Punishment and pain

A burst of masculine yet light laughter echoed in the hallway as the figure—who is a man—pulled away from me. His fingers lingered on my arm to steady me. They felt so strong and warm.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, his breath warm on my ear.

My cheeks heated as I forced myself to look away from his jawline which was so sharp and defined, into his eyes. They were blue…just like Reginald's.

Could he be…?

Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine, Bernice's warning echoing in my head: Stay away from the royal family members, they could be very hostile to strangers.

Some part of me couldn't help but feel this guy was different. I mean, he hadn't stopped smiling at me. His smile was so genuine that his eyes crinkled at the sides.

Clearing my throat, I tried to sound polite. “No, please, it was my fault. I should have watched where I was going. I’m sorry.” I bowed my head, hoping he would leave me alone.

No luck there.

He shook his head, making the long black curls on his head bounce. "Don’t be silly. I was the one with my face planted into a book." His words drew my attention to the book in his hands and I felt a twinge in my heart. I never even got to learn how to read.

 "Let me guess. You are Reggie's bride-to-be.” His words jolted me from my thoughts and l flushed under his sharp scrutiny. “Yes, I guess so.” I said softly.

He rolled his eyes and took my hand in his, kissing it gently. “You’re stunning. Nothing like we expected. Reggie is one lucky bastard.”

Although I knew his words were a lie and he was just being polite, I couldn't help but blush harder as he winked at me. Somehow, I felt drawn to him. He seemed cheerful, like a ray of sunshine in this dark castle.

Unable to stop myself, I blurted. "You are different from your brother. Very much so."

Just as I said those words, the humor vanished from his eyes and he grew silent.

Shit. Did I offend him? I should have kept my mouth shut. My stomach twisted with anxiety and I felt like throwing up as he continued staring at me, eyes blank and empty. I wanted to apologize, but no words came out of my mouth as it went completely dry.

Unexpectedly, he threw his head back and laughter bubbled from his lungs. "I know right? I am beautiful and bright. He's an ugly, dark asshole."

My shoulders relaxed with relief and a small smile tugged at my lips.

Shaking his head, he patted my shoulder and said in a low voice, “Don’t judge him too harshly until you meet the eldest prince though. He’s the worst of us all. If Reggie is a dark asshole, then Lex is a fucking monster."

His words sent a shiver through me and before I could ask any questions, he was already walking away.  He disappeared into the north wing, his back narrow and straight, leaving me utterly alone and confused.

As I shook my head, heading in the opposite direction, it occurred to me that I didn't even get his name. just the other prince’s name…Lex, was it?

Sighing, I pushed the encounter out of my mind and hurried down the stairs into the living area.

The living room felt like a trap as I entered it. A cold shiver ran down my spine when I saw the woman sitting on the couch, her face twisted in a cruel sneer. She looked like a predator ready to pounce on its prey.

 “Good morning, queen mother.” I forced a smile and bowed slightly, lingering at the doorway. I’d hoped she would be in a good mood this morning but right now, I knew that wish had been in vain.

She glared at me with such hatred that I felt a surge of fear in my chest and I almost melted into the door.

“How dare you show up so late, you filthy mutt?” she spat, her voice dripping with contempt. “Do you think this is some lowly dump like Hybern? Do you have any idea of your duties as the future Luna of this pack?”

I trembled under her piercing gaze and tried to explain. “I’m sorry, ma’am. It’s only eleven o’clock and I came down as soon as I got ready.”

She snorted and rose to her feet, pointing at the kitchen. “You should have been up at dawn, helping the maids with the cooking and clean. You should have been overseeing the daily affairs of this pack. You are not here to enjoy yourself, you worthless witch. You are here to serve my son and this pack.”

“And don’t you forget it. You are nothing but a piece of trash, a scarred and ugly freak.” Her words cut through me like knives, slicing through my already fragile self-esteem.

I felt tears sting my eyes as a lump formed in my throat. Why did she hate me so much? Was it because of my appearance? I knew I was not beautiful, not after what my pack had done to me. They had beaten and scarred me for life. All I wanted was a chance to start over, find some happiness in this new pack. But it seemed like I was doomed to suffer.

I opened my mouth to apologize again, but she interrupted me with a roar. “You need to be taught a lesson, you insolent brat. Go and kneel outside in the yard. And don’t you dare get up until I say so. You’ll kneel there until you drop dead.”

Her chest rose and fell rapidly and I could see the fury in her eyes. She wanted me gone, but she couldn’t disobey the king’s orders. I knew better than to argue with her. She was the queen, and I was nothing. A mere pawn in this political marriage.

A nod was all I could muster, as I turned and walked towards the front doors.

My heart felt like it was being crushed by a vice as shame and despair filled me. The sun was merciless, beating down on me like a hammer as I dropped to the grass.

I had barely recovered from the fever I got after the brutal beating from my pack members and now the sun seemed to want to finish me off, roasting me alive. I blinked away the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. I had to be strong. I had to endure.

Straightening my back, I lifted my chin, trying to show some dignity. The queen watched me from inside for a while, her face twisted with disgust, then she snorted and walked out.

She stood in front of me, towering over me like a giant as she raised her voice. “I don’t think this will teach you enough lesson! Get up!”

My heart skipped a beat, but I obeyed her. I got up on my feet, feeling dizzy and weak. My skin felt like it was on fire.

She pointed at a rocky path ahead, filled with sharp stones and rocks. “I want you to crawl on that path a hundred times, to and fro, on your knees. If you defy me, I’ll cancel this marriage and send you back to your pack. Don’t think I don’t know how bad you’ve got it in your pack.” Her voice was low and menacing.

She was right. She knew everything about my miserable life in my pack and this was my only chance to escape that hell. But it came at a terrible price.

Tears streamed down my face as I walked away from her, bracing myself for the agony that awaited me.

I bit my lip hard as I lowered myself onto my knees and felt the rocks and stones pierce my skin.

A muffled scream ripped through my lips as blood oozed from the wounds. Clenching my teeth and fists, I tried to block out the pain as I started crawling down the rocky path that was about thirty meters long.

“One…two…three…” The queen counted aloud, her voice cold and mocking. She walked away on the twentieth count, a smug smile on her face.

“Fifty…sixty f-four…” I lost track of time as I crawled on my knees, the blood making the path slippery and sticky. My vision blurred as I saw double images in front of my eyes.

Pain was raging in every nerve of my body as the wounds ripped open even more. My throat was dry and raw from screaming under the sun.

Just as I made the ninety-ninth round, Amelia came home and saw me in my bloody state. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she stared at me in horror.

"Hey...are you okay? Don't die in our house?" She said nervously, her voice trembling as she dropped her shopping bags on the floor.

I couldn't speak. I had no strength left in me. My mouth felt like a furnace and my throat felt like it was bleeding. I had lost all feeling in my knees as sweat rolled down my face and mixed with my blood on the ground.

Maybe it was my pale face or the blood, but Amelia screamed for Reginald.

"Brother... Savannah was punished by our mother to kneel and I heard from the servants that she has been kneeling for hours."

"Don't talk to me about that dummy. I hope she dies."

I heard these words faintly as I felt myself falling into an abyss. I welcomed the dark as it gave me relief from the agony.

When I opened my eyes, everything around me was snow white. The ceiling above my head, the sheets, and even the curtains were all white.

Rubbing my eyes, I tried to get out of the bed, lifting the quilt but as soon as my feet touched the ground, a wave of dizziness washed over me and everything went dark again.

From a far place, I felt hands on my knees and then a soft material placed on them...right before I slid back to that quiet...painless spot.