It was a hot, burning, searing pain that jolted Viella from her sleep. She rolled off her bed, landing face down against the cold stone floor.
Stretching her arm forward instinctively to soothe the foreign pain, she looked around in panic, searching for its source. But as she scanned the room, she couldn't figure out where it came from.
There was no snake, no fire, no insects. Nothing.
Tears trickled down her face once again. She bit her bottom lip, stopping herself from screaming in agony.
The last thing she wanted today was angry screams from her fellow maids. But it had taken everything in her to hold it in.
By the time the pain began to subside, the moon had risen high in the sky. Sweat trickled from her forehead, her breathing heavy, her chest rising and falling in a frantic rhythm.
She lay there on the floor, letting the coldness make up for the lack of fresh air on the windless night. The humidity of the air before rain pressed down on her as Viella pushed herself up.
Her eyes widened in wonder as she gazed at her wrist, surprised to see a new mark engraved into her skin. Like burning coal hidden beneath the thinness of her flesh, it shone with a fiery glow, creating a slithering image of thorn-ridden branches. She swallowed, fearing what it meant.
Had someone cursed her? Viella thought. She scrambled to her bedside table and poured some water on the burn. It sizzled under the touch of the liquid, causing smoke to rise from her skin.
It must have been her stepmother. Viella swallowed and checked to see where the moon was. It wasn't yet midnight, and if she hurried, she could still meet Gideon behind the stables.
Carefully, Viella wrapped a piece of torn white cloth around her wrist. Then, she slowly opened the door to her bedroom, revealing the long, narrow corridor of the maids' quarters.
She gently closed the door, moving as silently as a cat, before stepping over the stairs that led her up to the foyer of the workers' residence.
There were over two thousand workers who served the palace, and in the dead of night, it felt as though no one was there.
Viella could hear her own heartbeat as she reached the double doors of the entrance, slipping out like a ghost covered by a black cloak.
Knowing the path as well as the back of her hand, Viella reached the guest stables outside the main palace walls within fifteen minutes. She peeked around the corner, finding Gideon already there, sitting with his head leaning against it.
"Gideon," Viella said, her voice low.
The man with sandy hair and blue eyes looked over at her, his smile wide and contagious. "My dear Viella," he said, his words soft as they locked in a tight embrace, sinking into a deep kiss.
"Did you manage to get Her Majesty's blessing?" he asked, the moment their lips parted. Viella felt her face mirror the sadness in her chest, the happiness slipping away.
Being a herbalist was all she could talk about with him, and as much as she wished he hadn't brought it up immediately, she couldn't blame him.
"My hidden gem, what's the matter? Has she denied you your request?"
"She has. Apparently, it was not my place to ask for it," Viella answered. Gideon's face softened with concern, one hand gently caressing her cheek. "Then she is not a wise queen. I've seen what your hands can do. You are a healer above all else."
This made her smile. Speaking ill of the matriarch could mean certain death, but it seemed Gideon cared little for that fact. His face lit up when he saw her smile.
"Your tongue will be your downfall," Viella whispered.
"It would be worth it to lift you, my dear," Gideon said, then reached into his pocket, producing a small leather box—one Viella knew was worth far more than Gideon could afford. He was just a sailor.
"Gideon?" Viella's voice fell to a gentle whisper. She felt her heart beat louder in her chest. Gideon looked her in the eyes as he slowly knelt before her, his gaze wide with wonderment and worry, yet there was hope there too.
"Viella. They say you are the bringer of misfortune. The bane and sorrow of this kingdom. They say you are as useless as a bucket with a hole in it. But I know more, far more than that about you." Gideon's words were sweet as honey to her ears.
"I don't see all of these things. What they are is no different than what has made me the person I am today. It's rather foolish because they rob themselves of the wonder that you are. A smart, beautiful, kind, understanding, and loving young woman. Who is more than I deserve."
He smiled, and it bloomed like the first rose of spring. All the love, joy, and adoration shone through his icy blue eyes.
"I will not hold it against you if you choose not to stay by my side. I know my place in this world. But I guess there's enough evil in me to hope that you do not know yours. So that you will agree when I ask you... Viella Ivelle, the rightful ruler and heiress, Crown Princess of Olaos. Will you give me the honor of becoming... my wife?" He finished.
By then, tears had stained her eyes, and embarrassingly, snot filled her nose. She nodded, letting him place the small silver ring on her finger. Viella had never felt warmth like this in her life, but she knew, without fully understanding, that this was the beginning of finally filling that hole in her chest.
The two embraced in a tight hold, Gideon spinning her around through the air. She chuckled softly, still careful not to let anyone know they were there.
"It is only that we must wait before we can finally marry," Gideon said, setting Viella back on the ground. She frowned at his words. "What are we waiting for? If it's my father's permission, I wouldn't worry. He doesn't care about me anyway."
