This chapter will include themes that might be difficult for some readers. I wiil mark when you might want to skip if you feel like you will not be comfortable with the material. I want to make sure that everyone feels safe and not put anyone into an uncomfortable situation.
CW: Battery, verbal and physical abuse, sexual assault. Let's just say this chapter is not going to be a good one.
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Helia shouted as he looked up from his desk to the door.
The door opened and from the lit hallway, Krystal came in. Her footsteps were hesitant and soft as she walked in. Her head was held high as she walked in. Her hair had been brushed and she had gotten dressed in an olive green dress. Helia set down his pen as Krystal walked in and stood up from his seat.
"Thank you for coming, Your Highness." Helia greeted as he gave Krystal a small bow.
Krystal shut the door behind her and walked further into the prince's room. The setting sun illuminated the prince as he stood near the desk. He looked larger than he usually did and Krystal felt so small. Wait, she was supposed to be the one in charge. He was supposed to be begging for her forgiveness and she was supposed to be the one lording over him. She was not used to being in a position of control and when she saw Helia standing in the sunlight, she saw how much he looked like his father and she found herself retreating back into herself.
But he wasn't his father, she knew that. While the sun made him look larger than life, it also highlighted the blue in his eyes and his pale skin seemed to glow under the soft yellows, oranges, and red light of the setting sun. Straightening her stance, Krystal's expression turned serious as she looked at Helia.
"Please," Helia motioned to a chair by his desk, "sit, Your Highness."
Krystal took a seat in the chair and Helia sat on the edge of his bed. It was familiar to when Krystal told Helia about Flora's past and powers. However, this time, it was Helia who had some explaining to do and Krystal wasn't sure if she wanted to hear it. But Helia was right, they couldn't continue on like this, especially if they were to be married. She had to admit to herself that she was miserable and being mad at Helia and Flora was exhausting. Krystal just wanted to hear what Helia had to say, tell him off, and be on her way. She couldn't live the rest of her life with anger in her heart.
There was silence as the two royals looked at one another. Krystal was too afraid to say anything and Helia didn't know where to start. Should he start at the beginning? Should he start when they had their first late-night meeting in the kitchen? Should he start when he told Flora that he loved her? How much did the princess want to know? This was harder than any report he ever had to present to the provincial leaders. This was beyond uncomfortable, but he was talking to Krystal for Flora's sake. He was used to being hated and he was used to being a disappointment, but he knew that Flora could no longer go on with the way things were. Krystal would not speak to Flora, but Helia was glad that Krystal would speak to him.
Helia raised a hand and cleared his throat, "Thank you for coming to see me, Your Highness."
"You have already said that," Krystal replied.
"So I have. I...I just don't know what to say." Helia rubbed the back of his neck.
Krystal sighed and closed her eyes, "I am not mad anymore if that is what you think. I'm just exhausted."
"You could have fooled, Flora." Helia scoffed. "She has been torn apart about what has happened."
"Serves her right." Krystal remarked as she rolled her eyes. She might be done being angry, but that didn't mean that she still didn't feel pain or wasn't hurt by what Flora had done. While Krystal wanted to be demure like she was brought up to be and be the bigger person, it was hard and she really didn't want to at the moment.
"You do realize that I am just as much of an active participant in the situation as Flora? In fact, you should hate me more than you hate her." Helia's voice was much more harsh than before. He didn't want to hear Krystal's disparaging remarks towards Flora, this conversation might as well be over if Krystal was going to keep holding onto petty animosity. She could talk to Helia, but not to Flora?
"I am the one who encouraged Flora to spend time with me because who would willingly spend time with someone like me? I am the one who fell in love with Flora, and I have been so lucky to have someone like her love me back and I got selfish. She pushed me away and yet, I kept chasing her."
"She was supposed to be my friend, Helia." Krystal said, "She was supposed to support me and care for me. She was supposed to be loyal and...Helia, she wasn't supposed to end up with my future husband."
"And I wasn't supposed to fall in love with a handmaiden." Helia smirked, "But I did, and I couldn't let the feeling that she gave me go."
"I am sure that she has given you plenty of feelings."
Helia shot up to her feet, "That's enough." Helia walked over to the door, "You can leave if you are not going to take this conversation seriously, Your Highness. I am only here because of Flora, and I will not hear you talk about her in such a callous manner. I wanted to give you the opportunity to ask me questions and get honest answers."
"I'm sorry," Krystal lowered her head, "I just...I'll behave."
Helia returned to his place on the edge of his bed, "So please, ask me any question you would like."
There was silence again as Krystal kept her eyes to the ground. So many questions ran through her head, but one question stuck out. The same question that she had been asking herself since the first man stepped inside of the Linphean palace when she came of age. It was a question that followed her, and she knew that it wasn't helpful to think about it and Flora was always there to quell her fears. But still, the nagging voice in her head persisted.
Lifting her head, Krystal spoke, her voice no louder than a whisper, "Why her?"
Helia inhaled, "Why Flora?"
"Yes, Your Highness? Why her? Why not me? You said that you began spending time with Flora in July but why not with me? Am I that repulsive to you?"
"Absolutely not!" Helia exclaimed, "You are a beautiful, energetic, and charming woman. Any man would be lucky to have you for a bride."
"So why don't you?" Krystal asked, "Is there something wrong with me?"
"No, Your Highness. I just...I just fell in love with the person that I wasn't supposed to and by some miracle she fell in love with me. I tried to fight it for the longest time, but I couldn't deny it any longer. But that does not mean that I don't love you. When you told me what you did for Flora, I knew that you would be someone with whom I could form a deep friendship. You saved the life of the woman with who I would eventually fall in love with and for that, I owe you more than I have given you. I want our marriage to be a happy one built on mutual respect and as much love as we can give each other. I need you to know, Krystal," Helia gave Krystal a small smile, "I want you to be happy here and the way that Flora and I kept this from you was not right. I am sorry and Flora is sorrier than you could ever know."
Krystal took in a deep breath and shut her eyes, "I just don't know why she would keep this away from me. We tell each other everything."
"Flora didn't think that it would go this far, I didn't either." Helia replied, "We could have not acted on our desires for one another, but we would have been miserable, well, I would have been miserable. I needed her and like I said, I was selfish. We had to keep what was going on between us a secret. We would have told you but I know how my father can be, it was best to keep our relationship a secret. The only person who knew was Saladin but between the two of us, that slippery old man knows everything about everyone. I kept it a secret to protect Flora, Flora kept it a secret to protect you."
"To protect me?" Krystal's eyebrows shot up.
"Flora thought that if anyone else knew, especially my father, that he would take out his disappointment on you. She feared that he would punish you for her sins or that he would cast you out because of her. She didn't want to dishonor you or the Kingdom of Linphea. She just wanted to keep you safe, she wanted to see the marriage go through, she...she was going to tell you when the time was right, Your Highness. She would have told you when she knew that you were safe from my father. We would have stopped when you and I were married. You don't deserve that and Flora doesn't deserve to be my mistress."
