[MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: THE SOUND OF SILENCE ~ DISTURBED
Oriana landed harshly on the floor, and she could taste the metallic tang of her own blood. She touched her face and glared at Sophie, who was also looking at her.
"Did you just slap me?" Her voice was low and calm.
Sophie nodded, "Yes, and you deserve even more than that. Look at the shame you put the royal family through just because of your childish nature. Now you’re even a touched maiden," the Crown Princess raised her voice.
Oriana closed her eyes, trying to catch her breath as she didn’t expect the harsh slap from her sister. Finally, Oriana got on her feet, dusting her dress properly.
"Shame?" She scoffed, licking off her own blood.
"I am the one to be ashamed of coming from a family like this. People call me crazy because I laughed on the day Nana was buried. And every day of my life since that day, I’ve been trying to understand why. When you all are the crazy ones, Mother, how many times did you visit Nana while she was alive, and you, Sophie? But you had the nerves to cry the loudest. Was that not a comedy for me to watch? And Sophie, getting you married out of this place was the only way for me to breathe." Oriana paused, trying to catch her breath. She moved back with her hands on her knee, trying to inhale deeply before raising her face.
"All I ask is just for me to breathe....is that too much to ask? Why can’t I breathe in a place I call home? Yes, I wrote the letter. That was childish of me, I have no excuse, and I wanted to get back at him. Also, am I the only person who has done the worst? What about...." Oriana stopped talking; there was no need to say everything she knew. She wiped off the tears in her eyes, going to help Bessie stand when Sophie dragged her back again. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
"You think all of that long speech will help you? You ruined my reputation!" Sophie barked.
The younger princess chuckled, "Reputation? Sophie, get off your high horse. I try to overlook your stupidity because you’re my only sister. But you’re just a groomed idiot who knows absolutely nothing!"
"What? Groomed.." Sophie angrily raised her hand to slap Oriana again, but this second time around, Oriana wasn’t going to let it happen. She held Sophie’s hand midair and delivered a sound slap that had the courtroom in silence.
Not expecting the slap, Sophie held her reddened cheek, staggering to get her balance. "Mother, did you see that?"
"Enough of this madness!" King Curtis barked. "Guards, lock Oriana up until a judgment is made."
The guards walked to hold her, and without struggling, Oriana allowed them to drag her out of the place and into the dungeon. She was pushed inside first, and the next was Bessie, who was too weak to even talk.
"Bessie," Oriana held the girl’s face. She didn’t know what her own fate would be, and she was ready for it. Her only fear was Bessie, who would meet a similar fate to her.
"Princess Oriana...why did you come back?" Bessie asked when she finally opened her eyes.
Oriana touched the girl’s face before resting her back on the wall. "I couldn’t run away if I didn’t slap Sophie. Now that I did, it felt so good." She replied with a smile.
"What do you think will happen to us now?" Bessie asked, her voice low and tired with her back now facing Oriana.
An unbothered Oriana shrugged her shoulders, "I don’t know...but I know you need to preserve the strength you have now." She moved her hand behind her before resting her head on it with her eyes peacefully closed. Oriana knew what she was getting herself into when she spoke against the royal family, and she was ready for it this time.
Back inside the courtroom, Sophie fumed with anger. The slap was something she didn’t see coming, so it left her shocked up until this moment. She kept adjusting herself on her chair, trying to still look graceful while keeping her embarrassment at bay.
The entire courtroom was silent, as if everyone was trying to process the words they heard from the younger princess. Finally, the King of Orion broke the silence, speaking to Adric’s father.
"King Fidelis, I would love to apologize for the misunderstanding my daughter has caused. If there is any way we can settle it amicably, please do let us know." King Curtis said.
Before the King of Avon could reply, his wife chirped, "It’s not just playing with the intelligence of an entire kingdom but also wasting our precious time. Leaving our kingdom unattended. This apology won’t be enough." The Queen threw her face to the other side.
This time Queen Saline and Sophie nodded in agreement. Everyone wanted Oriana to face a punishment she wouldn’t forget in a hurry, as she had struck a nerve with her words.
"Any suggestions?" King Curtis asked, trying to pacify the woman.
Saline cleared her throat to speak, "Since she’s still my daughter and a princess. I say we first hand out her punishment before giving another kingdom room to make suggestions," the woman said with a high sense of pride, and seeing that everyone was listening with rapt attention, she continued.
"A punishment in front of the court officials would teach her a lesson; let’s start with the chair of throe," as she said this, Sophie quickly nodded in agreement.
"Yes, I think that would teach her a lesson not to play with the Royal family again," the Crown princess chimed.
The Queen of Avon rolled her eyes, "I’ll see how good the punishment is, to make my own judgment."
"The Chair of Throes punishment it is," King Curtis announced, and soon arrangements were made for the punishment and everyone was seated outside the arena that was made ready for the said punishment.
In reality, the punishment was only handed out to traitors and rebels of the crown, and most times offenders ended up crippled. It was a punishment that had the offender seated, with hands and feet bound, then two men with long sticks got to hit the offenders’ legs mercilessly.
Oriana was dragged outside with her maid beside her. On seeing the two chairs arranged, Oriana knew exactly what was coming for her, and somewhere at the back of her mind, she feared for Bessie.
"We shall now begin the punishment for the offender who tricked the royal family alongside her maid," someone announced, and immediately Oriana and Bessie were forced to sit on the chair with their hands and feet bound tightly to the chair.
The first hit on her leg, Oriana tightened her eyes, trying to suck in the pain, but the loud scream of Bessie was heard in the arena. The next hit landed, sending bolt shots of pain through Oriana’s brain, but she held back her tears. Bessie was already crying as she was in pain.
"Are you sure this punishment is suitable for her? She is not making a sound!" Queen Gwen scowled.
Saline looked around, not wanting to look weak in front of another Queen she ordered, "Apply more pressure,"
Oriana opened her eyes when she heard her mother’s voice, was this normal? For a mother to treat her own child this way, even if she had done something so wrong. Was she not still their child? The next hit on her leg was worst than the first.
"Ah!" Oriana finally let out a sigh filled with pains, when she raised her face she saw her own sister smiling. Her father was speaking to an official unperturbed, and her own mother now had the proud look on her face like she had won.
"Ah!" Another scream escaped Oriana’s lips, she was trying to hold back so she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction they needed. That was how she had survived all these years, not letting their words get to her. She locked her pains away and made sure they wouldn’t ever exist but right now it was hurting.
The corner of Oriana’s eyes prickled, the tears were trying to escape then she saw the Queen of Avon smirk at her. Oriana swallowed back the tears, biting her lips roughly, she dug her nails into the wooden chair, trying to endure the harsh flogging.
Bessie who was on the other side, already had her dress soaked up with blood. The maid had already cried her eyes out.
"It’s okay Bessie, we are going to be fine." Oriana ignored her own pain trying to console her maid who was unlucky to have met with someone like her.
"Seems like your guards are too weak, she’s conviniently talking," Queen Gwen scowled.
Saline, now feeling guilty, couldn’t afford to increase the hitting, and she wished Oriana would just cry. But the girl was too stubborn. Reluctantly, she motioned for the flogging to be doubled for Oriana,
Oriana blinked when she saw her own mother raise her hand, was she not their daughter? Maybe she was never supposed to born because which mother offered their own child to be brutally punished with no ounce of mercy. The harsh hard whippings continued, and Oriana tried all she could to hold her tears, this time she had roughly bitten her lips that she could no longer hold on. Slowly her head fell to the side, and tears streamed down her pale face.
"The princess has passed out," the guard announced.
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