Most Important

Veronica

Pain did not seem like the right term for what I was feeling right now. Every single bone in my upper body seemed to have been pummelled to powder leaving me paralyzed. Yet, hearing Indrik's voice energized me as I tried my best to open my eyes. My body protested against the effort as my head started to pound. I shut my eyes again before I could focus on the person standing above me. Everywhere seemed to have gone pitch dark. I could have sworn that there was still some light when that bitch had shoved me to my back.

"Oh, Indrik! Look at what she has done to me. You have to make her pay." I whimpered as I tried to open my eyes again without success. My eyes seemed to have filled up with my own blood which was not a very fun experience.

"The nerve of this bitch. Let me go. I am not done with her." That was Blaire's voice. I wondered if Indrik was the one holding her back. No, that was wrong. He should be helping me, not her. For the umpteenth time, I tried to open my eyes again but it yielded no result. I groaned in frustration.

"Indrik! Come on, let her go and help me instead. I am dying." I whimpered as I curled into a ball, trying my best to hold off my headache.

"Not Indrik!" The voice from earlier replied.

"Not...what?" I gasped, turning my unseeing head around. I hated being blind. It made me feel like a helpless kitten. I hated being helpless. I hated even more the fact that I could not place the voice. Somewhere in my subconscious, I knew that the voice was not Indrik's. It sounded too undecided to be his. On the other hand though, I couldn't place who else it could belong to. My head was too jumbled up for that so I decided to keep on believing that it was Indrik. "Please, Indrik, don't tease me. I know it is you." I whimpered as I raised my hand and tried to feel around for him. I thought I heard retreating feet but coupled with the pounding of my head, ears and heart, it was pretty hard to tell. "Indrik?" I called, my voice shaking. "Please, help me. My uncle will be so worried." I was starting to feel desperate now. With my eyes gone and my other senses going wild, my imagination was starting to go on overdrive. I thought about how Indrik had reacted before I had left his room. What if he decided that me attacking Blaire was the last straw and decided to get rid of me once and for all? As usual, I had not informed my uncle of my destination so if they decided to kill me, no one would ever know. I shuddered at the thought. Or what if I had really gone blind and would never be able to see again? And my face! I sobbed in a mixture of fear and pain.

"I don't want to die. Please. I don't want to die." I mumbled over and over. My fear increased a hundred times over as I heard heavy feet start to approach me again. "Please." I sobbed then started to gargle as water was poured over my face. I tried to scream as I thought about the million ways one could die by water but it was lost in the downpour. Finally, it stopped and I was able to breathe again. I tried to open my eyes and this time, they did. They still burned and my head throbbed but I was able to keep them open.

Looking around, the first thing I noticed was Blaire glaring at me while she was being held back by one of her other friends, Jamil. Finally, I saw the person who I must have mistaken for Indrik. He was no Indrik. I blushed in a mixture of disappointment and embarrassment.

"I see you are okay now. You should get up and get out of here." The one who had doused me with water, Ulo said.

I could think about a thousand reasons why I should not leave. For one, my dress was ruined and wet. Then there was my face which still burned like an elephant had run over it. Maybe it had. But right now, I could not imagine looking at these people's faces for a moment longer than I had to so I tried to get up. I groaned as I fell back to the ground rather heavily.

"Let me help you." Ulo offered his hand but I slapped it off. I had already been humiliated enough for the day. In a mix of groans, curses and flailing limbs, I finally managed to get to my feet. I gave the trio the coldest look I could mutter as if to say, "I dare you to say a word." None of them did as I picked my way to the gate outside which my horse was tied. I wondered what awaited me in the palace. Had my uncle noticed my disappearance? I hoped not.

My climbing the horse episode was the next most embarrassing thing that happened. So embarrassing that I would much rather not think about it. When I finally succeeded in climbing my horse, I glared at the massive white gates and swore to get my revenge sooner than later. I raised my hand to my cheek and it came away with watery blood, further stoking my anger. I wished I could barge in there and make Blaire pay for what she had done to me but instead, I turned my horse around and cracked the whip, sending it sprinting for the dimly lit dwellings and beyond it, the forest.

At the border, I stopped to wash off the blood and grime hoping that my uncle wouldn't see either the bruises which had yet to heal or my dress which was now an official mess. Thankfully, he did not.

Once safely back in my territory, I called for my maid and asked her to get me information about that maid. We would get revenge later. For now, my man was the most important thing.