I’ve spent a week in this palace, and I still can’t get used to their way of waking me up.
“Is the drum supposed to be an alarm or something?” I ask, getting up from bed irritated.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but these are the Queen’s orders,” Martha says, bowing her head apologetically.
For the first time, I felt the need to sit on that throne. I can’t wait to take her crown and place and finally put her where she belongs. Too bad there’s still a long way to go.
“Where is the king?” I wonder out loud.
“Forgive me, my lady,” Martha begins, and I know she wants to scold me again, but in the most polite way possible. “But it is forbidden to speak of the king. Please don’t ask any more questions regarding the king in the future.”
What an exaggerated response. I sometimes wonder if people here even touch grass; they act like it’s the Middle Ages.
“Okay,” I nod in response and head towards the bathroom when Martha blocks my path.
“Today there will be a small gathering to celebrate the return of Princess Belen.” She informs, “It is obligatory that you attend, my lady.”
I sigh as if I don’t have enough on my plate already.
Classes were torture as always, but luckily the day passed quickly, and it was soon time to face the royal family. Honestly, I don’t know what to expect. I wish Mom was here to guide me, but I wasn’t allowed to talk to her.
The queen considered her a bad influence, and I was forbidden from speaking to anyone in my family until my bad behavior was corrected.
I know I shouldn’t, but I craved power.
A whole lot of it.
Martha led me to where the meeting was taking place. When she reached the entrance, she stopped. “May the Lord be with you, my lady.”
Despite the burning fear I felt, I entered the room.
I could see three people sitting at a table.
One I recognized as Belen and the other Jade, just like Reuben; they were all media favorites.
I assumed the last person was Demetrius, the first prince. There’s not much of him out there; I once heard that the man kept to himself because of rumors. You see according to the rules, Demetrius is the rightful heir, but unfortunately for him, Reuben is the late king’s favorite, which is why he was declared crown prince from an early age.
“You must be Naomi,” Belen said as I approached the table.
“Sit.” She instructed me coldly, and I sat down in the empty chair next to Jade, who in turn looked at me like I was a pile of garbage.
“Let’s face it,” Jade said, “It’s awkward sharing a table with a half-born.”
“You know what’s creepier?” Demetrius chimed in, “This half-born will be queen, won’t she?”
Jade sighed, “I hear Mother is the one pushing for this to happen.”
“Well, the queen must be out of her damn mind if she wants this thing to succeed her,” Belen said.
I remained glued to my seat and listened to them talk about me as if I wasn’t there. I was being made fun of in front of my face, but the only thing I could do was smile.
“I see you’re having fun trying out your future queen,” Reuben said as he entered the room wearing a black suit.
“Aren’t you afraid that she will hold a grudge against you and make you pay once she takes the throne?”
Jade scoffed, “I can bet my entire fortune she’d never make it to that seat.”
“I would say that too,” Belen agreed.
“I mean, look at her sitting there like a country girl.”
When I heard those words, I immediately sat up, but that caused even more damage as the two princesses burst into laughter.
Reuben sat across from me and didn’t bother to protect me from his sisters’ clutches. “I heard you’re dating an I*******m model this time,” Demetrius told Ruben.
“It’s a shame, Ava Stones was truly a beauty. What happened? Didn’t like her head game?
“Have some decency, Demetrius,” Belen warned rather sarcastically, “Can’t you see his wife to be sitting here.”
“All the more reason for him to answer.” He said slyly, “She must know what she’s getting into, although I think she already has a faint idea.”
“Let this man breathe,” Jade said in Ruben’s defense. “Don’t all kings have concubines?”
I felt a sharp pain in my heart, I had to be a virgin to marry while he was allowed to have many concubines.
“Let us know, brother, how many concubines do you plan to have in the future?” Belen looked at Ruben and the others appeared curious, eager to hear his answer. When Reuben didn’t answer, Belen continued: “Thirty?” Fifty?”
“Come on, Bel, isn’t that a bit too much?” Jade teased.
“I’m afraid not.” Demetrius said, “For a man like Ru, who flips through various women like a magazine cover, I’m afraid that even a hundred concubines are not enough.”
It occurred to me that everything they did was intentional; their words and actions were intended to ridicule me.
I got tired of listening to their crappy words and got up.
“I’m not feeling well, I’d like to be excused.”
“Why?” Jade pouted. “The party hasn’t even started yet.”
“Let the girl go, Jade.” Belen said with a mischievous smile, “Tomorrow is a new day where we can always take off from where we stopped.”
I bowed respectfully to the four of them and turned around, but a sharp pain in my feet made me stop.
“I am very sorry.” Jade gasped in shock, and I couldn’t tell if she meant it or not.
My white dress was stained with orange juice, and my foot was bleeding from being pierced by the shards of the shattered glass cup.
Tonight tested my limits.
I blinked away the tears that threatened to fall and turned, limping out of the room when a strong hand grabbed my waist and lifted me off the ground.
“What are you…” I
wanted to protest, but I stopped when Reuben’s finger grazed my lips. “Shh!”
“You are safe with me.”
