Punished
874 Words
Melanin's POV
His words made my voice cease in my throat, leaving me at a loss for words.
“I hate to be kept waiting,” he ordered, growing irritated by my silence.
"I'm sorry, my king. I didn't want you to know that I saw you without clothes," I stammered fearfully and heard an angry grunt from him. But despite that, I gathered the courage to continue. "When you vomited, you asked me to undress and clean your body. That's all," I lied, ignoring the disapproving groan from Olivia.
"You!" He yelled, forcefully pulling me to my feet. "You saw me naked and lied about it?" His eyes filled with anger as I slowly shook my head in fear.
"My king..." I stammered, fear gripping me.
"You will pay for this, you foolish girl," he declared with a promise, forcing tears to stream down my cheeks.
"Guards!" he yelled, and two guards rushed into his chambers.
"She is to kneel outside until I say otherwise," he ordered, while I fell to the ground, pleading for him to have mercy. But he turned his back on me, and I was dragged away.
As I was being dragged, I remained silent, even though I noticed the curious eyes of the servants on me. They wondered what I must have done to be treated like a thief.
The guards took me to the yard, and without needing to be told, I knelt under the scorching sun. "Don't you dare think of moving. We're keeping an eye on you," one of the guards warned before taking shelter in the shade.
With a heavy heart, I wiped my face with the back of my palms. I took a deep breath, wondering why this had happened to me. It hadn't even been a month since I arrived at the palace.
"Why don't you tell him that you're his mate?" Olivia suggested, fueling my anger and making me even more furious. But I didn't respond. If he was punishing me for seeing him naked and lying about it, what would he do if he found out that we had actually had s*x?
Painfully, I closed my eyes and let the tears fall freely. How did my life become so complicated within a month of being in the palace?
"What did she do?" I heard Zoey's voice, and opened my eyes to see her talking to the guard watching over me.
"No idea. All I know is that she's being punished by the king, and you know what that means," he spoke, and she looked at me with pity in her eyes.
"What did you do?" she asked through our mind link, but I couldn't give her a response. How could I possibly explain everything to her?
"You have to leave," the guard watching me told her, and she flashed me a worried look before hurrying away.
With a heavy sigh, I closed my eyes, ignoring the uncomfortable aches in my body due to the scorching heat from the sun.
“Can I have a cup of water.” I asked even though I knew the answer.
“You are being punished, young woman.” The guard spat, causing a heavy sigh to leave my lips.
A few hours later, the sun disappeared behind dark clouds, indicating an approaching rainstorm.
I turned my gaze back to the guard, who flickered a pitiful glance at me before quickly looking away.
As I wondered what would become of me, the rain suddenly began to pour down.
As the rain fell, I felt a mixture of relief and despair. Relief because the scorching heat was finally subsiding, and despair because now I was getting soaked in the rain, adding to my discomfort. The guard took cover under a nearby shade, leaving me exposed to the heavy rainfall.
I lowered my head and let the rain wash over me, feeling the droplets mix with my tears. I couldn't help but wonder why everything had turned so difficult for me since I arrived at the palace. It seemed like every step I took led to more trouble, more pain.
The servants who passed by glanced at me with curiosity and, in some cases, satisfaction. Their expressions showed that they were enjoying my suffering, finding entertainment in my punishment. It only added to my humiliation and made me feel like an outcast, a target for their ridicule.
I closed my eyes, trying to find solace amidst the chaos surrounding me. The rain continued to fall relentlessly, drenching me to the bone. My body ached from the punishment, and my knees felt weak from kneeling for hours. But I refused to give in. I wouldn't let them see me break.
Hours passed, and the rain eventually subsided.
I was left shivering, my body trembling from the cold. The guard, perhaps feeling some pity for me, flickered a brief glance of sympathy before turning away.
"Are you okay?" Olivia asked, but I couldn't give a response.
My whole body and lips were shivering from pain and cold. My vision blurred, and my consciousness began to fade, but just as I was about to close my eyes, a figure caught my attention, one that looked like that of the king.
- Writer
