She had just begun to drift off to sleep when a shrill scream startled her awake, and she bounded out of bed and fell to the floor. Dazed and disoriented, she rubbed her face, trying to make sense of what was going on. Then there was another scream, louder and more agonizing than the first. She froze, her heart pounding in her chest.
What's going on?
She didn't think, just ran to the window to look. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw one of the earlier maids being mercilessly whipped in the inner courtyard and directly in front of her window. With each lash, the ruthless snap of the whip through flesh was heard, while each was followed by the terrorizing screams of the maid. The moonlight lit up in vivid detail the brutality of that scene, making it all the more grotesque.
Aghast, Selene moved back from the window and fell onto the bed, wincing with each strike that landed on the servant girl's body. Her mind was racing. The Duke and Duchess must be crazy! What was happening in front of her just made everything real-that she was in a hazardous, not-to-be-trusted place. If she wanted to survive, she knew she had to come up with a better plan, one where she was far away from these people, sooner rather than later.
While these thoughts were stewing in her mind, the door swung open, and in came Maid Merly with a large box. Selene quivered, startled by the sudden entrance, but her anxiety loosened just a little as she saw Merly's familiar face.
Merly's gaze darted to the window then back to Selene, whose face had visibly shaken. "My Lady," she whispered, tugging at Selene's hand and dragging her from the room, "you can't stay here tonight.
Stunned into silence, Selene followed Merly down long hallways, bedecked with opulent finery, the sound of whips and the screams of the maid still echoing in her ears, sending chills up and down her spine. They walked what felt like forever before they entered another room, which was also very nicely decorated.
This will be your room for the night, Merly said as she guided Selene toward the bed. She put the box she had been holding down onto a nearby chair and slightly tucked Selene in. "It isn't safe for you to be near that window with everything going on outside. I'll have your room cleaned, and you can return tomorrow.
Merly had leaned over Selene and lightly kissed her forehead, whispering "Goodnight" as she moved to the door. Before she could leave, Selene sprang upright, her head swimming with questions.
"Merly," she burst out, "what about the pendant?"
The question arrested Merly in midstride. She whirred on her heel, her face a mask of surprise. "You don't remember?" she asked.
Selene shook her head in puzzlement.
Merly's expression softened, and she walked back to Selene's bedside. "That pendant was given to you by the Crown Prince two years ago, to mark the beginning of your engagement. It's a very precious piece.
Selene's eyes widened mutely. That necklace? The very one she had seen clutched in the charred maid's hand? Her heart plummeted.
"That's why the Duke and Duchess were so furious," Merly continued, confirming Selene's suspicions. "The Crown Prince said it was a family heirloom, passed down from his great-grandmother. It's a symbol of the royal family's favor."
For a moment, Selene's mind went blank, the weight of the revelation crashing down upon her. A family heirloom? That plain, peach pendant was supposed to be a royal treasure?
Merly, observing the look of shock in Selene's eyes, smiled softly and disappeared from the room. The door creaked softly into its hinge and shut her out, leaving Selene with her thoughts.
Slowly, Selene sat up in the bed and clutched her fists in frustration. That is no family heirloom! she thought angrily. She could remember it clear as day now-one of the most rudimentary, unimpressive pieces of jewelry she had ever seen. In her old life, she had seen better necklaces being sold in cheap trinket stores.
She screamed into the pillow, cursing the Crown Prince under her breath. "You lying, pompous jerk!" she hissed, punching the pillow. "That stupid pendant… you're just as awful as everyone else in this twisted game! ... While you were awful from the begining."
Anger surged through her as she thought about the absurdity of it all. The Crown Prince, his so-called "heirloom," the Duke and Duchess reacting like it was the most precious artifact in the world, everything was so messed up. And to think, someone had nearly died trying to steal it.
Selene groaned and collapsed back on the bed, her head in a spin of frustration and exhaustion. There was one thing sure: nothing in this world made a whit of sense, and if she was going to survive, then she had to stay sharp. Because if something like a plain pendant could cause such chaos, then who knew what other secrets were lurking in the shadows? She closed her eyes, trying to cool the racing of her heart with that unsettling thought.
Tomorrow, I need to get started on an iron proof plan. But right now I'm tired.
She fell asleep.