My hands shook as I reached for my undergarments. Since most of my attire had been shredded during my encounter with the sailor, there wasn't much left to remove.
Slowly, I let the torn skirt slide to the floor. My shirt was already hanging open, its buttons scattered like lost pearls. I stepped out of the fabric, doing exactly as he commanded, my eyes fixed firmly on the floor to hide my shame.
"S-so?" Caspian arched a brow, his gaze dropping to my underwear.
I froze, terror mounting. "All of it?" I whispered, praying for a shred of mercy.
"All of it."
My heart thudded against my ribs. For a moment, I thought that submission was my only way out. But then, a flicker of defiance sparked in my chest. If no one took a stand against this dehumanization, then who would? If I was going to die at the hands of a beast, I would die with my dignity intact.
I pressed my lips together and looked him in the eye, my expression hardening with sudden confidence. "I—"
The door creaked open.
"Captain! The coast is clear. We are about to go ashore," Helen announced.
She seemed to have a knack for appearing at the peak of every tension. Despite my dislike for her, I was profoundly grateful.
"Alas, we have finally arrived," Caspian muttered. For a brief second, a look of pride crossed his face a captain's love for a ship that had survived a great storm. He spared me one last, lingering look. "We will continue this later, Ava. I promise."
He leaned down, his breath hot against my ear. "Your virginity is mine. I have many sinful things in mind for us."
With that teasing, terrifying promise, he strode out. Helen lingered for a moment, her eyes narrow and curious, before following him. I was left alone in the dark room, trembling. The rumors said the Beast was ravaging and heartless, yet he had saved me from that sailor. Why was he different with me?
A few minutes later, the door was unlocked again. A guard the same one who had assisted Caspian earlier entered. I retreated into the shadows, finding it impossible to trust any man on this ship.
"Come with me," he ordered coldly.
I followed him gingerly. My clothes were still in tatters, and no one had offered a replacement. I had no belongings to bring; we had been forced to leave our homes with nothing but the clothes on our backs.
With one last look at the cryptic gold-engraved chest, I stepped out onto the deck. The transition was jarring. After days in a windowless room, the midday sun felt like a physical blow to my eyes. I flinched, my vision swimming in the excessive light.
The guard directed me to a line of girls on the other side of the ship. They were disembarking, and I was placed at the very end of the line.
"Join them."
I nodded, biting my lip as I watched the girls march forward, their chins held high in a forced show of bravery. I followed suit. I knew these girls were from different districts, all outcasts like me. For two hundred years, no girl sent to the Beast had ever returned. Was this to be our end?
As we marched through the harbor, I saw the locals watching us with pity. Suddenly, my eyes locked with a little girl in the crowd.
"P-Pi—"
She pressed a finger to her lips, signaling me to be silent. She was wearing a sand-colored cloak that helped her blend into the commoners. I nodded subtly and looked ahead. How had she escaped the guards?
My relief was short-lived. Seconds later, I saw a guard hauling her toward our line as she struggled relentlessly.
"I see you've caught the feisty one," Helen remarked, appearing from the crowd. Captain Caspian was nowhere to be seen.
"Keep her. She might be a 'virtue' yet," the woman with the ledger muttered. She had brilliant dark skin and a face that looked kind, though her eyes were sharp. "Your name?" she asked, looking at Piper.
"I'm not supposed to be here! I'm barely thirteen—"
"What is your goddamn name?!" the woman snapped, slamming her hand on the table. The sound echoed like a gunshot. My mistake she wasn't kind; she was the enforcer.
"P-Piper," the girl whispered.
"Fall in line."
The guard shoved her into the space directly behind me. As we walked toward the massive structure ahead, I risked a whisper. "Hey... it's okay."
Piper looked at me with a deep frown, her eyes burning with injustice.
"I know you want to leave," I whispered. "We all do. Just follow the rules for now, and we'll make it out alive. I promise."
"Pinky promise?" she asked, her voice small and husky.
"Yeah. Pinky promise."
"Ladies, welcome!" a sharp voice rang out.
We halted instantly. Standing before us was a woman who radiated power.
"My name is Lydia, and I am of the highest rank in this castle. I am the Beast's Knight. When I mandate respect, I expect it to be given instantly."
She paced before us like a predator. "In this castle, we use chess pieces to demonstrate power. While the Beast is the King, there is no Queen... yet. Only the one who breeds a healthy heir for the King can attain that power."
"Then what are we?" a girl asked, her voice trembling.
"Simply pawns," Lydia replied coldly. "And don't ever interrupt me again."
The girl shrunk back, bowing her head in submission. Lydia turned on her heel, her purple robe and golden-edged cape fluttering behind her. We followed her into a massive, sterile bathroom. Two women dressed in white waited there, their heads bowed.
"Assemble yourselves in rows!" Lydia ordered.
I was once again at the end of the line.
"Begin the inspection."
The women in white began handing out white towels. My skin crawled as they began a clinical, invasive check of the girls using strange tools. I stayed calm, knowing the consequences of rebellion in a place like this. My village had taught me that those who break the tenets pay with their lives.
But not everyone was as broken as I was.
"I won't accept this humiliation!" a voice screamed.
A collective gasp filled the room as everyone turned to see the girl who dared to protest.