AN ORDER

Carly felt crushed. She sat on the bed in the room where the guards had placed her. Flashes of her father’s death replayed in her head, leaving her silently sobbing, feeling utterly helpless and alone. She moved away from the bed and then went to the door as the only thing she could think of was to run away and plan herself well. But unfortunately, the door was locked from the outside and, she was too weak to force her way out since she hasn’t turned into a wolf yet.

After what seem like an hour but was actually five minutes passed, the door opened and three familiar faces walked in. The three witches.

Helen, Tabitha and Sara. In their hands, they carried bags. Carly saw this as an opportunity to flee but the maids stopped her before she could make it pass the door.

“Fool, where do you think you are running off to? The guards are right at the door. Try leave and get more beating.” Helen mocked. Referring to the punishment after Helen reported to Zoya that she was sleeping instead of working.

“Let go of me!” Carly yelled at them as she tried to still pass through. 

Tabitha slapped her across the face, “Will you shut your mouth and just behave? Must you be a pain in our asses too?”

Carly was stunned when she was slapped, but there was nothing she could do.

“But why are the three of you in here? What do they plan to do with me?” She asked but got ignored and, they began undressing her.

“What are you doing?” She questioned and still, no response.

When they opened the bags they had brought in earlier, Carly saw different types of clothes, jewelry and shoes and that was how she knew why they were in the room- to doll her up for the night with Lord Ralph. She watched them in silence and let them do whatever they wanted with her.

The maids’ faces were filled with jealousy as they prepared her. They roughly scrubbed her body in the bathtub and when Helen couldn’t hold it in any longer, she scrubbed Carly’s body harder, causing Carly to wince in pain.

“Tell us the truth, bitch! We all know you wore that maid’s outfit on purpose to seduce Lord Ralph, didn’t you?! You want to be his mistress and leave here, right?” Helen yelled out, yanking Carly’s hair as a short gasp of pain escaped through her lips.

“I did no such thing!” Carly retorts angrily.

What the hell was their problem with her? Was there anything they don’t have a complain to?

“Liar!” Helen yelled at her again.

“If you’re so upset, why don’t I give this opportunity to you instead?! Give me some space. What will I call this? Oh, you think I’m happy with this? You think I care about Lord whatever you call his name? If you are so jealous, why not just tell him about your feelings and wear all this rubbish for him.” Carly sparked with anger. She was boiling.

They all paused for a moment, sneering coldly at Carly.

“As if you truly mean it,” Sara broke the silence.

Sara and Helen reluctantly stood up and pulled Carly out of the bathtub, glaring at her every second. They returned back to the room and then dried up Carly’s hair and body. 

Tabitha moved away from them, going through the bags they had brought in earlier and pulling out a red, sexy transparent nightgown with a net pant. She threw it across Carly’s face. 

“You are ordered to wear this for Lord Ralph, tonight,” she said. 

Carly was taken aback by the dress, not because it was beautiful but because it was too revealing. 

“I’m not putting this on.” She protested and it sure got the other maids in the room furious.

“We are not begging you. It is an order. Or you do enjoy being tortured?” Helen asked with a smirk on her face. 

Since she was dragged in as a maid, Helen has been the only one too harsh on her. She always wondered why the hate until one day she overheard Helen and one other maid talking about her. Helen was hateful towards her only because, she was too beautiful.

“You want to report it to Zoya?” Carly asked.

“No need for that. What is taking you maids so long to get her dressed?” Zoya’s voice from behind was a total shock. Because of arguing, they didn’t know when she came in.

They turned and lowered their eyes downwards.

“We are sorry.” They all apologized.

“Carly doesn’t want to wear the gown. We have been arguing on that. She said, nothing we can do to get her to wear it.” Helen’s voice broke the short silence after their apology.

Zoya turned red. Carly kept trying to prove stubborn and it irritated her even more.

“How dare you?!”

Since they were facing down, they thought she was angry and was shouting at Helen for talking but, to their surprise, they heard Carly scream and raised their heads.

“You will do as ordered.” She hit Carly so hard that her upper lip cut. 

Carly stared at herself in the mirror, almost naked and all she felt at that moment was a mix of shame and anger, while the other maids grew more jealous of her attractive figure and smooth skin. Only the face was well bruised from what happened earlier.

“I guess you are now ready for Ralph, seeing how pretty you look,” Tabitha said.

“No wonder you were able to seduce a royal member at first glance,” Zoya chimed in and then burst into laughter. 

“It seems you thoroughly enjoy your physical advantages,” Helen scoffed.

Carly ignored them without saying anything, as she knew that even if she did; it wouldn't change anything. And Zoya was watching every movement. There was no way she would die in Zoya’s hand without getting her revenge. They must all pay one after the other. They must reap what they sow in her. And after all, if she doesn’t kill them first, they will surely have her killed one way or the other.

“That's enough” Zoya ordered as the finish touch was done, “I will let Lord Ralph know. And you two,” She pointed at Helen and Sara, tell Hilda that we need food to be delivered here,” She continued. And with that, they all left, leaving Carly all to herself.

Not more than five minutes, another knock was heard at the door. Thinking it was Lord Ralph, Carly picked up a hair pin and hid it. Though it’s not enough to kill but, it would be enough to cause pain and help her escape.

As the door was pushed open, another group of maids came in. none cared about her presence. They dropped what they were asked to and left without uttering a word to her. Carly seized the chance to replenish her energy, eating the desserts and drinking the red wine meant for Lord Ralph as she was very famished and hadn't eaten. She knew that if she wanted to escape, she wouldn’t be able to do so in her weak state.

When she was done eating, she made her way towards the door and peeped through the door hole. To her luck, the guards weren’t outside anymore but, a maid.

 “Anyone out there? I need your assistance please,” she called out.