"My dear, you know I'm a sailor. Tomorrow night, I will be embarking on a new journey to Ezahel. I'll be working there for at least a year before I can return," Gideon explained. "All I ask of you is to wait until I return."
"A year?" Viella repeated to herself. She needed to wait a year before they could marry? "That's too long!" she exclaimed. Gideon placed a finger on her lips, reminding her to keep it quiet.
"That's too long," Viella repeated in a whisper.
"Actually, I have to be there for a year, but the journey itself is eighteen months—back and forth," Gideon explained. Viella's eyes widened. The most he had ever been gone was six months.
"That's almost three years. No, Gideon, I will not wait. Please, take me with you. Don't leave me here to suffer this life of servitude any longer. If you leave me here, I fear they will force me to marry an old decrepit man," Viella said, clutching at his shirt as she leaned against his chest. The smell of sea salt and evening wind calmed her nerves.
Gideon cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look up at him. "If this is true, then we don't have any other choice. Meet me tomorrow night at the ship's courtyard. I'll sneak you in with the other women. Then we will stay there forever. We will not return."
Viella nodded, her heart blooming with joy and hope.
"I will see you there," she whispered.
Suddenly, a series of footsteps approached them from one side of the stable. Viella pushed Gideon to run. He whispered desperately, "Run with me."
"No. If they catch you too, there goes our future," Viella said. With that, Gideon planted a quick kiss on her forehead before running away, just in time before two male figures appeared behind her.
Viella turned on her heels, her eyes wide at the sight of Jasper and Finn. Their familiar blond hair seemed to hold the light of the moon's yellow hue. Their smiles would have been charming on their handsome faces if not for the malice written there.
"Was that a man I heard?" Jasper said, glancing at his twin brother.
"It was. My, and we all know the punishment for maids who have relations within palace walls, don't we?" Finn asked, staring into Viella's eyes.
She couldn't place when or how they had managed to find her, only that it was her worst luck that had brought them here. Viella tried to gather her words, but before she could, they each held her by an arm. Their soft, sinister laughter accompanied her as she was taken away.
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Viella struggled against her two brothers, wrestling her way out of their grip at every moment. However, it seemed the more she fought them, the more they found pleasure in dragging her body through the courtyard and into the palace.
Only when she saw where they were going did Viella stop struggling, curiously glancing at her half-brothers as they looked on guiltily.
They even loosened their grip as they walked up the stairs and into Safana's bedroom.
Viella held her breath when they opened the door without knocking.
No one entered the Crown Princess's room without knocking—it was unheard of. But it seemed the two brothers knew the Crown Princess was not there, as the room was completely empty.
"Why would you bring me here?" Viella asked suspiciously.
Finn stood behind her, holding her still as Jasper found something behind a wall-sized tapestry. Viella wasn't sure what he did, but the wall started to move like a door.
Behind it, a hidden space illuminated by torches greeted them. Viella frowned as a sinking feeling in her chest sent shivers down her spine.
She had been cleaning this room almost all her life, and yet she had never known there was a hidden space in Safana's room. What was she keeping in there?
"Move! B*****!" Finn yelled.
Viella felt his hand so hard against her back that she nearly tripped on the stone floor, catching Jasper's vest to keep herself up.
Jasper ignored it, helping her before the three of them faced a spiral stairway that seemed to go on forever. Slowly, she noticed the small windows disappearing along the way.
At the bottom was a wooden door illuminated by a single candle held by a wall sconce. Its flame burned steadily, casting shadows around the rugged walls.
"Get ready for your birthday gift," Finn said excitedly, then shoved Viella inside. The two followed right behind her.
All the way down here was what she could only describe as a beautifully decorated resting room. Everything followed the color palette of soft pink, yellow, and white.
In the middle, set on a large bear fur, was a beautiful settee decorated with colorful cushions.
Her three sisters sat there, each with a cup of tea, giggling among themselves, their evening gowns so delicate they were almost transparent. This would explain why her two brothers looked extremely uncomfortable, their faces downcast like scolded children.
"Ah, Viella! You look so pale. Whatever is the matter?" Safana asked, her long blonde hair falling over her shoulders like woven silk.
Next to her, Princess Catrina, who had a darker shade of blonde, looked at her with a sour expression.
"Is that how you greet the Crown Princess? No wonder Mother was not so kind to you," she said, her eyes narrowing at Jasper, who, without direct orders, pushed Viella.
"Greet the Crown Princess properly!" he exclaimed, though halfheartedly.
Viella did as she was told, meaning to give Jasper a break. Of all her siblings, Jasper was always the kindest. It was only over the years, as they grew, that he felt the need to follow in their footsteps of being unnecessarily cruel.
