Chapter 5

Maria

I heard locks click and the door creaked open. Light spilled into the room through the hallways and my eyes pried open. 

I had been awake for a long time already, even without knowing whether the day had dawned or not. 

Frederick walked in, Sarah followed behind him. She had a tray in her hands and I pulled my legs closer to myself, the chains that bound me clanged loudly like a church bell. 

“Sarah’s here to feed you and clean you up..” he said and I said nothing. My lips were charred and dry. 

“Good morning, my lady.” She greeted me, slowly putting down the tray beside me. 

I moved on the floor, dragging my sore body up as she opened up the bowls and the smell of food filled the air. 

Frederick stood by the door and watched through the corners of his eyes, barely paying much attention to what Sarah did. 

After I was done eating, he walked over and unchained my hands and legs. 

“Sarah, help her wash up.” He ordered and she bobbed her head. 

I walked in front of her to the shallow washroom at the far end of the dark room. She pushed the door open and I went in first. I peeled my clothes off of my body while she ran the water. 

“I’ll step aside for you to wash up. Let me know when you’re done..” she said and turned around. By step aside, she obviously meant to turn her face away from me like it made any difference whatsoever. 

As the water ran, I realized Frederick couldn’t hear us from the door where he stood. 

“Sarah..” I called and she glanced over her shoulder. 

“Yes my lady..”

I paused for a moment and increased the running water to swallow my voice even more. 

“You haven’t given me an answer.” I said finally, picking up a bath robe from the rack. 

“What answer, my lady?” 

“You can turn around now.” I said and she turned her head first before the rest of her body. 

“If you’re truly okay, and how you got those scars.” I exhaled. “Listen…. I don’t care what the king has asked you to do or not to do… the least I could do is show some care to my personal maid..” I blurted and she pursed her lips. 

“My lady, please for my sake, can we not have this conversation?” Her voice waned and I gritted my teeth.  

“I won’t ask again. Just assure me that you’re okay and whoever is inflicting this pain on you isn’t doing so anymore at least.” I said, and her eyes lowered and I noticed that water filled it. 

“My lady….” Her voice trailed off and her eyes wandered behind me. I gave her a nod, urging the words out. 

“These scars are from his…I used to be his….” 

“My lady!” Frederick called from outside the door and Sarah quickly turned the water off before she pulled the door open and stepped out of the washroom. 

Damn!

I followed out almost immediately and my dress was already on the bed beforehand so I just threw it on and Frederick locked the chains around my hands once again like an accessory. 

Sarah picked up the tray and excused herself, leaving just Fredrick and myself together. 

I crouched to the floor once more, the coldness passing through my light dress. 

“I’ll be on my way out now, my lady. If there’s anything you need me to do then –”

“I’d love to go for a walk, Frederick..” I muttered, barely even looking in his direction. 

“I’m sorry my lady, that is beyond my powers to approve.” He said and my fists clenched beside me. 

“You just asked me if there’s anything I need you to do for me…” 

“That doesn’t include me going against his majesty’s orders.”

“I’m suffocated in here. I need some fresh air, and if you’re afraid that I’d try to escape again then you can get as many men as you want to surround me. My body is way too battered for me to even attempt it.” I sneered, rolling my eyes at him. 

“It’s not that simple, my lady. Alpha Jordan will have my head on a stake if I..”

“Please, Frederick.” I pleaded softly, my voice breaking like I was about to cry. 

I could see the hesitation in his eyes and the way he tried to weigh the pros and cons of listening to me in his head. 

“My lady…”

I held my hands out for him to unchain them and he swallowed hard. 

“His majesty is out for a meeting with the council, and he won’t be back for the next two hours. We can go out the back and you can get some fresh air at the gazebo.” He offered. 

I nodded and he leaned over, unlocked the chains and walked me out of the room. 

My sore body didn’t move at a fast pace, I just took one small step at a time. I wanted Sarah to join me on this stroll so I can get the chance to complete that conversation with her. 

If Fredrick hadn’t interrupted her in the washroom she would have told me something at least. 

The curiosity was killing me.

“This way, my lady..” Frederick said, interrupting  my thoughts as we took a sharp turn, walking towards the courtyard. 

“Can you get Sarah to bring me some juice?” I asked. He nodded and whispered something to the other guard beside him. 

“I’ll be right back. These guards will watch you.” He said and hurried off. 

I had barely made it into the gazebo when Jordan’s stepmother approached from a corner of the courtyard like she was waiting for me to arrive. A smug look etched all over her face as she closed the distance between us. 

“I see you’re still here!” She howled, picking me up from the bench by my sore arm. 

“I don’t really have a choice here..” I shot back, trying to keep my tone very low. 

“You think you can change him? I have been here longer than anyone else and I will tell you the truth. You can’t stay here with that man!”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and slowly pulled my hand away from hers, “why not?” I asked and she scoffed. 

“Jordan is cursed! There’s a beast living within him and he won’t tell you this because he wants to trap you here and drain the life out of you until you have absolutely nothing to live for!”

The words echoed in my head like a death sentence. My lips quivered slightly. 

“What?”

She grabbed my shoulders and pressed down her nails into my flesh, glaring into my eyes like a flaming dagger. The look on her face quickly shifted to a mixture of concern and fear as her eyes widened. 

“Get as far away from here as possible if you want to live! That thing inside of Jordan is not what you can handle...”