Chapter 2: Miserable life

19 years later

Jasmine POV:

“Jasmine….. Get up…. Get up Jasmine…. we are getting late….” Someone was busy slapping my butt cheeks as I was lost in dreaming about Prince Elijah “Ye.. Yes.. Prince… Eli.. jah…. .i’ll beeeeee… your Queen”  I answered in my hoarse voice

“YOUuuuuu……….” was the only word that I heard before someone abruptly woke me up from my good night sleep by pouring some freezing water right on side of my face “Hoo.. aww… AAhhhh…… wh.. what the….” I said in panic by sitting up straight on my wooden cot and carefully rubbed my eyes with back of my hands.

Wiping all dripping wet liquid of my face I saw my elder cousin sister standing beside my bed with scowl face “Aurelia… why did you do this….. Why did..” I was about to question her when “I had no other choice bitch, you weren’t getting up …… now look outside sun is about to rise and shine yet we are here in our room… did you forget that today is crowning of Elder prince ‘Sargon’, he will be taking over king place and you are sleeping soundly with your ass up in air when you should be helping my parents in kitchen for preparing meal for royal event” Aurelia hissed all by cutting my statement in between when all of sudden.

‘Wait! Why does this water smell like fresh cow milk…?’ I questioned myself in mind and that’s when my eye’s got focused on an empty wooden glass in Aurelia’s hand which was having trail of milk on its outer side.

“YOU DID NOT…” I said in my harsh tone staring straight in Aurelia’s eyes “Hmmm….. I said…. I had no choi…… .” Her word got stuck in her mouth as soon I quickly rolled and threw away my fluffy woolen blanket in her direction which landed right on her face “YOU FUCKING BITCH, HOW DARE YOU TO HIT ME WITH YOUR DIRTY BLANKET?” Aurelia screamed on me “You are one cunning witch… how can you… pour cow milk on me… now I have to wash up again in this cold winter” I said in irritated tone and immediately took off my long petticoat top with my cotton bottom drawers and rushed naked inside our tiny shared bathroom.

“What else do you wanted me to do bitch..? I tried to wake you up by slapping your lazy butt cheeks but you… you are one fucking stubborn dreamer, ever since you came to this castle you did nothing but dream about your stupid imaginations” Aurelia said in loud voice to make sure I was hearing her every word loud and clear while taking cold shivering bath in this winter.

“Also Remember one thing a stupid slave like you can never woo younger prince” she screamed like maniac and spilled some more curse words for me.

I ignored her word and quietly eyed cold water droplets that were falling on my finger however to my surprise I heard no more cursing from Aurelia in fact what I heard was loud bang of slamming our wooden bedroom door shut.

 ‘Hmm…. Fuck my ungrateful fate’ I thought in my mind and continued with scrubbing my body clean with water and wool scrubber, this was my pitiful life since last two years.

Earlier I was happily living with my grandmother in town but I was deceived by my aunt to live inside castle as royal physician.

I was seventeen when my grandmother passed away two years back and I was falsely brought in castle by my aunt and her husband, they told me that they were going to let me practice medicine for royal family by I was delude my own aunt and her family, my only relatives were my two vicious aunts and an uncle.

My one aunt and uncle were residing in our old kingdom Ravarya where e I used to live in kingdom Ravarya when I was young but my grandmother shifted me to Kingdom Tallis for some unknown reason.

In town of Kingdom Tallis she opened her small medicinal shop and started earning her living by treating sick people, I grew up with her learning her methods and medicine, she used to teach me different treatment and methods to prepare and preserve medicine, we both were living a peaceful life in town of Tallis until one day when my grandmother was mystically found dead, she died in our medicinal shop with blood oozing out from her mouth, other physician from our kingdom confirmed she died because of her old age and unidentified some internal injury.

I being her close granddaughter hold her funeral with help of other villagers and buried her ashes with all traditional rituals in local crematory along with her few belongings, on that very day my other aunt Livia Grigoras who was working as kitchen chef in castle of kingdom Tallis visited me along with her husband Bernard Grigoras and offered me to live with them, Grigoras was family of four Livia, Bernard and their two children Elder daughter Aurelia and younger son Maximus,

I was told me that they will let me practice medicine and will help me lead a better life by making me a royal physician.

