Chapter 6

  I woke up the next morning with a slight headache; I hadn't eaten anything yesterday, coupled with my terrible nausea.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I scanned the room I was in, a very big elegant room with a beautiful chandelier that hung proudly up at the ceiling. I was still finding it hard to believe I wasn't in my house again and had lost my parents.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I am going to stay in this castle basically all my life doing nothing other than to wake up from the queen-sized soft bed, get served and bathed, and submit to the King anytime he wants me… That was the kind of Life I found myself in.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "I really need to adapt to this royal life." 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I ran my hands through my hair as I yawned hungrily and tiredly; I shoveled my legs into my animal skin flip-flops as I walked to the bathroom.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "Why don't they also brush my teeth?" I said sarcastically to my reflection in the large mirror.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I will surely forget my home training after just one month of staying here. I already hate my life in this castle. I can't just imagine how it'd be like never stepping out of this place.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  A knock came on the door, interrupting me from brushing. Ignoring it, I completed my brushing and dragged my legs tiredly to the door.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "Beautiful morning, my Queen," they greeted in a bow

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  There were five female servants holding pieces of clothes, shoes, oils, hair extensions, and stuff as my brain clicked, reminding me that it was my engagement day with the King.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "Where is Sage? I thought she's supposed to be amongst you guys as my personal maid?" I asked as the short fat one in front bowed; I could tell she was their leader or something.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "No, my Queen, this isn't her work. We are specialized in making you beautiful on important occasions like this," she said as I rolled my eyes heavenward and opened the door widely, giving them space to enter.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I sat on my bed exhausted and not ready for the wedding preparations; I mean… Everything is just happening so fast. The wedding should have been held till next week, at least giving me time to prepare my mind.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Anyways, we are talking about the almighty ladies' man King Archer. He doesn't care if I am ready or not; he doesn't even care if I love him enough to marry him.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I watched the servants swing their tiny waists to the bathroom to set my bathing water as one of them placed my outfits on the dressing table. I wanted to check it out as the glitter nearly blinded my eyes, but I held myself back; by the way, I was the one to wear it.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "My Queen, your water is ready; please, can you come with me to the bathroom so we can give you a nice bath," she said in a bow as I sucked my teeth.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  She said it as if I didn't know how to take a proper bath; what is so special about them bathing me?

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "I won't take my bath until I have my breakfast; tell Sage to get my breakfast for me," I said and lay back down.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I could see the confusion on her face. I didn't want to know what would happen. All I wanted was to eat before anything else.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "My Queen…"

  "Now!" I yelled, cutting her short as she bowed

  "Right away, my Queen," she bowed and hurriedly left.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  They didn't expect me to go for the engagement hungry, right? They should be mad if they thought I would go hungry.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  The rest of the servants stood by the side of the wall with their heads bowed. They were basically looking like statues… being a royal servant can't be a bed of roses by the looks of things.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I could remember when Rosamund would always wish she was at least a royal servant, she would say that the servants ate good food and were breathing the same air as the royal family, but that wasn't it. I am sure that if they were given a chance to leave, they would run back home happily.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "I am sorry, my Queen, I brought you dinner last night, but you were fast asleep and didn't wake up to eat…sorry for keeping you hungry; I know I deserved to be punished for this," Sage said, waking me up from my deep sleep.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  What was I doing!? It's my engagement day, and I am feeling sleepy and acting sluggish as if time was by my side. I don't want the King, the Queen's, or any of the guards to come calling me.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I wasn't listening to any of Sage's pleas. All I wanted was to eat and try my best to prepare for the engagement, even if I was weak and dizzy.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "Drop the food over here," I said, tapping on my bed as she gently dropped the tray of food on my bed.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I opened the plate revealing a flavorful pasta and red sauce; I hoped the stupid nausea of yesterday wouldn't stop me again from eating this one.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I took the green leaf from the sauce and chewed it into pieces enjoying the juice from it as I took a sip from the lemonade.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I gently but hurriedly finished my meal, finally filled, and got some energy to start my day.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "Thanks for the meal, Sage," I said, gulping down the rest of the lemonade as she bowed.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "Always available for your calls, my Queen," she said in a courtesy bow and left.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I turned to the servants that stood by the wall; all bowed with their hands behind them.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "Shall we…" I said, drowning the WE as I came down from my bed and headed to the bathroom as they trailed behind me.

  

  

  

  ***

  

  

  

  The whole people of the Kingdom of Guham sat waiting for their King and their new Queen to arrive. The murmuring from the crowd could tell that there would be lots of gossip to tell the people absent from the ceremony.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  The noisy atmosphere of the hall slowly died down into quietness as the King walked in powerfully with his new bride beside him and his best man, who turned out to be his elder brother trailing behind him in his horseback attire.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  All the King's heart could think of was what his night with his betrothed would be like. He couldn't wait for the engagement ceremony to come to an end so he could find time to lay beside his fresh-blooded wife.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Pearl gently walked down the hall with the King's arm wrapped around her waist, leading her to the priest. She couldn't imagine how disrespectful the King could be by making the priest leave the parish where they were supposed to wed to come to the castle ball hall!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  She was just so uncomfortable with how he held her as if he owned her… Yeah, he owned her already. Her body was his, she was his property, and she had no choice but to accept that.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Now they were in front of the priest and the people of Guham about to exchange vows that weren't pure from the heart to each other. She could feel tears smudging her view as she blinked them back in other not to ruin the atmosphere of the day; she knew that, that alone could get her punished, so she had to control her tears the best way she could.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "How old are the Groom and his Bride?" The priest's voice filled the hall.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "I am 28," the King's voice echoed

  "I am 23."

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "Are the bride and groom related to each other by blood?"

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "No… Priest"

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "Do both the bride and the groom consent freely to enter into marriage?" 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "yes… Priest"

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "Now you both can exchange your marital vows."

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "I accept you as mine, my lovely husband, King Archer, and I promise to be submissive," Pearl mumbled in a cracky voice. Now she had said it with her mouth that she accepts to be submissive.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "I accept you as my lovely wife." 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  He didn't say much as he should, and the priest did not dare question him. King Archer was feared by all; even the priest could be a victim of his deadly wrath.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  "Now you both are bonded together… You may now share your love." 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  That would be Pearl's first kiss, a kiss without emotions attached, a forced kiss, a kiss she had to give to stay alive.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  They bent over to pin their lips together as… I could feel my head spinning; I was feeling dizzy and that sudden urge to throw up was strong; I couldn't imagine myself throwing up in front of the people of Guham. They will definitely spread the news around.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I forced myself to ignore the queasiness and give the ladies' man a kiss at once, but this time it wasn't much of the queasy feeling, but rather I was feeling dizzy.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  My eyes were gradually closing up as I saw myself falling only to be held by the lady's man and I suddenly blacked out.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  @pop precious