"But you love her," Krystal stated, "if anyone was going to be the other woman, it would have been me. It is going to be me. Once again, Flora would get the prince and I would...I would be the princess who everyone feels sorry for."
"I wish I didn't feel this way about Flora, but I do." Helia smiled as he thought about Flora, "And as I said before, I am not going to apologize for that. Flora is everything that I didn't know I needed and is more than I deserve. She is the only woman that I could ever love beyond friendship. I am sorry that you have been caught in the middle of it all. Our intentions were never to hurt you, but we have, and we are both more sorry than we can express. We…I…" Helia took a deep breath, "Flora would like to know how we could make it up to you."
Krystal nodded her head as she closed her eyes, "I appreciate you telling me and I am not going to lie, in my head I want us to move on but in my heart, it is going to take some time."
"I don't want you to rush into forgiveness, Your Highness." Helia sighed, "But Flora is an absolute mess because of this. You don't have to forgive her but please, I wish that you wouldn't speak to her in the way that you do. It makes her feel like shit and frankly, Your Highness, it angers me deeply to see her so distressed. I want us to be friends but if you keep talking about the woman that I love in the way that you have been, I will hold to my promise and make your life miserable here."
Krystal nodded, "I understand. But I have something to ask you, Your Highness."
"Anything," Helia said, "anything you want."
Krystal looked back to the ground as she tried to find the best way to express what it was that she wanted. She knew that what she wanted to ask for would be impossible for Helia to give to her and would be out of his control. But she wanted him to know. She had to ask or regret it for the rest of her life. So she closed her eyes and lifted her head as she took in a deep breath. As she opened her eyes, she adjusted her posture and Helia swore that he had never seen her look so regal. She looked like she was serious and in command. Finally, she spoke.
"I want to break the marriage contract."
Helia was taken aback. He didn't think that she was going to ask for that. Of all the things she could ask for, he didn't think that she would ask to break the marriage contract. Helia was in full support of breaking the contract. If he wasn't engaged to Krystal, he would be free to marry whoever he wanted and who he wanted was Flora. But breaking the contract would be a stain on both Hademort and Linphea's reputation. Hademort didn't have the best reputation thanks to Azrael, but Helia didn't know Linphea would be able to handle the shame that it would bring, even if it was Krystal's choice. Most princesses were married off the moment they came of age and Krystal was well past that. Would she be able to find another suitable husband? What would her parents say? What would her parents do? Would they take it out on Helia and Hademort? If he married Flora, would Titus and Rachel blame her? Would they too regard her as the whore who stole the prince from their demure and beautiful daughter?
Krystal continued when she saw Helia's shocked expression, "I know that it is a lot to ask and I know that people will talk. But I don't care. I deserve to marry someone who loves me for me. I will not be a second choice."
"No," Helia exhaled, "you don't. You are a kind woman, and you deserve better than a man like me. I want you to be happy and in love, but I fear what might happen if we were to break the contract. I must think of my country. I must think of your safety. I must think of Flora's safety. I don't want my father to take out his disappointment of breaking the contract on you or Flora. I can handle my father, I have been doing it for over twenty years but can you?"
"I will have to." Krystal answered, "I have to because I want to find love and I can't do that if I am married to you. I want the love that you and Flora have. I want someone to look at me like the way you look at Flora and I want someone who will go to all the trouble of apologizing and making me feel better like you are doing for Flora. I want to be happy and..." Krystal grinned, "I want you and Flora to be happy. I know that neither of you had any intention of any of this happening. I planned to fall in love with you and you would fall in love with me and Flora had no intentions of falling in love or giving her heart to anyone. But things don't always work out the way that we plan them. I will find a way to forgive you and Flora, I know I will."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Helia placed a hand on top of Krystal's.
"I will talk to Flora tomorrow, it is getting late, and I need one more night of sleep before I can really talk to her. I need to apologize to her as well. I shouldn't have said the things I said to her. I was speaking out of anger."
"I know she would love that more than anything," Helia softly said, "I would like to think that I am the most important person to her like she is to me, but I know that you are truly the one she cares for the most. And she knows that you were speaking from anger, but it didn't make it easier for her to hear. I predict that you two will be back to scheming at night and giggling in the halls."
"I hope so." Krystal said as she let out a soft laugh, "I do miss having someone to gossip with, even if she doesn't actively participate and scolds me to put my energy elsewhere. Are you sure that you want to be with a woman who doesn't know how to have fun? Well, I guess you and her have found other ways to have fun with each other."
"Krystal..."
"I know, I know..." Krystal rolled her eyes, "You are starting to sound just like Flora."
Helia laughed, "I think that might be for the better."
"I think so too."
"General," Flora gasped as she looked at the tall man in front of her, "what are you doing here?"
Duncan stepped closer to Flora, and she took a step back. He wore a devilish grin on his face and his golden eyes bore into her. She felt the blood in her body freeze, and she felt the air struggle to move through her lungs.
"I came to see you."
"Me?" Flora asked as she did her best to hold her gaze with Duncan, but she was finding it hard when he looked at her like he wanted to devour her.
"I was told that you were going to meet the princess tonight." Duncan looked over to the cake on the small desk in Krystal's room, "And I see that you have brought dessert."
"I did," Flora replied, "Do you know where Her Highness is?"
"Meeting with the prince," Duncan answered. "They have been in his room for quite some time."
"Oh," Flora's eyes returned to the ground, "well I suppose she will return soon."
Duncan's voice was low and dark as he spoke, "Not if she is anything like you."
Flora's eyes shot up as she looked up at the general. His smile fell and his gold eyes looked fierier as he looked down at her. He did not look happy and Flora was afraid to ask why. But she didn't need to as Duncan took another step towards Flora and she took a step back.
"I heard that you have been quite busy since I left."
Flora didn't respond as she took another step back as Duncan continued to walk closer to Flora, like a mountain lion approaching its prey. Flora felt herself become smaller as she continued to back away from the general about to close in.
"I heard that the princess found you in a compromising position. It's comical to think that she would want to ever speak to you again, let alone be in the same room with someone like you." Duncan sneered, "Then again, you wouldn't be in this situation if you had just done what I told you."
Flora's back hit a wall as Duncan was inches away from her. She could smell the alcohol on his breath and the warmth that radiated from his skin was blistering, not a comforting warmth like Helia's was. Flora wanted to push him away but as Duncan glared down at her, she found herself not being able to communicate with the rest of her body. It was like her body had a mind of its own. More like didn't have a mind at all. Why couldn't she move?
"What did I tell you before I left?"
Flora opened her mouth, but she was unable to respond. Her green eyes glazed over with tears as she felt fear overtake her for the first time in a long time. She didn't know what it was about this man but something about him was different from all of the people that she had met before who only caused her harm. The guards, the people of her village, Anagan, the Black Circle. None of them had the same effect that Duncan had on her currently. She also felt herself begin to cry with how upset she was with herself for not being able to move. What was wrong with her? She was stronger than this.
