Once again thank you for the reviews they make my day.
This has taken many days to write as RL has just been so hectic, so hope this chapter makes up for the wait x
EPOV
"You cannot be serious father!" I could not believe what he was telling me. I would have to deal with that self-centred, air headed, irresponsible, stubborn woman. I had been looking forward to returning home and being rid of her once and for all.
"I am perfectly serious son" he replied "you should not have taken her, and as such you will deal with the consequences! Now go and clean up your mess"
"But.."
"Emmett!" my mother warned "you heard your king!"
I hung my head defeated and turned to face Rose,
"Come with me!" I snapped and when she jumped slightly I felt a slight guilt in my soul, but I shook it off and stormed down the halls, Rose hurrying to keep up with my large gait.
RPOV
"Come with me!" he snapped pulling me out of my trance, I had watched him beg his father not to have him take me, they passed me back and forward like a piece of unwanted meat, not even good enough for the dogs, now my fate had been left to Prince Emmett.
What would he do to me? I knew enough of him to know his pride had been hurt in his mistake, and I am sure it would manifest itself within my punishment.
We walked quickly through the halls and passageways of the great castle, and I was sure that even if I didn't end up spending the rest of my life in a cell, that it would make no difference as I would never remember my way around.
The rooms went on and on, I had tried to take note of different paintings as markers to different rooms but the moment we turned a corner I would forget as a new set of paintings and rooms appeared.
We finally stopped outside a large, iron and mahogany door way, Emmett reached for the handle and pushed it open to reveal another study, unlike King Carlisle's room which had been filled with books, furniture and paintings, Emmett's room was dark.
He had a giant desk and high back ornate chair covered in red velvet, the walls, instead of being decorated with fine art, held maps, and designs for weapons, on the floor was a wolf skin rug, I was glad that the beast was dead, for it would have been as big as a bear alive, I was quite certain.
Emmett sank into his chair and placed his head in his hands, I stood in front not really knowing what I was to do.
After a long pause he spoke,
"Well as you are at my disposal, what shall we do with you? Have you any skills?" he looked at me expectantly, and I did not know what to say,
"I can play the piano, sing and draw my lord"
Emmett sighed, "as I suspected, very well tomorrow you will report to the Dairy master, as punishment for your fathers crimes you will serve Cullentha in the dairy, milking the cows, do I make myself clear?"
"But I have never milked a cow before! Is there not something else I could do?" I begged him.
"This is not a negotiation, I have made my decision and that is final!" his voice raising slightly towards the end, I gulped but nodded my head defeated.
Emmett pulled a long pleated rope that hung to the side of his chair and an elderly woman came rushing in,
"Yes my lord" the woman bowed her head and awaited her instructions,
"This is Rose, she will be working in the dairy from now on, please show her to the servants quarters, and then inform my father of my actions"
Emmett waved us away with his hand, the old woman grabbed me by the arm roughly and led me back out into the maze of passage ways.
All too soon her bony hand pushed me through a door into a small dingy room, it smelled of dust and damp, I was sure that my hands would be able to touch wall to wall, there was a small wooden bed on the far wall and a shelf above. The window to the foot of the bed was small and let in very little light.
On the shelf lay a brown dress, the fabric was thick and rough, and not too dissimilar to the servants attire at my old home. So this was to be my life now, I would forever be Rose the milk maid.
I lit the candle by my bed and undressed, I peeled back the cover only to be hit in the face with a cloud of dust, I ripped it from the bed and shook it outside my door, careful to ensure nobody was around, I placed it back and crawled in.
"UP!" A banging on my door startled me awake and I crept through the dark room to my door opening it a crack to peer out. I was immediately pushed aside as the old woman from last night barged into my room.
"Why are you not dressed? You are to report to the dairy master at daybreak, don't not be late!" and with that she stormed away leaving me quite perplexed.
I quickly threw on my brown dress, which was thankfully not as itchy as it first appeared, and ran out onto the corridor, but then I stopped. Where was I going? It was hard enough trying to remember my way back to Emmett's study from my new room let alone go to a place nobody had actually shown me!
I saw the old woman again a few doors away berating a young red headed girl for not having her skirts correctly pressed, I approached her and asked where I was to go as nobody had shown me, she tutted before clicking her greying fingers at another young servant
"Dairy" was all she said as she pointed at me and the terrified young man grabbed me and practically dragged me in the opposite direction, towards what I assume would be the dairy.
Once outside he left me in front of a large barn before scuttling of to do his chores.
"You are Rose I take it!" This man was as tall as he was round, his belly hung over his pants in a most unsightly fashion, his teeth, what was left, were black, and when he spoke spit flew from his mouth, I tried not to sound repulsed,
"Yes"
"Yes sir! You are not lady of the manor here you know" he sneered at me and began to walk away, "Well move it girl!"
I picked up my feet and followed him to the field behind the barn, in which i was greeted by a herd of around twenty cows.
