"Manus manum lavat"

That afternoon I spent in my room. They decorated every angle of this room with wealth and taste. Dark walls complemented with gold dressing table and dark brown closet. Actually, that whole room was a walk-in closet- not just a few hangers. My eyes scanned beautiful painting on the wall. One of them kept little children playing on the grass. Three boys and a girl. One of them played with a ball, another with a kite while the girl and a boy just looked at the sky pointing at something. Mouth just formed into a smile. I missed Amelia. This could be something she, Dario and I would do on hot summer days.

When a sun finally gave place to a moon, my eyes just shut closed taking me somewhere I didn't know. Far from everything I wished, almost like I traveled in that picture. But this mead was filled with people. Most of them didn't look at me. As my eyes focused around, I saw big houses in the background almost like they dive in from the fog. And in the big centre was a throne. Full of blossoms. 

As the wind slowly weave into a dark trees carrying their leaves my eyes scanned a throne. There was a chamomile, roses, orchids, but the one thing that scared me was the black rose on the throne, right next to the crown. A big crown looked like it's made from the gold all details enchanted with crystals in different colours.

But no one paid attention to that. They walked in every way completely taken up with their things. When their paths crossed without a smile, they would just turn to another side ignoring another person.

I was in the middle of everything. As a wind came to me I felt light material brushing against my skin, I knew I'm not in the same cloth. My legs touched a warm grass, hair twisted around my head carried by the wind and my hands tattooed with silver lines.

On first sight, it looked like a perfect utopia. People weren't fighting, they weren't divided into classes; everyone was dressed the same. All of them had silver moon on right side of their jumpers. They seemed perfect.

But if you look further, they were all soulless. They didn't care for anything. They all wanted one thing, and that was a throne. Maybe they don't show that, but I could hear it; their minds talked to me. All different voices twisted into my head: men's, women's, different octaves, feel everything.

Pain in my head became unbearable; I felt like it being ripped into a little straps until all I could do is just sob, praying to Gods to stop.

Suddenly awake again, I felt sold sweet sliding down my skin, my mind still shocked from all voices I heard, my hands trembling. The weight of blanket on my skin irritated every inch and with a push I stood up trying to calm myself.

What all of this meant? Is this how the world works? Everyone wants the same thing, and they will fight through the pain and sweet to get it? Did Nobles worked like that; what about my people? How could they get everything they wanted? This world was made for the power and richness and lower class was made for work.

Doors toward the terrace lead to a little place just above the practicing area. With dark around me no one could see me walking in the underwear trying to calm myself. My heart just refused to calm down, pictures of that dream following me. 

Slowly when day came again, I could feel like nothing will happen now, so I pushed in the bed once again still trying to forget faces of the people.

****

A sharp nod on the doors woke me up. Rubbing my eyes to look what the time is I yelled for them to enter.

When my mind finally cleared I saw a little older women dressed all in black with a white apron and white scarf in hair. She had short red hair, and that was an only bright thing in her showing up.

"Yes?" I said still sitting on the bed.

"Miss, the Prince sent me to give you this dress and to help you get changed."

She said looking around except at me. She probably saw my bandage and automatically thought I'm some criminal. When her eyes fixated on me I was surprised to see the amount of emotions in them. Her dark eyes looked at me with scepticism and it was mutual. I didn't believe her.

"I don't want," I tattled looking at her eyes.

Something changed in her look. That wasn't pride or satisfaction. That was a fear.

"You.. you.. don't want?" She said looking at me like I killed a creature.

"Yes. I'm a prisoner in a nice room. Nothing else. I don't need an elegant dress because I don't have manners and I will piss Prince one day and he will kill me." I said and shocked myself how distant I talked about my death.

"Okay." She said carefully and continued.

"But until that day comes can you put on this dress?" She said pointing at the black briefcase.

"No," I said not wanting to look at her. She was scared because I denied Prince's orders. She needs to learn that I don't listen to Prince.

"Can you please leave?" I said after a few minutes of silence.

She nodded and in few steps disappeared in a hallway.

Why suddenly, Prince wants me to wear a dress? He scared me five hours ago and now he wants me to wear a dress?! If he wants to show off how powerful he is he doesn't need me for that. They all know that.

I jumped from the bed and opened doors from the balcony. It was a beautiful day, and I followed and listened to the birds in the park. Tying a knot on my robe every house I saw looked magnificent. Slowly, as almost like I try to look at every detail on the houses my eyes moved toward a labyrinth.

That was really a monument. They made a labyrinth from bushes and decorated it with blossoms. And like in some tale the guard trained in front of it. Thay is the keepers of the labyrinth. I wonder what is in it. I would like to walk there to watch nature and enjoy.

But now I won't be able to do that. Either I will get murdered, or the Prince would ruin that beautiful thing before letting me walk around like a visitor.

It happened very often for us to see a visitor in our town. They would come to see a beautiful castle and a Royal family more beautiful than ever. So some days they wanted to investigate our town. I didn't know what they had been thinking they would found. Some hidden treasure or a gold mine.