"Hmm?" Duncan leaned forward, demanding an answer from Flora. When she didn't answer, Duncan brought his hand to Flora's arm, his strong grip squeezing her tan arm. It hurt, more than Flora thought that it would. Helia would grip her thighs and hips tightly, but it never felt painful. She could feel Duncan's fingertips dig into her skin and it felt like he was trying to snap her arm with just his hand. The way that he was grabbing her arm, Flora wouldn't doubt that he could do it if he wanted.
Duncan held her in place as he raised his other hand and brought it back. Flora saw a flash before she felt the painful sting on her cheek.
***PLEASE STOP READING IF YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU MIGHT FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE! I WILL PLACE ANOTHER MESSAGE WHEN IT IS OKAY TO READ AGAIN***
Flora yelped and reached up with her free hand to place it on her cheek. He had just slapped her, and it hurt more than she ever thought a slap could hurt. The heavy ring on his finger cut against her cheek, adding to the stinging pain of his palm against her face. She had been slapped by a guard once, but the slap from Duncan was nothing like she had experienced before. A tear fell from her eye, and she did her best not to completely fall apart.
"ANSWER ME!" Duncan screamed in her face. Flora began to whimper, and Duncan raised his hand again to pull back and swiftly bring back to Flora's cheek. "STOP CRYING!"
"Y...y...y...you t...t...t...told me t...t...t...t...to be g...g...g...g...good." Flora stuttered as she cried. Her eyes were closed as the sharp sting of the second slap overpowered the first one. It throbbed and she knew that it would bruise.
"And instead, I come home to find that my fiancé has been fucking the prince while I have been away bringing honor and glory to Hademort by cutting down the scum from Koria! Do you remember what else I told you?!"
Flora couldn't stop crying as Duncan's breath continued to hit her face and his hand dug into her arm. His voice was loud as it pierced through her ears and her body still couldn't move. She couldn't speak She could barely think as Duncan stood in front of her.
"I...I...I...I can't..." Flora tried her best to talk but she couldn't find the words.
"How quickly you forget your place! You are nothing but a servant from the disgusting villages of Linphea! You should be thanking whatever maker you pray to that I took an interest in you despite your station! You should be worshiping the ground I walk on for wanting to even consider marrying a poor girl like you! A woman with no proper upbringing or any kind of class! I thought that you would have been an obedient and dutiful wife, but instead, I come home to find that the bitch I am supposed to marry is nothing but a fucking whore!"
"I...I...I...I...I'm sorry." Flora managed to squeak out.
The wicked smile returned to Duncan's face as he looked down at Flora, sending her heart plunging down to her stomach.
"Oh no," Duncan said through clenched teeth, "I told you that girls who are not good get punished and that you are not above punishment."
Flora's eyes widened and finally, her body decided to move. She began to wiggle in Duncan's grasp but his grip was unrelenting.
"Don't try to get away from me!" Duncan snapped Flora back into her former position against the wall, preventing her body from moving anymore.
"I will not have the woman who I am to marry be the whore of some useless and pathetic prince! You are to be my wife and when you fuck up, I will punish you accordingly!"
"Please..." Flora's breathing became labored as she tried to keep her mind off the pain in her arm and the way that Duncan looked at her. "Please..."
"It is too late to beg now! I warned you before I left! You should have thought before you jumped into bed with the prince and became his little plaything! How stupid can you be? You are so beautiful that I sometimes forget who you really are. Some stupid nothing from a nothing village. You are nothing and you will always be nothing! Do you really think the prince would truly love a girl like you? He just sees what we all see, a pretty little bitch to warm our cocks."
"Helia loves-"
Duncan raised his hand and Flora prepared herself for another slap but instead, Duncan's hand fell on top of her head and his strong fingers grabbed a handful of her brown hair. Flora winced as Duncan released her arm, only to pull her by the hair away from the wall. Flora began to struggle again as Duncan pulled her across Krystal's room but that only made Duncan angrier.
She stumbled over her feet as Duncan pulled her by the hair. She tripped into the large wooden wardrobe, her stomach crashed into a shelf that held the princess's shoes, and her shins hit the chest by the wardrobe. She felt a sharp pain in her abdomen, but she did not have time to react as she kept stumbling, trying to keep up with Duncan as he pulled her by the hair across the room.
"Stop struggling!" Duncan commanded as he stopped in his tracks, frustrated by Flora's feeble attempts of getting away from him. She saw a flash of wood before her eyes as Duncan grunted and before Flora could register what happened, she felt a heavy thud on her forehead and her vision became blurry.
She fell to the floor and when she looked up, she could see the corner of the vanity above her. On the corner of the vanity, Flora could see a spattering of red across the light wood of the vanity table. She slowly raised a hand to the burning pain on her forehead and felt the wet warmth of what she quickly realized was blood.
Feeling a stinging pull from the top of her head, Flora was picked up from her hair once again.
"Get up!" Duncan yelled as he pulled Flora to her feet. Blood trickled from her hairline and down her forehead. Her eyes were red as she cried and now her brushed, wavy hair was now a mess. Her neck hurt so much, and she could smell the blood as it trickled down her head and past her nose. She weakly lifted her hand as she made a poor attempt of wiping the blood away, instead, the crimson fluid had been smeared across her face.
"Please, the princess will-"
"You think that the princess cares about you!? After what you have done! She should be glad that I am teaching you a lesson! Maybe you will learn some respect!"
"She shouldn't see this." Flora whimpered as she looked at Duncan, her eyes pleading with him to stop. She didn't want Krystal to see her like this.
"And you think that she should have seen you on top of the prince?! Your body moving over his like some skilled whore?! Your hands all over him?! Your lips on him?! Do you think that she wanted to see that?! I am doing the princess a favor in return for what you have done to her!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-" Flora repeated. She would say it as many times as she needed to in order to have this all over and done with. Her vision kept fading in and out from her forehead meeting the corner of the vanity. Her head hurt so much, and she just wanted it to be over.
But it seemed that Duncan wasn't close to being finished.
With another slap across her face, Flora's vision briefly disappeared again, and her head spun. Why wouldn't it stop?
"SILENCE!" Duncan screamed at Flora. "You aren't sorry! You are only sorry that you got caught!"
"No..." Flora sniffled through her tears, "I'm sorry...please..."
Duncan continued his march across the room, Flora's hair in his grasp, and Flora began to try to grab anything in her path. She grabbed the edges of the vanity, the edge of the small desk, and watched as the cake took a tumble to the floor, smashing against the floor. She grabbed onto the chairs and the large bookshelf, grabbed onto objects like brushes, the silver container that held Krystal's hairpins, the rug, the edges of the red curtains that hung on the windows of Krystal's room, anything her hands could find.
"If you want to act like a whore, then you are going to be treated like a whore."
Flora felt her back hit the soft mattress of Krystal's bed. She tried to get up, but Duncan threw her back down. Flora scrambled back until her back hit the wooden headboard. The bed sank with a soft creak as Duncan climbed onto the bed. Flora brought her knees up to her chest, trying to get as far away as she could from the general. But his hands came down to her ankles and with a swift tug, her legs came flying out from under her and her body fell flat onto the bed.
