I am Ellie Bakidoth and I’ll not shudder!

Chapter 5

I coughed, and tightened my hands around my throat while the maid rushed over to my side, I shook my head and pointed towards the door.

Gullible freaky maids.

I laughed and jumped to my feet to cover up the revealing space on the wall.

Soon they returned but I was lying in my bed. From my half-closed eyes, I watched as they approached me with Lefika in their midst.

Lefika's hands rested on my forehead, and her eyes pierced through mine. "Princess, are you okay?"

I nodded. "I just need some sleep," I responded.

"You'll sleep after taking your medicines and soaking yourself in the herbs. Tomorrow you'll be led to the prince's chambers so we have to do everything to make sure tomorrow's event is successful."

I nodded and smiled.

"Is the bath ready?" I asked and Lefika glanced over her shoulders. I rose, pretending to be weak then I headed straight to the bath while Lefika and the maids trotted behind me.

I drew in a deep breath as my body sank into the bath and for some moments I stared into a space.

"I'm sorry for what happened to the maid. It was never my intention to_" Lefika cut me off my words.

"Next time don't argue with the queen or question her commands. Just do it!"

There was silence.

I nodded my head and sucked in my bottom lips. "You're not going to blame me or yell in my face?"

A slow smile tugged at the corner of Lefika's mouth. She glided her gaze to my side and said. "She's dead. It's better to let the dead rest in peace. I know if there's anything she's going to yell in your face would be for you to take your Etiquette lessons seriously so other maid's life won't be cut short."

Tensions hit me and I felt my knees go numb even under the water, and cold seeping into my chest despite the hot bath.

She was dead?

The maid's death weighed heavily on my conscience, and I couldn't shake the feeling of responsibility. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, and despite my efforts to hold them back, they streamed down my face, mingling with the bath water.

I didn't utter more words or even a sound as they scrubbed my skin, and applied lotion to it afterward.

The looming meeting with the prince filled me with dread. The ghost's warning echoed in my mind: the ritual bath, fragrance, and lotion were designed to trigger the prince's feral state, making him see me as a threat. I needed a plan to survive the encounter. I took a deep breath and focused on calming my racing thoughts. How could I neutralize the effects of the poison? Were there any alternatives or antidotes? I gripped my trembling hands tightly, willing myself to think clearly and come up with a strategy to vindicate myself and avoid the beast prince's wrath.

"Since tomorrow is the mounting day. Today, our lesson will be about sex positions." lefika muttered and I felt my skin crawl that disgusting words of hers.

Not even codedly. She just mentioned sex like it's nothing serious.

"Is someone blushing?" Lefika asked as her hands brushed over my hair.

I turned to reveal my flustered cheeks. "Is it obvious that I'm happy or embarrassed?" fury almost choked me.

Lefika erupted into giggles, a glint of innocence flashing in her blue eyes. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. You'll surely get used to It that's if you," she paused and bit on her lower lips as if she had uttered formidable words.

Slowly, I rose to my feet and flashed her a warm smile, my hands pressing softly at the back of her hands. "That's if I survive, right?"

She twitched her hands from my grip and her head lowered in fear. "I'm sorry mortal princess. I never meant_"

"You don't have to apologize to me." I laughed and nudged her arms when the look on her face was too stern.

Finally, the stern look was replaced with that of relief.

"How many young brides have died in the process of fulfilling their duty to the beast prince?"

"100," she snapped. "100 is an understated value, my princess."

100 young lassies?

Tears threatened to fall but I fought hard against it, also I struggled to maintain an even, conciliatory tone.

"I, Ellie Bakidoth will survive this. I'll make history." I drew in a deep breath as I affirmed and beat my chest.

I looked at Lefika. "The sex lessons. I have to rest 'cause I'm having a fever."

Lefika hummed and led the way to the Cinnamon Hall where a man was sitting, a man who bored a semblance with a female.

He had this seductive look on his face, and his body tweaked like a female dancer.

As soon as I settled on the mat. The man rose to pay his respect to me, then he began with his lessons.

Gosh! I felt tempted to sink into the earth below me at the visual display of the sex chart before me.

The way the man was demonstrating it was embarrassing. I bit my lips to stifle the insult I would have hurled at him.

When he positioned me with my hands and knees on the mat and walked to my forth to do the same thing.

"You'll bare your ass like this to him. He's going to mount you from behind, and ensure you angle your head, by exposing your neck so his fang could graze against your neck and if possible mark you." this man bare his white ass to my face. I almost poke but I'll hold everything in until I return to my chamber.

He flipped showing me his front view, and curiosity spiked within me. Was he castrated?

When I tried to have a proper view. He covered himself properly and said the class was over. He handed over to me a p**n book where drawings of several sex positions were intact.

I left the class to my chamber and the maids were inside with me. I raised my gaze at them in askance, and before they could speak, the door opened with Lefika emerging.

"Mortal princess how was today's class?" she asked.

"It was awkward," I replied. "Why won't the maids leave me alone?" I asked.

Lefika's gaze flickered from me to the maids and she smiled at me. "According to the tradition of this ritual rite. They were supposed to guard and watch over you tonight as you sleep."

"I won't be able to sleep if someone stays around me." I snapped.

"Well. Not that serious the rules could be boycotted but..." she puts on a a thoughtful expression while clicking her tongue. She clapped her hands. "Well maids you may return to your chamber, you're to return here tomorrow as soon as the cock crow."

Shortly after the maid had left, like bid me goodnight.

As soon as the door shut tight, I jolted from my bed to the wall side and began to drop the stones.

I slipped myself into the opening in the wall, with a torch in my hands as a guide.

"Hey?" I called out to the cold dark tunnel but only the echoes of my voice had welcomed me.

"Hey. You have to answer me and show your ugly face to me. Tomorrow I'll be going to the prince's chamber to be mounted. You mentioned something fishy about the bath, fragrance, and lotion." I stopped, catching my breath.

"You have to show up and tell me how I'll avoid using those things tomorrow." my voice echoed again in the tunnel resonating in my ears.

Then a chilled breeze brushed against my neck which caused me to shudder and gasp in panic.

'Maybe it was her.' my instincts tried to keep my hope high, so I waited patiently, holding my breath afraid that my heartbeat would irk her.

She didn't show up. Not even a glimpse of her shadow but of the chilling sensations that filled the entire air.

"You ugly bitch! Fucking show your ugly face to me and tell me what I'm supposed to do tomorrow. I can't die. You said our fates are entwined and..." I broke into tears, losing my calm. "Why are you being so demonic?"

No response.

"You want me to die?" I scoffed. "Aren't you being ridiculous? Dragging me here to instill fears in me so I could be on my knees begging for your sympathy?"

I turned on my heels, as I made to leave. "I'm leaving," I said to break through the existing thick silence but there was no response.

I glanced over my shoulders for the last time before I threw the torch in my hands away, and walked away.

Since she wasn't ready to help me, I'll walk through this darkness myself and make it a yardstick for me to stay alive tomorrow.

I found my way to the opening, with tears cascading down my eyes. Maybe I was destined to die.

Such a pity, that I’ll die before my twentieth birthday tomorrow.

"I am Ellie Bakidoth and I will not shudder!" I gripped my gown. "Tomorrow when I see the prince. I'll survive."