I shivered in fear, shocked about the sudden turn of events.
"Slave?" I murmured in fear.
"What! No, you can't do that," Lunaria, my mother-in-law yelled, rushing towards Drystan with an angry glance.
"Yes, I can, I am now your king. You can join her if you want," Drystan retorted and scoffed.
I looked at Lunaria, she was just as shocked as I was, at the same time pissed.
"You are not yet the king, the king is still alive. You are just acting like one that you can never become. You will never rule this kingdom," Lunaria blunted out, dragging him by the collar.
"Shh watch your tongue lady Lunaria, you are not my mother. The only luck you have is that the king is still alive; once he dies and I take over, I will make you suffer, you will count your teeth with your tongue, you will be thrown into the dungeon for spirits to feed on," Drystan yelled back, groaning in anger, he pulled Lunaria's tight grip on his collar making her trembling from the angry push.
"I can assure you that will never happen, my son will slice you in chips before then," Lunaria retorted, assured.
"Watch me slice him first," Drystan desperately responded.
"Brother, I think this is too much. Kethan won't like that you are turning his wife into a slave," Donovas stated, jumping in between the conversation, he pulled Drystan by the shoulder.
"Are you scared of Kethan? Your younger half-brother," Drystan asked his brother with a daring glance.
"No but…" Donovas held back his incomplete sentence in doubt, releasing Drystan's shoulder.
"Drag Agatha to the kitchen," Drystan commanded, walking out of the throne room emotionlessly.
The guards came forward, pulling me brutally they threw me into the kitchen.
I landed hard on the hard cold floor, groaning in pain.
Giggles and sarcastic laughter coming from the maid in the kitchen grasped my attention.
Raising my head slowly, I was being pointed at and laughed at, as they all grinned happily towards my current predicament.
I bowed my head down in shame, dragging my heavy self from the floor. I walked towards the kitchen door to leave when some of the maids blocked my way, pushing me backward.
"And where do you think you are going?" one of them asked with raised eyebrows.
"I need to see my husband," I calmly replied when a pre-boiling slap landed on my face again and again.
I winced in pain, my face felt hot from the slap and my body shivered in excess shock.
I was a princess all my life, even my stepmother wouldn't dare to hit me in that manner.
"Why?" I muttered in between my sobs, trying to understand why I was being slapped by a maid.
"What do you think you are? The royal palace maids stay in this kitchen all day cooking. And you, a slave, want to leave.
You are now a slave; we are your superior and you do whatever we say.
"No, I am not a slave, stop calling me a slave. I am Kethan's wife" I whispered in denial, anxiously biting my lower lip.
"We don't care which wife you are; you are now a slave. The king has spoken," she responded, closing the distance between us.
"No," I muttered, shaking my head furiously in denial.
"Beat her up until she realizes who she is," One of the maids commanded, hatred and envy boldly written on her face.
Before I could understand what was happening, different weights, sizes, and lengths of slaps, kicks, and punches landed on me.
I feel down in pain, clutching my stomach to protect myself from the tragic experience. I was being bullied, flogged, and beaten up like a common thief.
"You are a slave," she yelled, it was more like she was force planting the unacceptable identity on me.
"No, you stinky stinking maids, Don't call me that; I am not a slave," I whispered, a river of sorrowful tears streaming down my face in fright.
Hearing this, the palace maid demanded they whip me instead for harsher pain and better results.
"No, I beg you don't do this, I am not a slave," I pleaded, desperate to be released.
Ignoring my pleas they came at me with the whip, slashing my entire body vigorously.
I screamed out in pain, by now all my body was covered in bruises, my face was swollen and my gown was stained with blood.
"What are you?" She asked again, smiling wickedly.
Weeping, I bowed my head down In unbearable pain.
"I am… a slave," I muttered, giving up on my argument to avoid being killed by some power-hungry slave.
"Look at me and say it louder," she commanded, ogling at me.
Weakly, I raised my head and more tears for them to feast on stormed out of my eyes.
"I am…a slave," I murmured in humiliation.
"Drag her away and make her single-handedly do all the jobs in this kingdom. Anyone who helps her with any of it shall face the consequences," She stated, turning around, she walked out of the kitchen.
Dragged towards a mountain of used dishes that I was commanded to wash, I sat up on my knees to support my aching body due to the beating I received that morning, it was something I never expected to happen.
"Kethan, where are you?" I whispered, more tears flowing down my face.
Such a tragic twist of faith, I became a slave overnight.
It was late at night but I still haven't done half of the jobs in the kingdom.
I slumped to the ground from extreme tiredness, my head was pounding, my stomach was wincing and the whole joint in my body ached from working all day.
Crawling out of the kitchen, the maid from earlier stormed out of nowhere to block my way.
"Please, I have no strength in me. I need to eat some food and rest a little, I haven't had anything to eat for the whole day," I pleaded with her, having no strength to argue or deny; I'd only get beaten up.
"I will let you go tonight, but if you are hungry, gather the leftovers," she blurted out.
I gasped in shock and confusion.
"Leftovers?" I repeated, finding it hard to believe what I just heard. I worked for the whole day only to eat leftovers.
"You are not deaf, are you? That's what slaves like you eat.
A sad smile appeared on my face, who would have thought I would be in a position to beg for food?
Taking a deep breath to hold back my tears, I pulled myself together and dragged myself towards the chamber, clutching onto my unfilled stomach to reduce the pain.
When I got into the chamber, Kethan wasn't in sight, the room was exactly how I left it before the announcement.
I collapsed to the ground, exhausted. There was not even a drop of strength in my veins.
"Kethan, if you can hear me, I need you," I whispered in pain, and just like I expected, Kethan appeared out of nowhere fuming in outrageous anger.
"Who is the bastard that did this to you?"