I - The King's Orders

I

The King’s Orders

My pesky mind imagined how I would look in fine clothes, and it never occurred to me that it would be like this, elegant and gorgeous. With my wavy, henna-colored hair braided, my body wearing a patterned, turquoise, knee-length dress made of good silk and linen, my hands covered in gloves, and feet protected with high-heeled slippers, I looked like a maiden of high-rank.

“You look fantastic, Cola,” Scylla complimented, her eyes were glistening with amazement, as I am.

“Be careful. We will wait for you.” Kalare stated with worried eyes, as I am, too. I gave my three friends an assuring smile even though I also share their sentiments. 

My bones were reeking with fear when the palace’s carriage arrived in my little hut. Four beautiful horses were used; the coaches gave me a quick glance, but they immediately looked away. Maybe the King has ordered them to not look or talk to me. Fortunately, my nervousness was up to the heavens that communication with strangers was not possible. Without further ado, I wore my midnight blue cloak before stepping inside the carriage. 

I have always dreamt of visiting the kingdom and the palace. The thoughts of its majestic halls, and astounding environment kept me at the edge of my seat. However, my excitement was unfitting for I was summoned to the palace, not for a quick tour, but for an inevitable punishment. 

Princess Aurora has awakened. The only purpose of my existence was to guard her and make sure she stays asleep. At present, my sole purpose has vanished. What awaits me inside the kingdom walls, and the possibility that the princess can wreak havoc again terrifies me greatly.

The fright that reigns in my chest departed when the huge, wooden doors of the kingdom opened. The roads and spaces were filled with merchants, commoners, and Lords and Ladies with their sergeants. Numerous children were running around, playing, while some were selling fruits and vegetables. The smell of freshly made bread entered my nose as the carriage moved past a pink-colored baker’s shop filled with numerous buyers.

As we go deeper to the kingdom, the buildings and houses seemed higher than the last. Exquisite boutiques and coffee shops can now be seen. My head wanted to break as I continued to take the beauty of everything in my mind, for this might be the last time that I would be able to see this.

The gigantic palace walls made my uneasiness return. The Royal family’s coat of arms was two flags crossed with one another. One was red, and the other was white, and both have streaks of gold, symbolizing the power and peace that the kingdom holds. It was embedded at the gates, uniforms, and even at the door of the palace. 

When the carriage stopped, it took me a minute to steady my breathing and calm my mind. 

The palace’s walls, windows, and floor were bright and glossy. No dirt was visible that was why when a palace maid guided me to enter, I was hesitant. I thought that my clothes were already enough to deem myself as a maiden of high rank, but seeing this palace made me think otherwise.

I am a mere commoner. 

I would not even pass as a commoner; I am a nothing, not even a real person. 

“Cola!” Three consecutive hugs were given to me by the Fairy Godmothers. Godmother Flora gave me the tightest hugs of them all. However, I did not sense that they were delighted to see me wandering the glossy floors of the palace.

The Godmothers were having looks of worry and fear. In order to brighten the mood a little, I gave them a comforting smile. 

“It is nice to meet you here in the palace, Godmothers,” I say. “My journey was wonderful. I was able to witness the beauty of the world, even by little.” It seems to me that I have been often lying these days. It brings me deal of discomfort every time I had to speak of lies.

Godmother Fauna burst in tears. “Cola! You should run away! Hide from the King! You should not have come here!” she says, her voice was shaking madly for she was terrified.

“Fauna is right, Cola. You should have just run away instead of coming here. This is an unwise decision.” Godmother Flora gripped my shoulders. “There is still time. We could lend you our horses.

With an assuring smile, I touched Godmother Flora’s hand gently. “It’s okay, Godmothers. If I run away now using your horses, the King would punish the three of you. The princess was in my care. I should take responsibility for what happened.” 

Godmother Merryweather shook her head violently before speaking, “You are not aware of the violence that the King has, Cola. He will punish you severely.

