GUYS! Sorry if it's seemed like forever! My laptop's motherboard took a grand shit XD I'll be getting it fixed soon though. Gotta put that college degree to some use right ;D

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And on with the story!

…

Robin Hood

Chapter 13

…

She pulled the chain for what seemed like the billionth time. Her ankle was red with irritation and rubbed raw, speckles of blood marring her skin in lines of bright beads of red. Sakura wiped at her leg once again with the edge of the white gown that she currently wore.

When she had awoken earlier with her stomach in severe protest, a combination of hunger and its earlier torment, she realized that she had been cleaned and dressed in a different gown. It was a simple gown, plain white with a lace-up corset and long sleeves much to Sakura's liking since the cold from outside permeated the large room easily. The vile sheriff must have chosen it though, because the severely low neckline unnerved her and would not have been her first choice. A simple beaded pattern adorned the neckline bringing some life to the otherwise plain dress.

Sakura fell to the floor at the edge of the four poster bed. She tried once more to pull at the chain hooked to the leg, but it was futile. She lay back against the bed with a defeated huff, her vision clouding with tears. She had been at this all day long and it was still no use. The chain was too strong and her binds were too secure. She used the dingy edges of her gown to wipe at her tears and gave a sardonic laugh. Even though she was trapped and most likely sealed her fate standing up to the sheriff, Sakura got a small satisfaction knowing his efforts of cleaning and dressing her up were in vain as she sat disheveled and dirty on the floor.

It hadn't even been a day since the prison. She wondered if Rika and her baby were alive; hoping that in the commotion of her being carried away and the prisoners protests, someone rose to the task of delivering the child.

Sakura rose, dragging her body listlessly to a skinny slat in the stone wall, the chain tinkling on the floor as she moved. She stuck her arm out the hole, not once wincing at the cold. Pulling it back inside, the snowflakes turned into tiny tears on her skin.

Please let my efforts down in the prison not be in vain.

She slumped to the floor, ignoring the bite of cold from the slat above her. Sakura watched the droplets slowly evaporate from her hand.

Syaoran, where are you?

…

"That bastard!"

His voice reverberated off the walls. The king stood, amazingly still clad in his warrior clothing from several years ago-though obviously well-worn and more ragged by now- and paced the room. King Fujitaka looked like an old man, his clothes far too large for his bony frame. His blonde hair and beard were long and tangled.

"And my daughter, of course, is wrapped up in the middle of this," he said now.

"Unfortunately, since she returned from her school, your brother has done nothing but evil things. Some included Sakura," he explained about her many nights in the prisons. "Some included the townspeople."

He next informed him of the larger issues: the taxing, failed jobs, torment of the villagers. Then he touched on the current events happening in and around the castle.

"I set up a refugee camp deep in the heart of the forest. Neither your brother nor the soldiers know of it yet, and it has kept many of the citizens safe. As to the others that could not leave or run... well, most are now in the prison. I imagine that's where they took Sakura. I saw those assholes rush off with her after she tried to save a mere child."

"That bastard," the king repeated, clenching his fist, an angry, determined look set upon his face. "I swear I'm going to kill him."

Syaoran sat up, ignoring the throb in his stomach. He was still feeling the pain from the king's solid punch earlier, but it had also been well over a day since he had last eaten. His stomach was twisting and constricting and the sharp pains weren't pleasant. He leaned over, resting his head in his hands, eyes fixated on the floor. He thought for a moment, his head filling with less than pleasant imagery. He tried to shut it out, but he'd be lying if he didn't feel the fear of being left in the dungeons to rot and for Sakura to have to fend for herself.

Syaoran looked up, locking eyes with the king. He was certainly relieved that there were windows in the dungeon and that he had encountered the man he was sent to find, and not a demon like he had originally thought. He'd go mad stuck in the darkness like he had found himself the night before. The windows were slats, like those on the prison back in Tomoeda, and the morning sun cast soft, yellow glowing slivers over the damp stones. The king was so pale, it almost reflected off his skin.

"How are we going to accomplish anything if we're stuck down in this dungeon?" Syaoran asked grimly.

"I have thought about it, and was able to try several different methods. However, none have proved useful. They feed you just enough to keep you alive, but weaker than a newborn babe."

