Jealousy is a tribute
mediocrity pays to genius.
~Fulton J. Sheen
***
Ravenna almost choked on her saliva. H-her tongue?
The shock perceptible in her eyes was also felt from the presence before her. The sudden order seemed like a vessel drawing a breath away from the world.
If Princess Sophia were cruel, Lady Alethea was the real Devil.
"Are you deaf?" Princess Sophia demanded, as her face crinkled in contempt at every second of delay, hauling Ravenna's attention to the shoe before her.
Her audacity to look directly into the eyes of the figure before her almost strangled her entire being.
It seemed like he caught the tension, as his eyes widened only for a brief moment at Lady Alethea's words, and a few barely audible gasps from servants watching.
"M-Milady, don't you think it's—"
"—not befitting enough?" Princess Sophia cut in before he could finish, abruptly seizing the words before completion. "Rest assured, Lord Archibald. I don't plan to ruin the worth of your shoe,"
"No, not at all, Milady," he immediately cut in after she concluded. "I was only trying to suggest—Never mind," Then his gaze fell on Ravenna. "Proceed,"
Ravenna's heart drummed louder than the instant silence and she gulped, bringing her face towards his shoe.
The smell of earth engulfed her nostrils at first, as she drew closer and closer until her face was only an inch apart from it.
Shutting her eyes, she peeked out her tongue, drubbing off the dirt from his shoe like licking an ice cream from a cone. Ravenna almost retched at the manner she did, but held on close, cleaning the shoe with her tongue to their satisfaction. And a lone tear slipped from her eyes.
"Poor her," she heard someone whisper from afar, and it only took Ravenna another few more voices to confirm to the spectators that gathered to watch.
Lady Alethea and Princess Sophia grinned, supervising the servant's action as a pleasing scene. The sight of Ravenna on the floor, looking all vulnerable and poor, licking the dirt of the shoe of Lord Archibald of Velmora was more than pleasing. It was fulfilling, their eyes lit up at the backdrop.
However, not to the young man. His eyes were somewhere else, somewhere far fulfilling than watching the servant licking the dirt off his shoe.
It was on Ravenna's ass.
Princess Sophia who caught a glimpse of his lust-filled eyes, followed his line of sight and frowned. Her earlier satisfied expression withered into displeasure as her face twisted in sheer jealousy.
She watched Ravenna clean the dirt off his shoe, and pictured the servants hidden to spectate, then Lady Alethea grinning in satisfaction. That was her mood a moment before until now.
She gritted her teeth, trying to enjoy the show before her, however, it only seemed to aggravate her mood. She hated it when everything about the girl always seemed to tick her nerves and unravel every foul temper.
Princess Sophia inhaled a breath, trying to focus on the scene before her. However, when she caught a glimpse of Lord Archibald's gaze still settled there, she lost it.
With her hand curled into a fist, "Stop." The sudden demand broke the spell off everyone, including Lady Alethea, who looked like she was going to question. "Get up,"
Confused, Ravenna quickly rose to her feet, wiping the tear off before dusting her palm on her dress.
"How many times did you mention her absence, Alethea?" The princess mentioned with a frown, earning Lady Alethea's attention.
"Twice," She responded and Ravenna wondered what other punishment awaited her.
Something about the silence caused her heart to lose its pace. But she underestimated the worst when Princess Sophia issued an order.
No, what felt like a silent death penalty.
"For that, you'll be stripped and flogged twice. One for the day you missed. And another for the week's absence until you bleed shame,"
Color drained out of her face. S-Stripped? Naked? No, no, no… She wanted to scream, but never found the words as she remained frozen in place.
She was only nine when stripped, walking around the capital until her feet were sore. Bruised. Beaten. Abused.
The word 'stripped' only seemed to revoke that sense of vulnerability, and the bitter feel of the memory coursed through her veins.
But now, she was 24. Stripped and flogged? Despite being a whore, she still had feelings. She was still a human being entitled to anything but the royal orders.
The shame blinded Ravenna's eyes and all she could feel was a void. Powerless. Abused. All over again.
