Tamed

Chapter 8

"Other than screaming, throwing tantrums, losing your bloody mind, what else are you good at??! You're just like that mother of yours! Why are you even my child!?"

The maids bowed down with their shoulders trembling while Rowena sat still looking like a mess on the floor. Her face soaked in tears, the blonde hair became a mess, on her left cheek, anyone could see 3 finger marks burning in red. The emperor in his mid fifty still looking strong glared at the daughter who had never done anything other than disappointing him.

"Open your two eyes wide and look at all your sisters! They all are trying so hard, do anything it takes to have the throne and what about you, you useless brat?? Other than fucking around with that bastard, cry and destroy anything you see, what the fuck can you do? Why don't you just die? You're so useless!"

"Why do I have to fight for the throne? I don't even want it!"

Slap.

"Shut your fucking mouth. If you want to be a useless duck this bad, I might as well sell you to some old king bastards!"

Rowena clenched her fist tightly trying to hold the tears of anger and hostility. Her mouth started to taste salty from the lips that got bitten to bleed. The emperor turned to the maids before a magician came in. He opened his mouth in an infuriated tone.

"Heal her wounds and prepare her. The Emperor from the south will be here today."

"Yes, we will do it right away, your majesty." Said the maids.

The magician took her bruised hands to do a healing process so the bruises would disappear while the maids rushed to prepare the bath. When the magician left, 2 maids came to help the princess get up with the look of worry on their faces.

"Please get up, your highness. Slowly."

"We already prepared the bath."

"Call for Mikhael here and get out." Said the princess firmly.

"Your highness can't ignore his majesty's order like that. Your highness will be beaten once again."

"Just do your job!"
Rowena glared at the maids who insisted on her command.

"I'm sorry, your highness. Please don't provoke his majesty. It's better than The Duke getting banned from entering the imperial palace, right?"

Rowena gritted her teeth when she heard so. She let the maids do whatever they needed to and kept quiet like a doll the whole time. A maid brushed Rowena's blonde hair while another one wiped the wet slender legs with a towel. They did it so gently that it looked like they were caring for the most precious gems in the world.

After putting everything on, Rowena became the dazzling woman as she always is. Nobody would know she had just gotten physical abuse from her own father right before that.

"It is done, your highness."

Without looking at herself in the mirror, she got up and left. On the way to the main palace of the emperor, she held a handkerchief with her the whole way there. When she went inside, all her half sisters were already present. They looked at her as if they were so used to her showing up late. When she looked in a direction, she met the first Princess's eyes. Rowena clenched her fist when the other party smirked.

"Everyone has arrived. Stand in places."
said The emperor before turning to Rowena.
"Behave yourself. I'll kill you if you try to embarrass me." 

Rowena acted as if she didn't hear the threatening words. She stood next to all her 4 sisters. She was the youngest among them. The handkerchief was still in her hand and she held it tighter to suppress her emotions that could burst out any time soon. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to be where Mikhael is.