𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 - 𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐨𝐧

(sixteen)

I wake up dreading the day ahead. Today I return to my normal routine taking care of the Princess. I get myself ready, then go to her room and lay out her daily outfit. I fill the bathtub and wake her up. She smiles when she sees me, but it fades when I don't return the gesture.

As always, I help the Princess bathe, but today is different. Today she stares at me instead of the painting. There are so many unspoken words swirling behind her eyes, I just know it, but I'm not sure I'm interested in knowing what they are.

"Princess." I take a shaky breath. "You know I'm not from the safest part of the kingdom. But I don't think you get exactly what life has been like for me. As a kid in the area I lived in, I was never safe. Little girls were like currency." I begin to wash her hair as I continue, "And when I was eight, they caught me. I spent a week tied to a chair and another week tied to a bed. I couldn't stop anybody from doing anything to me. My parents couldn't afford to buy me back. People paid a lot of money to come see me and touch me however they wanted, and then they threw me away. I couldn't move for weeks. That's how you made me feel last night. You brought those memories back again. I can't handle being restrained. I'd rather die than let myself be immobilised and powerless again."

I look back at her and see tears streaming down her face. Why is she crying? "I'm so sorry," she sobs, "I know how scary it is to be trapped. I never should've done that to you. I just hated the thought of losing the person I care about most." She sniffles and tries to recollect herself. "When I saw you with that girl, I just lost it. I thought you'd leave me for her, just because of what she was doing. I kissed you because I hoped it would make you stick around... with me, instead of her. You're my only friend, Kim Bora."

I rinse her hair and help her out of the tub. "I understand why you did it," I tell her, "But that doesn't mean I forgive you. You're gonna have to earn my trust again." She nods and offers a sad smile. I know she regrets what she did. But I need time to work through it.