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It had been nearly two months since that night, and I still couldn't quite separate reality from imagination. More questions than I could count raced through my mind. Why had the King's orders changed? And, if they had changed, why did he rescue me from Christian? Or, had he even rescued me at all? Had I just hallucinated him, or perhaps passed out, and Christain had returned me to my cell? All I knew for certain was that I wasn't dead, and I was glad for it. Though I was quickly growing sick of being stuck in my cell. The visits to the King had not continued after that ordeal, in fact, I hadn't heard a single word from him.

Without the visits, my days became a lot more tedious. And just as I felt I could not take the ceaseless boredom and constant questions for one more moment, the familiar sound of the prison doors clanging open rang out, filling the musty halls with a metallic echo. And, to my surprise, it was the King, the very man I'd been longing to see for the past two months. My eyes widened at the sight, and I sprang up, ignoring the pain that shot through my still recovering leg.

"Excited to see me?" he asked arrogantly.

"I've so many questions." I said, shaking my head.

"Do you?"

"Yes. What happened that night? And where is Christain now? And why am I still alive? And why haven't we met in two months?" I asked exasperatedly, only skimming the surface of my mass of questions.

"You've been missing my company have you?" he laughed, before nearing my cell, "I will answer your questions in due time. Most of them."

"Why have you come?" I questioned.

"Someone is certainly fond of questions this morning. I've come to inform you of a change in your situation." he stated, unlocking my cell and letting himself in.

"Go on." I persisted.

"No patience at all." he shook his head before continuing, "I've decided that you're to be my mistress."

"What? You can't be serious!" I frowned, incredulous.

"I'm deadly serious, my dear." he smirked, a mischievous look crossing his blue eyes.

"So, what, I've been promoted from your incarcerated plaything to some sort of underrated mistress?" I folded my arms, glaring at him.

"Precisely."

"Why? It's not as though you don't toy with me whenever you please already." I frowned, slightly hurt that the King had seemed to revert back to his old ways of treating me like an object for his amusement.

"Aw, have I offended you? Were you truly growing fond of me? Well, I apologize, my darling, but I only used you to entertain myself. The war, as I'm sure you know, is quite the arduous matter." he said, pretending to be sorry.

"I'm not offended in the slightest. I see you are as arrogant as ever, thinking you actually meant anything to me. And you haven't yet answered my question." I said, mentally kicking myself for being foolish enough to think he saw me as anything but an object.

"Of course, of course. See, it is frowned upon for a King such as myself to toy with a prisoner, people talk, and, well, rumours only grow. If I take you as a mistress, it will be nothing out of the ordinary. Some folk may not take to it, but it isn't entirely shunned." he explained.

"Ah, forgive me, but I fail to see how a prisoner turned mistriss is any different than a prisoner. Enlighten me?" I spat venomously.

"There isn't really a difference, dear, a plaything is a plaything, but, let us just say, it is what's best for my reputation." he winked.

"Yes, and we wouldn't want your reputation spoiled, now would we?" I shook my head, refusing to meet the King's smug gaze, I couldn't let him see that he was getting to me.

"Well, let us go then." he said, grasping my hand and pulling me out of the cell.

"Bête." I muttered under my breath, following him.

I tried to pull my hand from his, but his grip only tightened. As upset as he'd made me, I felt a simultaneous sense of relief as we left the prison, no longer my cage. However, amidst my rage and relief, I couldn't help but feel confusion at the King's change of character. He'd been like this when we'd first met, treating me as a possession rather than a person. During our meetings, he'd slowly begun to warm up to me, and I saw a more human side to him, a side that was interested in my personality, who had a soft spot for children, and a strange sense of humour. I shook my head, knowing that person, the person I'd grown to be ever so slightly fond of, was gone.

The King led me into the castle, and passed the room where we'd met so many times before. He still would not release his grasp on my hand, and so I had no choice but to follow closely behind him, until we at last came upon a lavishly decorated room, furnished with mahogany furniture. A red gauzy curtain, matching silk bedsheets, and a crimson couch also added to the room's interior. By the window stood three maids, gracefully awaiting our arrival, their hands folded behind their backs.

"Your majesty." they said in unison, bowing to the King.

"Bring her to my study when you're done." he said, pushing me forwards.

"Done with what?" I asked him.

"Cleaning you up." he smirked, exiting the room.

"I'm terribly sorry, mademoiselles, but I can do this on my own." I said, nodding my head to dismiss them.

"Deepest apologies Miss Alcott, but we take orders from the King, and the King has demanded that we clean and dress you." the tallest of them said, her blonde hair done up in strict braids.

"I really must insist." I took a step back.

"Don't make this harder on yourself, Miss." she persisted.

"I will not hesitate to defend myself, should the need arise," I lifted my hands to fight, "You've been warned."

"Wow, I thought the King had been exaggerating when he warned us of your behaviours." the brunette scoffed, steadily approaching me.

I looked around for a weapon, finding a book lying on the desk. I shook my head. I didn't want to hurt them, after all, they were just following orders. I sighed in defeat. Before allowing the maids to undress and wash me. As uncomfortable as I was, it was a relief to finally rid myself of the dirt and dust that had built up over my time spent in prison. The maids then took out a long casual purple dress. As they dressed me, something they'd insisted on doing themselves, a heavy silence hung over us, until the shortest of them who hadn't yet spoken, the redhead, shyly posed a question.

"Miss Alcott, if you don't terribly mind my asking... Where did these come from?" she asked, gesturing to the scars and burns left from years of abuse.

I could tell she'd piqued the interest of the other two girls, however, I didn't need them repeating the information to the King, so I answered with a simple lie.

"The war will do that to you." I laughed.

"I've never met a soldier with quite so many." the blonde folded her arms, and I feared she saw right through my lie.

However, if she did, she didn't say it. We made amiable conversation until I was a last finished, the maids finishing off by tying my hair back into a lose, yet elegant bun, various strands hanging down past my face.

"All finished." the redhead said, happily examining her handiwork.

"Thank you all, though I can do it on my own from now on." I smiled, "And, you may call me Rosalie."

"I'm Alice." the redhead returned my smile.

"My name is Franchesca, but I prefer Fran." the brunette said.

"And I'm Trinity." the blonde stated.

"It was a pleasure to make your acquaintances, though, I will admit, I considered hitting you with a book when we first met, but why don't we let bygones be bygones, hmm?" I smiled.

The three laughed, before Fran led me away from the group and to the room that I could only assume was the King's study, and leaving me. I looked around, finding the room to void of any people. Why had the King wanted me here if he wasn't even going to show up? I paced the room, finding that the walls were lined with shelves of books. In one corner sat a hearth, and I approached it. I stared into the burning flames, entranced with its unpredictable patterns, yet smooth and graceful nature. I shuddered as memories came flooding back to me. Of fire, heat, burns.

I shook my head, dismissing them, before turning to face the grand piano beside the fireplace. I stroked the black polished wood, and ran my hands along the black and white keys.

I didn't know how to play, but always found myself fascinated by the piano, by the music it produced. I jumped as the door to the study opened, revealing the King. He smirked, making his way to me in a few long strides. I backed up into the piano as he stepped closer, placing two hands on opposite sides of me resting on the polished surface of the piano.

"You look lovely in that dress." he mused.

"And you look old in that wig. Why are we remarking on each other's appearances?" I asked.

"Brazen as ever, I see." he smiled, before glancing at the piano behind us, "Do you play?"

"No. I've never been able to learn." I responded hesitantly.

"Pity, but it matters not to me whether you can play or not." he said, backing up.

"Why've you called for me?" I questioned.

"To introduce you to the rules."

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