"You have been in your room for a week now, my lady. You should take a walk around the palace ", Nina said, a wide smile spread on her face.
Not taking her gaze off the book she was reading." I do not wish to", Sabrina uttered simply,
" But you can't stay in your room forever my lady"
Sabrina sighed, not saying a word. She kept on with her reading.
"You hated staying in your room for so long, and will complain on how your body will get sore from sitting around for so long "
Sabrina paused reading, her mind drifted back to her life as a princess, making her heart ache all over again.
Could she ever get used to this place? She has been nothing but restless since she got here.
" Perhaps you are not comfortable here yet, am I correct my lady?"
Sabrina lips thinned, she nodded simply, then went on reading her book.
"You are not eating well, and you've become more thinner. You make me worry my lady"
Sabrina eventually dropped the book she was reading, her gaze locked with her maid.
"Nina I'll be fine. I– It will just take sometime before I get used to this place."
"Your mind drift off constantly this days, and you've been unusually quiet. I know you hate the king and want to get out of here but you can't ignore your health my Lady. I don't want you to get ill "
" Nina", Sabrina prompted, she took her handmaid's hand into hers. " I'm sorry I'm making you worry about me this much, but I promise…. I am fine"
Nina twitched her lips thoughtfully, hesitating on saying what has been lingering on her mind for a while.
" Is something wrong?" Sabrina asked, noticing the swift change in her countenance.
" I don't want to say this, but there has been talks around the palace "
A small evident frown ticked the princess brows, giving her a curious but lost look.
" What talks?"
Nina gulped, looking everywhere but her princess face. Sabrina knew it was bad the moment Nina was avoiding her gaze.
"It's not to your favour my lady "
" Nina, Speak!",
" E–Everyone knows the king didn't spend your first night with you"
Her frown deepened, "is that a problem?"
Nina averted her worried gaze back to her, "It is bad my lady. They say something like you offering your body to the king, which made you become his mistress. That you—"
" Such degrading talks", the princess blared in anger. " They dare think so low of me. I'll do no such thing"
" I know my lady, I know it is all a lie. "
Sabrina palmed her face, mortified. Everything just doesn't go her way.
" Lady Harriet had two servants punished for talking bad about you. They deserved it",
Sabrina shut her eyes, her anger centered to a particular person. She raised her head. The thought of not seeing lady Harriet for days suddenly dropped in her mind.
" I haven't seen Lady Harriet for days. Is she okay?", She queried.
" She complained of fever. But she's fine now "
Sabrina heaved a sigh of relief, " I'll go to see her tomorrow."
" There's no words yet ?", She whispered.
Nina shook her head, " No."
Sabrina sighed, she is exhausted from overthinking and worrying what her future entails. She just hope her father will find a way to take her from here as soon as possible.
" We will get away from here my Lady" Nina reassured, offering her a warm comforting smile.
With conviction, she said, "I know Nina, I will make that happen"
_____________
IN THE PALACE OF BADRITH
" The princess sent a message your highness", Luke announced
Judrith sprang up from his chair instantly, his eyes widened in surprise and excitement. It's been long he heard a news a good as this.
He could not contain his curiousity and impatience," What does it say ?"
" It's bad your highness"
Judrith brows furrowed, his face hardened.
" Speak !", He ordered.
" He made her his mistress"
His curious expression was replaced with rage instantly.
" Hand me the letter! Now!"
Luke handed him the letter abruptly. He watched as the king eyes scrolled down the paper, taking in the contents. By the time he was don reading, his body was already
spitting fire of rage.
" What does he think he is doing? " He barked
" Words have spread your highness. Prince Hugh has been making suspicious moves this days. Measures needs to be taken your majesty "
Judrith scoffed, his whole body shook with rage. He knows what Damon wants, and with his daughter now a mistress to a king of another kingdom and his brother sneaking around trying to take the throne, his crown is not safe anymore.
" Hugh can not take my crown. Never !", He yelled, ripping the letter to pieces. He has to find a way around this disaster that has befallen him. He can't retrieve his daughter for now, and his crown is at stake. In no time he will start to fall out of the court's favour.
"Make Hugh disappear"
Luke eyes widened in shock, but he immediately masks it well with a blank face.
" That bastard has been alive on borrowed time for so long, he will do no good but incite more trouble. He is better off dead anyways", he waved his hand dismissively.
"Yes your highness",
"Keep an eye on the ministers, make sure you leave no stone unturned. I'll write back to Sabrina, make sure she gets my message and ensure our spy doesn't have his cover blown. Or we will all be doomed",
"Understood your highness"
Judrith immediately grabbed the brush and started writing. He has no time to fret, and there is a lot at stake now.
He has to map out his plan and take down his enemy sooner than later.
__________
" Twack! Twack ! Twack !", hard and forceful lashes of whip, filled the air.
Damon laid face flat on the ground screaming, his back badly bruised and bloody from the whippings.
" Get up coward! ", Judrith's maniacal voice boomed, followed by another lash.
"Ahh….. " he screamed in pain, his voice cutting. " P–pleas-se", he cried.
Judrith barked out a mocking laugh, he stared at the greatly abused boy with satisfaction and fulfillment. Torturing the young prince was what he loves doing at his leisure time.
" I– I'm s- so-rry ", Damon cried, his back arched in pain.
" Do it or you will get whipped", he barked at him.
He had ordered the Prince to crawl on his feet to where his food was placed and feed on it like a dog, when he refused, he had him whipped brutally.
Damon tried getting up on his knees but failed, he fell face flat just before he could stand. He was too weak and battered from the whippings already, his young body was just too fragile for such abuse. And he had been without food for five days now. He could really die at any time at that moment.
" Get up!"
He wanted to, but be couldn't. His whole body ached from the beatings. His breath was evening out slowly.
"Continue",
" Twack! Twack ! Twack!" The beatings went on and on while he kept on screaming and crying till his body finally gave out.
Damon gasped out of his sleep, his garment soaked with sweats. His breath ragged and uneven.
He hadn't slept for five consecutive days, and when he had just managed to doze off after overworking himself, his sleep was filled with nightmares and his screams from those days in the dark dungeon.
But this time it was different, even as he had woken up, the screams still filled his head. Raging and fighting to overwhelm him. He isn't sure they wouldn't win over him at this point.
He was awake, but his mind was gone. Trapped in those nights when he was starved and whipped brutally. Days when he had nothing to hold unto, days that he felt like dying, when death was near but at the same time still far from reached.
His head was fuzzy and his vision blurred, sweat poured from his body while his hard uneven breathings filled the room.
He wasn't himself, not at all. His demons raged his mind, ready to conquer him. All of him.
He held his throbbing head and dragged himself out of his bed, he tripped on his trouser, lose balance and fell.
" Ahh ", he winced in pain.
With a struggle, he stood again and started towards the door absentmindedly.
His mind was gone, all that filled his mind was his screams, cries, pleadings and judrith's devilish voice as he was being whipped. He was trapped in his head.
He didn't know when he strutted out of his chambers and strolled down the hallway.
Break her. Break her .Break her
That was the only thought that kept running through his mind .
Break her. Kill her
At night, his legs took him directly to her doorstep with only one purpose in mind.
Absentmindedly, he pushed the door open violently, and marched into the room .