Selena slid to a gasping halt as she heard the first ear-splitting crack. Eyes wide, she froze, fearing at what lay at the end of this cold, terrible corridor. Behind her was wheezing, as the guard who was now entirely devoted to her in his mind, body and soul came up.

“My-my mistress,” he huffed, “why we go-”

“What is in there?” The princess rounded on the guard, eyes low and dark. Her finger pointed demanding at the door. Another crack pierced the air - and a scream. It made her body shake, but there was no way she was going to head in without possibly causing Kora more harm. There was a high probability that there would be more guards than Selena could even deal with.

“The whipping post mistress,” her guard shivered, lips quivering. “She …”

A second, blood-curdling howl of pain.

Selena’s heart beat hectically. Shoving her hand to the door she whispered words that might mean her guards doom. In her pocket she gripped tight what was the internal, emotional centre of him - the small ruby gem of his Heart. As she tightened her grip around it he gasped, and began to stumble towards the door.

“I will do as you will, my mistress,” he vowed. And his eyes were full of direst love for her. He slowly drew his sword as he strode to the chamber that the whip cracks continued from.

After him Selena followed, still in her gorgeous dress but now with a bodyguard who would die for her.

They approached the chamber door, prepared for anything.

The door opened, at first the two males - the one that stood guard and the other that did the whipping were concentrated on the tattered form of a girl before them. Her back was a horrid sight, flesh peeled back, exposing muscle and connective tissue. Her body trembled - convulsing with pain.

The guard with the wine-stained tabard paused for a moment, before his face curled up with disgusted anger. Aiming his sword right at the man with the whip he let out a chilling scream before he began to run at him.

“You die TONIGHT!” he yelled, going for his former master.

Koreena tried to raise her head to see the chaos that erupted behind her. She let out a mix between a cry for help and a strangled sob. “Pl - ease..” Her head lulled to the side the only thing holding her up were the shackles.

The other guard roared and started towards Selena's devotee. But her own eyes were on Kora. Rashiel had been left to try to keep their corridor clear, so it was just her and the guard. Her heart thumped heavily, but sucking in her breath she let go of the ruby within her pocket to run out of her cover from the door to Kora.

“Mmm-mistress!” her guard cried as he saw her, and he redoubled his efforts to fight against both guard and Prince Asaph.

She kept running, until she was by Kora. Taking the closest shackle in hand she tried to pull at it. “Key?” she asked desperately.

Kora’s gaze was not focus. She winced as she raised her head to look at her friend. “Belt… his…. belt..” She mumbled.

Selena grunted, turning and looking at the group of men. Her guard - hells, she hadn't even asked his name - was desperately struggling to keep his assailants back. Asaph had seen her and was trying to get around him, but the prince had hardly seen the point of a sword for his own palace. All he had was a dagger.

But so did Selena.

She was not a warrior, but she had not spent fifty years without learning to fight a little. Pulling her long slender blade from where it was hidden in her dress she started to run.