Beautifully Invisible #Wattys2019

Chapter 27

"Hello, Lily. I've been expecting your arrival."

Queen Madia stands tall and grabs hold of my collar, throwing me to the ground in an instant. She quietly shuts the creaking door as she locks the rusted bronze.

"Where did you find this?"

She holds up the light pink rose, making sure that it's in my field of vision. She must have been snooping around my room, because I hid it behind my mirror this morning! I don't answer her question as I look at her in utter disgust.

"Answer me, you ungrateful brat!"

"Why are you here?" I ask without a trace of kindness.

She gives me an angry smirk, stepping closer as her velvet green dress drags on the floor.

"Sir Louis told me some interesting news earlier today. He said that you not only ruined his new shirt, but you also admitted to have done it because you want to ruin the wedding!"

"I did not do anything of the sort! It was accident." I explain, frustration boiling in the pit of my stomach.

"Do not talk back to me, maid! Or else, you will for sure be banished into the dungeon!"

She walks up to me and once again kicks my side with great force.

"You disgusting piece of nothing, you are! You really think you could hide something from me? Stealing from the prince in an effort to ruin his big day?! Pathetic. You really thought you could get away with it?"

She holds up the rose and puts it in the middle of her hands, as if she's about to break it.

"NO!!" I scream in an effort to stop her.

She sharply turns her head in my direction, a confused expression on her face.

"Put. The flower. Down."

"How dare you tell me what to do! I am the great Queen of Scadia, and you are lower than the dirt you walk on so do not dare tell me what to do or not to do."

She kicks me once more, pushing all the air out of my lungs.

"Learn your place, maid. I truly cannot believe that the world has to waste air on a pathetic little nothing like you."

She then menacingly stands right above me, only enabling me to see her chin and her evil green eyes.

"You are a worthless piece of nothing. SAY IT!"

The moment she says those words, I immediately get taken aback to all the times people have told me otherwise. The nights Cara would tell me that I never deserved this abuse. The actions of sweet Mincy and Jack that would take care of me as if I were their own, always making sure that I'm healthy. Vicky always reasoning with me whenever I'd repeat what the queen would say to me. And Fredrick... all the things that he has said to me. The way he treats me and the kind words he had spoken just a couple nights ago. These little instances give me the strength I need to open my mouth and speak the words that I've been afraid to speak for as long as I can remember.

"No."

"What did you-"

"NO! I am not worthless! I'm not a rag doll that you can kick around as if I have no soul! I am a person. Like you, like everyone walking on this earth! I'm tired of listening to your words of hurt! I'm tired of taking this torment, and I am done taking orders from you! Your words mean nothing to me, Madia!"

She raises her hand in an attempt to slap me, which I respond to by gripping her arm with a strong grasp.

"Go ahead. Hit me."