The Princess and Her Whipping Boy

The Loss of Innocence

Cronan bowed low, not daring to raise his head and meet the princess's burning gaze. Beside him, Mable curtsied low.

"Your Highness-" she began timidly. She was cut off as the princess gestured for silence. When she spoke, it was in a low but cutting tone.

"I trusted you, Mable."

Mable was taken aback. Cronan felt her confused gaze turn upon him. Taking a deep shuddering breath, Cronan raised his head and look up at the princess. Her gaze was upon him. In his mind, Cronan heard Archer's bitter words once more. A slave can not love, Cronan. It will only bring ill fate. He shook his head.

"No, Rosalina" he pleaded, forgetting his place in his anguish. "You misunderstand."

Rosalina rose from her chair, her eyes blazing. "How dare you address me by name! Too long have you run free without consequence. But no longer from this day on. I will ensure you remember your place, slave." She turned her anger upon her poor maid. "And you, Mable, my very own companion from childhood, how dare you frolick with this mutt...this...this half rat! You betrayed my faith in you. I trusted in you. I was even so foolish as to think you as a dear friend."

Mable collapsed to the ground, weeping. "I deserve to die, princess. Please punish me."

Rosalina stared down at her, her lip curling in disgust. "I should flog the two of you and let you be an example to all who try to follow your example. But tonight, I will be merciful." She turned away, closing her eyes and letting out a soft breath. Inside, she could feel the walls about her heart crumbling. She longed for nothing more than to fall by her maid's side and take her in her arms, to beg her to cry no more. But she could hear her father's words playing and replaying in her mind."

"Rosalina, come sit by me." King Warrick patted stone bench beside him, as he smiled at his young daughter. Rosalina sat obediently by his side, staring up at him, wondering what he wished to speak of. King Warrick sighed.
"I know you may hate me and feel angry at the things I request of you. But one day you will understand. No matter the cost, I will make you into a powerful queen. One who is feared by all. But you are still young and soft of heart." He paused to reach out and take her small hands into his large ones. "Rosalina, should the time come to punish those who offend you, you must be hard-hearted and cruel. Make them weep and beg. Ensure they will never dare to disobey again. If not, Rosalina..." His voice faded away, and he became hesitant, lost in the innocent gaze of the child before him. He forced himself to continue. "If I hear, you were lenient and unwilling to pass judgement, I will increase the punishment to the offender tenfold. Do you understand, little one?"

Rosalina turned back to face the offenders before her. "I can not bear to cause you pain, Mable. You shall leave the palace and never return. I no longer desire to have you in my service."

Mable gasped. "No, please no" she begged, the tears running freely. "Please, Your Highness, don't send me away. I know only to serve you. I know nothing else. Please, I will accept any other punishment. Anything but this. Please, princess."

Rosalina seated herself. "I will not repeat it, Mable. Leave me."

Crying bitterly, Mable rose and curtsied low. Then turning, she was gone.

Cronan stared down at the ground, shocked and in disbelief. "It was me" he whispered softly. Looking up, he saw the princess was frowing at him. "You did it because of me, didn't you? You are jealous."

The flames in the princess's eyes blazed higher. "How dare you make such assumptions."

Cronan could no longer care how bold he was being. To hell with the damned hierarchy. He rose to his feet, meeting her gaze face-to-face at eye level. "Is it though? You drove everyone away from you and then blamed us for your loneliness. Don't you see what you have become? Look at how unhappy you are. Who are you even? You are not Rosalina anymore. You are a monster."

Roslina rose to her feet. "I will have you suffer for this."

"Go ahead" Cronan cried back in defiance. "You can't hurt me anymore than you hurt yourself. You will have no one but yourself to blame when you cry into the lonely night with no one to comfort you. Mable was the best thing you ever had. And you will utterly regret losing her."

Rosalina closed her eyes, as she slowly regulated her breathing. When she opened them again, Cronan saw clearly the maniacal glint that gleamed there. "You will rue this day and every word you spoke. For from this day on, you will suffer as you never suffered before." She paused and a cruel smile curled her lips. "After all, you are my whipping boy."

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King Warrick coughed lightly as he leant back into his throne. His head was throbbing from all the papers he had looked over that morning.

"Father?"

King Warrick looked up, his vision blurring slightly as a sharp pang stabbed behind his eyes. As it cleared again, he saw Rosalina standing before him, her hands tightly clenched before her. He held out his hand and she moved forward to take it.

"Does something bother you, my child?" He asked, his other hand reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ear.

Rosalina bit her lower lip thoughtfully. "Need I attend the evening dinner tonight? I want to go up the mountain to see the sunset. I heard it is a glorious view from up there."

King Warrick shook his head, wincing as it caused the throbbing to grow worse. "No, Rosalina. You know we have the Xelian ambassador coming tonight, as well as the military parade." He rubbed his aching brow. "Maybe another time."

Rosalina scowled, dropping her father's hand. Swinging around, she stalked out of the room.

King Warrick watched her go. His gaze was sorrowful and a soft sigh left his lips. His regretful thoughts were broken however, as he hunched over, coughing violently. Holding his hand against his mouth, he did not need to look to know the moistness that covered his fingers was crimson red.