Syaoran scoffed, remembering his punch from last night. Weak, my ass, he thought sarcastically. The king didn't react and continued.

"The guards are tough and easily overpower me every time I try. That is why I stopped you last night. Your efforts were futile and could have caused you your life, or hell, both of our lives for that matter."

He paused, glancing about the room, his brown eyes landing on the door. "I don't know if you noticed last night, but that door is about to fall apart. I plan on rushing it when the rains come. The humidity is high and the added moisture will break the wood down even further, making it easy for frail old me to burst through it."

"It rained on my ride here yesterday and there was snow falling when I arrived."

Fujitaka scratched his chin in thought. "Good; it means we can escape soon. I'd say a couple more good rains and we should be able to escape."

"And how long do you think that might be?"

"Two to three weeks."

Syaoran stood, exasperated. "Two to three weeks?!" he asked incredulously. "We don't have that long! Sakura doesn't have that long! Hell, they could already be doing God knows what to her. Or worse..."

He paced back and forth in agitation.

Fujitaka sighed, sitting on the stone bench at the back of the cell. "That girl is strong. She won't die."

Syaoran stopped his pacing and gave him a grim stare. "She is strong, I'll give you that, but one can only take so much and what power will she have the moment a sword runs her through?"

"We'll be there before that happens."

"I'll make sure of it."

…

The day got progressively colder and darker as the clouds moved in. Sakura hadn't moved from her spot beneath the window. She stared blankly ahead of her, mildly aware that she was shivering. The candelabra on the table disappeared with the sunlight. Sakura wondered why no one had bothered to come inside to light the fire or at the very least a candle. The length of chain she was attached to was just short enough that she couldn't knock on the door or touch the fireplace.

The sheriff had thought of everything. He knew she would try and escape the moment she woke up. She would have tried everything she could think of. Scaling the walls, climbing the chimney, taking the candelabra and knocking out the next person who happened upon the room...

Sakura clenched her fist. There was nothing but the bed in her grasp, and what could she do with that?

Her thoughts made her angry.

The sun had finally set and the room became black and unbearably cold. Sakura shivered hard, wrapping her arms around her knees, squeezing so hard that she felt more numb than cold. She had to think of something. She couldn't wait for the sheriff to come in and forcer her to resign to fate.

The sound of the door swinging open and bouncing off the wall startled her out of her reverie. Sakura could just make out the flickering candle bob its way toward her, pausing for a moment to close the door.

She held her breath, not daring to make a sound. Instinctively, she squeezed her arms tighter around her legs and buried half her face behind her knees to try and make herself seem smaller and less noticeable. Sakura watched as one light became two, then three, and finally four when the candelabra became fully lit. It was still too dark to distinguish who exactly was carrying it. The lights flickered and bounced over to the cold fireplace and after a few unsuccessful attempts, the stranger finally got the wood in the grate to light. After a few moments, the fire was cackling and continued to grow larger and larger, brightening up the area closest to the fireplace. Sakura kept herself as still as possible, her eyes unsuccessfully masking her fear, fixated on the man in front of her.

Keisatsu set down the candelabra and fell into the chair behind him. He stared at the crackling fire for a moment then slowly turned his head until his eyes locked with hers. The fire cast an orange glow on his features, making him far scarier than that fateful day in the prison. The murderous look in his eyes wasn't helping either.

For a few moments they just sat and stared at each other. Inside, Sakura was scared and dreaded the moment he would react. What would he do? She had nowhere to run. No weapon to defend herself. A tear escaped down her cheek.

Keisatsu stood abruptly, knocking over the table with the candelabra. The flames went out instantly. He crossed the room in impossibly long strides, reaching her in less time than it took to blink. He pulled her up roughly by her hair. Sakura winced, both from the pain and also from the burning effect his warm fingers had upon her ice cold skin.

"Why the fuck are you crying?" He asked angrily, roughly knocking her back against the stone wall.

Her legs were numb and she could barely stand. Sakura held onto his large hand, struggling against his powerful grip, as more tears escaped. He knocked her back against the wall again. Sakura cried out in pain.

"I got you out of that damn prison! You should be thanking me with your life!" he yelled into her face, spittle spraying her cheek.

Sakura gripped his hand with her nails, pulling at his skin. He didn't flinch. She glared at him through her tears.

