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Anna P.O.V. Beep, beep, beep... the damn alarm clock. I furiously threw it off the nightstand. I was cold, I had only slept 4 hours and I felt sick. I wrapped myself up tighter with a duvet covering my head and pretending I had time. Yesterday I had to work until 1 a.m. because that damned prince was having another party in a row. Resigned, I stuck my head out from behind the sheets and opened my eyes. The sun was already slowly coming in illuminating my small, cold, stone raw room. It was a basic servant's room, a small cloister with no heating. I took a deep breath and put my foot outside. I forced myself out from under the warm duvet. I quickly grabbed my maid's uniform and went to the servants' bathroom on my floor. After a warm shower, I dressed and went down to the kitchen for the morning servants' meeting. Inside, most of the servants had already gathered. I stood at the back trying to stay out of the way. Bernadette, the main housekeeper, began to assign tasks and tell me what was going to happen in the castle today. I listened tiredly playing with the end of my apron. Suddenly I felt a jab in my ribs. - Ouch... - I hissed casting an angry look at May who was suggestively looking ahead. - Anna - I heard Bernadette's stern voice. I looked at her and she looked at me meaningfully- Girl, are you even listening to me? Today you are working in the kitchen, but tonight the prince again asked you to serve him and his friends during their meeting. - Could someone else? I've been serving them for 3 days and they've been sitting up till 1-3 at night, I don't sleep much. I need my rest. - No. The meeting is over. I waited until the other servants had dispersed and approached my supervisor. She looked at me with a discouraged expression and sighed loudly. - Bernadette," I began, "He's been harassing me. He makes unkind comments, just like his colleagues. I don't want to work for him. I don't like to be left alone with them. Can someone replace me? - No, he specifically asked for you. I can't do anything about it. He is a prince and perhaps a king soon," she said and then added more softly, "But go and get some more sleep and rest. At 12 o'clock we start to prepare dinner. You have time till that hour. I nodded and went back to my room. Once there, I threw myself on the bed and fell asleep. I woke up again at 9. I rolled onto my back and started staring at the ceiling thinking about the evening ahead. I was screwed. I was attracted to the asshole prince. As soon as I noticed this I cut my long red hair to my shoulders. I stopped batting my eyelashes and acted sloppy around him, trying to dissuade him but to no avail. He continued to harass me at every possible opportunity. He'd slap me on the ass, bar the way, offer s*x for money or a favor. He was disgusting about it all. I hated him. I had hoped that his cousin Leya would take King's place, but she was so quiet and withdrawn that I slowly lost hope. Once he became ruler nothing would stop him from r****g me. I was afraid of that. I clung to the thought that as long as he was just a prince he wouldn't allow himself to do it. Because of the princess' overbearing character, he still had a chance at the throne, and he wouldn't be able to get away with such an offense. The King, or rather our Queen, may not have cared much for servants, but she was a just and good ruler. Calmed by these thoughts I got up and went to my small chest of drawers. I looked in the drawer for a while until I found what I was looking for. I took out a small package. I unwrapped it and to my eyes appeared my greatest treasure. My sword. I loved it and I hated it. It gave me purpose in life. It was the only reminder of my parents. Or rather, their tormentors. I pulled this sword from my father's dead body. A little scary, but it gave me strength. When I had the energy, I practiced. I wanted revenge. I lived for revenge. At 12 o'clock I showed up in the kitchen. Bernadette smiled at the sight of me and made me some space at the counter. We started to prepare dinner. May was talking and talking and the rest of the cooks were laughing. - And Marcus dodged, and the princess fell right into the mud. I'm telling you, she was covered in mud. Unfortunately, the Queen saw all this. She looked very embarrassed. - I hope the princess will pull herself together - said Sonia raising her eyebrows - If her 'little brother' takes her mother's place, God help us all. - He is not her brother. They are not even related. He does not deserve the throne. - Bernadette said reassuringly. - But he was the closest family to the late king. It is possible that he will take the throne if the princess still resists. Maybe they would force the two of them to marry. In that case he would still rule - Sonia shrugged her shoulders. - If it comes to that, I will run away - I said quickly. - Anna - Bernadette hissed sharply - That's betrayal! Don't you dare say such things out loud. - Aunt Bernadette - squeaked May amicably - You know how the prince is. The princess doesn't make any progress in her exercises. She barely speaks during dinner. - God, what is wrong with her? If I were her... - I started. - Quiet! Get on with your work - the hostess reprimanded us. Until the evening time passed quickly. When the evening came and it was getting closer to the prince's service, I felt nauseous and had a familiar pressure in my stomach. I hated it. I went to my room to rest a while before the evening's duties. On my bed I found a strange package with a note on it. I opened it: "Dear My Slave! I have a gift for you. Wear this tonight. Your