With Heart in Hand

"Why am I in here? Within this cage? When he knows that I love another. The heart I hold within my hands, I give only to my true love." thought Cierl as she sighed. Cierl reflected back to happier times with her true love Guen. Innocent youth, young love, unbridled passion, to be joined in matrimony before he, the vile Lord Naeser, kidnapped Cierl on her wedding day.

"It happened so fast! How could this happen to me? I was suppose to spend my life with Guen, the one I truly love with all my heart and soul. Not spend my life in this..this cage." the thoughts raced in her mind as she cried to herself, remembering that day. The day where all of her happiness ended and hell had began.

Cierl and Guen were walking in a meadow, holding hands and laughing. Cierl was in her silver wedding dress which made her look more beautiful if it were even more possible for her to be. Guen was in his own silver tunic. They were on their way to declare their love in front of their clans. Unbeknownst to them flying in the sky upon his dragon was Lord Naeser, the most vile demon lord in their world. He was heading towards his kingdom, when he had happened to glance down and saw them. His heart skipped a beat as he saw Cierl. Her beauty entranced him, a moan of pleasure escaped his lips as he envisioned, Cierl's body entwined with his. In that instant he made up his mind that she was going to be his. He swooped down from the sky, grabbed Cierl and as she screamed, the vile Lord Naeser laughed. Guen was at first in shock seeing his beloved being taken away, he raced towards the dragon and Lord Naeser, his sword drawn but before he could attack either one, the dragon made the first move and ripped out Guen's heart from his chest. Guen's body fell, Cierl screamed and fainted in Lord Naeser's arms. They flew away as Lord Naeser laughter echoed through out the sky. On the ground laid a still Guen, his silver tunic turned black by his blood and besides him was his heart. The heart that he had given to his true love Cierl, who was never seen again. Their clans eventually came upon Guen's lifeless body but found no trace of Cierl.

Lord Naeser arrived at his castle with Cierl in his arms. He took her to his chambers and laid her on his bed. Cierl was lost in her dreams of Guen and was not aware what Lord Naeser was doing to her. In her fevered mind she thought it was Guen until Lord Naeser laughed that evil laugh of his. Cierl opened her eyes, she turned to the source of the laughter and saw Lord Naeser. She screamed, finally remembering what happened and realized Lord Naeser had just raped her. She finally found her voice to speak "How dare you do that to me! How dare you take me away from my true love!" she screamed at him. Lord Naeser gave her a pirecing stare, unphased by her screaming. "My Dear, you now belong to me. Your so called true love is dead. No one knows where you are much less care what happens to you. You are mine to enjoy, in any way that I desire. Take a good look My Dear. This is your life, here with me." he replied with a sneer.

Cierl's eyes filled with terror, thoughts raced in her mind each one dire than the last. She realized that there was no way to escape her predicament nor was there anyone coming to her rescue. "But I do not love you and I already gave my heart to my true love whom I love more than life itself." she said so sadly with a faint hope that Lord Naeser might take pity on her. Lord Naeser took her face in his hands, "I don't care if you don't love me. I don't need you to love me when I can take what I want, when I want." He placed his lips on hers and started kissing her. Cierl bit down on his lips, he yelped and then he slapped her and proceeded to get his belt. "If that's how you want it! I can do that as well!" he yelled as he started whipping her with his belt. "So either way I get what I want." Cierl screamed as the whippings got more ruthless, then they stopped. "My Dear, this is just a warning, play nice next time or I will really give you something to scream about." he said in a dead pan voice. "I was going to give you a suite of rooms but I think I have a perfect room for you," he added with a sneer on his lips.

Lord Naeser carried Cierl's limp body, which was sore from the whipping and took her to the dungeon. He put her down on the floor. He reached for a chain, pulled it and a birdcage came down from the ceiling. He opened the door, picked up Cierl, placed her in the cage and locked the door. "My Dear, this is your room now and forever or until you learn to behave yourself and forget all this nonsense about true love, for yours is dead." he said as he pulled the chain to raise the birdcage back into position. Then he walked out, leaving Cierl alone in her cage to ponder what will be her life now.

"Yes, now I remember why am in this cage, now just what should I do next?" she thought out loud. She wondered if she should just resign herself to be used in anyway that Lord Naeser saw fit to use her in. Or should she put up a struggle from being taken in again. Then a thought came to mind as she reached into her chest, "Though I am trapped in a cage with no way of escaping. My body being used for his pleasure but he can not capture my heart. For I only give my it to my true love, even though he is dead. We will be together soon. My heart I hold within my hands, ripped from my chest. My blood and tears of sorrow and grief have turned my wedding dress into my mourning dress. Silver to black, laughter to tears, happiness to disdain. My heart I give to my true love. That my dear heart, is why I took you out, so that I may go to my true love with you in my hands with wings of love, to give to him, when he reaches out his hands to mine................."