Chapter 7

The castle was nothing like I had imagined.From the outside, it looked like something built to keep the world away. Its black towers rose above the surrounding forest, their sharp peaks disappearing into the clouds. Tall walls surrounded the grounds, and iron gates stood open to welcome the prince home.

Vladimir didn’t slow down as we approached.Neither did the guards who followed us.I stumbled beside him, struggling to keep up with his long strides. My wrist still hurt where he had held it, and my legs felt weak after everything that had happened in the arena.

I had no idea what awaited me inside those walls.I only knew I didn’t want to find out.The gates closed behind us with a heavy metallic clang.

I looked back.For one foolish moment, I considered running,again but then look were that got me.

I saw the guards stationed along the walls, their weapons hanging at their sides. There was nowhere to go, and even if I managed to escape them, I would still have to get past Vladimir.

He hadn’t said a word since leaving the arena.I was beginning to hate that about him.At least when people shouted, I knew what they wanted. Vladimir’s silence left me imagining things far worse than anything he had actually done.

We entered the castle through enormous wooden doors. The moment I stepped inside, I was hit by the smell of polished wood, burning candles, and something rich and savoury coming from somewhere deeper within the building.

The entrance hall was enormous. A grand staircase curved along the far wall, and portraits of people with pale faces and sharp eyes hung between tall windows. Every surface looked expensive.

A few servants hurried past us.

Their eyes immediately dropped when they noticed Vladimir.Then they saw me.

Some stared openly. Others whispered behind their hands before quickly looking away.

I kept my head down.I didn’t want to know what they were saying.

Vladimir stopped near the staircase.“Clean her up.”

A woman in a dark dress appeared almost immediately. She bowed to him before turning to the three young women standing behind her.

“Take her.”

I looked at Vladimir, waiting for him to say something else.

He didn’t.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked.

His golden eyes settled on me.“Go.”

The woman grabbed my arm.I tried to pull away, but she tightened her grip.

“Come along, human.”

I looked over my shoulder as they led me down a corridor.Vladimir was already walking in the opposite direction.Just like that, he was gone.

And I was left with strangers.

⸻

The maidens took me to a room with a large copper bathtub, several basins of water, and shelves filled with bottles and soaps. A fire burned in the corner, making the room uncomfortably warm.

One of the girls closed the door behind us.

They were all beautiful in the unsettling way vampires seemed to be. Their skin was pale, their features delicate, and their eyes too sharp. They looked at me as if I were something unpleasant someone had dragged into their home.

The tallest maiden folded her arms.“So this is the human who stabbed the prince.”

Another girl laughed.“I thought she would look more impressive.”

My cheeks burned.I wanted to tell them that I hadn’t volunteered to be dragged into their castle. I wanted to tell them that their precious prince had threatened my friend and left me with no choice.

Instead, I stood there in silence.

I had already learned what happened when I provoked people stronger than me.

“Take off your clothes,” the tallest one ordered.

I hesitated.

She raised an eyebrow.“Do you need help understanding?”

My fingers trembled as I began removing my clothes. I hated standing in front of them like that, especially with the way they watched me. One of the girls whispered something to another, and they both laughed. I tried covering my large breasts with my hands. I felt way too exposed .

The quietest maiden stood near the bathtub, holding a clean cloth.She hadn’t laughed once.

When our eyes met, she looked away quickly, but not before I noticed something in her expression.

Sympathy, perhaps.

It was gone so quickly that I wondered if I had imagined it.

“Get in,” the tallest maiden said.

The water was hot enough to make my skin sting.Before I could settle into the tub, one of the girls grabbed my arm and began scrubbing me with a rough cloth.

I jerked away.“Ow!”

“Hold still.”She scrubbed harder.

I tried to pull my arm back, but another maiden caught my wrist.

“You’re filthy. The prince won’t have you brought before him looking like a forest animal.

“I can wash myself!”The words escaped before I could stop them.The girl holding my wrist smiled.

“Not anymore.”The cloth scraped across my shoulder.

Pain shot through my skin.“Stop! You’re hurting me!”

Nobody listened.They scrubbed my arms, shoulders, back, and legs as if they were trying to remove more than dirt. By the time they finished, my skin was red and burning. Tears gathered in my eyes, and I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from crying.

I had been hunted through a forest.I had watched a girl die.And now I was being scrubbed like an animal because someone had decided I wasn’t clean enough.

I couldn’t understand how my life had changed so much in a single day.

“Turn around,” the tallest maiden ordered.

I flinched when she reached for my arm again.

The quiet maiden stepped forward. “That’s enough. Her skin is already red.”

The room fell silent.

The tallest girl slowly turned toward her.“Did I ask for your opinion?”

“No.”

“Then keep it to yourself.”

The quiet maiden lowered her eyes.I stared at her, feeling a strange mixture of gratitude and fear. She had tried to help me, but I had a horrible feeling she would pay for it later.The others finished washing me without another word.

When they finally allowed me out of the tub, my entire body ached. One of them tossed a towel at me, and I caught it against my chest.

A plain brown dress lay on a nearby stool.

It was rough, shapeless, and far too big around the waist. There were no buttons or ribbons, no jewellery, nothing to make it look like a proper dress.I slipped it over my head.

The fabric scratched my skin.

“Perfect,” one maiden said with a cruel smile. “Now you look like what you are.”

A slave.