In Times of Crisis, My Boyfriend Doesn't Save Me

For nearly seven years, I devoted myself entirely to William, assisting him in his rise to power as Prime Minister. But when bandits abducted both Princess Beatrice and me, forcing him to choose between us, he chose Beatrice without hesitation. His army surged through the bandits like a tidal wave, yet I was captured by the fleeing marauders. They subjected me to eighty-one needle wounds, leaving me debilitated and unable to use my skills.

Upon my return to the capital, William married Beatrice with great fanfare, publicly denouncing me as a faded flower and a promiscuous woman who had thrown herself at him. Despite his grand displays and harsh words, it was William who ultimately found himself at my feet, weeping and begging for my forgiveness.

——

“Lord Taylor, we’ve heard that some womanizer you are. Now look, your new love and old flame are both here,” the bandit sneered. “And only one can live. So, who’s is that going to be?”  

I couldn't help but look at William as the bandit spoke, my eyes flickered filled with hope. I had spent nearly seven years by his side, risking my life countless times for him and I had helped him build many of his connections. He had promised to marry me.

But in the next moment, without a second thought, he chose Princess Beatrice, whom he had recently brought back from the common folk. He held her tightly in his arms and spoke softly to comfort her.

In that instant, my heart turned cold.

With only a little time left, I couldn't help but ask William, “Have you ever loved me even the slightest, in the past seven years?”

He replied without hesitation, his eyes cold, “Never. You’re a disgrace. A stain to my name. Think a harlot like you deserved to be by my side?”

He had promised me that he would marry me once he achieved success. He spoke of how, in all the world, I was the only sunshine illuminating his life, a sentiment he repeated often to assure me of his intentions.

As I stood there, the weight of his words pressed heavily upon me. My voice trembled with desperation, the urgency of my emotions heightened by the cold, mechanical prompts of the system urging me forward. “If I had known you would do this,” I said, my voice breaking, “I would never have chosen to stay with you.”

He merely scoffed, a dismissive, contemptuous sound and turned away, his attention shifting to Beatrice. With a final glance of indifference, he left, the door slamming shut behind him. The sound of the door closing was swallowed by the howling wind that seemed to rage with a fury that mirrored my own despair.

What do I do now? How can I go home?

The bandit laughed, his voice filled with malice, “Miss Davis is a lady who holds her honor in high regard. I didn’t expect her to be head over heels for someone who doesn’t love her.”

“It's a shame that she’s roughed up. Otherwise we could have had some fun with her.” 

“She probably don't know that this whole thing was Lord Taylor's idea. A scene set up to impress the princess.”

I was stunned hearing them. “What’s going to happen to me?”

The bandits grinned, their eyes filled with lust, “Well, you're ours to play with!”

Before they could do anything, whole bunch of army charged in. I heard one of the bandits curse, “Fucking bastard! William double-crossed us!”

Everything that followed was a living nightmare. The bandits, furious and betrayed, took it all out on me. Their rage was relentless, their cruelty knowing no bounds. They tortured me in every way imaginable. I dreamed of escape, of death, anything to end the agony. But no matter how hard I tried, they always caught me. They always stopped me.

My tendons were severed and my body was torn apart by eighty-one stab wounds. I was left barely alive, a shattered remnant of who I once was. I knew I would never play the violin again. I would never write again. I could barely even think of surviving.

When I finally saw William again, he was surrounded by his men. They had caught up to us at last. His eyes met mine with nothing but disgust, as if I were a broken thing, no longer human.

He gave the command without hesitation. “Throw her onto the wasteland and let the stray dogs feast on her. Don’t let the sight of her scare the princess.”