Kicking her legs, Flora wanted Duncan away from her but his hold on her was stronger. He gripped the hem of her periwinkle gown and began pulling it up as Flora continued to struggle in his grasp. Duncan pinned down Flora's legs with a firm push down on her ankles. He lifted himself up and hovered over her body. Removing a hand from her ankles, Duncan gave Flora another firm slap across the face before his hand gripped her tightly around her neck.
"Stop. Moving." Duncan commanded through a clenched jaw. "I will tie you to this bed if need be."
Flora looked up and silently nodded. She did her best to focus on her breathing as it became more and more constricted under Duncan's hand. He told her to stop moving and it unfortunately was a request that she could easily meet. She had so much power. She was able to take down whole villages and hurt people that she didn't want to harm. But when she was with Duncan, it was like she became just as frozen as Hademort itself.
"You spread your legs so easily for that poor excuse for a prince. I will show you what it is like to be with a real man. I am a hero, a proud son of Hademort, and I am the man that Helia wishes he could be. I am the man that the king favors, and I will have what was promised to me. Now be a good girl and stop moving."
The soft fabric of her gown glided over her leg as Duncan lifted her gown. Past her calves, past her thighs, past her hips. Her lower half was completely exposed as he lifted every part of her gown that covered her from the colored fabric to the thicker petticoat that kept her legs warm in the frigid fall months of Hademort.
Duncan removed his hand from Flora's neck and lifted up from her body. Flora's breath caught in her chest, unable to catch her breath, as she heard the familiar sound of rustling fabric and the metallic sound of a belt coming undone.
"Please don't..." Flora begged once more, "please don't do this. Please, please, please, please..."
"What did I tell you about being silent?!" Duncan screamed as he grabbed his belt and slapped it across her face. She would have a bruise on the other side of her face to match the other one caused by his slaps. Flora cried out as the heavy metal of the belt buckle caught her lip and she could taste the blood on her tongue and her teeth felt like they were about to fall out. She ran her tongue over her teeth, they were fine. But she knew that in just a moment, she would be anything but fine.
Flora winced as she felt Duncan pull her legs apart with such force that she thought he was going to split her in half. The muscles in her legs were tight as Duncan gripped her thighs and she just laid there. She couldn't move.
She couldn't move when Duncan crawled back over her body. She couldn't move as Duncan ran a hand up her inner thigh. She couldn't move as she felt the tip of Duncan's cock at her sensitive entrance. She couldn't move when with a strong thrust of his hips, Duncan had entered her. He felt so wrong. It was painful. It was foreign. It was disgusting. It was shameful.
It wasn't Helia.
This is what she deserved. After everything that she had done, this is exactly what she deserved. For betraying Krystal, for murdering her parents in the path of her blind rage, for destroying her village, for daring to fall in love with a man who didn't belong to her. This was a pain worse than death as Duncan moved in and out of her at an unrelenting pace. His grunts filled her ears and his breath hit her skin as she laid still beneath him. She hated it but she deserved every moment of torturous pain.
Silent tears fell from her eyes as she did everything she could to block out the pain between her legs and the shattering feeling she had in her chest. Helia would never love her after this. How could he want someone so filthy? He would surely cast her off, not giving her the choice to come back. She was Duncan's now.
"Helia may have the crown, but I have you," Duncan said as he gripped Flora's leg and raised it above his body so that he could go harder and deeper. "I will always have you. You are mine!"
Flora breathed out, "No..."
Duncan's hand returned to Flora's throat, immediately silencing herself so that Duncan wouldn't do anything else. She just wanted it to be over. She just wanted all of this to be over. Krystal hated her, Duncan was inside of her, and Helia would never be hers. Maybe Duncan would kill her. That's all she wanted at that moment.
"Perfect," Duncan panted, "just as I thought. So warm and tight. No wonder the prince liked having you in bed. I bet he never fucks you like this. I can't believe you spread your legs for someone like him. You must have been truly desperate. It is said that you could be heard from down the hall, but I find that hard to believe. But don't worry, I'll give you something to scream about."
In and out, in and out, in and out, in and out. That's all she focused on. Flora thought that was the place on her body with the least amount of pain. Her head was killing her, Duncan's hand on her leg burned, and his hand on her neck was excruciating. At this moment, the shame of Duncan slamming roughly inside of her felt better than the pain of Duncan's hand on her skin.
In and out, in and out, in and out, in and out...
Duncan moved his hand from around her neck and placed it on her cheek, turning her head and pressing it down into the soft pillow. Flora stared out into the destroyed room and her eyes landed on the cake that had smashed onto the floor. She had taken great care that afternoon to make sure that it was perfect. Now, it was ruined. Flora had planned for a lot of things in her life. To marry Anagan and raise a family with him in the village that they grew up in. Miele would be over every weekend, eventually with her own family. Her father would give her away at the wedding, her mother would tell Flora how amazing she was doing as she gave birth to her children. Flora had planned for her life to be so much different than what it was. She had dreams but as she looked out at the cake, the tears fell from her eyes, hot and thick as she thought of all the dreams that never came true.
It felt like forever until she felt Duncan quickly withdraw from her and with a painful yet satisfied grunt, he spilled over her clothed chest and stomach. She could feel his hot cum through the layers of her gown. It felt heavy, hot, and disgusting. Helia had come in her and she never felt so disgusting, only well-loved, and completely one with Helia.
Duncan panted as he crawled off of Flora and the bed. Flora felt him reach down and grab the hem of her gown and saw as he wiped away whatever it was that was on his cock. She didn't know what it was, and she didn't care. It's not as if she could get any more disgusting. He adjusted himself in his black pants and grabbed the belt that had been discarded on the bed and threaded it through the belt loops on the waistband of his pants. Flora kept her eyes on the cake on the floor.
"Now everyone will see exactly what kind of woman you are. They will see that you belong to me. So stop crying and be glad that you are mine and come the spring, you will be mine forever. Your face should be back to normal by then, gorgeous."
Flora sniffled as she turned her head to look at Duncan, blood and tears staining the tan skin of her face.
"Please," Flora's voice was soft and unaffected, "just kill me."
"Now now," Duncan walked over to Flora and brushed the hair out of her face, "that would just be too easy. Plus, I wouldn't be able to enjoy you later. I would hate for a cunt like that to go to waste. Have you learned your lesson?"
Flora nodded her head.
"Good girl." Duncan smirked, placing a kiss on Flora's forehead that had not been covered by blood as he backed away from Flora and patted the outside of her thigh, "Next time you will do well to heed my commands. Sleep well, gorgeous."
***YOU CAN CONTINUE READING BUT PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THERE WILL BE MENTION OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED***
Flora watched as Duncan left Krystal's room. As the door slammed behind him, Flora was left with the mess on her body, the mess in her head, and the mess in the room. Just like the moment with Duncan, Flora began to compartmentalize everything around her and within her. Focusing on a messy room was easier than focusing on the mess on her body and in her head.
Her eyes immediately focused on the smashed cake on the floor. The cake was now deformed, and the white icing and fruit were splattered across the floor. She had made that cake for Krystal, hoping that Krystal would remember when Flora would make it for her birthday. She hoped Krystal would be brought back to the happier moments that they shared together but now, Flora looked at the cake and saw pain, sadness, anger, and shame.
