Khalilah lay face up on the bed, staring and admiring the intricate design of the ceiling in her room, everything still felt like a dream.
She couldn't believe it, and as the days passed by, she came to understand there was no truer reality. Even though she tried to distract herself, and stop thinking about it, the fact that she had stayed five nights in this room, and no one was coming to look for her made her even more pissed.
And slowly, she was beginning to fear it was true, her family really did sell her to this dude and he had carried her to God knows where.
The Earhart family, is known to be one of the most powerful families in the country, and it should be listed in the top 15 most influential families in the whole world, there is no way a family member would be kidnapped and it would take them more than two hours to get them back.
But if a worthless family member was taken away on an agreement with some sick pervert, it should take them forever.
Realization dawned on her, she was never going home, she would be forced to get married to some dude, and worse, he would continue to abuse her, and he would probably force himself on her; she also imagined being forced to have children for him and warm his bed every night.
Isn't this the same thing as human trafficking?
If this was truly legal, they could have told her about the agreement before the day, even though she is stubborn, she is a human being too and she deserved to know that much, she would have listened and she wouldn't be feeling so miserable at the moment.
She wouldn't be paralyzed by the shock, the way she was now.
'Is this the kind of life you wanted for your precious grandchild?' She thought to herself again as she tried to imagine if her grandmother really meant what was in the letter because if she did, she didn't have any reason to hide that information from her.
This isn't the kind of life she wanted to live for herself, she hoped to get married someday to a man who loves and respects her, not one who would openly humiliate her and allow people to hit her.
Even though it has been three days since the incident, the swelling hasn't completely gone, and her lips hadn't fully recovered.
There was a light knock on the door, and Khalilah groggily moved her body, and sat up, the door opened to be met by a pair of light blue eyes in the doorway.
Khalilah didn't recognize the woman that waddled into her room, she was dressed in cotton, in the same likeness the maids of the palace had been patrolling and as soon as her blue eyes met Khalilah's golden orbs, she dropped to the ground in worship.
"My queen," she said happily, compared to the rest of the people who had stopped by her chambers, this was the first one that was starting an actual conversation with her. "It is such an honor to work under you, your grace."
"Please you're creeping me out." Khalilah mention to the lady who humbled herself and bowed right in the middle of the room. "I would appreciate it if you could stand up."
Hesitantly, she got up but her eyes never met Khalilah's again, there was a faint smile on her lips, and Khalilah could tell that she was indeed very happy to be here.
"My name is Malia, and I am here to be your lady of honor." She introduced as she immediately, reached for the door clumsily and she slammed it shut with a light thud. Robotically, she turned towards her and stroll towards the bed.
"What the hell is a lady of honor?" Khalilah thought to ask, this was the first time in five days someone is talking to her like a proper human being, and almost immediately Khalilah found herself surrendering to the charms of her so-called lady of honor.
"It means I am your right hand and your left hand; my sole duty is to serve you; I am going to be your eyes and your tongue as well." She explained with a full-blown grin, and Khalilah wasn't so sure, what is there to be so optimistic about, but at least one person in the room had to be happy. "I promise I am going to do my best to serve you, so please be comfortable around me, your grace."
"Khalilah." Khalilah said surprising the lady of honor. "That's my name, stop calling me your grace, it is annoying, and why do you act like you are a slave."
"Because that is what I am my lady." Malia answered quietly. "But as from today I have stopped being a slave and I am now a lady, thanks to you, your grace."
"Khalilah." She corrected again. "Call me Khalilah."
"I am afraid I cannot do that, your grace." She apologized repeating the very same word that Khalilah hated. "His Royal Majesty would have my tongue if I ever call you by your name."
There was a horrified look on Khalilah's face when she noticed the slight tremble of the girl body.
"Would he really do that?" she asked fully curious, she wanted to know what kind of man, her husband to be was, if she was ever truly going to tie a knot with him.
She had a long list of men that she hated; every logical person alive should also hate those kinds of men as well. She can't even imagine herself getting married to a murderer, but for him to instill fear upon people just by mentioning his name, Khalilah couldn't help but be worried.
"What?" Malia asked curiously her eyes dancing in the reflection of the candles.
"If you called me by my name and without the honorifics, would he truly have your tongue?" Khalilah was more precise in what she wanted to know; or it might just be a figure of speech.
"Not just my tongue, your grace." Malia started with a stiff expression; the smile that was once spread across her face had now disappeared. "His majesty would have my head for such blasphemy of the royal family, as a lady of honor, my sole duty is to respect and protect you, I have no right to disrespect you."
"What I am asking is, would he kill you?" She repeated a bit more directly.
"Yes, my lady." She answered truthfully. "I would be executed."
So, he is a murderer? Khalilah paused for a while, unsure of how to react to the information, a murderer who would kill someone just for saying the wrong thing.
"Can you tell me more about Olive?" she asked with pleading gold eyes, and Malia's heart stopped for a moment, she turned to her left and then to her right as though she was waiting for something.
But that something never came, with a terrified expression, she got up from her knees and rushed towards the bed, she pressed her hands, against Khalilah's lips and hushed her with her fingers.
"Your grace, you can never ever call His Majesty by his first name." she warned sternly, her voice dripping with concern, her blue eyes worriedly darted towards the front door, as though she was expecting someone but then again, nothing.
Khalilah pushed her away slightly.
"Why?" she asked stubbornly. "Why can't I call him by his name? If everyone else is crazy then I am not, Olive is not a king and there is no such place as Nosferatia, there are one hundred and ninety-five countries in the world and Nosferatia isn't one of them."
Malia blinked back, she was unsure of what to tell Khalilah but one thing was certain, with this attitude, Khalilah wouldn't live very long.
His Royal Majesty, King Olive is a feared monster, among all monsters, only him was cursed with the title; the king of death.
Willingly or unwillingly, you have to bend to his will, either your body like it or not, you have to obey his commands and to hear her speak about him like that, it scares her.
Knowing fully well, that the King of death could barge right in and make all living things seize to exist.
"Your grace, please don't speaking about his royal majesty like that." She pleaded one more time, she now feared for her queen.
"You think he is going to kill me too?" Khalilah asked with a light snicker. "Well, he can go ahead and try."
"My lady if his majesty walks through the door right now, I am pretty sure he wouldn't kill you," She started in a small sober voice. "He would kill me right here, because it is my fault."
"What?" Khalilah asked curiously. "But why should you be punished; it is my fault."
"That's the responsibility of your lady of honor, your grace."