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Something brushed against her mind, and a familiar consciousness slowly itched its way in. No. Not one, but three.

The colour of freshly fallen snow, a swirl of smoke, the scent of earthy tones and dew after a rainy day. Each nudged at her mind, asking what was happening. Areanel could feel it almost instantly. Worry that wasn’t hers pawed at her mental walls. Anxiety. Unease. Distress. The emotions were a storm brewing in the very confines of her brain.

She couldn’t let them in. Couldn’t let them see or feel. This was her punishment alone. Areanel needed to protect them. From herself. From him.

She pushed a single thought down the bond: Stay away until I say it is safe.

Areanel prayed her bonded would heed her warning before slamming the shields of her mental wall. Blocking them out was the only mercy she could offer, but she didn’t know if her wolves would listen. They were wild creatures. But she hoped to the gods they did.

She could handle the pain, but she wouldn’t be able to handle theirs.

She could give her bonded a way out, but not her brothers. Her brothers were ordered to remain. They would have to watch and listen.

The last Soldazt—the fifth and largest—came to stand before her, slightly to the side, positioned as though not to obstruct her father’s view.

Thump!

The resounding bang of Feneril—the king’s staff—against the ground gave the order to begin.

A punch to the gut had the air whooshing from her, and her upper body lurched at the sudden impact.

This was not the first time Areanel had received a punishment of this kind, even though it had been almost two decades since her last. Still, Areanel doubted it would be the last.

The pain was momentary; the cuts and bruises marring her skin would heal with time. It was the thought of Aerileas being the one to order this punishment that hurt most. While he was king, Aerileas was still her father—one she loved, despite his cruelty.

Something like woe buried itself deep between Areanel’s ribs as she remembered there was a time he had prided himself on being her father. The praise she would receive after completing a mission successfully. What she really missed, however—what she had wanted all her life—was the father who had let her curl up in his lap before the hearth as he read magnificent tales of gods and dragons who used to rule over the skies and travel between realms. That was the father for whom she longed—not this cold, cruel and calculating iteration.

The two Soldazt gripped her arms tighter, forcing her to her feet once more.

Slap! The back of the metal gauntlet slammed into the side of her face, sending her head reeling to the right and tearing at her lower lip. Blood dribbled down her chin, and Areanel shook her head to ease the sudden blur in her vision as tears swelled.

Flicking out her tongue, Areanel licked her lower lip, testing and tasting the cut. A coppery tang filled her taste buds as she sucked the blood into her mouth. Gathering enough, Areanel spat the glob into the Soldazt’s face, smearing their mask with the mixture.

A cruel, challenging smile spread across Areanel’s face. Better their attention remain on her than her guilt-ridden brothers, who had shifted forward the second the first blow landed.

The Soldazt administering the hits became somewhat predictable. Curling their fist, they pulled their left arm further back and landed another blow, this time hitting her just above her kidney.

Doubling over, Areanel grunted, but the Soldazt didn’t stop. One hit after another, they punched at her gut and side until she could barely hold herself up.

Crash! Bones rattled as her knees slammed into the ground. Was her king enjoying the sight of his daughter battered and bruised? The two Soldazt who had been holding her up dropped her to the floor, stepping back to allow the one in front to continue with the punishment alone.

The last punch they had thrown at her gut had sucked the air from her lungs. Heaving, the only thing that kept Areanel from face-planting the floor was the trembling arms she braced against the ground. More blood and saliva trailed down her chin, dripping onto the ground. The splattering of red against the marble was stark.

A kick slammed into her side, sending her arms buckling until only her elbow propped her up. Then, the Soldazt grew impatient. Bringing her hands into a fist, Areanel pushed herself up on shaking arms. Finding her legs, she stumbled to stand upright and braced for another hit.

Yet, the blow came sooner than she anticipated, sending her tottering back a step. She didn’t see the oncoming strike. Something knocked into the side of her head, catching the corner of her eye. Her vision blurred in an instant, sending her staggering to her right.

A shuffle of clothing and the sudden yelp from across the hall told her someone had lurched forward. To put a stop to this or to harm her brothers? Areanel did not know. So instead she gasped on a choked breath, ‘I can take it!’

Tangy metal once again filled her mouth, coating the side of her face and blocking her peripheral vision. More red splattered the pristine floors.

‘I can take it,’ she repeated.

The statement was not meant to antagonise but to reassure. She needed to make sure her brothers did not interfere. So, with every strike, she repeated the same words.

‘I can take it.’ A hand fisted her hair, yanking her forward.

‘I can take…’ The slap echoed around the hall. ‘It.’