’d actually come back. Hoping he would save us all. We talked about what we would do together once we both were free because while she wasn’t a slave then, she was a caged bird. We talked about opening her school, talked about finding someone we wanted to marry and to have families with, talked about living in a cottage together, we talked about so many things as hope filled our hearts that one day the horrors would end. It ended for so many, but the one person who needed it to end only got plunged further into hell. Our paradise is nothing like how we pictured it. 

Crane is here to check on her. At least Killian got her a healer. She might have truly died if he hadn’t. He’s been asking about her, but I give him blunt answers. I haven’t even let him see her. I’m angry at him, so angry. I’m angry at the others too. Emmett and Iris have no remorse when it comes to Clara. They think she is a monster and that she only helped because she was pretending to care. They can’t believe the truth.  Iris is even worse than Emmett. I’m furious with my people. They are so blinded by hate for the former king and now that he is gone their hate is directed to his innocent daughter. His daughter who also suffered at his hand. 

If I can help her get away I will. I don't care if I go against Killian. He can kill me for all I care, but I will not let Clara live this way forever. If Killian can’t see that what he is doing is wrong then he is not the man I thought. He is no better than the former king and I will not be a part of his kingdom. I will help him for now because it allows me to be close to Clara and watch over her. 

Crane  leaves and I sit on the bed with Clara. She is asleep now. Her body is struggling to heal. I don’t think she wants to heal. I think she fears what healing will mean and I can’t blame her. I fear what it means as well. I lean down till my lips are at her ear. 

“Hear me, my beloved friend. I will not let this be your life forever. If things don’t get better, if the truth really means nothing to my people, to my alpha, then I will help you escape. I will help you be free like you deserve. On my life I will save you from this fate.” I promise as a stray tear leaves my eye. My heart hurts for the only person who was ever kind to me in a dark world.