Inside the bathroom she placed the kettle on the floor before turning the faucet of her bathtub on. Slowly, water started to gush out of it and she filled the tub to the amount of water she wanted.
She picked the kettle from the floor before emptying the water in it, and placed it on the floor once again.
Then she went to where she kept her deodorants before picking a blue perfume up and poured it into the tub. Slowly, she stepped down from her dress and hanged it on the rail before she went into the tub.
Taking her liquid soap which she kept on the left corner of her tub, she poured a little amount of it in the water before moving her hands in the water. Bubbles started to form and she played with them with her hands.
She wiggled her hands in the water, enjoying the feel of the warm water on her body. She had known soaking her body up with soap and water would make it easier to bathe, so she laid back down and let the soapy water cover her through.
With her eyes closed, she wandered when she was going to have a happy life. When all those things she was going through were going to end.
When her mom had died, she had confined herself in her books. She had read mills and boons stories a lot and she always fancied whirlwind romance a lot. She had always wanted that kind of love for herself, a love that would take her away from the prison house she was in. A love that would give her a home of her own, for she had never considered this place her home.
Never.
Sighing, she started scrubbing her body. Right from her head to her toes, pausing a moment to do the job well. After she was done, she let the water drain down before adding water in it. She poured a little of her perfume and rinsed her body off the bubbles before she dried herself.
Wrapped in her towel, she stepped down from her tub and stood in front of the mirror as she met her expression before her. The water had made her skin white as she had stayed there for a long time.
Her lashes were thick and still had some drop of water in them and she moved her hands to wipe them off to enable her to see well.
Her long auburn hair hung heavy around her shoulders, and she wriggled it to release the water in it. It came out free and she spread it out on her shoulders. She was going to blow it dry with her hair dryer so I'd dry fast and not stain her clothes.
With her clothes on, she left the bathroom.
~
In the kitchen, Lina stood in front of the cooking gas preparing her breakfast. The maid was standing next to her minding her own business and a peel of laughter made her look at the door.
Standing at the door was her half sister and step mother, who were obviously laughing at their jokes. Amelia wore a tight fitted down at the bodice which went free from her legs. Her clothes were dope which suited her as a princess that she was.
She wore long heels because she needed them for being so short. Up at the front of her dress is a line made visible for her breasts to show.
It showed peeks of milky cleavage.
She continued with what she was doing and she let mother and daughter rant on, but the next question thrown at her made her look up.
" What are you doing there?" Amelia inquired, walking close to Lina before folding her arms before her. " Answer me!"
The chief maid bowed to them both in greeting.
Lina continued with what she was doing, deliberately ignoring her. She was chopping assorted green peppers, green beans and carrots. She was preparing stir fried spaghetti for herself and she always prepared her meal.
" What insolence! Mom, can you see that?" Amelia said, turning to her mother in anger. She stamped her right leg on the ground, shaking her fan in the process. " Lina is disrespecting me in front of the maid. I can't take this mother."
" Lina, what is the meaning of that? Didn't you hear my daughter talking to you?" Queen Lora thundered, her expression full of anger. " Did I not warn you of the danger of disobeying the royal family?"
Lina sighed, and she moved her arm to wipe the sweat that had started to drip from her body. Then she looked up at the queen before tilting her head.
" Royalty. Am I not a royal blood?" She said to her, looking from one to another.
" Royal blood my foot." Amelia sneered, her hands on her waist now as she fumed in anger.
" That does not answer my question." Queen Lora told her, her eyes throwing daggers at her.
" I can't answer a question that seems pretty obvious and besides who is she to question me?" Lina commented, her voice still very cool.
" Oh! You are growing wings are you? She is the princess of this kingdom and you must answer to her." Queen Lora exclaimed, her fingers coming to rest on Lina's face, holding it well for their eye contact.
" And what am I?" She inquired, leaving what she was doing to check on her pot. She took the cover out to check the inside. Seeing that the spaghetti was done, she carried it to the sink and washed it. The chief maid was still about her job, without saying anything and pretended not to hear anything as well.
" Mother let me." Amelia told her mom, before looking back at Lina. " You really want us to discuss that? We could and that would be a nice show for our dear servant."
" Go on and tell me. Let it be something more than being the devil's daughter for I have heard that a lot. Tell me something new." Lina answered, her words leaving both mother and daughter speechless.