I whispered for him to put me down, but he ignored me and carried me straight to my room. Once we arrived, he gently placed me on the bed while Martha watched in amazement from behind. I was just as confused as she was. What had gotten into him? Why was he suddenly being kind? Despite my questions, I was grateful that he had chosen to protect me from his siblings.After settling me on the bed, Reuben took a seat next to me, and I could tell he had something to say. He turned to Martha and demanded a first aid kit, prompting her to quickly leave the room to fulfill his request. I braced myself for what was to come, unsure if it would be good or bad news."First of all, I'm sorry for what happened tonight," he began.But I chose not to accept his apology. "If you hadn't told your mom about me, we wouldn't be in this situation. So, I decline your apology."Reuben didn't seem bothered. "The truth is, I don't care if you accept my apology or not," he replied in his usual arrogant tone.Of
Belen and Jade remained silent as they forcefully pulled me out of bed. I looked to Martha for assistance, but she deliberately avoided eye contact, indicating that she was also powerless in this situation."I'm not even properly dressed," I protested, hoping to find a way out of whatever they had planned."Don't worry about that, we'll take care of it," Jade replied with a mischievous smile. With no other choice, I reluctantly followed along.True to her word, Jade made sure to dress me up. However, I was far from satisfied with the outfit I was forced into, but I kept my complaints to myself. The dress was so long that it practically swept the floor, with sleeves that threatened to engulf me entirely. I've never been one to dress provocatively, but this was just too much. Even nuns don't dress like this because I could barely breathe and this seemed to please both princesses as they stared at me in awe. "Don't you know that modesty is expected of you as a queen?" Jade remarked, not
A chilling silence hung in the air, and it was no surprise that my actions caught them off guard. However, I had reached my limit. I was tired of being bullied and insulted to my face. If I didn't stand up for myself now, who knows what they would do next.It only took a few seconds for her to recover from the shock. She got up and wiped the remaining juice off her face."Are you out of your mind?" Belen's harsh tone grabbed my attention, but before I could respond, I felt a slap on my cheek. I didn't need to guess who it came from. Without hesitation, I returned the blow, making sure to gather all the strength within me to leave a mark.Silence fell upon us once again. Blondie blinked, too stunned to speak. Jade got up and approached me. It was clear what her intentions were. As soon as she reached me, she raised her hand to strike, but I caught it mid-air."Don't you dare," I warned, refusing to let go. My grip was so tight that she couldn't break free, no matter how hard she tried.
After being whipped until I blacked out, I regained consciousness to find myself back in the comfort of my room. I was lying face down, unable to move due to the stinging pain in my buttocks."My lady, you're awake," Martha's voice came from behind me. I tried to nod, but the sharp pain shot up my spine, causing me to cry out."I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you," Martha sniffled. I couldn't see her face, but I could sense her tears."It's not your fault, Martha. You're not the one who did this to me," I reassured her."But I stood by and watched it happen," guilt was evident in her tone. If only I could embrace her and let her know how grateful I was to have her in my life. If my maid had been like the others, evil and plotting my downfall, I might have given up a long time ago."Let me apply balm to your wounds."My skirt was lifted, and I didn't object. A cold sensation spread over my wounds, causing some pain but also relieving it slightly."Can you get me some water?" I asked
It had been a whole week since I endured the brutal flogging, and although it took some time for my wounds to heal, the pain was gradually subsiding. The queen had exempted me from attending classes and participating in any activities, confining me to my room for recovery.Giselle made a point to visit me every day, despite my clear indication that I wasn't interested in being friends. I couldn't help but wonder why she persisted in wanting to befriend someone like me. Not that there was anything inherently wrong with me, but the people in this place were not fond of forming close relationships with someone of mixed heritage.Martha informed me that Giselle's father held a prominent position in the royal family as the king's uncle, and he was one of the influential figures who held power. Despite her privileged background, Giselle didn't flaunt it. Martha described her as humble, and even though she associated with Belen and her group, she stood out as someone unique."Mi mi!" Giselle
After my wounds had healed, classes resumed and Madam Florence became even stricter with me. I could sense that she had a problem, but she wouldn't say it. I wondered if one of the girls I had beaten up the other day was her daughter."Stand straight!" she commanded, slapping my back with a ruler. I glared at her, but she raised her eyebrow as if challenging me to say something. I quickly closed my mouth, reminding myself to endure it. I remembered Reuben's words - there will come a time when none of them will be able to treat me like this, but for now, I have to rely on their mercy."It's been a while, Florence," a familiar voice said. I turned my head to see Giselle approaching with a smile, but a slap on my back forced me to face forward. "Focus!" the woman yelled."Giselle," she said in a friendly tone I had never heard from her before. Pulling her into a hug, and I was surprised that she could do more than just scream and yell. "Indeed it has. How is your mother? I heard she hasn
Normally, I was unable to leave the palace, but thanks to Giselle's influence, I was able to pass through the gates without any trouble. Belen and the others had already left, assuming that we knew the location of the bakery, which, of course, belonged to my family. I was both excited and nervous to see what kind of surprise they had planned."It's alright," Giselle reassured me as she skillfully navigated through the busy roads. "I'm here with you, nothing will go wrong. Besides, your mother used to be a Princess, right? Even though she isn't anymore, they still have to show respect.""I hope so," I silently prayed in my mind. After being stuck in traffic for what felt like hours, we finally arrived at the street leading to the bakery. As we approached, a line had formed outside, and a smile spread across my face. Business was still thriving, and I couldn't wait to see my parents. I had missed them so much.Stepping out of the car, we walked inside. The first person I laid eyes on wa
My mom walked out of the kitchen without saying anything to me, and I followed behind her, determined to find out what was going on. I saw Giselle and Sally having a lively conversation, laughing as if they had known each other for years.I cleared my throat to get Giselle's attention, causing her to pause and turn towards me. "Are you finished talking to your mom?" I asked. My mom, who was on the other side of the room, looked at Giselle with disgust, but Giselle seemed oblivious to it. I nodded in response to Giselle's question and she smiled."By the way, you never mentioned your sister to me," Giselle said.Sally glanced at me from the counter, and I resisted the urge to give her the middle finger, especially in front of Giselle. We had to pretend to be normal."There's not much to say about her," I replied. It wasn't a lie; besides her obsession with the royal family, Sally didn't have much going on.I noticed that Belen and the others were nowhere to be found, which was strange