Peter quickly explained her tasks to Jasmine, keen to get back to his own work. Jasmine paid careful attention. She was directed to Prince Lucian's room upstairs, where she began her chores. She changed the bed sheets, dusted the reading table and cushions, and folded the newly tailored clothes before arranging them in the closet. She then cleaned the bathroom, washing the tub and filling it with warm water before adding bathing lotion and perfume.
By the time Jasmine finished her chores, the sun was setting. She was about to leave the room when the door was pushed open. Jasmine froze as a man stepped inside. His black eyes swept over her, and she quickly bowed her head.
"Good evening, Prince Lucian," she greeted, keeping her head low as Peter had instructed. She was not to leave until dismissed.
Jasmine watched as the prince's black shoes moved past her, releasing the breath she had been holding. His gaze had been so intimidating that she could hardly bear to meet it.
Prince Lucian shrugged off his coat, surveying the tidied room. He glanced back at Jasmine, still standing rigidly by the door, and asked, "Where are the new clothes?"
"In the closet, my Prince," Jasmine replied, her eyes casting uowards at his handsome face before looking back at the ground.
"Is my bath ready?" He asked.
"Yes, I-" Jasmine started, only to be cut off by his deep voice.
"Leave." As he began to undress, Jasmine quickly obeyed, exiting the room and sighing in relief.
Back in the kitchen, Jasmine found Matilda, one of the girls who had arrived with her. Matilda was chatty, filling Jasmine in on her impressions of the castle. When Matilda's voice grew too loud, a senior maid reprimanded them, instructing them to work quietly.
After a meager dinner, Jasmine retired to her room and collapsed onto the small mattress laid on the tiled floor. The feeling of not sleeping on the ground was almost nostalgic. Despite the lack of a quilt, Jasmine wasn't bothered; she was used to the cold, and a bed was a luxury.
The next morning, Jasmine bathed in the servants' bathroom before heading to Prince Lucian's room. She tidied his room and prepared his bath, leaving when he dismissed her.
In the kitchen, she was given bread and milk for breakfast. Matilda soon joined her, eager to hear about Jasmine's night. Jasmine didn't share her friend's enthusiasm, though. She felt uneasy in the outside world, longing for the familiarity of her cell.
By the third day, the Queen's birthday, the workload had tripled. Jasmine woke early to prepare Prince Lucian's room. Unlike the previous days, he asked her to help him dress. His shirt was emerald green, tucked into black trousers, and Jasmine helped him put on a black coat.
She accompanied him to the birthday celebration, standing at the entrance to the hall. She watched the event, keeping an eye on the prince. The Queen was radiant, the King regal, and the princess sat close to them. But there was an empty chair on the King's right, and Jasmine wondered where the second prince was.
As the party began to wind down, Jasmine saw Prince Lucian rise from his seat. Mrs. Molly, the head maid, motioned for Jasmine to follow him, so she quickly hurried after the prince.
"You must do whatever he wants of you," Jasmine heard Mrs. Molly say to her before she could disappear from her sight.
Walking up the series of stairs, the guards they encountered all bowed to greet the prince, to which he replied with a single nod of his head. Getting inside the room, Jasmine quickly went into the bathroom to prepare his bath.
Returning to the room, she saw him standing in front of his desk and running his hand through his hair. She went to stand in a corner of the room with her head casted downwards. Hearing the shuffle of clothes, she looked up to see the prince had discarded his coat and shirt, and she returned her face to the tiled floor.
Her eyes picked up the faint sound of footsteps approaching her until she saw the pair of shoes pause in front of her. She stiffened when the prince raised her chin upwards, and her gaze met his black eyes.
"Your name?" He questioned. Jasmine tried to turn her head away, but his grip was strong. She held her hands together behind her back.
"Jasmine," she replied softly. The close proximity was making her uncomfortable, and she quickly took a step backwards.
The prince narrowed his eyes at her actions and said in a firm, authoritative voice,
"Strip." Jasmine felt her heart sink as she stared at the man like she didn't hear him. It wasn't like she didn't know the meaning of the word. She had heard it many times when they took their baths in the slave market.
Mrs. Molly's words rang in her ears, and she realized what the woman meant. Maids were mostly used to satisfy their master's pleasure. The prince waited for Jasmine, yet she didn't make a move to act like she had heard him. When he tried to hold her face again, she turned her face away and his eyes flickered in anger as he pushed the girl violently against the wall.
Prince Lucian's hand went back to her face, brushing past her lips, and Jasmine felt more repulsed. He pushed two fingers into her mouth, prying them open, and then she bit him hard with her teeth. A wail escaped his lips, but she continued to bite him really hard as he tried to pull out his fingers, and it only made her teeth tear his skin.
Her knee had moved between his legs, and she kneed him in his groin, causing him to growl in pain. She pushed him, and he lost his balance, falling to the ground, and her eyes flew wide, realizing what she had done.
She quickly dashed out of the room towards the stairs, but the guards who heard their prince's wails had started to run up the stairs.
Her heart thudded in her chest as she quickly turned back, fleeing up the next set of stairs and entering another quarters. Without thinking twice, she turned the doorknob of one of the rooms, opened the door, and stepped inside. Before she could take a deep breath, she was suddenly pushed against the wall again as something sped toward her. It was too fast, and she was seized by the neck, lifted off the ground by a large hand.