Before a word escaped my mouth, a palace guard wearing a red uniform came. He did not say a word, but it can easily be understood that he came here for me. With a fake smile, I bid goodbye to the Godmothers before following the palace guard into a secluded hall. It smelled of lemon, bleach, and something else I could not name. 

With the hopes of speaking to the King, I entered the door that the guard opened for me. However, instead of seeing the King sitting on his throne, a dark room filled with metallic chains was in sight; it smelled of blood and metal. A table sits not far from the center where the chains hung from the ceiling. 

Fear crept into my bones as another two palace guards came forth. They quietly grabbed my hands and placed the chain in both of my wrists. My hands were trembling as my eyes roamed around, waiting for pain and for mercy. 

They made me face the wall, I obliged. Silence filled the dark room as the palace guards removed my cloak and dress. Frightened with what was happening, my tears started to fall. However, my cries seemed to fall into deaf ears as the guards continued to undress me. It was cold, however, the thing that bothers me the most was the thing that they could do to me.

Would they kill me? Was the King so angry he does not need my explanation as to what happened? Would my life just end like this? I have not even be able to see a library. I have not even made a friend yet. 

 The thoughts that came to me suddenly vanished when a searing roar of pain etched on my skin when I felt a powerful whip on my back. I could not help but scream, but even before my scream was done, another whip made me whimper. Hot tears continued to wet my face as continuous whipping in my spine weakened me. 

 “Please…” I moaned in pain, finally mustering up the energy to beg for mercy. 

 Another whip. I screamed.

 My vision started to fill with blinding light as I received continuous whips. I was barely hanging unto my consciousness when the guards poured freezing water all over my body. The coldness made me quiver; it was enough to awaken me, but not enough to awaken my mind.

 My rational thoughts started to slip away. Words and phrases were drifting apart as the whips started again. I felt the blood dripping on my back. I counted the whips as I shouted in pain. I wanted it to stop, I wanted to scream. I wanted to get angry. I wanted to know how they can hurt a person like this.

 But then, I already knew the answer to my dubiousness. I deserve this for not doing my task properly. 

I deserve this, I kept repeating in my mind, hoping that the repetitiveness of the phrase would make me believe in it as well. Because despite what happened, I still believe that I do not deserve this.

👑👑👑

Twelve whips. 

They whipped me twelve times and held me in the prison cell for twelve hours with little to no food. 

I have read about torture in the books that the Godmothers have brought me. The words on those books seemed irrelevant and not enough to describe the pain that I have experienced. 

It was not like in the books wherein the torturer would talk a lot; they would give you deafening silence to play with your mind, breaking you a bit more. They would not let you sleep the pain off because when my mind tried to drift asleep, the palace guards would always wake me up using icy water. 

My consciousness probably reached its limits for I do not remember how I have ended up here, in a soft bed. My eyes roamed around the room, finding something familiar to ease the fear that has been planted in my mind. The room had strokes of pale red everywhere: in the small vanity, the curtains, and the wallpaper. The design matched the smell of rose and a glint of honey. The combination of the smell was unusual, yes, but it was not unpleasant. 

The dress that I wore was also neatly folded atop the table, while only a white sheet covered my nakedness. Slowly, I urged myself to sit up and get dressed for being bare in an unfamiliar room just wreaks more havoc than my little mind can handle. 

A gentle knock on the door alarmed me, but my thumping heart calmed down when Godmother Flora entered the room, two palace guards were at her sides. She looked perfectly all right and unharmed, which calmed me a bit more. 

“Cola, what did they do to you?” Instead of focusing on Godmother Flora’s face, my eyes drifted back to the palace guards. They followed her inside of the room instead of waiting outside the door; their eyes were shamelessly watching and observing our move.

“Constanza.” Godmother’s serious tone was rushed and low, as if trying to whisper. “What did they do to you?” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and with that, the urge to cry again intensified. 

