Conquered by the Dragon King (A Twisted Romance)

Chapter Three- Trouble

Renata

The putrid smell of ointment invaded my nose as I tried to clear my head. The pain dulling all my other senses. I could hear the chatter of a number of people, I assumed I was still in the corridor where I had received my punishment and passed out for a few seconds. I tried to peel open my eyes that were glued shut by my dried tears.

“Reny, please wake up, please don’t leave me”. A small voice called out to me.

I wanted to move but everything hurt. My back stung and felt as if it was on actual fire.

“Nesta, place that cold pack on her back, come. We have to complete the chores. We will cover for Rena today”. Millie’s voice pulled be further into reality.

“But….I-I don’t want to l-leave her alone”. Nesta sobbed by my side.

I couldn’t allow them to get into more trouble for me. Nesta had to do her chores with me too weak to cover here. I tried to move again when a familiar feeling of cold stone scrapped against my legs. I must have been knocked out for some time to be moved to our sleeping quarter for the East wing slaves.

“Go….fine”. It was all I could manage as even breathing was labouring.

“Reny!” Nesta held my hand tighter. My back to her as she placed something cold and wet on my new wounds, I could only hiss in pain.

“I won’t be long, I’ll finish my chores extra quick, Reny, I’ll be back with hot milk”. I nodded.

Acknowledging but knowing that the milk would never come.

“Don’t worry Renny, I will help her cover your rooms. You need to heal, let the air get to the wounds, they look deep. Hold on”. Millie checked my clammy forward.

I cried into my flat pillow, my body mutilated to please another. My pain bringing pleasure for the Duchess and her guests. The punishment too harsh for the crime and I was found guilty of it without trial. Hatred bubbled in the pit of my empty stomach. Too many times had the Duchess thrown her slaves to the wild dogs. Too many times had I paid the price for doing a job I neither wanted nor requested.

‘Why do the Lion Gods punish me, why did it let the Dragons destroy the Pride?’

Large hot tears rolled down the side of my face disappearing into my pillow.

‘Can’t you just give me a break?’

It took me a four days to be able to move enough to help complete my chores, the pain making me slower and in constant pain but I couldn’t let my new family take the brunt of it. Twice Nesta had fallen asleep on the job, her illness not completely left her system.

Mimi turned a blind eye as long as she didn’t receive the punishment and the rooms continued to be cleaned. A happy guest meant that the Duchess focused on other parts of the castle, her vile fury making the castle whimper and cry at night, echoes of the beaten slaves that resided in the attic.

Imagining myself ripping out Beno’s throat had become the only thing that fuelled me. Bitterness and revenge my only source of power.

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Three weeks had passed since the punishment without any hiccup or deaths in the East Quarter and I managed to successfully avoid Mrs K, who finally admitted that she could not remember the recipe to the Duchess. She was sent down to the cellar for a week, without food. The girl I used to be ten years ago would have felt sorry for the cook, the new unimproved me, didn’t even flicker an eye of sympathy in her direction. The cellar was cold and there were no beds. I had been sent down there by the Butler a number of times, sometimes because of Mrs K, it was about time she had a taste of her own medicine.

At night, when the castle rested, Millie would rub ointment on my wounds. One wound had to be sewn together as it cut right down to the bone, taking longer to heal. The embers of my rage flared and my hatred for the evil Duchess continued to grow at a more rapid rate.

Millie had been beaten with a cane two days ago for forgetting the Duchesses broach, the one that she hated wearing and refused to every time it is offered.

Marcus had passed out from the lack of food last night, it was only by luck that Nessie found him and managed to drag him into a dark unused room before getting help.

“There is to be an announcement after dinner today”, Jacob the stable boy spoke rapidly in between bites of his bread and cheese. I watched him inhale all of the food in mere seconds not even enough time for him to enjoy the taste. An underlying fear present that the food in front of him would disappear into thin air or taken away from him. “We have to gather in the main hall”.