Flora rose from the bed, her dress falling to the top of her legs and the release left on her dress was thick and sticky against her skin. Using the strength she had left, Flora stood up on trembling legs and immediately felt a sharp pain inside of her. She felt something warm and wet on her skin and she glanced down to see a faint red drop trickle down her leg. But she couldn't think of that, she had to clean up before Krystal arrived.
Bending down, Flora winced at the pain in her lower abdomen as she began picking up the brushes and pins that fell to the floor during the struggle she had with Duncan. One by one, she picked them up and placed them back into the silver container as her fingers trembled. It was like her hands had gone numb and she could no longer feel anything against her fingertips. Her head spun so she could barely see them as well. Once she had gathered all of the pins that she could see, Flora slowly stood up, another sharp pain shooting between her legs as more blood trickled down her leg as she placed the silver container of pins on the vanity. She looked to the corner and saw the blood. She had to get rid of it.
Flora walked into the washroom connected to Krystal's bedroom and grabbed a small towel and placed it in the basin of water. Flora glanced up at her reflection and wanted to throw up. Her hair was a mess, her forehead was covered with blood that fell onto her cheeks. Mixed in with the bloodstains on her cheek was the salty lines of white left on her skin from the tears that had poured from her eyes. She could see the bright red of her slowly bruising cheek and eye before she glanced down and saw her swollen and bloodied lip and the red marks around her neck. She looked terrible.
But she had a room to clean.
Walking back out to the bedroom, Flora brought the wet cloth and began wiping down the vanity of her blood. She scrubbed the dark red blood that had dried onto the wooden surface. She scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed until there was no way that anyone would be able to see what happened. The wet cloth was now stained pick with her blood and Flora dropped it so fast that one would think it had been searing hot. No, she just didn't want it in her hand. She should have placed it somewhere that wasn't on top of the vanity that she had just cleaned. Flora should have done a lot of things but instead, she did the opposite and that was why she was in the situation she was in now.
Duncan wouldn't have done this if she had just done what he said. She should have behaved. She should have held strong and kept her distance from Helia. She should have just gotten on that fucking boat. This was all her fault. If only she had been a good girl.
Flora picked up the fallen chairs and returned them to their proper position. She fell to her knees and grabbed the papers that had fallen on the floor before reaching up to return them to the desk. She tidied almost everything that she could find just so that she didn't have to look or think about the cake on the floor.
"What happened in...Flora?"
Flora's stomach sank as she heard Krystal's soft voice. She didn't hear the door open.
Krystal looked around the room to see a cake on the floor, her bed a mess, and a bloody cloth on her vanity. What had happened? Flora was kneeling on the floor, her head bowed down and her hair a tangled mess.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness. I will clean this all up and I will be on my way." Flora responded as she frantically began cleaning.
"Flora, it looks like a wild animal has been through here." Krystal giggled as she continued to look around the room.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Flora answered again.
Flora turned her head slightly as she picked up the pens that had fallen to the floor. Krystal's laugh immediately died in the air as she caught a glimpse of Flora's face and body. Krystal fell to her knees as she dropped down next to Flora. Raising a hand, Krystal made a move to brush Flora's hair out of her face, but Flora quickly recoiled.
"Please, Your Highness, I must clean up the mess I made," Flora responded firmly as she turned her head away from Krystal. "The floor will become sticky if I do not clean up the cake. I dropped it, Your Highness. I destroyed your room; I must clean it up."
Flora crawled over to the cake and picked up what she could and put it back onto the plate that had miraculously survived the fall to the stone floor. She scooped up the cake with her hands and when she was done, Flora reached up to the vanity and grabbed the bloodied cloth and began scrubbing the floor. Krystal watched in horror as Flora whimpered as she scrubbed, her whole body shaking with each movement. The scrubbing became faster and more frantic with Flora's whimpers becoming frustrated pants.
"Why won't it come out!?" Flora yelled as she furiously moved her hand over the now spotless floor where the icing and juices of the summer fruits had once been.
"Flora I don't-"
"It's so sticky! I won't let you walk on a sticky floor, Your Highness! It will attract bugs! Your room will start to smell! I have to get it out! I have to clean it! I have to get rid of it! Why won't it come out!? Why won't it go away!? Why won't it stop being so sticky!? I'm sorry it won't come out! It won't come out! Why won't it come out!?"
"Flora..." Krystal moved closer to Flora and reached her hand out to stop Flora's scrubbing.
"Stop!" Flora exclaimed, "Don't touch me! Leave me to clean, Your Highness, and I will leave you in peace. I just have to make sure the floor isn't sticky. I need to clean it. I need to clean it. I need to clean it. I need to cle-"
"Flora please tell me what happened. I want-"
Flora slapped Krystal's hand away and snapped her head to look at Krystal, tears stinging her eyes.
"DON'T TOUCH ME! I NEED TO CLEAN IT!"
Krystal gasped when she saw Flora's bloody, bruised, and beaten face. What had happened?
"Flora please tell me what happened." Krystal pleaded with Flora as she took in her horrible appearance.
"Like you don't know, Your Highness." Flora snapped back.
"I don't, Flora. If I did, I wouldn't have asked you."
"You invited me here tonight and I stupidly thought that you wanted to talk."
"Flora," Krystal's voice held a deep sense of fear and worry, "I didn't ask to meet with you tonight."
"What?" Flora gasped in shock.
"Flora," Krystal stared into Flora's eyes as she placed a hand on the top of Flora's head as she smoothed her hair, "I didn't ask to meet with you tonight."
Flora's eyes widened as she took in Krystal's repeated insistence that she had not invited Flora to her room. Then what had happened? Had she been tricked by Duncan and that woman? Krystal didn't know. Krystal didn't send Duncan to teach her a lesson. Krystal hadn't sent for her.
"You didn't?"
"No, Flora. Helia came to my room this morning before his meetings to ask to meet me after dinner. I would not have called for you at this time if I was meeting with Helia."
"So you didn't send him to punish me?" Flora asked.
"Send who?! Who did this to you?!" Krystal felt a wave of deep anger boil up within her.
"Nobody..." Flora replied.
"Flora who did this to you?!" Krystal asked again, her voice loud and filling the room.
"I just wanted to meet with you. I made you a cake and now it is ruined." Flora turned her attention to the smashed cake on the plate.
"Flora, I don't care about the cake! Who did this to you!? As your princess, I command you to tell me who did this to you!"
Flora shook her head and bit down on her swollen lip, the wound reopening and the blood once again falling into her mouth. She couldn't say anything. If she said something, it would make it more real. Krystal already hated her and if she knew what happened, Krystal would hate her even more. She would yell at her for not fighting back. Krystal would yell at her for allowing Duncan to take her like he did. She would call her a whore for having sex with Duncan when she claimed to love Helia. Krystal would never want anything to do with her. Flora looked down at her lap and Krystal's eyes followed. Krystal gasped as she brought her hands to her mouth when she saw Flora's dress and the white and red stains that covered the periwinkle gown. Krystal also took in the faint bloodstains that formed thin lines down her leg.