"You must be hard of hearing. I told you that if you let me assist with the delivery of the baby that I would be quiet and comply with your whims. You did no such thing, you disgusting excuse for a man."

Keisatsu threw her to the floor. Sakura slowly made her way to her feet, laughing. Her legs were full of pins and needles, but she wouldn't show her discomfort to him.

"Well you must be feeling manly, knowing that you are the sole reason a babe has died. A pregnant mother is apparently too much for the mighty sheriff!" she called out.

She was feeling strange all of the sudden. With all the stress her body had been under, it had most likely just cracked and she was now hysterical. Her breathing was rapid, her body suddenly warm with adrenaline. She didn't relish long in her triumph, for the sheriff backhanded her hard across the face. Sakura fell back onto the bed, cradling her cheek. She let out a condescending laugh. Keisatsu flipped her over so that she was lying on her back. A hand still to her cheek, Sakura spit in his face.

"I'm just returning your spit to you, since you can't seem to keep it in your mouth." she said scathingly.

"No wonder your uncle wanted to kill you. By rights your mouth should have had you killed already," he chided.

"So kill me then. You've shown everyone that defenseless women are your most frequent victims."

Keisatsu just laughed. He leaned over her, a sinister look upon his face. His hair slid off his shoulder, brushing her cheek. It was deceptively soft, and it tickled her.

"Why would I kill you?" he asked, sickeningly sweet. "I enjoy these encounters." He quickly kissed her. Sakura turned her head, disgusted as the kiss broke, and she growled at him upon seeing his evil smile.

It was then she saw him for what he truly was as she lay pinned beneath his weight. Upon first glance, you would not think he was the evil man that he turned out to be. He was beautiful and had soft, almost angelic, features. Soft eyes that appeared capable of concern. It unnerved her. If it wasn't for the fact he had caused so much death and destruction around her, she knew she would have fallen for his niceties. She shuddered. Just how many people had fallen for it?

Keisatsu stood now, eying her lustfully. He pulled at his belt, tossing it and his sword's scabbard roughly to the floor.

Sakura sat straight up, her head spinning. She stared at him, eyes wide with fear. "What are you doing?" She inched away from him.

He didn't reply as he pulled his boots and stockings off. He glanced at her and laughed. Anger sparked deep within her. He was enjoying her fear! Sakura tried to appear brave as he moved to the edge of the bed wearing only his tunic. She backed up to the edge of the bed. He crawled toward her, eying her like a predator would eye its prey. Sakura jumped off the bed and felt the rush of victory flood her body, but it was short lived. The chain connecting her ankle to the bed post caught, throwing her to the floor.

She laid there for a moment on the cold stone floor, leg caught at a haphazard angle still partially on the bed. She felt a cold sweat pool between her breasts and on the back of her neck. This was it. She was trapped like a damn animal in a cage. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Sakura struggled and tried to pull herself up, but the angle proved too awkward for her. She reached around her for something to use as a weapon, but there was nothing.

"See what I mean?"

Keisatsu's beautiful head of hair appeared over the edge of the bed, grinning at her misfortune. Sakura squeaked, trying to shield her exposed leg with her dress. He shoved her hand away, grabbing her tethered ankle. His fingers were like air on her skin, and every touch sent shivers up and down her leg. His fingers danced up her leg. She swatted his hand away.

"You're disgusting," she snarled.

"I hadn't noticed." He brushed her remark away as if he were proud of it. Stepping off the bed, Keisatsu, kneeled beside her, a smug grin on his face. He combed her unkempt bangs with his fingers. Sakura shook her head, glaring at him.

"Get off me," she said darkly, gritting her teeth. He smiled, showing off perfect straight teeth.

"You're not really in a position to be giving me orders," he told her curtly, much to her chagrin. Her face drained of color, her body hot from fear.

"Stay away from me."

He let out a guffaw. In one fluid movement, he was on top of her, awkwardly straddling her free leg, his face buried deep within her hair. Sakura squeaked, struggling to move her left leg, but his weight was too much. She couldn't move.

