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Chapter : 11. Second training..

Flora’s point if view:-

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Valerie is the cruelest woman I have ever seen. In the name of training, she isn’t leaving any chance to hurt me. Her punishments are not only illogical but also unfair. She is not giving me the chance to understand what she wants before taking any action on me. Just like she kept hitting me without telling me what answers to give in the first place. How would I know that I have to call the prince as master, if they don’t inform me about it before? But this is not the end. There’s a lot more training left for me today.

“Let me inform you about the place you will be accompanying prince Albert with. Keep each and every part of this information in your head and don’t make any mistakes remembering it. There’s going to be a test every day on this topic. So, the place you will be visiting is, Orthos Sanguis Kingdom. King Harry Vincent Nugent is the king and Queen Ancona Nugent is the queen of that kingdom. They have only two children. Prince Calder Nugent, the only heir and next in line king if that kingdom, who’s wedding you will be attending. And Princess Evander Nugent the loving daughter of the king and queen, with whom they want prince Albert to bind. Don’t forget these names because you will be needing them.” Valerie told me everything about the kingdom they are sending me and I tried to remember them with my best because if I forgot them, not only I will get punished, but it can create problems for me and the prince. I don’t want to create any problems until I get out of here.

“Forward your other hand this time, while I’m asking you more questions. Now! You already know that you have to present yourself in front of many royals present in that wedding, as a duchess and as the fiancée of prince Albert. Now imagine you are in that kingdom. Who are you?” Again with the same questions. I have to understand the question before answering this time. I am in that kingdom and I have to present myself as the duchess. So, the answer would be-

“I’m Flora Monro, a duchess from South Orundal Kingdom.” I answered her confidently.

“Very good. You are a really clever girl. I’m impressed. Next question. What are you going to call prince Albert there?” This one is a little hard. I know I’m supposed to call the prince as master. But I can’t risk calling him that when I’m a duchess. With doubt in my mind, I told the first thing that came into my head.

“Your Highness.” Without any prior notice, the cane blew on my left palm. This time a silent scream came out of my mouth from the impact.

“Are you going to call your lover and your fiancé as your highness? Don’t you two have any connection or love names for each other? Try it again. What are you going to call your fiancé?” This is all so confusing. I can’t understand what I’m going to say. I never had anyone similar to that position to know what to call a lover. But I have to give some answers to calm her. With fear of the next hit in my mind, I spoke up what came into my head.

“My prince.” Uttering it, I closed my eyes and got ready for the impact, but didn’t come.

“Hmm… That can work. My prince can be a nice love name if you think about it. Good. You’re improvising. Onto the next one. Imagine its middle of the night, and you are still in that kingdom when someone is knocking on your door. How are you going to call him now?” Another tricky question. We are still in that kingdom and someone is at the door. Maybe I should call him as my fiancé because someone else is there too.

“My prince.” I doubted on the answer and the result was the same as I was worrying about. Another hit came on my palm again.

“How dare you to think of the prince as your lover when you are behind a closed door? Don’t forget that you are his slave and when nobody’s listening, you must address him as master. Keep this in your mind. No matter how much affection he shows you out in the public, you will always be his slave. And don’t even think about attracting him into something that he isn’t supposed to. The result will be on you because you will be the one to get the punishment for it. Keep this warning fixed in your head.” She said, patting my head with her cane.

By the time her questions ended, both of my palms have become red and swollen as cane marks are clearly visible on them. My hands are shaking like leaf in pain and I doubt I can barely hold anything for next three days. Even after torturing me till the evening, she wasn’t done with me yet. As the moon started slowly crawling up in the sky, a new task was prepared for me.

“This is the end of your common knowledge for today. Now, let’s start with your etiquette. Show me how you walk. Go to the end of the hall and come back.”

Although I already showed them the way of my walk the first day I came here, but now I have to show it to Valerie specially. I have eaten nothing for three days and I don’t trust my own steps anymore because I’m too tired to do anything right now. On the other hand, I also don’t want to get punished anymore. So, without having any choice, I stood up straight and started walking with my wobbly feet.

“Oh god! I have to work on everything about her. How is this possible in just five days? Please help me with this incompetent.” She put her palm on her forehead by seeing the way of my steps. I don’t know what she’s going to do next…

“Maid…! Bring me two sets of cups. Hurry.”