I wanted to tell her what they did to me. How painful every whip was. How I felt the blood drip on my back. How I tried to beg for mercy, to let me go but no one bulged or blinked as they forced the whip again. Despite all the things that I wanted to say, no words slipped through my mouth. 

My lips opened a bit, wanting to tell the truth, but Godmother’s eyes were so sorrowful and pitiful that I could not bring myself to say anything. And so, I shifted my attention somewhere else.

“What is that Godmother?” A white, small piece of paper was in her hand. The red and gold crest of the kingdom was evident in front. 

Godmother Flora seemed to hesitate before handing me the letter. The quality of the paper was nothing I have ever seen before. It smelled of something fresh; like the aftermath of a heavy rain, when the environment smelled of trees, and grasses. Of nature.

However, my amazement came into a halt when the King’s name was written on top. It was a quick mail; the words were written in a hurry. I am not accustomed to the Royalties' letters, but I am aware that this one is not a formal letter, but of a note. 

His Majesty, King Stefan of the Moors, orders Constanza Larraurie of the Woods to seek after Princess Aurora, who recently departed and bring her back to her former state. 

If failed to do so, Constanza Larraurie will no longer have a purpose. In consequence, she would have to forfeit the life that His Majesty had blessed upon.

The letter slipped off my hand and flew slowly unto the floor as my heart slowly sank with the knowledge at hand. Godmother Flora was quick to hold my shoulders before I slumped on the glassy marble; her grip was firm and strong as she stood me up again.

My life would come to an end if I did not find Princess Aurora. No matter how insufficient the life I had lived, it was still a life. Even though my freedom was limited, I can still read, explore, and discover. If King Stefan would completely strip me off it, then all the years of existing would come to waste. 

I would not be able to leave a mark in the world; my life would end as if I did not walk the Earth, for I came from nothing, and to nothing I will become.

“Cola, we can sneak you out of here. Our horses are ready to take you far away from this barbarous place,” Godmother ushered in a faint voice. 

 My voice trembled as I shook my head firmly. “No.” Godmother was fazed by my answer. 

“What do you mean by that? You have to escape, Cola.

Godmother’s hands were cold when I held them tightly. I have not seen her show worry or fear over the past years of existing; out of the three Godmothers, she was the one who was always calm and collected. My eyes could not believe that Godmother Flora was panicking out of her concern for me. 

“The King would still find me even if I escape. I must find Princess Aurora and bring her back to sleep. I have to.” 

“It is an impossible task, my dear. Even I would not be able to bring her back to sleep! It would take three powerful witches to bring her down!” Godmother's eyes were bulging, afraid. "You know what she had done before. She would not think twice to do it again. I am begging you, Cola. Escape while you still can. Escape from the King. Escape from the princess.

“I have to try, Godmother. Please, let me try.” With a glint of tears on my eyes, I stared at hers, and with a soft, pleading voice, I spoke, “I do not want to die.

Godmother pulled me into her arms, her tears finally falling like raindrops. She was not saying anything, but her embrace was enough to deliver her message: I do not want you to perish, either. Be careful. I apologize for the life that you had to experience. 

When my decision was final, several preparations were done by the Godmothers, the palace maids, and the guards. First, they had to get a horse ready. The palace horses were known to everyone in the kingdom; their soft and white hairs were taken care of everyday, making them stand out even in a crowd. They had to buy a new horse from a merchant so I could use him in my travels. Second, a couple of baskets of food that was supposed to be enough for the journey I was about to take. Third, numerous pieces of cloth to tend my wounds. Lastly, a map. The Godmothers believed that Princess Aurora would reunite with her mother, Queen Leah. They have heard that she lived on a secret hide-out with the mountains and forests as her guards.

It seemed like the memory of the past twelve hours was removed from the palace guards’ heads. They were compliant and kind. It was heartbreaking to get a sight of the same person who whipped my back, but every time I look at their eyes, they do not have the look of a torturer. They were just someone following the King’s orders. 