"Why did you bring me here?" Viella asked once she'd risen from her respectful bow.
"Why? We wanted to help you, of course," said Tara, who sat on the other side of Safana. Of the five siblings, only she took after their father, with copper hair just like his.
Viella's face softened with curiosity. "You want to help me?" It was an unexpected turn of events, but a pleasant one. "Are you going to speak to Mother on my behalf?" she asked.
Safana smiled sweetly. "Of course. But first, we need to prove to her that you are worth more as a herbalist than as just a rich man's wife," she said meaningfully.
Viella put both hands together in gratitude, though it was tainted by guilt. By the next moon, she would be gone forever, and all of their efforts would be for nothing. Still, Viella would leave knowing they did care, albeit a little.
"What should I do?" Viella asked, her heart pounding in excitement. There was nothing like standing in the greenhouse and studying all the benefits a leaf might offer.
It was so much more rewarding when someone was cured by her potions.
"Heal yourself," Safana said, still smiling. But this time, it did not reach her eyes. Her two sisters sat beside her, holding the same cold gaze that sent a heavy, unsettling feeling into Viella's chest.
She gripped the fabric of her skirt as she listened to Jasper and Finn grunting behind her.
The two boys placed a pillory in front of her and then opened it.
Viella's breath caught. "How long will you keep me here?" she asked, fearing she would not make it to the docks by midnight.
The three sisters giggled, delighted by the paleness of her face, which Viella could feel physically as the blood drained from her.
"Dear sister, if I may?" It was Finn. Viella glanced at him, her breath starting to quicken, uneven and frantic, fearing what he would say. No one had told them yet what she was doing.
While they were all distracted, Viella carefully took the ring from her finger and placed it in her pocket. Beside her, Jasper glanced at her hand, his piercing eyes heavy upon her. Viella stared, begging him to keep it quiet.
"Is that so?" Safana said, almost with amusement. "Our dear Viella has found herself a lover!" She clapped enthusiastically.
Both Catrina and Tara clapped as well, though none of them seemed amused. Rather, there was something else there—jealousy? Viella thought, confused.
"Have you lain with him?" Tara asked curtly. It was such a vulgar and intrusive question, nothing a princess would ever ask, that Viella found herself taken aback. Answering that would also be as vulgar and unladylike.
"Well? Have you?" Catrina pressed.
"It's hardly any of your concern what I do in my privacy," Viella answered defiantly.
It must have struck a raw chord in Safana, for at that, she dropped all pleasantry. Her face soured as she snapped her fingers.
Like soldiers, both Jasper and Finn moved, their grip like iron as they held her down. Viella started to cry, realizing they didn't only want to trap her in the pillory but to strip her as well. She begged Safana, crying for mercy as the coldness of the room kissed her bare back. It spread to her side and then to her bare chest.
Jasper threw her on the ground, then placed her in the pillory. It kept her head and hands in place as she knelt on the cold stone floor.
Viella looked up, "Crown Princess, please, find mercy in your heart! I am your sister, just as they are!"
"How dare you stain our existence with yours!" Catrina cried. "Your birth was a curse; it took your mother's life. How can you put yourself on the same standing as us?"
"I did not ask to be born. If I could take it back, I would," Viella said, tears streaming from her eyes.
Jasper knelt beside Viella. She felt a soft, warm fabric placed on her bare back as he spoke. "Dear sister, please. This is unnecessary," he pleaded.
Safana ignored him. "Finn, bring me my case," she said with a spoiled tone, like a girl asking for a box of sweets.
Finn presented the leather box in front of Safana, revealing multiple whips with different heads. At that moment, Viella could see even he did not find it amusing. He stepped back then, his gaze falling.
"Safana!" Jasper exclaimed, surprising everyone in the room. "This is too far! You're doing this out of cruelty, not because you want to help Viella. You were never going to speak to Mother, so please spare her!"
Safana, who had never been spoken to like that, leaned back as if physically pushed. Her bottom lip started to shake, but not long after, she regained her composure. A greater darkness glinted in her eyes.
"I never knew you held such affection for Viella. I'm sorry, dear brother; I should have listened to you. But now that I've gone this far, I will see to it that I get my way," Safana said with a soft, caring tone, her gentleness deceiving.
"I'm going to do what I want while I can. Considering I'm not yet an adult, I'll be pardoned for my transgressions. Well, no one would care if I transgressed against her, but at least I can skip a day locked in my room." Safana glanced left and right at both Catrina and Tara, her sisters returning her look with one of agreeable amusement.
"So, you know what, I've made up my mind. I know what you can do to help Viella," Safana said, striking fear in her heart.
Viella looked over to Jasper, begging him. Their gazes met in understanding. He would do what he could to help her.
"Very well, sister, tell me. What can I do?"
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