Prince." Inside the box I found a skimpy cleaning woman's outfit as if taken out of a porno. With a collar, cabarets and a hair band. I threw the package into the corner of the room and pulled out my sword. I made a dozen or so blows as I had seen during knights' exercises and when I cooled down I changed into the oldest, longest and most covering uniform I could find in my closet. Walking down the corridor I found the princess walking with the knight Marcus who was her trainer and my secret love. He was handsome. Tall, bulky, muscular. On his head his hair was very short at the moment but sometimes when he came back from battles and didn't have time for a hairdresser you could see that he had beautiful thick brown hair which curled slightly. He also looked great with short hair. His big blue eyes seemed even bigger, his mouth fuller and his jaw more square. He was the epitome of a s*x god. All the servants sighed for him. I silently wished he would notice me. I took a deep breath and tried my luck by stopping the walking two. - Excuse me - I said loud and clear at which they stopped looking at me with astonishment - I am your cook Anna. The princess looked confused at me and then at Marcus apparently not knowing what to do so I started to speak quickly. - Your cousin asks me every night to serve him and his friends during their meetings. Is there anything you can do about that? I don't want to do it... - I'm sorry," she interrupted, fixing her straight brown hair, "I can't interfere with my brother's orders. Good evening. She said dodging me and continuing walking ahead. Marcus looked at me apologetically then caught up to her and continued his monologue about the training they had to go through today. At least that was it. Marcus's gaze. I took a deep breath standing in front of Prince John's playroom. I grabbed the door handle and stepped inside. On a table in the room against the wall, I found a table with food and champagne as usual. All the company was clustered on couches deep in the room. I grabbed the tray with the filled glasses and approached the prince and his friends. - Good evening. Perhaps some champagne. - Anna! But I sent you an outfit for today - said the prince grabbing the glass. - The outfit? It must have got lost somewhere because I didn't receive it - I said pretending to be innocent. - I will make sure that it will arrive tomorrow for sure - said the prince smiling insolently - You could at least dress better. When I become the king such pretty slave girls like you will have special clothes - he said at which his friends laughed thunderously. I made a sour face and wanted to walk away to the table, but he grabbed my hand. - Put down your thaťs and sit here - he said indicating his knees. - I won't use it," I replied, pulling away and walking back to the table. I stood by the wall waiting for orders to eat or drink. I tried not to look at them, not to provoke a taunt, but they kept talking about what they would do with a servant like me and what would change when he came to power. It was disgusting. I stared ahead trying to hide my disgust. After a while, May entered the room wearing the outfit I found on the bed. I looked at her puzzled and quickly approached her trying to cover her up. - What are you doing here? - I whispered trying to push her out of the door but it was too late. - I got the call - she answered in a trembling voice before the prince grabbed her hand leading her to the couch. - Come on, baby," he said, sitting her on his lap, "Let's have some fun, okay? May had tears in her eyes and her face turned all red. I stood in front of them angrily. - Leave her - I threw - This is not part of our service or task. In addition, she is still very young. - Nothing without her consent - said the prince, grabbing her breast and looking me defiantly in the eyes - Well, don't you, little one? A tear ran down May's cheek and I couldn't react any longer. I grabbed her by the hand, pulling her firmly from Prince's lap so that she fell to the floor. With my other hand I grabbed the champagne glass and poured it over his face. - Get up May and get out of here - I hissed with the glass still extended towards the prince. He looked at me reluctantly from under half-closed eyelids while shaking the champagne off his face with his hand. He stood up and looked down at me - - May. Run away - I repeated, and this time the girl reacted. She got up quickly and left the room crying loudly. All the time I was facing the prince and the rest of the company was silent - Don't come near me. I hissed furiously trying to take a step back, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him. Trying to defend myself I smashed the glass against his head. Blood began to drip from his head. He laughed softly throatily still holding my arm and looking defiantly into my eyes. - Is this how you want to play? - He asked and then slapped me across the face, so hard that I fell down - Have fun with her - he threw towards his friends. There was a numbing silence for a moment, but after a while they started to laugh and came towards me. They grabbed me by the shoulders and lifted me up. The prince sat across from me watching intently as his friends set me on my feet and ripped my clothes off. I began to lash out as hard as I could. I tried to kick and bite, despite their hands clasping my body and punching and tugging at my hair. I felt that I was losing my strength. I tried to scream, but it was no use. I was slowly losing consciousness from the effort I put into the fight and the blows I received. After a while, I smelled a pleasant musky aroma and I felt calm.