Slaves were never allowed in the main hall, only Butlers and waiters who wore fancy clothes. Slaves were never to be seen, like a shadow. Only coming forward when requested. The waiters were dressed to be seen in bright clean cut red tailored suits with frills on the arms and down the side of the legs. Easy to spot among the guests who frequented the Hall, as if the big silver platters filled with flutes of champagne or tarted up with food didn’t give them away. “you know what that means right?”

Renata nodded, trouble.

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The Grand hall echoed with the whispers of all the castle staff and slaves. The staff stood on one side, not wanting to mingle with the slaves who huggled on the other side, Renata swayed slightly, the lack of food making her light headed. I started to pray no one would notice, she needed to keep upright at all costs. It was unusual for slaves to be ordered to attend; not worthy enough to actually step foot on the gold floor of the Grand hall. Of all the ten years that I have been here I had only been in the hall three times. Once, the Duchess behead an employee. I was too young to understand what went on, too busy trying to survive.

To keep my mother’s promise.

The Duchess sauntered in, her long black locks fell down past her shoulder in thick waves, and the emerald green dress looked lavish, encrusted in green gems, only falling to her calves. She donned an impressively high pair of satin green heels, the clipping sound against the gold flooring being the only noise in the room. All eyes were glued to the floor except my own. It had been my intention to look down but something caught my eye. Behind the Duchess followed three beautiful female hand ladies and a tall blonde man.

A beautiful man.

A man that held my attention for far too long. The Duchess could be extremely obnoxious, definitely arrogant and snarky as hell so it had taken everyone by surprise how polite and angelic she spoke. “Staff. These are my dear guests; here from the Royal Palace.

They have come to make the adequate preparations for the Kings visit”.

My shoulders slumped and my anger festered, the devil was coming. We were already overworked and my body ached.

The King coming would mean more work and more pressure. The Duchess would take no prisoners; everything would have to be perfect. Our chances of survival decreased.

Marcus held my hand.

We were barely surviving with the work and the sparse amount of food we were given nightly.

Then a happy thought entered my mind, with the Dragon King so close I could enact my revenge. I had planned to get us out on my birthday, make sure Nesta and Marcus woth the others were well and truly safe from the Dragon Empire before I killed the King. I made the mistake of smiling without checking my surroundings first.

“Why are you smiling, little Lion?” I jumped and lowered my eyes, making sure I shuffled away from Marcus so no other slaves would fall victim due to my mistake. “Cat got your tongue?” The man chuckled at his own joke. Did he know I was from the Lion Pride? “Look at me little cub”. The man whispered but I kept my head down, I knew the Duchess would be mad if I raised my eyes.

“Is everything alright, is there something you need?” The Duchess started to move towards us and I held my breath.

“Nothing, Duchess. I was just wondering where the rest room was located”. I almost frowned, why did the new man lie?

“Oh, let my head Butler show you your private wash room, Sir. You don’t have to bother with the slaves”. The Duchess purred.

I almost choked; did the Duchess just call him Sir? There were very few people who the Duchess would address in such a manner and I could only think of one, the King himself and this definitely wasn’t the Dragon King, was it?

“Thank you, Lissandra”. I noticed his tone was somewhat colder, harsher than how he had just teased me. “I’m sure this young Lady is capable of showing me the way, why don’t you finish the preparation of his Majesty and I’ll see you at dinner”.

I gulped, why wouldn’t the jerk just leave me alone? Didn’t he realise that he was making my life difficult? The Butler would probably dish out a punishment for being chosen. I gripped my dress in anger, he noticed only to smile.

“Very well, you”, Lissandra didn’t even know my name, after ten years. “Show Mr Milagro to his private chambers”. My stomach churned.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. This was no ordinary man and my instincts told me never to be alone with him but I had no choice. The Duchess turned away and led the remaining guests through the hall.

I almost pleaded with her.

Milagro was not just an employee of the King’s. He was his chief advisor, his right hand and thought of as a brother but he was no Dragon. He was known as something else.

Something wicked.

I truly feared him with all my soul.

I feared the Conjuror.