"Flora..."
Hearing the pain and pity in Krystal's voice, Flora broke down for the first time since Duncan had walked out of the door. Letting out a painful cry, Flora fell forward into Krystal's arms and despite her blood and messy state, Krystal wrapped her arms around Flora as she cried.
"I'm so sorry, Your Highness." Flora sobbed, "I didn't mean to. You shouldn't want anything to do with me. I am soiled. I betrayed your trust. I am scum. I am dirty. I...I...I don't want to go on."
"Shhh," Krystal whispered, "don't say things like that, Flora. Don't say things that aren't true."
Krystal gently stroked Flora's messy and matted hair. Her gown was becoming wet with Flora's tears as Flora cried. All of the anger that she had towards her handmaiden was gone as shock, pain, and sadness replaced the anger. How could Flora think that she would have done something like this? She would ask Flora that later. Krystal might be naive but even she could tell that Flora didn't need any scrutiny. Krystal just had to be there for Flora, but she needed to know what happened.
"Flora," Krystal pulled Flora off of her shoulder and looked into her eyes, "please tell me what happened."
"I can't, Your Highness. It is too shameful."
Krystal took a deep breath, "Shall I get Helia? Perhaps he would be easier to talk to."
"No!" Flora exclaimed, "You can't tell Helia, Your Highness! You must never tell him."
"I can't promise that, Flora." Krystal sighed.
"Please," Flora cried as she pleaded with Krystal, "please don't, Your Highness. I can't...I don't...he can't know. He would never look at me the same way again. I am ruined."
Krystal nodded. She wouldn't tell. At least not yet.
"I will not tell, and you are not ruined, Flora. Can you please tell me what happened?"
Flora took a deep breath before she opened her eyes and spoke.
"I came here tonight, a servant told me that you said you wanted to meet with me. She told me that you didn't want me to mention it to anyone as you feared that if I had included someone like Saladin or Helia, that they would meddle, and it would have swayed our conversation. I made you a cake..."
"Flora, I don't care about the cake. All I care about is you." Krystal gave Flora a weak smile.
"When I arrived..." Flora took a deep, calming breath, "the general was here."
"Duncan?"
Flora silently nodded.
"Duncan did this to you?" Krystal asked for clarification and earned another silent and tearful nod. "What...what did he do?"
Krystal wasn't sure that she wanted to hear the answer, but she needed to know. She couldn't help Flora if she didn't know everything. Flora was quiet as she looked down at her hands, unable to meet the princess's gaze.
"Flora," Krystal's voice was more firm as her jaw tightened, "what did he do?"
She needed to know but she hoped that she would not be met with the answer that she expected.
"He told me that I needed to be punished for what I did to him; what I did to you, Your Highness. He said that I had not been good while he was away and that if I wanted to act like a whore, I would be treated like a whore. He...he...he hit me, pulled my hair, slammed my head into the vanity. I swear I got all the blood out of the wood. Please let me know if I missed any, Your Highness."
"Flora," Krystal looked down at Flora's dress and then back up to her face, "what else did he do to you?"
As Flora fell back into Krystal's arms, Krystal had the answer she feared the most.
"Oh, Flora," Krystal began to cry as she once again wrapped her arms around Flora, "no, no, no, no..."
"I deserve it, Your Highness. After everything that I have done. I deserved it."
"No, Flora." Krystal replied through tears, "You didn't deserve that, nobody does. I'm so sorry for all the things I said to you. You love Helia and he loves you more than anything and I was just being immature and selfish. Flora, even at my angriest I would have never thought that you should ever deserve what has happened to you. He can't get away with this. I have to tell someone. You are not getting married to that monster. I will not allow it."
"Your Highness..."
"Do not argue with me, Flora." Krystal's voice was serious as she once again pulled Flora out of her arms and looked into her green eyes, the whites had gone red from crying and the skin around her eye turning a bright purple. "Duncan will not get away with this."
Flora nodded, "Just don't tell anyone tonight. I don't want to cause even more trouble tonight."
"I can do that." Krystal gave Flora a smile. "You will stay in here with me tonight. I will send for Saladin and have him fetch you a dress. Rid yourself of these dirty clothes and we shall burn them in the fireplace. Get in the tub, the water should still be warm, I haven't bathed tonight. I was waiting until I got back. I will then tend to you after I clean up the rest of the room."
"Your Highness, I can't allow you to clean-"
"Flora," Krystal softly interrupted, "go do as you were told."
Flora smiled at Krystal as she rose to her feet hand in hand with Krystal.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Krystal led Flora into the washroom and helped her out of her gown. Flora sighed as the heavy fabric fell from her body, immediately feeling a weight lift away from her. While the stains of his release had been removed from her body, the bloodstains remained, and Flora feared that the stains of what he had done would remain in her mind for the rest of her life.
Stepping into the warm bath, Flora sank down and watched as the water covered her body, turning a light pink from the blood that washed away from her legs. Her muscles began to relax as she sank deeper into the warm water. Her abdomen still hurt and under the warm water, Flora watched as more blood came out. She was certain that wasn't supposed to happen, but she would think about it later.
"Flora..." Krystal looked down at her friend in the bathtub, "you keep bleeding."
Flora didn't respond as she felt the water continue to warm her aching muscles. She looked down at her arm and saw the faint bruises from Duncan's grip and her vision continued to go in and out.
"Flora, are you alright?" Krystal asked but still Flora didn't respond. "Flora, please say something."
"I am fine, Your Highness. My head..." Flora pointed to the gash on her head from the vanity, clotted blood congealed around the wound.
"I know, I know." Krystal replied, trying to sound as empathetic as she could, "I think that you might have a concussion. I...I..." Krystal took a deep breath, "I know that I would not say anything, but I am going to get Saladin. I don't think that I can tend to you by myself. Just," Krystal looked around the washroom, "just don't leave the tub. Can you do that for me, Flora?"
"Please don't get Saladin. I don't want anyone else to know."
"I have to, Flora. I don't know how to help you by myself." Krystal sighed, "Please, I need to call for him."
Flora closed her eyes and nodded. She didn't open them right away, causing Krystal to yell at the woman in the tub.
"And don't fall asleep!" Krystal exclaimed, causing Flora's eyes to snap open.
Krystal gave Flora one more look as she carefully held Flora's gown in her hands and discarding it on top of the large, stone counter. They would burn it together; Flora deserved that small bit of pleasure. Turning away from Flora, Krystal made her way out of the washroom and out of the destroyed room, and into the large hallways.
She sighed as she made her way down the hallway, hoping that she would be able to find the old servant before anyone else stopped her in the hallway. She didn't have time to talk to anyone else for fear that despite Flora's best efforts, she would not be able to keep her eyes open and stay awake. Krystal would not let Flora's last minutes on this planet to be filled with trauma, anger, and sadness. She would not allow it. Krystal silently laughed to herself; she would command Flora to come back to life if need be.
