"Father," Arabella rushed toward her father, who had just come out of his chamber and was heading to the palace. "Father, I have something to ask you."
General Richard turned to face his daughter, his face brightening in a smile as he extended his hand to her.
"Arabella, come, my dear."
Arabella stopped in front of him, her lips curved in a pout as she stomped her feet. "Why, Father?" She shook her head sadly. "Why was the engagement called off, and do I really need to marry Prince Jack?"
Richard breathed a heavy sigh. "Arabella, we've already spoken about this, my dear. Just…"
"That's not enough reason, Father, and you know it. You know how much I love Prince Nicholas."
Richard reached for her hands and held them. "It's for the best, my dear," Richard patted her cheek softly. "Just go with Jack, my dear, and I promise everything will be okay."
Arabella jerked away angrily from her father, turning her face away. "Is it because of that slave girl? She's the cause, I know."
"Arabella, my dear," Richard's brows furrowed together in confusion. "That's not it at all."
Arabella scoffed angrily before walking away from her dad, disappointment written all over her face. She knew Elizabeth had something to do with this issue, but one thing was sure: she'd never let go of Nicholas.
******
"My lady, they're out right now in the slave training ground."
"Really?" Princess Jasmine stood from her bed, a smile dancing across her face. "Let's go there."
Princess Jasmine, Queen Clara's daughter and Prince Jack's 17 years younger sister, was a carbon copy of her mother: slim, with long black hair, brown eyes, and a circular visage.
"But, my lady," Mary, her slave girl, protested. "That place is no place for a princess."
"Shut up," Jasmine placed her hand on her hair, smoothing it. "I didn't ask for your opinion. Just look out and make sure no one sees me." She adjusted her gown properly, glancing at the mirror one more time before exiting her chambers.
After walking for some minutes, they arrived at the slave's training ground and hid discreetly behind a wall, out of view of the people present there.
The slave training ground, as its name implies, was where male slaves were trained and broken into submission. Captured princes from other kingdoms were brought here, tortured, and subjected to hard labor.
Jasmine's eyes moved about from one slave to another, searching for a particular young man. The slaves were currently gathered outside, made to carry heavy bricks from one spot to another, as the whip of the slave master's guards sliced through them to hasten them up.
This exercise was solely to torture the slaves and break them even more. Sometimes, King Murdoch came to watch how the slaves were tortured and begged for their lives; it gave him joy.
"There he is," The princess of Eratreal's brown eyes gleamed in the sunlight as she sighted the young man she had been sneaking here to admire. "He's so handsome. What did you say his name was again?"
"Arthur, my lady," Mary nodded at the young man who was naked from the waist up, his both hands occupied with bricks as he walked gingerly, perspiration streaming down his face and body. "He's the Prince of Vitalis."
"I want him," Jasmine gushed, captivated by how his muscles rippled as he carried the bricks from the ground. "I want to keep him."
Mary's face contorted in a worried look.
"But he's a slave, my lady."
"Shut up, slave," Jasmine turned irate eyes to Mary. "Don't advise me; I don't need it."
The loud crack of the whip echoed aloud, accompanied by a loud and painful scream, prompting Jasmine to turn her attention back to the grounds. Her eyes widened instantly when she saw that Arthur was on the receiving end of the whipping from an enraged guard.
"How dare you talk back to me," he landed another painful lash across Arthur's back, the force of it causing Jasmine to jump. She watched helplessly as the guard raised his hand again to deliver another blow, but this time Arthur blocked the hit with his hand while snatching the whip away from the man.
Jasmine's heart almost leapt out of her chest when Arthur stood abruptly and used the whip to hit the guard, immediately prompting the slave master and other guards to attack Arthur, raining blows upon him as he collapsed on the ground.
"Oh no," Mary cried, holding her face with her hand. "At this point, he's not going to survive. Look, he's barely moving as it is."
Without a second thought, Jasmine rushed forward, her attention solely focused on Arthur, who was barely moving and almost lifeless. "Halt it," she screamed as she advanced, "leave him alone."
The slave master spotted her and alerted the rest, who promptly ceased the assault, their curious and surprised gaze fixed on the princess who wasn't supposed to be there.
"Your Highness," the slave master greeted in surprise. "How come you're here?"
Ignoring the question, she bent down and gazed down at Arthur's body, which was covered in blood and no longer moving. Her heart ached in her chest as she raised her head to meet the slave master's gaze. "He needs urgent treatment; bring him to my chambers right now."
"But your Highness…"
"Are you deaf," Jasmine snapped, "do as I say."
The slave master nodded in understanding and ordered his guards to carry out the princess's order, hurriedly carrying Author off the ground.
*******
Arabella breathed a sigh of relief as she finally reached Prince Nicholas's chamber. She walked towards the guards, who bowed slightly in greeting.
"Is the Prince inside?"
"Yes, my lady," one of the guards replied.
She smiled to herself, glad to hear that. It wasn't every time she got to spend the night with Nicholas. It used to be four times in two weeks, but her father had warned her to be a little more discreet since she wasn't yet married to Nicholas, so they reduced it to just twice in two weeks.
She couldn't wait for him to wrap his strong arms around her and have his way with her. She stepped inside the chamber and removed the shawl she used to cover her body, revealing a thin, see-through material that revealed the intimate parts of her body.
"My Prince," she called joyously as she took quick strides forward, "I'm…." She trailed off at the sight in front of her.
Her eyes widened in horror at a naked Elizabeth chained to the bed.