Aldrich’s POV:Polite little Maude escorted me to Edric’s privy chamber and I was annoyingly shocked at how overdecorated it was. My eyes glanced quickly over the many tapestries that hung neatly on the walls, the long expensive rugs coating the stone floor, his desk was covered in gold and silver ornaments, more of them flocked all around the room, neatly lined on the floor in front of the walls. His desk chair looked as plush and rich as his throne! When I first arrived here yesterday, I felt the place was very plain, cold and underdressed, barely any decorative attempt anywhere... and now I know why, Edric had only felt it necessary to completely cover his own room with pricey trinkets and materials. I inwardly rolled my eyes as Edric motioned for me to sit in the empty chair opposite his desk.“Have you enjoyed your morning here, my friend?” Edric asked me as his lips turned up into a cocky smileFriend? I scoffed to myself “Yes I have, in fact, I decided to spend a little bit of

When I woke the next morning, my face wasn’t throbbing, after Maude had put a cold flannel on it, but it still hurt to touch and I could feel that part of my skin had become bumpy. I knew he left a mark, which meant I now had to put up with him mocking me in front of people, telling them how clumsy I am for falling over, or always managing to get myself scrapes and scratches. I don’t know if anyone ever actually believed him, but either way, they knew better than to voice their opinion.As soon as I sat up, my head started to thud, I tried to rub it away, wishing I could just go back to sleep, at least for a few days, at least until I could be bothered to deal with yet another day of seeing my father’s smug face.Just as I was willing my headache to go away, Maude came into my room with a tray of porridge and warm lemon water.“Oh, you’re up, my dear. I thought I’d have to wake you. How are you feeling?”“Like… like someone’s just hit me across the head”“Oh, my darling” she sympathis

I sat in a daze at my dressing table, brushing my hair. I felt glum today and my chest felt heavy. I knew it was because my heart just wanted a break, something good. Some light to shine in on our lives, not just for me, but for everyone. I kept thinking on how I felt like a prisoner. I couldn’t run away as much as I fantasized about it. I couldn’t without Edric hurting anyone just to find me, but in reality, we were all prisoners. Edric held the key to all of our lives.“Are you ok, my dear?” Maude asked as she walked into my room and jolted me out of my daze.“Mmhmm” I replied.“Aurelia! What is going around in that head of yours?”“Nothing, I was just getting ready for bed”“Well, it doesn’t even look like you’ve brushed your hair properly. Here, let me do it” she said softly as she took the brush from my hand and began to stroke it through my hair gently.I sighed “We’re all just stuck here, aren’t we?”“Well, obviously we all dream of things being better, but all we can do is thi

It has been a week since we buried those bodies, but I have barely been able to sleep since. Me and Nathaniel have visited twice since, with whatever food I could scrape together without it being noticed. On one of those days, me and Nora managed to make a potato and mutton broth and it helped to feed most of the more malnourished families.When I watched them scoff their food down like ravenous wolves, I felt guilt knowing that, as bad as it was living in the castle, at least I still got to eat full meals. So, after that day, I started to keep most of the food from my meals saved for them. I instructed Nathaniel to give it to Nora every night before he went home. It still wasn’t enough, but at least it was food Edric or the cooks wouldn’t notice.I led on the grass in one of the castle gardens, silently staring up at the sky. Only the sounds of tweeting birds and the swaying of the trees surrounded me, but it felt peaceful. It felt like a world away from the world I was really in. It

“Wake up Aureliea, Wake up... quickly, you must get up” I heard Maude demand as she burst into my room."What is it Maude, why are you rushing?.... Don’t tell me, the king is in a bad mood already?” I asked as I sat up with a yawn.“It’s not the time for jokes, Aurelia, I’ll tidy you a dress while you comb through that hair of yours and be sure to pop a pretty pin in it”I rubbed my eyes and looked at her rummaging through my dresses. “Maude, what is going on?”“The king wants you in the throne room now, and he commanded you to hurry. He seemed in a rather excitable mood, he has something stirring in that head of his.”I scoffed “Well, what’s new?”“Aurelia, I told you, this is not the time. Do you want him to scold you?”That reminder was enough to make me jump out of bed and start brushing through my hair. Once I was ready, Maude walked me down to the hall. Edric and Matthias were already there. Edric was sitting tall and proudly at his thrown, with Matthias standing next to him. As