Krystal hadn't even told Flora that she had come up with a plan to leave the marriage contract with Helia. She wanted to tell Flora the good news that she and Helia could be together. Krystal would try to make it sound as though she was breaking the contract out of the goodness of her heart, but Krystal just wanted to find the man of her dreams. She didn't want the man of someone else's dream nor did she want a man that wanted someone else. Krystal wanted to be her husband's everything like Flora was Helia's everything, or she wanted to be nothing.
Making her way down the hallway, Krystal turned the corners, servants bowing to her but all she wanted was to find Saladin. She passed Helia's room, and she stopped in front of the large door. Krystal really wanted to tell Helia, tell him what had happened and that Flora was in her room bleeding in her bathtub. Krystal did not know what was going to happen to Flora but she made her a promise that she wouldn't tell. So Krystal took a breath and continued past Helia's room. Flora had better live, if not for her sake but for the sake of the prince. Krystal didn't want to think about what Helia would do if Flora succumbed to her injuries tonight without saying goodbye to Helia.
Krystal made her way down to the servants' quarters where she was greeted with a handful of servants standing to attention and falling into bows. It struck Krystal that one of these servants might be the one who had lied to Flora and led her right into Duncan's trap. But she would worry about that later.
"I am in need of Saladin," Krystal said as she stood up, her back straight and her nose held high into the air, "where might I find him?"
"I am here, Your Highness."
Krystal looked to the back corner of the room where the small servant made his way from the back of the room and towards Krystal. Saladin looked concerned, Krystal never had come down to the servants' quarters in the months that she had been to the palace, and she looked like the sort of person who would never come down.
"Please," Krystal said, "come with me. I need your help. Now."
Saladin gave Krystal a silent nod as he followed Krystal out of the servants' quarters. He could sense that whatever it was that had brought her down to the basement had been urgent. So he didn't question her and followed her up the stairs.
"Your Highness, I sense that something is amiss." Saladin remarked as he followed behind the princess.
"Just hurry up," Krystal huffed as she continued to march in the corridors, "we need to make it back."
Reaching her room, Krystal opened the door and held it open for Saladin. He gasped as he walked into the princess's room and took in the state of the room. The red curtains were askew, the bed was a mess, and there was a cake on the floor. What happened?
"Your Highness," Saladin said as he looked around the room, "if you are needing help cleaning up, I will send our best maids to your room."
"No, no, no," Krystal shook her head, "I am not here for the room."
"Then what would you need me for, Your Highness?"
Krystal took a deep breath, "You cannot tell anyone else, especially His Highness."
"I cannot pro-"
"Please," Krystal cut off the old man, "she doesn't want him to know. She didn't want anyone to know but I couldn't do this myself. There is just too much blood and I started to feel nauseous and-"
"Your Highness, what is going on?" Saladin asked.
"Just say that you won't tell anyone about what you are about to see."
"Your Highness...
"Please!" Krystal exclaimed.
Saladin nodded before Krystal motioned for him to follow her into the washroom. When he crossed over the threshold, he felt his heart still in his chest as he saw the woman in the bathtub.
Flora's body looked limp, her hair was matted on top of her head, and her eyes were closed. He walked closer and couldn't help but to release a small gasp when he looked down and saw Flora sitting in water tinted a dull red. He was snapped back to reality when Krystal had knelt to her knees and splashed Flora with some water. Her eyes slowly opened, and Krystal let out a sigh of relief.
"Don't do that. Keep your eyes open." Krystal said.
"I'm just so tired, Your Highness," Flora replied, her words soft and slurred.
"What happened?" Saladin asked as he couldn't pull his eyes away from Flora in the tub.
Krystal looked to Flora before she directed her attention to Saladin. Looking up at him, Krystal told him everything. Saladin's eyes moved from Flora to Krystal, trying his best to keep up with what Krystal had told him about the events of that night. But it didn't help that she didn't know all the details of what had truly happened to Flora, but maybe that was for the best. He didn't think he wanted to hear about all the things that Duncan had done to her. If her face, body, and the blood were any indication, Flora was the strongest woman he had met.
As Krystal finished, Saladin made his way to the stone counter and grabbed a fresh towel. Krystal rose to her feet and made her way out of the washroom as Saladin took her place at Flora's side. Saladin dunked the small towel in the water and began washing away the blood on Flora's face. She winced as the towel went over the cuts and wounds on her face.
"I am so sorry, my dear. I never thought that the general would do something like this." Saladin sighed.
"Please don't tell Helia." Flora's voice was weak as she turned her head to face Saladin.
"He will need to know eventually."
"No, he must never know." Flora reached up and placed a hand on Saladin's arm.
"He will have questions, my dear."
"Tell him I took a bad fall in the servants' quarters. Tell him I slipped on ice as I made my way to collect items from the storehouse. Tell him anything but he cannot know."
Saladin was silent as he continued to wipe away the blood. He could explain away the bruised eye and cheek, he could explain away the swollen and burst lip, he could explain away the pain that Flora felt in her body. But what would he say about the marks around Flora's neck? How could he explain why Flora jumps every time he would ty to touch her? How could he explain why Flora would wake up at night screaming or trembling at the mention of Duncan's name? Helia would have questions that Saladin would not be able to explain unless he told Helia the truth of what had transpired that night in the princess's bedroom.
Glad to see that once the blood was gone from the gash on her head, Saladin was thankful that the wound had not been as bad as he originally thought. He had to look for any light in the dark tunnel that was this situation. However, Saladin was more concerned with the blood that was in the water. Where had it come from? All the blood that he could see had been caked onto her skin but now had been washed away. But the water continued to slowly grow darker. Where was the source?
Krystal walked back into the washroom, a brush in her hand and a bottle of lavender scented hair oil. She placed the oil on the ground before she sank back down beside Flora and looked over the tub to Saladin. She sighed before turning to Flora.
"Can I brush your hair, Flora?"
Flora didn't respond as her eyes threatened to close once again.
"Flora, don't close your eyes." Krystal commanded.
"Please, Your Highness. Command me to sleep. I want to sleep. I am so tired."
"I know, Flora. Soon you may sleep." Krystal clutched the brush in her hand and softly began to run the brush through Flora's hair. The brush caught on the tangles in her hair and Krystal tried to be as gentle as she could be, not wanting to tug through her hair and cause Flora more pain than she already had been through, "Let Saladin and I clean you up and then you may sleep. And I will be right beside you and I will watch as you dream. Only the best dreams filled with happiness and sunshine. No one can harm you in your dreams. Dream of your family, dream of the time that we snuck into my father's stock of strawberries and ate until we were sick, dream about the distant smell of rain, dream about Helia, dream about everything good in this world."
"All things that will never happen again. Only distant memories, Your Highness." Flora sadly looked down at the murky water around her.
Krystal wanted to tell Flora that it wasn't true. While it may be some time if Flora saw Linphea again and smelled the earthy scent of rain, Flora would be with Helia. But Krystal decided to say nothing, not wanting to give Flora any kind of false hope. Just because Krystal and Helia planned to leave the marriage contract, there was no guarantee that they would be successful. So she just kept silently brushing Flora's hair.
"Flora, where are you bleeding from, my dear?" Saladin asked, hating to interrupt the serene moment between the young women but he needed to know. He needed to know where the blood was coming from.
