[MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: ICARUS ~ PHILDEL]
"I guess it finally worked," Queen Gwen harrumphed, on hearing that the princess who always got on her last nerves was finally subdued. She had been waiting for the right time to give the girl the necessary punishment because for no reason, she was annoyed by the girl’s very existence and how Adric always used the younger princess to taunt her.
King Curtis, who had not really paid attention to the punishment, finally raised his face. "If we’re done, move her away from there. It’s an eyesore," the king ordered before leaving the place with his officials.
The king of Avon watched the girl who was now sleeping for a moment before he left the place without saying a word.
Sophie, who was watching the punishment, twitched her lips, "I’m feeling tired; I’ll retire to bed now. I’m still having a headache after everything Oriana made me go through. Are you sure the punishment is enough?" The Crown Princess asked, receiving a glare from her mother. She shrugged her shoulders before leaving the arena with her maids.
"Take her back to her room," Saline ordered, looking at Oriana from a distance. For a moment, pity flashed in her eyes, but she quickly blinked it away, joining her husband inside the palace.
The kingdom of Orion welcomed darkness as the sun hid behind the clouds, giving way for the queen of the night. The chilled breeze gave the entire kingdom its blessing as people now retired to their rooms. Among the persons in their rooms was the youngest princess who finally opened her eyes. Oriana was welcomed with the harsh pains she felt all over her body, and it was mostly from her leg that she wasn’t able to move.
"Bessie," she called her maid’s name, moving her hand in the darkness, but there was no sign of her maid. She had fainted during the punishment as she wasn’t able to bear the pain anymore. Dragging herself on the floor, Oriana reached for the candlestand, and she lighted it before resting her back on the wall. She carefully raised her dress to see that her scar was now bleeding.
"It was almost healed," Oriana muttered to herself, looking around for something to wipe it off with. When she didn’t see anything, she sighed, "You don’t see what you need at the time you need it the most," she continued to talk to herself.
"I should probably take a bath," The princess said to herself. "I reek of dungeon and chains..or maybe I should eat first..haha Oriana you can’t walk," all alone in the room, she spoke to herself like there was someone else in there. Oriana now dragged herself to the bathroom, she was almost ready to draw herself a bath when she mistakenly pushed her soap and everything spilled on the floor.
"Why? I just want to have my bath...why can’t -" her words got caught in her throat, the tears Oriana tried so hard to keep away flowed down her eyes. "I just want to live, like everyone why can’t things go my way. Why can’t I be like everyone," The princess let herself cry with sadness, all the pains and emotions she had tried to lock away came pouring at once, especially when she remembered the faces of the people she called her family as she was being harshly punished.
"I wish my family would be on my side, I am not abnormal I promise," Oriana hit her chest, which was squeezing with pain. She had grown with this pain, the first few years of her life she had been treated as an outcast, slowly the punishments began every time she was found missing from the palace events or caught sneaking outside the palace. All this she laughed about and didn’t take it as something very serious, and she tried to cover it up with the facade of being the rebellious one.
’Trying your best to forcefully cover up your pains makes you a child with no soul.’ remembering the words Adric told her even caused more tears to flow from Oriana’s eyes. Finally, she slept off, close to the bathtub without being able to bathe.
The next morning when she woke up, Oriana yawned, stretching her body a little bit.
"Ow," she winced, the pain in her leg was still there, and maybe it had even become worse. She finally found a way of entering the bath, and she washed the dirts and dried blood off her skin. It was as if the bath helped her in soothing the pain. Oriana was able to stand, so she limped back inside her room. After dressing up, she went to look for her maid, praying that the girl was still alive.
As she passed along the passage, Oriana noticed the palace servants who went silent the moment she passed. They were definitely talking about her, the very first Princess to be treated like a slave. Her position could almost be laughed at; she ignored this and continued walking toward the dungeon to find Bessie.
Oriana couldn’t help but wonder who had told everyone that the letter was fake. It was just her and Adric who knew about it, and the Crown Prince had promised to let go and forget about everything. Did he lie?
"I must have lost my mind for a minute to believe someone like him," Oriana muttered to herself, kicking the air mindlessly. When she finally got to the dungeon, she tried to enter inside, but the guards restricted her movement.
"What are you doing right now?" She asked, glaring at them, but they stood still without moving from their position. "Don’t you know who I am? Let me pass," Oriana’s voice was loud this time. She wouldn’t tolerate her title being bypassed.
"We are sorry, Princess Oriana, but His Majesty has ordered that we don’t allow you inside, and also..." The guards’ voice trailed off.
Oriana furrowed her brows, "And also what?" She asked them but got no reply. "Move, my personal maid is inside there; let me pass." She tried to push her way inside but was pushed back by the guards.
"Did you just push a princess?" She asked, giving the guards a pointed look. "You’re going to get punished for this!"
"They are not," Sophie’s voice was heard from the side as she made her way gracefully to where Oriana was standing.
Oriana inhaled deeply; she was not in the mood to bicker with her sister. "Sophie, I’m not in the mood-" her words were paused.
"Bessie?" Her maid was now standing beside Sophie, her bruises treated properly. "When did you get released? I was just here to see you,"
The maid threw her face to the side without replying like she wasn’t the one being spoken to.
Oriana walked forward to go and touch Bessie but her hand was seized midair by Sophie’s guards. "What are you doing to a princess?"
Sophie chuckled, "I guess you’re not quite understanding your situation. As of last night, the king gave an order to strip you of your title, and during that period, The kingdom of Avon would take you with them to straighten you out, and after that, shall you return and be reinstated. I hope it works this time to set you straight and make you normal,"
Oriana listened to her sister; that means as of this moment, she was no longer a princess? But that wasn’t her problem; why was Bessie not standing beside her but with Sophie.
"Bessie.." she called the girl who tried her possible best to avoid her eyes.
Sophie sucked her teeth, "This maid is no longer yours but has been promoted as she played a crucial role in helping the kingdom save face, which you tried to ruin,"
Wait, it wasn’t Adric but Bessie? But why? The girl had always been a sweet soul, Oriana furrowed her brows. She was yet to process the situation and wanted to hear from Bessie herself; she didn’t believe anything her sister was saying.
"Bessie, talk to me. Were you threatened? Don’t be afraid; talk to me," but Oriana was now dragged away from the place, her eyes still on the maid who finally raised her face to look at Oriana. And on her lips was a faint cruel smile which didn’t go unnoticed by Oriana.
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