Initially I hesitated but then she got me under her sugar filled words, I assumed they were guilty for treating me and my grandmother poorly for all past year and were looking for retribution by I was proved wrong when they sold on my grandmother house on the very first day when I started to live with them, they were just money seeking rascals who were after my deceased grandmother wealth.

I was helpless to stand up against them because they were having support of royal family, my aunt and her family was serving King and Queen of Tallis for decades now.

Because of their malicious act the only thing that was left to me was my grandmother medical shop because no buyer was ready to purchase that shop as there was a rumor that it was cursed, since my grandmother passed away in there.

Firstly I started working a cleaning staff but soon my aunt and uncle started making me do every single chore of kitchen, from cleaning to cooking, to chopping vegetable and even farming of fresh vegetables, in rain or hot summer or cold winter, they never once allowed me to learn or practice medicine, or cure any ill person and becoming a royal physician was far away like a dream, they never  even spared me a day off from kitchen work, I used to work every day until I used to drop dead of tiredness, I was nothing but an unpaid slave of this castle.

‘My piteous fate…’ I mentally cursed my fate couple of time before finishing my cold bath.

Once I was done hastily made my way out and very thoughtfully pulled out my pure cotton white colored drawers, a cream colored petticoat, white colored corset also since today was special day I thought of wearing my olive green colored cotton gown which was having golden hem, it wasn’t any royal dress however olive green colored always make me shine more bright among all other servants, olive green color perfectly blends with my forest green eye colors, since I was living in castle as royal slave my dressing had changed, the clothing was more elegant and suitable than what I used to wear when I was living in town with my grandmother.

Saying that I am Jasmine Stoneheart , a 19 years old women serving as a kitchen slave from past two years in King Aldrich and Queen Helena castle of kingdom TALLIS , I am an average women of 5’ 3 feet tall height with wheatish skin tone and waist length honey brown wavy hairs which are thoroughly smooth as silk and glistening as bright sun, my forest green eyes a center of attraction in our castle, I was approached and abused by many guards and other servant for my good-looking appearance however I never allowed anyone of them to even get close to me.

I am merely waiting for an opportunity leave castle once and for all and take care of my grandmother medicinal shop, I was planning on continuing my grandmother legacy since that was the only way I could feel her close to me, until then I am working all I could to meet my daily task, thinking of which today is crowning ceremony of our Elder prince Sargon.

Our King Aldrich and Queen Helena are blessed with two charming prince Elder prince Sargon and younger prince Elijah, Taliis is one of the mightiest kingdoms of all other kingdom out there, our army strength and number was most feared and renowned in entire northern part.

Elder prince ‘Sargon’ personal used to train and prepare every solider for battlefield, he was considered as most ruthless and most feared man of entire northern part, Elder prince was title with name of ‘Death’ since his cold and dangerous demeanor was sufficient to dominate his victims and even his swords skills were explicit, on contrast there was younger prince Elijah who more into learning literature and art and he was wish of every women from our kingdom including mine, I always had this cuddling feeling in my stomach whenever I used to see younger prince.

Today our old King Aldrich will officially pass on his crown and regime to elder prince Sargon in front of all kings and queens of other kingdoms, since Taliis was one big kingdom of North many royalties and high ranking peoples were invited from northern, eastern and western part of world.

Also my aunt Livia and her husband Bernard were specifically ordered to prepared a extravagant and delicious meal for today’s guest, because of which my aunt Livia and her husband prepared a lavish menu yesterday, Fried shrimp, roasted beef in sweet sauce, pesto jelly, spicy minced pork, winter green salad, velvet corn soup, mixed nuts breads, fresh yogurt desert, berries drinks, carrot cake and much more..… However in order to server them all we need to prepare them, thinking that I quickly gave a light wipe to my wet hairs and fixed my dressing.

At last I wore my small black colored dragon wing pendant which had a small Jade in middle around my neck and immediately rushed only to bump into a hard wall which made me lost balance

“OOuuuchhh… Ahhhh..……” I sequel in pain as I felt my body falling down backward, I knew I was going to hit ground and badly injure my spine but there was nothing I could do to avoid it except closing my eyes shut, in that spilt seconds of time I waited for collision with hard grey stone castle floor but to my surprise it never happened rather I felt two arm securely wrapped around my waist and supporting me in mid air..

