Adina returned to the room, her legs still weak from the fear that had gripped her. She could still remember the King's gaze on her, heavy and intense. She shuddered internally, feeling something stirring inside her.
She barely noticed the other girls' gazes as she stepped into the room. They stared at her like hawks, perhaps confused as to why she was still alive.
Adina made her way to her cot, sat down, and took a deep breath, her hands still shaking. She had prepared for the worst, thinking back to when the King had seen her during the inspection and how she had thought it would be her last time alive when the beta came for her.
She blinked when she saw a figure rushing towards her. It was another girl. The girl bent down, staring at Adina sharply. "You were with the king, weren't you?" she whispered.
"Is it true?" she asked quietly, as if afraid someone would hear. "Is the king as cruel as they say? Did you take a look at him? Is he as ugly as they say? Do his claws come out of his hands?"
Adina didn't answer right away, still reeling from everything that had happened. After all, it had been a very long and eventful day. Eventually, she shook her head.
The girl frowned at this. "Really?" she huffed. "No help at all, huh?" She rolled her eyes. "Guess you're just another one of those girls." Her voice dripped in annoyance. "Figures."
After waiting for Adina to speak, the girl huffed and crawled back to her cot.
Adina laid down, her body feeling heavy. The ache in her heart made it impossible to sleep, yet she closed her eyes, hoping for some kind of escape.
———
Adina found herself in an empty, vast land. There was nothing around, not even a bird. The sky was grey, the trees fruitless and dry.
She turned, brows furrowed. Where was she? How did she get here? What was this place?
Then she froze, her heart pounding hard in her chest. "Adina..." a voice called.
She turned around, confused. "Adina..." the voice called again, so soft she wouldn't have heard.
"Adina..."
———-
She jerked awake. The room was still dark but no longer silent. The other girls were awake, getting ready for their chores.
Adina sat up, drenched in sweat. She didn't have time to dwell on that weird dream; she had to get ready if she didn't want to be whipped.
An hour later, they had all gathered around, listening to the rules and regulations laid out for them. As she listened, she couldn't help but realize that even their animals had more rights than a slave.
Soon after, they were dispatched to their various chores. Adina was given laundry duties.
Adina didn't waste time before getting started on her tasks. The girls moved around silently, hunched as they began scrubbing endlessly.
Adina joined them, her hands already aching before she even dipped them in the water.
She worked quietly. The sleeves of her dress were soaked by the time she scrubbed the third batch of clothes. Her fingers were already raw.
But of course, the peace didn't last.
As she reached for another soaked garment, her hand slipped. The cloth flung upward, and she snapped it to shake off the water.
A mistake.
Adina turned when she found the other girls frozen. Her eyes widened when she realized what she'd done.
The water from the cloth landed on someone.
She stood out like a sore thumb among the slaves. The woman was tall, dressed in a black expensive dress, her silver hair pinned elegantly. Her skin was pale, nearly translucent, her eyes narrowed as they settled on Adina.
Adina's heart thudded. She opened her mouth. "I—I'm sorry, I didn't see—"
The woman raised a hand. "You didn't see me?"
Adina's eyes widened at the insinuation. She opened her mouth, ready to let out a trail of apologies, but she was cut off by the sharp slap that landed on her cheek.
Adina stumbled backward, stunned. Her cheek burned.
"Am I that tiny, girl?" she sneered. "That you couldn't see me?"
Adina shook her head. "I—I didn't mean—"
"You didn't see me," the woman mocked. "How amusing. Or perhaps you're just blind as well as stupid." She looked at Adina from head to toe. "How dare you belittle me!"
She raised her hand again, ready to deliver another slap to Adina. But this time, she was stopped by another.
"Aunty Jocelyn. There's no need for that," Elara's voice came. The woman stepped closer, a smile on her face as she pulled Jocelyn's hand down. "You don't have to terrorize the slaves."
Jocelyn huffed, pulling her hand from Elara's grasp. "How else would these peasants know their place if no one's there to teach them," she said, eyeing Adina with contempt.
Elara smiled. "Oh, aunty, you're always so…. intense."
Jocelyn couldn't help but smile. "Oh, Elara," she purred. "You always are so noble. But did you know..." Her eyes slid back to Adina. "This is the one who caused that little stir yesterday. With Thorne."
Elara glanced at Adina. "A stir?" she said, shaking her head softly. "Great aunt, you make it sound like the girl declared war on the king."
Jocelyn frowned. "Don't call me that. I can very well be regarded as a twenty-something-year-old." She laughed, her gaze settling back on Adina. "Besides, it doesn't matter what she's declared. Whatever she did, it was enough to have Thorne shaken."
Adina's heart sank lower with every word. She hadn't done anything, hadn't even spoken back. And still—
Elara placed a hand gently on Jocelyn's arm. "You're reading too much into things."
Jocelyn hummed dismissively. "Well, let's hope this one doesn't make more trouble. It would be such a shame if her little... mistake," she said, glancing down at the wet patch on her dress, "earned her a visit to the punishment block."
With that, she turned and walked away.
The moment she was gone, the tension dissipated. A few of the girls began whispering, eyes darting to Adina.
Elara stayed a second longer, eyes on Adina.
"Be careful," she murmured low enough that only Adina could hear. "Aunt Jocelyn never forgets a face."
As Elara walked away, the girls began to murmur.
"Did she call her great aunt?" one whispered.
Adina blinked. That's right... the Elara woman had said great aunt. But... that couldn't be, right?
She glanced in the direction Jocelyn had disappeared. The woman had looked no older than her late thirties. She was striking and regal, with skin so flawless it could've been carved from porcelain. No lines. No sign of age.
How could someone like that be anyone's great aunt? Let alone the king?