But they would come, walk in our streets and then just disappeared. We didn't have very touristic places. We had our homes and workplaces. And that is it. You get little or less.

I thought how I would feel walking down these streets. So distant from my home, but still close. You would think I want to be here even I had a death penalty hung around my neck but I didn't want. I just wanted to go home and be myself.

But Prince can't accept that.

I heard doors slamming, and I immediately turned to see what happened. The Prince was standing on doors with two guards next to him. And he was furious. His white eyes sparkled with emotions and a whole posture like he wants to kill someone. Almost on command I stepped away from him.

His eyes twinkled with an evil smile when he saw my reaction. Again, not wanting to be near him I stepped even more.

He looked like a crazy person. Almost like a monster looking for his next prey.

"You really need to be taught some lessons." He said with a quiet voice, but I heard him on the balcony. His jaw was so tensed that I wanted to jump from here. But also his body was tensed and ready to get me even if I surprise him.

"I don't know what you are talking about." I played an innocent card.

He said nothing just scanned me from head to toe.

"Leave us." He said to two guards, and they bowed leaving us.

The doors slowly shut down, but their lock echoed whole way across the room.

Great, I'm locked with a beast in a cage.

He looked like a lion he held up on his uniform and I looked like, like a rabbit.

Just like he described me.

Lion's cage.

"I won't say one more time. Why are you acting like a little brat?" He said still looking at me.

He was near the door and I was on a balcony. Still, I could hear him like he is standing next to me.

"I don't know what you are talking about," I repeated like a robot and looked down at the ground.

Would it hurt if I jump now? Would I die or would I survive just to go through unimaginable pain for the rest of my life? Probably the second one. We are still on the second floor.

"Try again." He said stepping closer to me.

Instinctively I get a step further from him, but I didn't have much of a distance.

"I don't see a point of covering me out if you will kill me," I said honestly and looked at him.

"If you were in the cell, you wouldn't get the dress, but you are in presence of a noble family. Rules say you need to look like a human. You won't look like one if you are wearing more blood than clothes." He exclaimed in a calm voice.

He has so much self-control. In one second he is like a dragon, but in the other, he is like a kitty. He is painted in so many colours.

"I don't want. It's not like King will come into this room." I said wanting to prove my point.

"Maybe he will. You don't know that. Also, you are in my presence so you need to look your best." I saw him standing next to that beautiful painting.

"Can you give me even more blood? If a day comes when I get dressed for you It would be an end for me."

He moved so fast that I couldn't see him. One second I was standing close to the doors and next moment my head was over terrace fence. Great. It looks like I will experience the fall.

"You. Will. Get. Dressed. And. You. Will. Not. Ask. Any. Questions. You. Will. Be. A. Good. Little. Rabbit. Clear?!" He said next to my ear and, panicky, I nodded.

My head fell over me, hair following free fall of the castle. His hands was placed under my throat a pulsing pain coming from my wound.

"Good girl." He said and let me go. He went to the doors and knocked one time. The doors opened, and I heard voices.

The lady walked in, carrying the big bag.

Guess I will wear the dress.

When doors shut, I said nothing and neither did women.

We just stood there and looked at each other.

"Come. We will get you washed." She said hanging the dress in a closet.

"We?" I asked following her.

"Yes. Girls .... and I." She smiled and after a few seconds, I heard water noise.

Alicia and Mauricia entered the room after a few minutes. I was sitting on a bed with my hands around my knees and watching at nothing. I just stared.

They said hey, but I didn't answer.

Is he always going to hurt and make me do things I don't want? He will always show some strength and I will have to obey him. I'm just weak and pathetic human being.

"Miss. The bath is ready." The old women said, and I stood up making my way to the bathroom.

The air was wet and smelled like roses and pines. The fog was in here too thick and I heard water dropping.

I took off little cloth I had not carrying if they are watching or not. I just wanted to lay in the bed and feel sorry for myself, but I wouldn't do that. Because Prince's word is law.

I took my panties and a bra off and entered the bath.

The water was a little hot, but not too much. I got used to it. I closed my eyes letting them do their work.

They took girls from families near the castle to serve them. They could walk and go whenever they wanted, but they stayed here. They had a place to live and food, so why wouldn't they stay. And there were stories they liked Prince's company. For now I didn't see a reason.

I opened my eyes and watched rose petals moving in the water. They washed me and I sat here like a doll not wanting to cooperate. I move my hands and head and they watched not to get wet gauzes.

They were really nice, and I acted like a monster. I was much closer to them than to Prince. I had more in common with them.

Great. Two days with the monster and I already became one.

"Manus manum lavat" Hand will help another hand.

Is this have some in common with last paragraphs?

Hellooo

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading and I hope you will give an orange star. Also, comment. I love to read comments.

Kiss kiss.

Also, one question. What do you think will happen next? Is she gonna run, or she will stay?

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