‘Where did this wall came from in overnight and do wall have hands?’ I spoke in my mind and gently opened my eyes only to be welcome by two striking black orbs that were staring straight at me, instantly my mind recognized owner of those eyes and I felt my racing heart “Pr.. Prince….. Elder prince Sargon” I said in trembling voice.

Third person POV:

When jasmine walked out of her bedroom she accidently run into Elder prince Sargon and lost her balance however Elder prince Sargon quickly wrapped his both hands around jasmine waist as she was about to fall down

 “Pr.. prince….. Elder prince Sargon” she said in her tender voice when their eyes meet, her voice was velvety and enchanting at same time hearing which prince Sargon quickly pulled her up closed to his chest and lightly pushed her away.

Jasmine lowered her gaze and said “I appo..apologize elder prince”, she quickly moved aside from prince track by keeping her head down and joining her both palms together in front of her, Jasmine waited but received no response from prince Sargon even though she was able to feel his intense gaze on her body when from corner of her eyes she saw his right hand knuckle turning white as his palm turned into a ball.

‘Ohh.. lord is he going to hit me, but I didn’t touched him on purpose.. it was a mistake…. Oh.. lord…save me’ Jasmine though to herself and subconsciously shrieked back however nothing happened while she was in speaking to herself prince Sargon walked away and head to other end of corridor leaving her behind alone with her thought.

Once Elder prince was out of her sight Jasmine released a long breath which she didn’t even realized she was holding for long time and gently wiped sweat beads of her forehead, elder prince Sargon was one feared man of all seven kingdom and no one ever dared to cross his path yet there she was standing in his way while he was rushing towards other end or corridor.

“Phff…. that was close” Jasmine heaved and made her way towards kitchen where she saw cat and mouse situation, it was too early for morning, sun was yet to shine bright and rise high above in sky however her aunt Livia and her uncle Bernard were already set in mood of preparing delicacies for prince crowning event

“WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU SO LATE.. JASMINE ….. DIDN’T I FUCKING TELL YOU TO BE HERE BEFORE SUNRISE” Mrs Livia Grigoras jasmine maternal aunt scolded her while she herself kept skimming cow milk on stove.

“Aunty… I.. its Aurelia fault she bathe me in milk for waking me up” Jasmine replied with puppy eyes and her Aunty turned to Aurelia who was picking leaves of fresh coriander “Is it true?” her aunty asked giving on sharp to Aurelia.

Aurelia was aware of her mother temper hence she did not dare to deny “Ahh… Mother… it’s because she was not getting up… I tried to woke her up several time but she kept dreaming” Aurelia justified

“Whatsoever it might be Aurelia, but don’t you know how important day is today for entire kingdom, it’s King Sargon crowning ceremony, how can you waste my precious time here, do you want your mother to be in trouble” Jasmine butted in with sinister grin and puppy eyes, a deadly combination, Aurelia knew Jasmine was teasing her because of which she only returned her with hatred glares “Yes, I would have not done that If you wasn’t dreaming about young prince” Aurelia resorted with anger and Jasmine turned pink on her words, she was indeed dreaming about Prince Elijah.

“ENOUGH BOTH OF YOU” suddenly they heard loud growling of their Livia “Jasmine you go an help your uncle to chop goat meanwhile Aurelia you better start cleaning all dishes once your done with cleaning coriander” her mother said in stern voice.

“Tha.. that’s not fair mother… I can help you in cooking, let jasmine do cleaning chores” Aurelia cried and suggested

“No, she cooks better than you and I need her help in preparing many dishes today since there is no room for mistake, now do as I say or else I’ll increase your punishment till entire week” her mother Livia added hearing which Aurelia huffed and went to sink while Jasmine sheepishly smiled and moved towards big bread oven.

Jasmine hurriedly picked up a big loaf of freshly baked raisin bread and filled a glass of warm turmeric milk and brought them on kitchen counter, as she was about to drink milk from her lass a hot spoon came flying in her direction and vigorously hit her hand which spilled her entire glass of warm milk on floor

“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING” a loud growling sound from side, jasmine turned her head and saw her uncle Bernard staring at her with murderous look in his eyes.