The Princess Slave
Chapter 33

Violette POV

“Good morning, miss Violette. It’s time to wake.” Ms. Beatrice spoke as she opened the curtains, allowing the bright light from outside to shine in.

“What time is it?” I asked. I let out a yawn as I stretched my arms and legs.. one of those really good stretches. The kind that make your eyes roll to the back of your head in pleasure.

“Past noon.. the King asked for me to let you sleep in.” She replied. I sat up quickly, Sylvia and Lillian were gone.

“Where are they?” I asked as I furrowed my brows.

“They’ve been up since morning. Sylvia was glad to see you were back, but they both have tasks to do.” She said. I looked at her oddly. Curious as to why Sylvia is working.

“Why is Sylvia working?” I asked.

“The king.. he gave her permission to stay if she’d like. Of course, she agreed, but she still wants to visit the orphanage when she can.” She said. A smile came to my face at the news.

“But I do have bad news.” She said. My heart began to race as well as my mind. What bad news could it be?

“Well, what is it, Ms. Beatrice?” I asked. I slung my feet over the side of the bed and dangled them off the edge.

“The king has made arrangements for them to have them stay in the maid’s quarters.” She said. That is bad news, indeed.

“Why can’t they stay in here with me?” I asked. I was slightly upset at this, but I knew there must be a good reasoning behind it.

“Because this is your room, Violette. It took a lot of talking and arguing.. but they already agreed. You will see them every day, so do not fret. Of course, you’ll have your guards outside, but the King prefers you to have your own room.” She said. She walked over to my dresser to grab my herbs for pain and began mixing them.

“I’m curious how your pains have been.” She said as she walked over to me with a glass. I took it from her and quickly chugged it. I’ve gotten used to the taste, it doesn’t make me want to vomit nearly as badly anymore.

“Surprisingly, not so bad,” I said with a slight nod.

“And what about.. everything else?” She asked. I knew exactly what she was referring to.. but truth be told I feel amazing today. I’m not as sore as I anticipated. And with no wolfsbane, I’ve healed nicely.

“Everything else is fine, Beatrice. I actually feel quite good.” I replied with a smile. Her worried look quickly went away.

“Now let me see those bruises.” She said. I lifted the dress and lay on my back.

“Wow, they look so much better. You will not be given any wolfsbane in hopes that it will keep them from coming so.. quickly. At this rate, you may have a lot longer than I originally believed. But.. with no wolfsbane, that means any wolf outbursts will result in use of the collar. No claws and no canines. ” She said.

“Yes, Beatrice. And that’s great news. Hopefully that will give me much more time than we thought,” I said. She nodded in agreement. I pulled down my dress as I stood up and sighed.

“Now, the king has requested you in his chambers. Unfortunately, that means you won’t be able to work with the girls today. You will be cleaning the king’s chambers, bringing his food, and anything else he requests. You remember your rules?” She asked. I nodded my head.

“Yes, ma’am,” I replied. The door opened, and in walked a few maids with a fresh gown and a few supplies.

“You’ll be dressed and then the guards will escort you to lunch, before you leave to his chambers, come see me for the King’s food.” She said. I nodded my head and sighed. I’m starving. My stomach made a growling sound and she chuckled.

“Alright, I will take my leave now. I will see you shortly.” She said. As she left the maids flocked around me, pulling at my current gown and letting it drop to the floor. I quickly stepped out, then they pulled the other gown over my head.. not once acknowledging the scars that litter my back.

“This gown looks lovely on you.” One of the maids said. It’s a light pink gown, with puffy off-the-shoulder sleeves. It’s just as see-through as the rest, but truthfully, I didn’t mind. It is soft as silk, and it made me wonder if the material was actually silk. It feels different than the rest, more.. soft.

“Is this silk?” I asked as I felt it between my fingers.

“Oh, yes. It’s Mulberry silk. The finest silk there is.” She replied. It made me question the King. Why was he putting me in the “finest silk there is”? I’m still a slave. His.. slave.

“Now sit, so we can do your hair.” She replied. One of the maids pulled over a chair, and I sat down. It’s been a while since I’ve had anyone do my hair that wasn’t Lillian.

“You have such lovely hair. It’s very unique.” The maid said. I couldn’t tell if they were being fake.. the compliments seemed true, but I’m the princess of their kingdom enemy.. so I wondered if their intentions were pure.

I watched from the mirror on the wall as they did my hair in intricate braids and wrapped it into a bun on the back of my head. They pulled strands of hair out to frame my face like I usually prefer and topped my bun off with a matching pink flower and an ocean Pearl clip.

“You look beautiful, miss.” One of the maids said. The others agreed with smiles and nods.

“May I ask.. why have you done this?” I asked.

“The king requested that we do this every day.” She said. I felt a fluttering in my stomach at what I’d just heard. He.. wants me pampered. For what? I’m a slave, and slaves don’t get pampered. This is very unusual indeed.

“You’re all finished. We did think to put some makeup on you, but you look beautiful enough without it.” She said. A smile came to my face, and I could feel myself blushing.

“You’re all very kind,” I said. They didn’t say anything else, just helped me up before they all left. I walked over to the mirror and looked at myself. They did a good job indeed.

A knock on the door made me look away from my reflection.

“Come in,” I said after no one opened the door. The door opened, and Boris poked his head in.

“My lady, are you ready for lunch?” He asked. I nodded my head, not forgetting my rules.

Why was everything feeling so different today? Why was I being treated so kindly.. and being called “my lady”? These things are improper for a slave.

“Come this way.” He said as he opened the door wider. I walked out of the room, and he and Enzo escorted me to the servants eating hall.