CRACK. WHIPPED. CRACK. Crown Prince’s whip lashed out at Bella’s leg. Bella was crying at the pain of Crown Prince’s cruel punishment. He was hitting her, to vent out his anger. He was penalizing her for agreeing to become his maid. How he wasn’t showing her any mercy as he expressed how frustrated he was to be stuck with a trash phoenix. He didn’t even care if he made her crippled that day. He was going to take his anger out on her small and tiny body.Crown Prince was huffing and puffing as got done punishing her. His three whips came down on her hard enough to make her realize his hatred for her. His eyes was staring at her coldly. His chest was rising fast and hard as he was trying to catch his breath. “Crown Prince,” said Braum. He didn’t answer.“Crown Prince?” asked Braum again.“What is it?”“Do you want to kill her? If so, I will bring out your sword.”Crown Prince stared at her with a deadlier stare.Bella wrapped her legs close to her body. Tears were spilling from her e
“Hurry up and clean up that mess!” shouted Crown Prince Wallace.Bella scrubbed the floor harder. Her tiny hands was trying to scrap off the dried food from this morning. “Humph, don’t think about leaving this room until you clean every inch of this place.”Bella nodded.“Hurry up and move it!”Bella started hurrying along before she took anymore beating from him.“How could someone like you take so long to clean this up?” asked Crown Prince, glaring at her.Bella was trying the best she could already. She’s been up all morning trying to scrub everything down as he requested. The kitchen was a big room, so she had to work around the large square footage with her small body. “You won’t be eating anything tonight if you can’t clean it up,” said the Crown Prince, folding his arms. Bella didn’t know what to do as she was trying her hardest already. Any more than this than her small hands will bleed. “Stupid girl. How could I, the Crown Prince be stuck with a trash and brainless maid.”
The next following morning the Crown Prince had an early morning to train with his grandmaster on sword fighting. His grandmaster is a world renowned swordsman, legendary in the Dragon’s power, gifted in poetry and literature, and master of military strategies. Grandmaster, Don Shui, also trained the Emperor when he was young as well. He is now in his early fifties. He have long white hair and a long white beard. Bella didn’t know she was supposed to bring his sword, forgotten it and ran back to his courtyard to get it. When she returned, he was being yelled at by his master. “It is your duty to be responsible for your own weapon. If you forget something as simple as this, you can easily be killed in the battlefield,” said Grandmaster Shui. Crown Prince glared at her angrily. “Don’t look at the girl. Look at me,” said Grandmaster Shui. “Yes, Grandmaster,” said Crown Prince. “You’re only failure will be yourself if you do not prepare for the unpredictable.” “Yes, Grandmaster.” “
A FEW DAYS PASS “Dear me, you have surpassed every one of my students,” said Grandmaster Shui. “Thank you, Grandmaster,” said Crown Prince. “Soon, you will be off on your own.” “It’s all thanks to your teaching.” Grandmaster Shui laughed loudly. “Now, let’s run along and get some lunch. I’m starving.” “Yes, Grandmaster.” “Come child, you too,” said Grandmaster Shui to Bella. Bella stood still as she thought he confused her with someone else. Grandmaster Shui turned around to look at her, as she wasn’t following them. She stared at Grandmaster Shui with confusion. “Child?” asked Grandmaster Shui staring back at Bella. Bella's eyes widened. Startled at his kindness she stepped back and shook her head. “Oh, why is that?” Grandmaster Shui walked closer to her. Bella didn’t say anything but put her head down. Her messy and dirty hair floated in front of her face. “What’s wrong, huh? Child?” Crown Prince clenches his fist tightly together. He was annoyed that such an ugly, du
Bella woke up in her small area in the barn. She washed her face and saw her beautiful white face. She thought if only she wasn’t treated like this by these people, she wouldn’t mind showing her pretty face. However, if she shows them her flawless look who knows what these cruel people would do to her. She thought, “Probably be sexually harass everyday by these yucky and disgusting older men. And when she is of no use like those other lustful women be sold to the brothel, where those perverted guys have their ways with them.” She shivers at the thought. Clenching her fist tightly she told herself that once she finds a way to survive the Crown Prince cruel punishment. Only a few more years that she have to endure. Once he set her free from being his maid, she will have enough savings to move to a far away country and start a new life. From there she will find out what happened to her family. Putting on her bruise makeup she crawled out of the hole in the barnyard. When she got up, sh
Crown Prince smile. “Tomorrow, I will get rid of her.” THE NEXT FOLLOWING MORNING Bella fell backward and landed on her back. Her wounds from last night opened up again and her clothes was soaked in blood. “You wretched girl, you caused me nothing but trouble!” shouted Crown Prince. “What’s going on?” asked the Empress Dowager. She walked into the Crown Prince’s courtyard. “Grandmother,” Crown Prince slightly bowed to her. Empress Dowager was looking at Bella as she was covered in bruises, whip marks, and blood. With not a pity in her look she glared at her. “You have done nothing but caused trouble the moment you stepped into this palace. Should have left you on the street to let nature’s take it’s courses.” Bella slowly getting up, bowed to the Empress Dowager. Not lifting her head, she also thought that it would have been better for her to stay on the street to fend for herself than being here. Here, life was nothing but torture. They abused her, neglected her, humiliated her
Bella braces herself for the cruelty of fate have befallen on her. “Stop!” shouted Prince Joseph.“Prince Joseph,” said Empress Dowager. She stopped her whip midway, but the whip still lash at Bella’s left arm and tiny blood splatter everywhere.Bella grabbed her arm in pain.Crown Prince who saw her in pain smiled at her.Bella looked up and saw his wicked smile.“Brother, what are you doing here?” asked the Empress Dowager.“Mother, please, she’s merely a child.”“Humph. You’re standing up for the enemy?”“Sister, she’s not the enemy.”“You still think that the phoenix and dragon can co-exist together.”“Sister, there is no more of them. So, we dragons are already superior to anyone else.”“Humph. You and your logic.”“My dearest sister, just think carefully before you vent out your angry on such a small worthless being.”The Empress Dowager stared at Bella.“If you beat this little girl up anymore, she will die.”“So, what if she dies.”“Elder sister, if I can tame her, she could
After they got done washing the dishes, Bella followed Cynthia to the washroom. There was a tub of lukewarm water with rose petals in there. Bella took a bath while Cynthia gently washed and scrubbed the makeup off of her face.“There we go, that’s the beautiful little girl, I see,” said Cynthia, smiling at her.After Bella was done with her chores, her master was waiting for her.“Come, it’s time to go.”Bella followed him for a distance. Then they came to a stop at a sharp turn. There was a cave that was dark and mysterious. He lit a flame, and she followed him inside. Inside the cave was glittering with rubies, diamonds, and gold.“Wow,” she thought. “He could have made a fortune with this kind of rare jewels.”“Here, you will stay every single day for about an hour. If you’re still alive, I will take you out. If you’re dead, I will bury you next to the marigold flower. From there, the marigold will be able to use your body for nutrients.”Bella wrote on the ground, “Don’t forget yo