Bow to the King

Chapter Two

The Knights led Rose into a carriage and pushed her onto one of the seats harshly. She groaned quietly at the impact of the wooden seat. One by one the Knights piled in, all staring at her curiously. Some smirked, some grimaced in disgust, some turned their faces away for she was not worthy of their attention. Rose noticed that the main Knight – the one who had been yelling at her – did not join them in the carriage. She was grateful, as she was sure that he would have some stern words to say to her.

Rose was pressed against the side of the carriage uncomfortably, her shoulder already beginning to ache. As the carriage began moving, the Knights began talking loudly. Some jeered at her, telling her what her physical flaws were. Rose made sure not to show any emotion on her face. She stared blankly at the opposite wall, refusing to say anything despite the tears threatening to prick at her eyes. The Knights laughed at her, a few managed to prod her. It caused Rose to flinch a little, but she controlled her face, showing indifference. She had suffered much worse behaviour before. Only a few of the men remained quiet and did not participate, but they did not stop the treatment either.

"Do you have a death wish, defying the Prince like that?" One man jeered as the rest chorused their agreement.

"Perhaps I do," Rose murmured, not making eye contact with any of them. They were all quiet for a moment, probably surprised, before they continued with their mockery.

The Knight next to her, a particularly loud man, laughed as his friends cheered him on. He placed a hand on her thigh and squeezed it. Rose jerked away, pressing herself against the carriage wall as hard as she could, watching his hand warily. The Knights laughed louder. Where was their sense of chivalry? Respect?

Some of the men reached over and began pulling on her matted hair, causing her to release a small moan of pain. This only made them laugh louder. Realizing now that they were able to get a reaction out of her, some began pulling on her dress. The tug of their hands only caused the rips in her dress to tear further. Rose gasped and crossed her arms against her stomach tightly when a rip formed in the bodice of her dress.

"Please stop," she finally managed to mumble. Their raucous laughter was the only response. Rose stared out the window desperately as their treatment continued. They were so close to the castle now. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to cry. She would never show it – but she was scared. Terrified. Yes, she had just escaped the life of a beggar, but what was she being led into now? Perhaps she would be tortured. Maybe the Prince would force her to be his mistress. A silent sob escaped Rose as the thought hit her. Why couldn't he just kill her? Her life was miserable enough as it was. She did not need more pain. Father, help me. Make them stop, protect me from the wrath of the Prince. The carriage pulled to a sudden halt, just as Rose thought she could not take any more ridicule. The door was swung open suddenly, causing her to start. There stood the man, the Knight, that had yelled at her and told her to bow. Rose stared at him warily. Would he treat her the same as these men?

"The girl is to come with me," the man said gruffly. The Knights, all on their best behaviour now, nodded and made room for Rose to escape the carriage. One could not resist casually sticking his leg out at the last moment. Rose tripped on his foot and fell, slipping down the carriage steps painfully. A searing pain went up the side of her leg. The corner of the stairs had scraped her. She hissed in pain, half sprawled on the floor, then sighed. She was used to this treatment. The head Knight glared at the man that had tripped her up. "Henry! Stable duty. The girl is not to be harmed. I expect better behaviour from all of you." The one called Henry groaned but stopped when the Knight narrowed his eyes. The rest of the Knight's bowed their heads, shamefaced.

The Knight turned to Rose and offered his hand to help her up but she ignored it, expecting another cruel trick. She stood up by herself, feeling exhausted, weak, and hurt. Her leg flared in pain. The man instructed her to follow him as he turned and walked with a steady pace – not too fast for Rose to keep up. She limped past the royal carriage. As she did, Rose made eye contact with the Prince who was still in his seat looking out the window. He appeared to be deep in thought. His attention flickered to Rose as she passed. There was a softer expression in his eyes than earlier. His gaze did not leave hers as she limped past him, her hands clenched into fists.