It pained me to think that I could not even get mad for their actions. 

The palace maids guided me to the kitchen where I could use the backdoor to leave without grabbing anyone’s attention. The palace reeks of visitors that were not supposed to see me. 

In the kitchen, the steam from the soups and meals clouded the air as several cooks and maids rushed through. The smell was pleasant, which made my stomach grumble in hunger. The meals were delectable and were arranged beautifully in plates. The sight stopped me in my tracks for a bit, in awe at what the palace’s kitchen looked like. 

It would be nice to cook at a place as huge and gigantic like this. My kitchen was enough for an aspiring cook like me, but this one felt different.

My thoughts were interrupted when a servant stumbled upon me, the trays that he was carrying came crashing down on the floor. Several people turned, and the main cook shouted at the servant who was panicking while trying to fix the mess he made. He apologized numerous times before the main cook left angrily.

“I apologize, milady.” It felt like the time slowed down when his green eyes met mine.

His features were familiar to my sight. Red lips, brown hair, and strong jaw. When I first saw him, he was wearing a padded coat, slacks, and a sword hung on his waist. Now, he was wearing a shabby, gray coat with holes on them, and a black beret full of white dust.

“You are the pri--”

The foreign prince was quick to cover my mouth with his hands. Everyone was busy, that was why nobody noticed when he pulled me through the backdoor. My wounds were stinging as he dragged me that was why when he removed his hand, I was wincing in pain.

“How dare you,” I managed to say through my heavy breaths. 

“What?” he asked innocently, his head a bit slanted.

“You woke the princess!” My rage finally broke free as I tried to slap him continuously using the folded map I was holding. 

If he had not woken the princess, I would still be back in my hut. I would be reading the new book Godmother Merryweather brought me. I would not experience that heart-wrenching torture!

Aïe! Aïe! Arrête, bon sang!” His language was not comprehensible, but the way he spoke them was stylish and marvelous. 

It took me a minute to collect myself from that embarrassing burst of emotions. What am I doing, I say to myself. He is a prince and I slapped him with a folded map. I thought my stupidity ended when the princess had woken, but it seemed like it just started there. 

I cleared my throat, suddenly afraid of what he could do to me. “I apologize for my actions, Your Highness.” My back stung when I tried to bow before him. When I rose, his green eyes were sparkling with amusement; it was like staring at the dark green of the leaves wet with rainfall. 

“Your Highness, hein?” the prince simpered, his sharp and white teeth peeking a little through his red lips.

The urge to slap him again was strong, however, I might find myself tucked between prison cells if I tried to fight again. The King has already given my life a threat, adding a foreign prince’s rage to it would not come out any good for me.

“What are you doing here in the palace? Are you not the princess’ guard and keeper?” he asked, his voice reeked of authority and power.

My eyes were on the ground, a sign of repentance and apology, as I spoke, “The King has asked me to find the princess and bring her back to sleep.” There was no point in lying to him. He already knew that the princess was awake.

Intéressant,” he whispered. “And how would you find her?” 

“By using the map, Your Highness.

“Do you have a horse?

“Yes, Your Highness.

The prince hummed a bit, and I took a quick peek to see what he was doing. He was pacing himself back and forth, an index finger sat on his chin as if he were thinking deeply, while a small grin was on his lips. He was pleasant to look at, but my memory of him waking the princess resurfaced, and so, he was suddenly infuriating to look at.

“Have you prepared for your journey well?” he asked again. 

My brows furrowed at his odd questions, but I had no other choice but to answer. “Yes, Your Highness.

“Have you prepared meals and clothes?

“Yes, Your Highness.

Bonne. I will come with you then.” This time, my eyes squinted as I stared at him with disbelief, but the foreign, stubborn prince just gave me an exasperating smile.

 

 

 

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