She called out for a maid and ordered her to bring cups. I wonder what she's going to do with those? Soon the maid came in with two sets of empty cups on a tray and gave it to her. She picked up both cups with saucers and gave them to me to hold. My palms are all aching and swollen. That’s why the moment I hold those expensive in my hand, it started shaking. By the smirk on Valerie’s face, I realized that she’s aware of my pain way too well, but still doing this to me to see my limit. Then she placed my hands on both sides of my body and placed the saucers flat on my palms and the cups on top of them, so that it only balanced on my palms and I can’t hold them with my fingers.

“Now walk like this but make sure these cups don’t fall or the consequences won’t be good.” She warned me and told me to walk all over that big ballroom.

I looked around the huge empty space I have to keep walking on, don’t have a clue for how long, and took a deep long breath before starting to walk. This is not a training, It’s a pure torture.

“Why those cups are shaking. Don’t let them shake.”

“Do not let them fall and break.”

“I can hear it clattering from all the way here.”

“Put your steps gracefully. Don’t walk like a hippy.”

“You can’t even do a simple thing like walking. How are you going to make them believe that you are a duchess?”

“You imbecile.”

“You nincompoop.”

By the end of the night, I was not only physically tired but also mentally irritated by the amount of bad words Valerie passed me, while sitting on the couch and relaxing. Not only bad words, I also got few hits on my legs from not following her instructions properly, which made my legs shake more and got her more angry. Finally, when it was almost midnight, she was done with me and dismissed me for tonight. Before leaving me in that ballroom, huffing from a dry throat, she told me to come to that ballroom for my training early in the morning of next day. She didn’t wait for any of my reply and left me alone in there to find my way to my room.

Once she was gone, I slumped down on the floor because I have no strength to walk anymore. My throat has turned into dry sand and my stomach into an empty desert. I don’t know how long I will be able to keep up with this training, because I’m completely sure that if things keep going like this, I am going to die before these five days ends. Tears came out of my eyes by thinking what fate I got. My parents must be thinking that I’m really happy in this palace at this moment. But less did they know which hell I have stepped in and what pains I’m going through.

My eyes were getting closed in sleep due to the tiredness. Although I have no strength to go back all the way to the maids’ chamber, I know that I’m not allowed to seep out of my specified bed as well. So, without wasting any time, I pushed myself up and used the rest of my strength to get back to my place. Despite the rush I was in while coming to the ballroom, I memorized the way clearly. I knew that from now on I have to follow this same path every day. So, used my brain to keep it remembered.

After walking down the hallway and following the exact points I remembered, I finally reached the maids’ chamber. Entering that room, I found out that the whole room is filled with maids. They all came back to take rest for the night, from their duties after the whole day’s work. Seeing me enter, the chatter they were doing till now stopped as all of their heads snapped towards me. Not only that, but few of them started gossiping silently about me secretly. I can understand everything they were talking about me, from the place I was standing, but I have no interest in them, and I am too tired to care about them right now. So, ignoring their eyes, I went to my bed straight and sat on it.

“Valerie made you train till now? Have you eaten anything yet?” Opening my eyes that I closed to relax, I saw Martha sitting on the next bed of mine. I understood that she gave me the bed next to her because she knew I am new here and I might need her help first few days to adjust. She truly is a kind lady to think about someone who she wasn’t seen yet.

“I didn’t get the time for it.” I gave her a short answer, along with a sigh.”I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. If I knew you haven’t eaten yet, I would have kept something store for you in here. In this palace, maids are not allowed to eat after the mealtime. So, you won’t be getting anything to eat any more tonight. I’m really sorry.” She said with a sad expression.

“It’s okay. I don’t have an appetite, anyway. I’m too tired and want to sleep badly.” I told her while slowly laying my body on my bed.

“What is that? What happened to your hand? Did you get punished by her?” She asked, while checking my palm.

“Mhmm..” I hummed in reply.

“That cruel women. Keep laying. I will bring something for your hand.”

I noticed her rushing to go to somewhere, but I was too tired to see what she was doing. My eyelids were already heavy and right after she left, I fell asleep. But even in my deep slumber I felt something warm touch my palms. I knew Martha was doing something to my palm to make it heal faster, which reminded me of my mother’s love. It was so comfortable and relaxing that it lulled me into a peaceful slumber, forgetting all the worries for tonight.