Out of nowhere came a sudden burst of strength and she shot up, knocking her shoulder into his chin. Angered, Keisatsu forced her to the floor, his weight suffocating her. He took her both her wrists in one arm and pinned them above her head. Sakura felt his warm breath at the base of her neck and then hot, wet kisses as he suckled and nibbled at the hollow there. She squirmed, tears of frustration leaving salt trails on her skin. She tried with all her might to move from beneath him, but she couldn't. The chain affixed to her leg jingled with every movement, reminding her of her fate.

"Get off me!" Sakura screamed brokenly, her vision clouded with tears. "Get off. Get off. Get off. Get off." she repeated over and over and over. Keisatsu roughly covered her mouth with his hand, biting hard into the flesh above her breast. She screamed into his hand, struggling as much as she could. Get off. Get off. Get off.

When Sakura's dress rode up, piling around her waist, she stopped struggling, all her will diminished. She stared at the darkness of the ceiling, watching the licks of firelight dance upon the stone. A strangled laugh barely escaped her lips. Lying there, she wondered how she appeared to him, spread open for all to see. It was evil. She was disgusted. Shame riddled her body, eliciting a shiver. She tried to close her legs to no avail. Fresh tears raced down her cheeks.

Sakura felt him lean over her. His warm hand wiped at her tears, but fresh ones followed.

"This is the best part, Sakura. This is where your uncle and I agree. The will is a beautiful thing, but it's even more rewarding watching the life slowly draining from someone's eyes. The will becomes suddenly a fleeting memory. You don't know true power until you've broken someone down until they have nothing left to live for."

He was so proud of himself that it sickened her. Anger replaced her fear and she felt newfound strength in her limbs. She struggled relentlessly until his grip slackened. Her fists were in his face and she clawed him with her nails. Sakura screamed as loud as she could. Keisatsu jumped off her, seething in rage. Despite her awkward position, she held up her fists in defense, a determined fight in her eyes.

"You won't win," she told him with certainty.

Keisatsu stood, towering over her form on the floor. He lifted his foot and stomped down onto her arm with his heel. Sakura buckled at the pain, screaming. She clawed at his toes, but instead of budging, he applied more pressure. The pain was immense. Her vision swam; her body was slick with cold sweat. Sakura's head fell back to the floor, her face hot upon the cool stone.

He let off her arm, but Sakura barely noticed. Feeling flooded her limbs like pinpricks and her vision focused. His face was hovering over hers, his grin wide and sinister.

"Don't you see, you stupid bitch? I've already won."

Her dress was up. He was straddling her. Sakura looked away, fresh tears flooding her vision. She let out a gut wrenching sob into her bloody fists.

A heavy knock came from the door. "Sheriff, the king requests your presence." Sakura's ears perked. She knew this voice.

"I'm busy." The door opened. Isamu walked in, clad in armor, and hand on his sword. He glanced into the darkness of the room and his eyes widened seeing the princess on the floor, disheveled and exposed. He cleared his throat, averting his eyes. Anger raged within him.

"The king says now," he paused, "Sir."

Keisatsu waved him away. "I will see him when I'm finished."

Sakura heard the unsheathing of a sword and heavy footfalls. Within seconds, Isamu stood over the sheriff's body, his sword at Keisatsu's neck.

"Now, sir." Each word was filled with malice.

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Keisatsu's face. He stared angrily at Sakura upon the floor, but finally he withdrew, and stood. Sakura hastily pushed the folds of her dress down as best as she could.

"Fine." He spat. "This had better be good."

Keisatsu dressed quickly while Isamu helped Sakura back onto the bed. Keisatsu eyed her with his devilish eyes, probably eating up how pitiful she appeared. Sakura had stopped wiping the tears from her cheeks because they would not stop no matter how hard she tried. He leaned over the footboard. She backed away. He grabbed her wrist, but she didn't look at him.

"I'll be back soon and then we can finish what we started." Keisatsu pulled her toward him, capturing her in a tight embrace, kissing her hard upon the mouth. Sakura bit his lip. "Bitch," he said underneath his breath. He backhanded her.

Sakura lay upon the bed, cradling her cheek. Keisatsu stomped away and slammed the door behind him.

"Princess-"

Sakura dashed madly from the bed pressing her body into the corner beneath the window. Curled into a ball, she rocked back and forth.

"Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop." She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, sobbing and gasping for air. She cried brokenly. "Where are you Syaoran?"

…

So, are you gonna kill me yet ;D haha Please review :D