ALICIA'S POV

SIXTEEN YEARS LATER

"That Princess who is temporarily a slave is me" I laughed at my childishness.
"I hope you all enjoyed my true life story," I asked as the applause died down.

"Yeah, it was moving."

"Wow, so you're a Princess?"

"That's heart-wrenching."

"I can't believe you endured such trauma."

"You're incredibly brave."

"You're so resilient, and I admire that."

Several responses came my way.

"Thank you, everyone," I replied to them.

"Now, that's enough bedtime story! Get to sleep NOW!" a gin yelled. We call them gins instead of guards; they don't really protect us. They protect themselves.

We prepared for bed on the ground as usual, and as I drifted off to sleep, I was plagued by nightmares, more like memories still haunting me. But before I slept, I always did something...

"Thank you, Lord, for another day. I cover my sleep with the blood of Jesus! Tomorrow is blessed. Thank you, LORD," I prayed silently before drifting off.

*****

"Wake up, you lazy pigs!" Another gin yelled, and we were so used to it. After the yelling came the flogging.

After the flogging, we began moving. The gins got into their truck while we slaves walked.

We were famished, exhausted, but who were we to complain? I could only speak to God in my heart. Since Charlie died, I've been on my own. No one to say 'I love you,' but I'm grown now, so I don't need anyone to tell me that. Or do I?

We walked for what felt like a century until the gins said they wanted to take a break. So, we climbed into the back of the truck and sat on the cold ground, waiting for the gins.

A gin entered with a pot of food, but it was leftovers, more like spoiled food.

"Our lunch is cold, spoiled noodles with a small bowl of water. Eat this. I don't want anyone causing a scene," the gin said, and I felt like spitting on him.

"I can't eat this. I won't eat this. I'm a human being, and I deserve proper food, not dog's food," I protested. What was wrong with that woman? Did she want the gin to take the food away from us?

"Who said you're not a dog in human form?" The gin laughed.

"I did. And I deserve proper food," the woman insisted.

"Hello, guys, a woman said she wants proper food. Let's take her food and water so she'll starve," the gin whispered into his phone, but I could hear everything. The woman was too far away from me, so I decided to warn her of the impending danger.

Another gin came in, collected her food and water, and left.

"That's right! You're supposed to treat us like humans, not dogs," the woman said defiantly.

As soon as they left, nobody said a word to her, including me. We knew what was coming.

"Come on, guys! Stop eating. They're going to bring us good food," she said enthusiastically, and we all glared at her. I mean, all of us glared at her. "Why are you guys glaring at me? You're supposed to be appreciating me," she thought aloud.

We all laughed sarcastically because we didn't know how to tell her she was about to die.

"Why are you guys laughing?" She asked.

"You're gonna die!" A slave answered.

"How?" She asked in monotone.

"As they took your food, they won't bring it back. We'll soon continue our journey, and you're here telling us to appreciate you. Look, you're going to die soon. Should I explain why?" I snorted.

"Yes."

"You'll starve, and when you're starving, no one can take the food from their stomachs and give it to you so you won't starve. Then you'll get weak and cause a delay... you know what happens after that. They can give you any type of punishment," I explained, and everyone, apart from me, started laughing at her.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" She asked irritably.

"How did you expect us to know you would do something so reckless?" Another slave, whom I knew as Mariam, asked, also getting irritated by the woman's voice.

"How can you guys be sure they won't give me food?" She asked, her voice trembling with fear.

"Take it from a lady who's been a slave for sixteen years," I replied to her with a calm tone.

The woman broke into tears. Her cries were so loud that even if seven generators were switched on, her cries would still overshadow their noise.

"Why the hell are you crying? You're making a hell of a noise," a girl named Angela complained.

"Here, take my water," I offered.

"Thank you," she said, still sobbing. Why was she still sobbing?

"Everyone, come out. We're ready to go," a gin ordered, and at that moment, I was grateful because her cries were so loud.

"Thank God," I whispered under my breath.

We were still walking, almost close to our destination, but luckily, no one fainted on the way.

"Thank you so much for giving me your water," the woman thanked.

"It's okay. What's your name?" I asked.

"My name is Diane, and I'm sure your name is Princess Alicia," she chuckled.

"Yeah. How old are you?"

"I turned 16 last month."

"Sixteen!?!" I exclaimed but didn't really shout.

"Yeah. I look big, right?" She chuckled.

"Big? You look very big and so tall and bold," I replied.

"I know," she said, still chuckling. How did she manage to laugh in this kind of situation?

"It's like we're here," I announced to her.

"Where are we?" She asked sweetly.

"At our destination. I think it's a Pack. It looks like a Pack," I replied, getting excited.

