The Bastard Princess

12.

*Song above: Lana Del Rey - Born To Die (Weighty Music Remix)

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WARNING: The content of this chapter could be triggering and inappropriate for some readers.

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-HER-

"Thanks for tonight," I told her to divert the topic. At this, she smiled widely.

"Well, the night hasn't even begun yet," Her words sent a shiver down my spine. I was somewhat aware of what was going to come next. I gulped silently before digging at the food again. We talked more throughout the night on mundane stuff.

"Seems like it'll rain tonight," Thea spoke all of a sudden when we were busy finishing the main course. It made my head snap towards the open side of the patio. Dark clouds crowded the night sky. The stars were gone. As if to confirm Thea's words, the first thunder cracked the sky in half.

"It's the first rain of the season, isn't it?" I asked her. It hardly rained in the desert but when it did, it was celebrated quite largely. Thea nodded at me.

"It's a week early this year," She commented before taking another sip from her special pearl drink.

"Well, seems like it's not only evil that I always bring," I remarked. She threw her head back at this and laughed mockingly at me before looking at me with judging eyes, "I'd like to believe that very much, Psaltisi," She said before she trailed off. The tone of her voice seemed so eerie as she continued, "I really hope that you would not try to pull off more stunts. You know what happens then,"

I smiled slightly at her before I stuffed my face with food. The air around me buzzed with tension as her eyes narrowed on me.

"I... I told you before, Cleopatra. I have learned my lesson and I am here to make up for my mistakes," I told her uneasily, lowering my eyes to show submission. Doing this, made me feel uneasy from inside but I did not have any chance to disobey her at the moment.

"Good, Arsinoe," She muttered. Silence fell between us as the dessert was served. I had lost appetite by now. I was more aware of her sitting in front of me, watching me warily and studying me. I knew that she trying to figure out why I was really there.

I tried to initiate conversation again to lighten the tension in the air but she did not seem very interested to speak. "Tomorrow," Thea spoke as she finally rose and looked down at me, "Show up in the court. I'll decide what to do with you," She spoke grimly. Her words made my blood run cold but I maintained my composure and nodded in submission, even though I hated doing it internally.

"You'll be accompanied to your room," She spoke before she walked away. A dozen guards were waiting for me on the other side of the curtains in the patio. My hands were shackled before I was walked to a small prison. I ground my teeth as I was being shoved inside the small room with a small window, which was located very high up in the wall.

I heard them lock the doors before they disappeared. I doubted that they would ever risk leaving me alone at night. I sighed before I settled down on the floor. The cell was empty. There was not even a concrete bed or a mud pot to drink water from.

The sound of the rain soon came to my ears. It made me look up at the window. It was dark outside. Some raindrops sneaked into my cell and fell on my face. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. The sound of rain was very loud. My body was soon aware of how tired it was. I had hardly slept since yesterday.

The tiredness was enough to make the hard and cold stone floor feel comfortable under my tender skin. I curled up and sunk deeper and deeper into sleep while the rain sang one of its melancholy lullabies to me...