"Saladin..." Krystal nervously looked up at Saladin, not wanting Flora to have to answer that question.
"Your Highness, where is the blood coming from? I must know if I am to be of any help."
Krystal turned her attention back to Flora, looking down into the tub of water that had developed a darker hue of red, "It wasn't that bad when I found her but the minute she sank into the water, it just wouldn't stop."
"Your Highness!" Saladin yelled and Krystal's attention came back to him as her green eyes were wide and filled with fear.
"Between her legs."
Saladin inhaled and thought about the best way to approach the subject. He had seen bleeding like this before, but he needed to be sure. He had seen it with Viviana and each time he had been there to help. However, he didn't want to make an already terrible situation even worse. This would surely break Flora more than she had already been broken and eventually, break Helia as well. Finding the courage, Saladin opened his eyes and black met green as he looked into Flora's eyes.
"Flora," Saladin took another deep breath, trying to keep his voice calm, "I need you to be honest with me. Can you do that for me?"
Flora softly nodded, not quite fully understanding as her head pounded and her vision was slowly closing in on itself. But still, she looked at the old man beside her and nodded.
"Flora, my dear, are you pregnant?"
Krystal's head snapped to Flora and Flora's expression was just as shocked and confused as Krystal's.
"No, no I am not."
"Are you sure?" Saladin asked as he placed a hand on Flora's. "When was the last time you..."
"A week before the ball," Flora smiled to herself, "I remember because I could barely work on my gown because I just kept eating. And Helia kept trying to touch me but all I wanted was for him to bring me bread and honey."
Saladin and Krystal shared a look before Krystal took a deep breath and stopped brushing Flora's hair.
"Flora," Krystal softly spoke, "that was nearly six weeks ago. When did you and Helia first..."
Flora held her head down, "I don't want to upset you more than I already have, Your Highness."
"Flora, you are not going to upset me." Krystal placed a hand gently on top of Flora's shoulder, "All I care about right now is helping you."
Flora looked over to Saladin and then back to Krystal. Krystal already thought that she was a whore, she didn't want to make matters worse. Krystal would surely hate her now.
"The night of the ball. The night that my...engagement..." Flora struggled to think about the fact that she would be married to the man who had beaten her so badly and taken her so roughly, "was announced. Your Highness, I am so sorry. I just couldn't let him be the first man to...I love Helia...I know I shouldn't...I am sorry. This is all my fault."
Krystal wrapped her arms around Flora and held her close, not caring that her gown was now wet with the mixture of water and Flora's blood. Saladin looked at the two women and decided not to press the issue any further. He had the information that he needed. Flora would be okay physically after some rest but mentally and emotionally, he didn't know how long it would take Flora to heal if she ever did at all.
"Your Highness," Saladin softly called to Krystal. She raised her head as she still held Flora in her arms, "I will take my leave now."
"Is she...is she going to be okay?"
"Nothing that some rest won't be able to help. If there is one thing that I know about Flora is that she is strong and she will try to insist that she is fine, but you mustn't let her do any work. I will send another maid to help you, Your Highness."
"That won't be necessary," Krystal replied, her gentle expression falling into one of anger, "one of the maids had lied to Flora and told her to come here where the general was waiting. I don't know who it was, but I don't want to even look at the maids right now. I don't want anyone near me or Flora, not until I figure out who it was and can punish her to the full extent of my authority. I will care for Flora as she rests."
Saladin nodded, "Very well, Your Highness. I understand."
He rose to his feet, the wet and stained cloth in his hand when he felt a hand wrap around his wrist. Saladin looked down and saw Flora looking up at him.
"Thank you," Flora's voice was weak and tired, "please...don't tell him."
Flora closed her eyes before Saladin could respond and he was glad. He couldn't make Flora a promise he couldn't keep. Helia should know. Helia should know about what happened to Flora, what Duncan did, that he would have had a child on the way but not anymore. With Flora's eyes closed, he gave Krystal a nod and bow before silently announcing his departure. Flora had been cleaned of blood and he didn't want to stay for Flora to make more promises that he could not keep. Krystal watched as the old servant walked out of the washroom and out of her room. When she heard the door shut, she looked back down to Flora and sighed when she saw Flora's eyes had been shut.
"Flora," Krystal splashed Flora with more water, "stay awake. Just a little while longer. I promise you will sleep soon. I want to tell you all about the winter gowns I have thought up. The gowns here in Hademort are just so plain and ugly. I was hoping that you could create some gowns for me. We can come up with designs together. Women of Linphea should not be relegated to such drab attire. And the food, we need to plan what we shall eat in the winter. I will not spend months eating just potatoes and carrots. Surely there must be other vegetation we can find. You are always so creative in the kitchen; you must help me think of something else that we can eat."
"I think I remember hearing of mushrooms that grow in the fields by the mountains." Flora sighed as she did her best to stay awake.
"You must make me that soup you would make for me when I was sick. Oh, how I love your cooking."
Flora looked down at her hands, "I made you a cake..."
"I know, Flora. I know." Krystal grabbed a large towel and held it open for Flora as she stood up from her side. "And you will make me plenty more cakes that will be more delicious than the last. Now let's get you dried and ready for bed."
Flora stepped out of the tub, her legs still in pain but the bleeding had stopped, and she felt cleaner than before, the visible stains washed away from her body. However, she still felt filthy. She relaxed as the towel wrapped around her body and Krystal helped her out of the bathtub.
Flora spoke as she looked at Krystal, "Thank you, Your Highness. For everything. I don't deserve your kindness after all that I have done."
Krystal gave Flora a smile as she placed her hand on Flora's shoulder, "Helia helped me to understand what happened and I cannot fault you two for falling in love. I guess I was just upset that you wouldn't tell me. I thought that as friends you would have told me. I just felt betrayed and that I wasn't important enough for you to confide in me. I have told you everything, the good and the bad, and I was sad that you didn't tell me. I can keep a secret." Krystal looked at Flora and then rolled her eyes, "Okay, maybe it was for the best that you didn't tell me. Can you forgive me for all the things I said to you?"
Flora smiled, "There is nothing to forgive, Your Highness."
"So can we be friends again?"
"I would want nothing more, Your Highness."
Krystal pulled Flora into a hug, careful to avoid squeezing her too tightly.
"I am glad. I missed you, Flora."
"I missed you too, Your Highness."
If you would like to talk through anything that might have been upsetting to you, feel free to PM me or message me on Instagram at starrynights513 (I am more likely to answer Instagram messages because Fanfiction PM notifications don't always like to go through). I usually don't like to write stuff like this but like I said, I was influenced by Game of Thrones and other shows like that. I also work as a counselor for people who have experienced sexual assault and domestic abuse so to me, what I have written is just the tip of the iceberg and by far not among the worst things that I have had told to me. Writing also allows me to get things off of my chest and I feel like this story has been an outlet for me in the midst of all of the bad things I hear about at work. But that doesn't mean that you all are used to hearing/reading stuff like what I wrote so if you need to talk about what happened, don't hesitate to reach out to someone to talk.