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It had been just one day, since her father, King William passed away and Eva had been in her room shedding tears. "Why did you suddenly leave me daddy? What will i do without you now?" 

She wiped away her tears from her pale face and lied down on her gigantic bed, laying her head on the plush pillow. Princess Eva, was now the only member of the royal family who was left, besides her step mother Diana, whom she adored dearly. "Maybe you already knew that you had ill health, that is why you married step mother." She thought about her step mother who was now her only sense of relief. Unlike other step mothers, Diana was different to her in her behaviour. She was not just very loving, but also very supportive of her every decision. She often took out Sophia for shopping and often gifted her numerous books. 

She kept crying when suddenly somebody knocked on the door. Eva lifted her head and looked at the door. "Come in please." 

The door opened and a middle aged lady, who seemed to be a little more than fifty, opened the door and looked at Eva. "Are you alright my dear?" She entered the room and looked at Eva inuch empathy. 

"Step mother... I ...I cannot just stop my tears. Why did father leave us?" She looked at the lady in much sorrow. 

Diana frowned a bit looking at Eva and walked closer to her. She lightly patted on her head and sat next to her. "Don't cry my angel. You have me besides you."

"Yes mother." Eva nodded her head and lifted her neck a bit. She then placed her head on Diana's lap and hugged her tightly. Diana kept caressing her head and hair lightly, wiping away her tears. "I am so glad, you are here with me at this time mother. I am so blessed to have you." 

Diana smiled a bit yet caressing Eva's head. "Oh, but I wish, I could say the same for you." 

"Huh?" Eva frowned a bit in confusion as if she had heard something wrong. She was about to lift up her head, when she felt something tiny and sharp on her lower back puercing her skim like an injection. Suddenly everything grew dark and she lost her conciouseness. 

Several hours later....

She opened her eyes and frowned a little looking at the dirty room, and bed on which she was lying. "Where am I?" She got up with a quick jolt, looking at the rotten celing above her.

"You are in the palace attic of the forbidden wing." A lady's cold echoed at her back and sge quickly turned to look behind her. Diana was standing near the door, looking at Eva coldly. 

"But why mother?" The scared girl asked in much confusion, not able to believe her eyes. She had never seen this side of Diana. Right now, Diana looked as if she was full of revenge and hatred for her. 

"Because, I have never loved you. Now that your father is dead, you have no role in the royal family and will stay here all your life. I will inform the world that you wanted to shift for higher studies as you no longer wanted to live in royal palace after your father's demise. You will not get any phone or any sort of means to communicate and don't even try to run. If the guards catch you, you are going to be very sorry." Diana pointed her finger at Eva, looking at her sternly. 

"I don't believe this. Why are you doing this to me? Did I not love you enough??!!" Eva scraemed at the top of her lungs in much anguish. 

"I don't owe you an explanation. Now be a good girl and sit down. I will tell the guards to handover a few books to you each day." Diana had just turned to leave when Eva got up on her feet, ready to fight back. 

"I don't have to accept your orders. I have the royal staff with me who are yet loyal to me." Eva instantly walked closer to Diana, ready to walk out of the door. 

"SLAPPPP!!!" 

Diana instantly planted a tight slap of Eva's face, making her fall on the floor. 

"I have changed the staff already. And you dare go against me and the next this palace will see is your funeral." Diana hissed in an angry voice. She then turned to look at the two guards. "Keep an eye on her and if she does not agree, beat her blue and black. Don't hesitate!" 

Diana walked out of the room, slamming it rapidly. After several hours of struggle, Eva gave up the fight and she knew it was now going to be difficult to step out of this attic. Tears dropped dowm from her eyes as she lied down on the bed all night, hungry and sad with no energy left in her body. She already had several bruises on her body, as the guards constantly pushed her and slapped her. 

.......