The memory wrapped her thought like a blanket and eventually she dropped to her knees.
"F-Forgive me, Your Highness! I swear, it would never repeat—" She faltered immediately, coercing the words like her life depended on it only to be cut in.
"Gordon," Princess Sophia's sharp tone interrupted her banter, and at the mention of the name, someone stepped forward, one Ravenna hadn't acknowledged until then, almost looking like a giant. In fact, he was.
He towered like a living fortress, his armor glinting like polished obsidian as he stepped forward. Each movement sent subtle tremors through the earth beneath.
However, his face was shrouded by his helmet but Ravenna recognized him. They called him the Castle's Dog, but there was nothing tame in the way his shadow swallowed the garden path when summoned. He was one of Vladoryn's finished experiments.
During the last two decades, a war started among Vladoryn and Eirendale, one which spilled over into science and experimental bodies. It was rumored that Eirendale created powerful weapons that took down humans and other creatures. It was used in their favor in the war, almost acquiring the Kingdom of Vladoryn like other Kingdoms, if not for the alliance of Vexmoor strengthening their shields. At that point, First Princess Isabella Ashwraithe of Vladoryn was married off to the crown prince Alaric Morvain of Vexmoor.
Over the years, the battle remained. While Vexmoor equipped their resources with supernatural weapons, Vladoryn figured the ways to use bodies for experimental purposes. It was recorded that the Castle's Dog happened to be the first successful experimental body, creating a new history for Giants. Scribes documented this record, and scientists confirmed it before expanding the rate of their newly profound advancement. He wasn't human. He was even considered a 'he'. It is immune to anything and follows orders from its master. It was called Shrouded Vale.
The name Vale was derived from her father's previous experiment on what he invented and called Witches' Tears. He made a few of these elixirs, falling into the treacherous hands of the council after his unfortunate death. But the resources became very limited, prompting the search for Witches following the procedures from one of her father's books. Witches could be drawn as the source but other supernatural creatures as well.
Ravenna's watery gaze fell on him. His huge, mighty, and statuesque figure was almost defined as a Greek god. The structure of his body was times ten hers, almost more than everyone else.
He carried an intimidating presence, swallowing the world's breath, tall at 50 feet in height. As he drove forward with little movement, the earth grumbled slightly under his 60,000 pounds of weight.
"Hmm," a deep hoarse sound thundered from his throat, creating a kind of intimidating and alarming tone.
He never made any word apart from 'hmm'. It described how detrimental these people were to his body to build a perfect tool.
"Take her to the eastern passage and strip her naked. Flog her twenty-six strokes until she bleeds shame. At every scream, minus one." She ordered coldly, every word seething through her veins as she glared down at the servant.
"No! No, no, please!! Please!" Ravenna watched Gordon march toward her in a slow yet intimidating menace after the Princess's decree.
God, no!
She was going to run, but Gorwon was faster. He picked her unwilling figure in the air like lifting a piece of paper between his thumb and index finger, before throwing her weight to his shoulder, confiscating her.
"NO! NO, PLEASE! NO!" Ravenna screamed, kicking her feet in the air, and pounding against the immobile creature holding her weight. However, it seemed like knocking on an impossible wall. "Ah!"
Lady Alethea watched with a sly grin as her eyes held both bewilderment and satisfaction at the scene. Lord Archibald shifted uncomfortably in his seat mostly due to the presence of the Giant, indecisively taking a peek at the Princess beside him who seemed to be in a foul mood.
He was about to say something, but a dangerous aura emanated from a direction causing him to gulp, chewing down his words.
"NO! Please, forgive me!! Ah!!" she yelled, drawing unnecessary attention. While some giggled at her position, a few faces pitied the thief. And among them was Brynhild, staring at Ravenna with a helpless gaze.
"Forgive me!" She pleaded, however, her words were only made to deaf ears. Gordon marched away, carrying her weight along the path.
Tears streamed down her face, clogging her vision as she thrashed with every ounce of strength in her.
Oh lord…
"Let her go,"
***