A crown of flames

Chapter 8

I run my self a warm bath while i slip out of my clothing.

I empty out the sink cupboards till i find a first aid kit to tend to my cuts.

I'm sure there's a nurse in the castle somewhere but i just had a few scratches and bruises so i didn't bother.

I wipe away the blood and use some of the cotton balls and medical tape to cover any of the slashes.

I then slip in to the bath and moan at the feeling of the warm water against my skin that's numb with cold.

I lean my head back and i think about the prince's words "No one wants you here" .

Thats certainly a lie.

Princess Alana wants me here and although the queen wasn't very warm she wasn't acting like my enemy either.

I recall Lysander's prejudice and resentment that i'd won the competition over all the Medranian contestants.

Maybe the rest of the country wasn't welcoming of foreigners either.

Well that's too bad , I'm certainly not leaving now.

I have enemies and a new agenda to fulfil and i'm claiming my hard earned prize no matter what.

I highly doubt Judith and Jadiel would leave me be , especially after my retaliation.

Not that i regret it one bit , the look on Jadiel's face was the sight of a life time.

There was also the case of Milo and Lysander who were bystanders.

I think of Milo's pathetic attempt to help me and his blind obedience of the prince.

It was clear they were his subjects first and his friends second.

In some ways Lady Willow was even worse , she knew what Judith had done to me was unacceptable and she walked away , not even having the decency to stay and find out what happened to me.

I refuse to let my self think of the prince.

I hate him.

I hate him more than all the others .

Because despite the animosity of our interaction in the kitchen , there was something ..... almost comical about it all.

I'd left the kitchen smiling and even had an ounce of respect for his bravery.

The rat had been a cruel prank but the stunt Judith had pulled on me had been pure violence.

I could have drowned , or broken my bones on the harsh ice.

Not to rule out i might get Pneumonia from the cold and die later tonight.

No , the cold indifference on the Prince's beautiful face was sure to frequent in my nightmares.

He's made an enemy of me and i'll live to see him regret it.

After an hour or so, i make my way out of the bath and wrap a towel around my body.

I sit on my bed and almost laugh at the sight of my crumpled dress on the floor.

The water that soaked it had frozen up into a thin layer of ice.

I pick it up and shove it into the fireplace.

I'd had enough ice for one day.

I decide to put on my own clothes.

I put on a black leather skirt and tights and wear a cream off-the shoulder woven jumper and some black UGG boots with bows on the back.

If i'm not to dine with the queen again any time soon why bother dressing like royalty.