Take a whipping and save yourself from humiliation.

I defensively held tight to my dress, which the Prince took as a response.

"No one wants to see that," the Prince said flatly. "I can punish her in other ways than exposing her to the entire high court."

"Like?" the King asked.

"Give me a whip."

A guard handed him a whip. I began to cry.

I cried out with each blow. He went as easy as he could on me without being suspicious.

At first, I was screaming overly loud to make it seem like he was hurting me more than he was. But as the whip kept coming down, over new glistening wounds, making them deeper, they stung even more. I no longer had to pretend that I felt like my back was literally on fire.

Eventually, I was struggling to stay on my knees. I trembled. I was ready to collapse.

"That good?" the Prince asked, hands on his hips.

The King paused. He wanted more, but he said, "Fine. Get her back to your chambers, and clothe her better, for god's sake."

He threw me over his shoulder and strode out of the throne room, sweaty and nervous, carrying me back to his chambers.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm alive," I groaned.

"By now I should've learned not to spite him," he muttered.

"Could've been worse," I breathed.

He nodded. "Always could've been worse. The court seemed a bit disturbed by the King saying that. Maybe we've shook them. If we could turn everyone against him we'd stand a much better chance at surviving."

"What do you suggest?"

"First, get you more clothes," he said. "Then, we're at a good standing with the court, but we need to get out of here and travel before the King tries something more **** than a potion. I think we can change a few rural minds with that healing trick of yours."

.

~ ~ ~

.

I felt much comfortable being carried around the castle with my tits supported.

The Prince led me outside to a beautiful white horse and set me to sit sideways on the saddle. "Are you sure the King will let us leave?" I asked, rubbing my bandages.

"He wants me gone, remember? My only worry is if he'll let me back in," he said, stepping on behind me.

The stable boy, pretending he hadn't overheard the conversation, handed the Prince the reigns and opened the castle gates.

"How far is it?" I asked.

"We'll arrive tomorrow evening at the latest."

He hoisted me up like I didn't weigh a thing.

"Why are we riding the same horse?"

"So you don't get stones thrown at you. Might get the horse killed. Hyah!" he jerked the reigns, and the horse clip-clopped out the gates.

He wrapped an arm around me. Unsteady with the horse's gait, I held onto him tight.

"Put your hood up," he advised. So I did, tucking my white-to-lavender braid down my back, under the coat.

There was no cheering as we left the capital town.

Merchants holding baubles stopped and stared.

Farmers who didn't have their hands full crossed their arms and looked at me.

Wives shut their doors and hustled their children inside.

"They really don't like me," I squeaked.

"Or me for taking you in," he replied quietly. He held me tighter as we rode towards the setting sun.

He held me tighter as we rode towards the setting sun.

.

~ ~ ~

.

We stopped to rest at a wide building with a restaurant and rooms.

"I am his majesty Rowan," the Prince said, as he approached the innkeeper. "I'm traveling with my elf ****, Akira. Do you have any openings?"

The innkeeper stared at me, wide-eyed. "Well, your majesty, I can grant you our finest room, with our best complements, but that thing must be kept outside. All due respect, sire," he begged, "We cannot have that in our rooms, basement, or even stables."

The Prince nodded. "Don't worry, I won't **** you to take care of her. Are there local prisons that would hold her for a night?"

"Nothing that could hold an elf."

I was rejected at every inn. They offered the Prince their finest, but said I needed to stay tied up and under guard somewhere else. Each village had no more than a single inn, sometimes none, so after three inns we began to lose hope.

"Do...we just keep riding?" I asked.

"No, the horse needs to be tended to."

Finally, we reached a place where they allowed me to stay chained in the stables. The innkeeper looked at me as if I were a challenge.

"Thank you sir, I'll be sure to tip you handsomely in the morning," the Prince replied before leading me out to the stables.

I was shaking.

"The humans are more afraid of you than you are of them," he reminded me.

I nodded numbly.

He chained me to posts in the harness room of the stables, laying a blanket down on some hay. I would be stuck sitting against a post, my hands chained by my head all night. I looked up at him, nearly ready to cry.