"I expect you to have milked these by the end of the day, your bucket and stool are over there" he pointed to the objects, the bucket hanging on a nail in the wall the stool directly underneath, before i could ask instruction he was gone.
How hard could it be?
"Come here, nice cow" I had been clicking my tongue and speaking in a sickly sweet voice for hours, and I still could not get one infernal cow to hold still, finally grabbing the ornery beast by its harness I placed my stool on the ground, but no sooner had I sat down it had moved off leaving me toppling to the floor with an oof.
A deep rumbling laugh caught my attention and I turned to see Emmett falling apart at my expense on the other side of the fence.
"What is so funny?" I snapped
Wiping the tears from his eyes he replied,
"You are! I have never seen this type of approach to milking before at this rate the cows would be better milking themselves!"
"And I suppose you could do better!" I challenged
"Of course! For a start I would tie her to the fence like I was supposed to" he held up a small iron ring that was attached by a rivet to the wooden fence,
I scoffed and led the beast over tying her up, and was pleased when I found I could place my stool down and sit without bruising my behind further.
Now what? I sat for a few minutes just staring at the swollen pink udders, I was hoping that the milk would somehow just drip into the bucket of its own accord.
I looked up to see Emmett, he was staring at me mirth still shining in his eyes, it was, I had to admit, a good look on him, when he was happy, the dimples in his face gave him a youthful quality which was quite handsome, but then he would open his mouth and spoil it.
"Well" he urged "what are you waiting for?"
"Idontknowhow" I mumbled, a blush creeping across my face. I expected him to laugh or tease me, but he didn't. Instead he braced his hands on the top rung of the fence and leaped over in one bound, causing the muscles in his arms to bulge further.
He got down behind me and reached around taking two of the udders in his hands he began to gently milk the cow,
"Your turn" he said softly, his voice like velvet in my ear.
I reach out and take the udders, I try to mimic his movements but all it achieves is a moan of discomfort from the cow before I rip my hands away. Emmett reaches out again and takes my hands in his placing them back on the cow.
"Gently" he urges working my fingers, his touch and voice making my skin come alive, causing small sparks through me. I shot of milk darts into the bucket and I squeal with delight,
"I did it" I turn my head to face him, a smile firmly plastered to my face.
"Yes" he clears his throat when he looks at me out noses almost touching, I can see myself in the deep pools of his eyes and I am lost. I soon got the hang of the milking, and all too soon his hands left mine and he stood allowing me to continue with my work. I had not realised the heat our bodies had made until he stood and I felt instantly cold, wishing he was back beside me.
"Be sure to have all these cows milked by sundown, you don't want to get in trouble on your first day" he leaped the fence again and walked towards the castle.
I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding, and continued with my work.
"Fifteen! Fifteen cows!"
I had worked flat out since Emmett left me but I just couldn't keep up, my hands were raw and my muscles ached, but I still had not managed to do all my work, when the dairy master had came to check me and discovered my failure he released his fury,
"I told you I expected them all finished by the end of the day" He was shouting and spitting all over me, using his large frame to intimidate me and force me to back away,
"I suppose you expected the rest of us to pick up your slack! Well let me tell you, you are not lady of the manor now, you are mine, you work for me, if you don't please me you will face the consequences"
I had continued to back up from his screaming but I had not noticed how close I was to the milk canisters and as he forced me back I crashed into them spilling milk all over the floor, I watched as my whole days work spread under my feet like a milk ocean,
"YOU STUPID GIRL! Look what you have done"
SMACK!
The back of his hand connected with my face so hard it sent me crashing to the ground, soaking my dress in spoiled milk.
"I'm sorry" I sobbed holding my swelling face, "It was an accident"
"Your sorry will not help clean this mess you have made!" He pulled me up by my arm, it felt as though it was being wrenched from the socket, before he slammed me into the closest wall, then he used his weight to pin me there,
"This will teach you to behave and make sure you do your work in future!" he hissed, his weight left me for a moment, I heard a rip and cool air hit my back,
"Please" I whimpered, but it was too late, I felt he sting as the leather of his belt ripped at my flesh, the heavy metal buckle tearing slices into me, I screamed, and he hit me harder, the pain when on and on, I screamed out begging the gods to kill me, but he just laughed, hit after hit until I could no longer stand and still he tore into me.
With the final blow I fell to the floor and opened my eyes to see fresh crimson fluid mix with the pure white of the milk, it coursed through looking like hot lava. He wiped his brow and spat at the ground by my face.
Taking a fistful of my hair he dragged my head up, causing me to cry out again through my pained sobs, and spoke in my ear,
"Clean up your mess, and you had better be here bright and early for work in the morning" He rose to walk away "Oh and don't disappoint me again!"
Then he left me.
Oh no poor Rose! What will happen now?
Chapter 11 coming soon x
PS really love reviews x