บท 22: A Dangerous Wish
In Ivan's room, Samantha still had trouble freeing her hand from the handcuffs Ivan had put around her wrist. She couldn't tell if the people in this Palace were deaf to not hear her screaming out for help, or what if they did hear and are ignoring a poor lady in distress?
Even if she wanted to escape, why would she decide to flee when the sun is still high above the sky? She might be desperate, but that doesn't mean she wasn't observant
"Not only the prince, but everyone in this Palace has gone mad." She muttered with slight irritation. Looking at the handcuffs that bound her wrist to the bedpost, Samantha knew of another improvised method that would assist her in freeing her hand from the handcuffs, the only problem was, she couldn't find any pins around, not even a hairpin.
"Isn't he a prince? He should have tons of women visiting his room, should he not?" Samantha silently thought to herself, knowing the royal Palace had a set of women they referred to as the royal concubines of the Palace. "There's got to be a hairpin somewhere."
It was already sunset when Samantha finally gave up, knowing she couldn't escape from the cuffs without the keys, and unfortunately, the key is with her kidnapper. Tired from all her fruitless attempts, she sunk her head back onto the pillow, her eyes were fixed on the high ceiling, and then it shifted to study his room that was painted black.
So this is what a Prince's room looks like?
As much as she hated to admit it, Samantha couldn't deny that she was fascinated by the decor of his room. The darkness of the wall seemed to create a sense of mystery and intrigue that was hard to resist. With her eyes observing each corner, a sense of envy overtook her gaze on how perfectly everything seemed to fit together.
He lived a good life.
Despite trying to keep her thoughts occupied with the intricate decor, Samantha felt out of place in her simple straight gown. The silky ivory fabric was breezy, and it hugged her curves in all the right places. Just looking at the dress made her feel even more disgusted, knowing it was Ivan who bathed and changed her dress.
He could have waited for her to wake up and let her do the bathing herself, but…. But he chose to bathe her instead. He must have seen every part of her, and he must have scrubbed every….!!!!....
Samantha's face burned with pure irritation and amazement, she wanted to take another bath so she could erase his every touch from her body. Fortunately, a knock on the door saved her from her uncanny thoughts, and it jolted her attention to who it might be.
For a second, she expected Lord Ivan to walk in since it had been long since he stepped out, but instead, it was one of the palace servants who opened the door and stepped in, holding a silver tray.
Samantha subconsciously blinked at the tan-skinned lady who stood at the entrance of the door. For a second, she wanted to stare in awe, but stopped herself since the maiden would find her stare suspicious, or probably offensive, but in truth, she was admiring the servant.
The servant had a warm brownish complexion that glowed like the Mediterranean sun in midsummer, and Samantha couldn't help but envy it. Her bronzed skin looked smooth and supple, adorned with a faint blush that accentuated her cheekbones.
Samantha's gaze naturally shifted to her thick, wavy, jet-black hair that cascaded down her back in luscious waves. And those almond shaped eyes that looked dark and mysterious, twinkled with intelligence and grace. Her full lips were tinged with natural pinkness that would invite any man to lose themselves in it, and Samantha had to admit that this servant looked more beautiful than her.
"You're the new blood servant, right?" The servant lady asked in a tone that sounded mature and developed, and all Samantha could do was nod her head in return.
"I was ordered to bring this to you." The servant moved to the side of the bed, dropping the silver tray on the table. Her gaze shifted to Samantha's handcuffed wrist, and she let out a hum.
"So it is true."
"Hmm?" Samantha was seemingly lost when she heard the servant murmuring to herself, and to her quick surprise, the servant suddenly grabbed one of the chairs and sat close to her.
"Tell me, how did you do it?" She asked with a hint of curiosity laced to her tone. Samantha didn't respond as she continued to study the servant. Except for her unhinged curiosity, there was nothing in her gaze or actions that proved she would be a threat to her, but before Samantha could open her mouth to respond, the servant suddenly apologized.
"Oh forgive me, I must have startled you." She said as though she just understood Samantha's silent reaction. "It is an annoying habit of mine that I'm trying to control. Shall we start all over? Hi, I'm Lucienne, but you can call me Lucy for short, uhm… What is your name?"
Lucy's polite and friendly tone made Samantha's nerves relax a little bit, and Samantha stared at her outstretched hand for a blinking second before receiving her handshake.
"Samantha."
"Lovely name!" Lucy genuinely complimented. "I'll call you Sam for short. So tell me, how are you feeling now? Your appearance was just pitiful when Lord Ivan ordered me to come clean you up the minute you passed out. Your temperature was burning and you had a slight fever, I…."
"Wait, you're the one who cleaned me up?" Out of all the things Lucy kept blabbering, Samantha's ears could only grasp that part, and to her greatest relief, the servant responded with a nod of her head.
"Yes, I was the one who bathed and clothed you. Lord Ivan made it clear he wanted to see your skin sparkle, and I had to take my time in taking care of you to keep my head." As much as she made it sound like a joke, it wasn't a joke.
Lucy didn't know why, but Samantha's display of relief had her creasing her brows dubiously, but it was not in her place to ask the new lady what she was thinking about.
"Thank you….." Samantha said, regardless of her confusion to why Ivan would give out such an order. "....for helping me get dressed."
"Not a problem honey, with all that gotten rid off, you are actually a fine lady. Get some rest, and be sure to eat this before he returns." She motioned to the tray of delicious food she had brought for Samantha. "Do you want to ask me something?"
Lucy prompted when she noticed a slight hesitation in Samantha's body movement. She knew the new lady had words hanging on her lips but was reluctant to say. It was natural, they barely knew each other and one has to be cautious of the things that leave their mouth.
"Where…. Where is Lord Ivan?" Samantha asked the nice servant who had kept her lonely self company.
"By this time of the day, he should be in the royal study along with the rest of the Prince's. He normally leaves close to Midnight if he's too occupied, duties of being the crowned prince and all." She emphasized before her gaze turned quizzical, "why do you ask?"
"Is… Is there a way to leave the Palace without getting caught?" Samantha whispered to the servant who seemed lost. When the servant didn't understand, Samantha chose to elaborate in a hushed tone. "I mean, is it possible to escape from the Palace?"
"You want to escape?" Lucy's almond-shaped eyes widened in surprise, then she shook her head at the idea. "Do not think about it, leaving these palace walls is like expecting hell to turn cold overnight. It's heavily guarded and impossible."
"But I don't want to stay here." Samantha desperately replied, "he chained me here against my will so I wouldn't flee, but I have a younger brother that I need to find and he won't let me go." She briefly explained her situation to Lucy who understood her point to some extent.
"I'm afraid your wish is a dangerous one. You can't leave the Palace walls, the only way out of here is if you're sent on an errand that is outside the Palace vicinity, and even then, your chances of escaping are still fifty-fifty." Lucy explained despondently, a bit sad she couldn't assist Sam in her time of need. "I'm not trying to sway you from finding your brother, but a lot of servants also had plans of escaping from these dangerous walls, but they never stepped out alive, so you need to be more cautious of your surroundings first before taking such extreme measures."
As dejected as Samantha turned out to be by the news, she smiled appreciatively at Lucy who didn't hesitate to give her the information she needed.
"You'll adapt to the life of the Palace, Lord Ivan isn't always around 24/7, so you won't encounter too much of him." Lucy said in an attempt to ease Samantha. "I have other things to attend to, I better go before the head maid or the Gentleman usher finds out I'm not in my duty post."
She rose from her chair, "please eat the meal as well, I hope to see you around." She bid Samantha goodbye before exiting the room.
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