Chapter Four

I was dancing in a garden chasing butterflies when a crashing sound made me jump out of bed bringing my fantasy to an abrupt end.

“Good morning, my lady.” Greeted an unfamiliar voice.

As if the king-sized bed and antique walls weren’t enough, standing at the edge of the bed was a young girl in a black and white dress carrying a drum.

“Who are you?” I asked, looking around the strange room.

“I am Martha, your maid, responsible for tending to your needs.”

I look at her as if she speaks German. This whole scenario just screams that I may have been kidnapped. I run to the window to escape, but I’m not prepared for what awaits me next. I look out from a very large castle, surrounded by similar structures, all seeming ancient and mystical.

The scenes from this morning cloud my memory and everything seems to make sense.

“You should get dressed, young lady,” Martha says from behind, “The queen is waiting.”

After passing through various corridors and corners, we finally reach the queen’s chambers. Martha motions for me to go in, which I do reluctantly.

It’s the same woman from this morning, I recognize her at first glance. She sits majestically on a throne-shaped chair.

“What? “You’re not laughing anymore,” she says in the same high-pitched tone that made me lose my mind. I want to burst out in laughter, but I manage to stop myself.

“I’m sorry for my behavior earlier,” I say in a soft tone I didn’t know I possessed until now. 

“You don’t seem sorry at all.”

She’s not wrong. I wonder if she can see through me.

“Where are your manners, young lady? Did your mother not teach you to bow before the queen?”

I immediately lower my head, but an idea comes to me, I look up.

“You’re right my queen, my mother didn’t give me any lessons on how to be a true lady let alone a queen...” I say pitifully hoping to earn her sympathy.

“I’m just a girl who has spent her whole life in a small bakery. I’m afraid I will only bring shame to the royal family.

“You must think you have nothing to lose.”

There is a hint of threat in her tone.

“I have a question for you.”

I look up with interest.

“Are you a virgin?” She questions without even blinking.

I pause and consider an appropriate response to the old-fashioned question.

If I say no, will she let me go?

“I suggest you think carefully before giving me an answer,” she warns.

“You might think you can avoid this by saying no. Yes, the engagement will be canceled, but who do you think will bear the consequences?”

“Your baker father or your dear mother who was once a princess.”

I receive her message loud and clear, in the end, my family’s survival depends on me.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I’m going to send assassins after your parents say no. “She laughs it off, “No one does that anymore, it’s just according to the rules Valérie will be whipped a hundred times with a wooden stick for not having raised her daughter right.”

“So before you say something you might regret, remember that it’s your mother who takes the blame.”

I swallow hard and feel anger rising in my veins.

Right now I feel so helpless and useless, forced to dance to her tune. 

“I am a virgin,” I reply shamelessly and I feel a part of me breaking from the inside.

She smiled as if satisfied with my answer: “Dr. Jane will be here soon to confirm that you are dismissed.”

Dr. Jane pulled up like the queen had said and she also stuck a hand in my vagina. I felt so violated but I couldn’t even protest because I remembered that mom would be the one punished so I quietly sucked it up.

As if Jane’s assault wasn’t enough, I had to pace around with a breakable ceramic plate on my head. Every time I broke a plate, I was hit on the palm with a wooden ruler.

The class was led by an old woman who was even stricter than the queen. My body begged for rest, but the old woman didn’t seem to stop. She told me to move on.

Tired, I thought of an excuse to go to the bathroom. Martha led the way as I was a stranger in the huge mansion and I managed to sneak away while she wasn’t looking.

I kept cutting through different corners until I came to an exit that took me outside. I could tell I was in the garden by the flowers planted in every corner. I ran around like an excited child, forgetting the harsh memories of the day.

“Naomi, right?”

I turned around and saw Ruben standing behind me.

“I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon,” He said mischievously.

Funny when this was all his fault, if he hadn’t reported me to the Queen, she wouldn’t have sought me out and I wouldn’t be here to take these lessons. It was all his fault, I wanted to make a sarcastic comment but I remembered I was in the palace, on his territory.

“Good morning, Prince Reuben.” I greeted him politely with a slight bow and he burst out laughing.

“I can not believe.” Between laughs, he said, “Where did that wild girl from the other day go?”

It was hard, but I swallowed. I have to get out of here. I turned to walk away, but he pulled my arm, forcing me to look at him.

“I told you you’d regret it, didn’t I?”

Fuck this!

I pushed his hand away and drew closer meeting his gaze with fire in my eyes. 

“The only person who will live the rest of their life in regret would be you if you ever make the mistake of letting me be your queen.”

He didn’t seem shocked by my threat, he was more intrigued.

“Is this so?”

His reaction didn’t faze me the man seemed like a breeding ground for trouble.

“I can’t guarantee that I will ever return to my family in one piece, but I can assure you of one th

ing.”

“If you ever make the mistake of marrying me, I will make your life a living hell like you made mine.”