"Goodbye Father" I whispered as I ushered myself towards the carriage, not wanting to glance back at my home. The home where we all were once happy in, painful yet beautiful memories.
"I'm sorry Bella" he mumbled, barely looking at me. He knew that this was all his fault, and I was paying the price for his mistakes. He had moved on with creating a new family after my mother had passed and managed to gamble most of his money away and the rest of it trying to impress his new wife. I couldn't blame him so much for the gambling, the passing on my mother hit us both very hard and I guess that was his way for coping but I couldn't forgive him for thinking a new wife would also help ease the pain of my mother's loss. She wasn't replaceable, especially with who he chose in her place.
I watched out of my window on the very top floor as Guards with the Stormhold livery on them approached our home. How odd, I wonder if they have come to summon my father to Court for some reason? I had hoped not, it was even more unbearable in this household when he went away.
I heard heavy footed motion coming up the stairs to my room and felt immediately alarmed, the door was forcefully pulled open as one of the guards came through and pointed to her "Is this her?"
I insistently felt sick to my stomach, what could I have done to cause such a scene? I watched my father follow the guard into my room and nodded in agreement "Yes, that's her".
"Father? What is happening?" I rushed up to him hoping for some sort of explanation yet was meant with a guilty silence as I begged "What have I done? Please tell me!"
The guard suddenly looked slightly awkward as he ordered me "You have five minutes to pack your bags"
"Wait, where am I going? Father, what is the meaning of this?" the tears streaming down my face, my brain reeling of what I had done to deserve this. Why was he just standing there letting this happen, we used to be so close? He couldn't move his eyes towards me, he carried on looking to the ground as he mumbled "Bella, I had no choice"
"No choice in what? You aren't making sense?" I questioned as the guard looked impatient at my father's lack of explanation so answered for him "Lord Heartlocke owes a very large debt to the King which he cannot repay therefore he has offered you into the King's service".
I felt my head spin, my father has sold me off to the King? And without a word of warning, was he going to tell me or was this plan all along?
"The King has waited long enough, now pack your bags. We leave in five minutes" the guard ordered as he made his way of the room, leaving my father standing at the threshold of my door. I didn't know what to say, I wanted to hit him, I wanted to beg, I wanted him to want me but he gave me nothing. My heart was breaking all over again.
So here I am, my life, my dreams, my freedom in exchange to pay off his debts to the Kingdom. You see, my father owed a significant amount to the King and unable to pay off his debt himself, I was offered to a life of servitude without even a warning.
I stepped into the carriage and shut the door on my old life knowing I'd never see this place again, and most likely never see my father again. I felt numb as one single tear escaped down my cheek.
The landscape of Stormhold rolled by, if it's one thing about this land, it is its beauty and I wanted to discover all of it but now I was heading towards the Palace. I must admit, I was curious as I'd never seen it before but what others may see as a Palace, I saw as a prison.
As a gentleman's daughter I had never had to serve, and I knew that the other servants would know this and most likely not be very forthcoming with their help or sympathy. Not that I blame them, but I would like to think I would not do the same if that situation arose. And then of course, there was the Royal family, seven prince's and one princess, not forgetting the King too. I didn't leave too much of my worries at their mercy as I'd very unlikely see any of them.
These worries crossed my mind as the landscape rolled pass, as I eagerly tried to take it all in before the gates completely shut on my freedom.