We were indeed in the Pack, still outside, being inspected by a cold-blooded middle-aged woman.

"You, come," she pointed at me after selecting nine ladies.

"Yes, ma'am," I answered, then looked back at my one-hour friend, Diane, and smiled. She returned the gesture, and I smiled at everyone else. They smiled back at me, and I walked away with the others into my new home.

"Wow," I sighed in awe as we walked into the beautiful Kingdom.

"Yeah, it's so nice-" a lady replied, but was cut short.

"Now!" the woman shouted in her commanding voice, and all attention was on her. "I know you guys might be wondering why you're here. Well, to make the explanation easier to understand: you've been chosen to be maids here, but for now, you're still slaves because we have to trust you before you become maids. So you'll be assigned to your respective bedrooms soon, and immediately after cleaning up, get to bed. Tomorrow will be a big day," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," we replied simultaneously.

"And one more thing. My name is Miss Jessica," and with that, we left with the maids who guided us to our bedrooms.

"This one is yours," I stepped into the room given to me, and it brought back memories. I hadn't been in this kind of room since forever

"I guess I truly need a bath," I chuckled to myself, reminiscing about the princess-worthy room since I was seven. Sixteen years without a proper bath, I doubted one soap could suffice.

As I attempted to untangle my hair, a knock interrupted. "Come in," I called out, expecting a maid, but to my surprise, the maid was polite. "Em, Mistress Jessica calls for you" I nodded smiling at her.

"Excuse me, ma'am, would you mind helping me comb my hair? I'd really appreciate it," I asked politely.

"Certainly. And please, call me Sandra," she replied, entering the room and taking the comb from me. What followed was a battle of sorts. "Ouch!" I groaned in pain as Sandra worked through the knots. She apologized repeatedly over the next few minutes, although it felt like an eternity to me.

Finally, my silver hair was tamed into a high ponytail. "Thank you so much. I really appreciate it," I thanked her.

"Is your hair color natural?" Sandra inquired.

"Yes. Why?" I responded, curious about her interest.

"It's rare to see a slave with silver hair. It suggests a possible connection to royalty, doesn't it?" she pondered. Unsure how to respond, I redirected the conversation. "You mentioned Mistress Jessica wants to see me," I reminded her, relieved to change the subject.

Sandra agreed, offering to escort me. She bore a striking resemblance to Charlie, with her dark brown hair, eyes, and fair complexion. I speculated she hailed from the Sturgis Pack, known for its predominantly fair population.

Arriving at Mistress Jessica's office, I found myself face to face with a man who resembled me eerily. "Welcome, Alicia," Mistress Jessica greeted, surprising me with her knowledge of my name. Puzzled, I inquired about the man's identity.

"He's your twin brother," she revealed, leaving me dumbfounded.

Silent and bewildered, I grappled with the revelation. How could I have a twin brother? Why had my mother kept this from me? Was he truly my brother, or perhaps a clone? As I scrutinized his emotionless demeanor, doubts flooded my mind.

Mistress Jessica's smile only added to my confusion. Why was she smiling amidst this revelation? Was she oblivious to the gravity of the situation, or did she find amusement in our turmoil?

"Can Alicia focus, please?" Mistress Jessica's frustrated tone snapped me back to reality, but her agitation bewildered me. Why was she frustrated? She wasn't the one confronting this bewildering truth or discovering her mother's deception.

"Now, where were both of you born?" Mistress Jessica redirected the conversation, pulling me from my reverie.

"In the castle," we both replied, prompting the man to finally speak. "I wasn't told who gave birth to me," he stated emotionlessly, oblivious to his royal heritage.

"And you?" Mistress Jessica turned to me, seeking clarity.

"It was the queen of Emerald Kingdom, the one King Michael divorced," I clarified, prompting Mistress Jessica to bow.

Before I could correct her, she continued, speculating about my resemblance to her deceased sister, Linda. The revelation of an unknown aunt left me reeling. What was happening, and why did I feel a connection to this man?

Mistress Jessica's explanation only deepened my confusion. How could she know about us without any prior contact? Her casual demeanor in the face of such revelations bewildered me.

"You want me to prove your siblingship? Well, I'll do just that," Mistress Jessica declared confidently, leaving me with more questions than answers.

As the uncertainty swirled around me, I braced myself for the truths that awaited. The journey to uncovering my identity had only just begun.

*********

A/N: Wow! So Alicia has an older twin brother. Perhaps she has more siblings 🧐. Or is he her clone? Maybe he is her clone. Hehehehehe. Many more developments are in store. I'm eagerly anticipating what's to come 😁😁. Please, my Joy bringers, do vote, comment, and share ❤️.