Ace Among Jokers

XIII

XIII

SHACKLES OF BLOODIED GOLD

Content Warning
This chapter contains depictions of physical and verbal abuse, and violence that may be distressing to some readers. If you find such content uncomfortable or triggering, I advise you to consider skipping this chapter for your well-being.

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"Pin her down! Don't let her escape!"

My father's thunderous command reverberated through the dim, neglected chamber of the royal palace. His loyal servants, both men and maids, gripped my arms with vice-like strength, their nails biting into my skin as they forcefully ushered me into the room.

The sun had yet to grace the horizon, and I had been rudely awakened by the tumultuous intrusion of my father's enraged voice in the dead of night. Bewildered by his unexpected presence in the detached palace, I cast my gaze upon his countenance, etched in fury beneath the moon's soft glow. At that moment, I sensed that Ranlrein was at the heart of this tumultuous storm.

That insufferable bastard must have concocted some scheme to stoke my father's anger against me once more. His fondness for ingratiating himself with my father, like a servile rodent, was a pattern I had grown all too familiar with.

Time and again, he found new ways to manipulate my father into harboring greater disdain for me.

It was these chance encounters, often instigated by Ranlrein himself, like the one in the garden, that prompted my father to rush into my palace like a rabid beast.

I knew my dismissive remarks that day did not sit well with Ranlrein's own inflating ego. I could only hope that he wouldn't unleash his fury in the form of a merciless whipping, leaving Jane, Alice, and Bennet to tend to my battered form.

"You wretched girl!" My father's voice boomed, his hands clenched into tight fists as he turned his ire toward me, his face flushed crimson with rage.

His hand arced through the air, and I instinctively shut my eyes, bracing myself for the harsh impact of his palm against my cheek. The ensuing collision of his hand on my face filled the once-silent chamber with a sharp, resounding slap.

My body quivered, and I crumpled to the floor, a searing pain radiating from my stinging cheek. An acrid, metallic taste filled my mouth as wetness trickled down my lips and onto my chin.

The searing pain in my mouth served as a brutal reminder of how my father perceived me, and I did not dare to lift my gaze. Meeting his eyes now would mean sealing my fate within this oppressive room. I might not be able to see the light of day if I cross my father any more than I already have.

"What did you say to Ranlrein?" he demanded, his restless footsteps punctuating his impatience.

I shook my head, my voice barely more than a whisper as I gingerly cradled my swollen cheek. Apologies spilled from my lips, an automatic response when my father's fury reached such heights.

It was a futile act, for no matter what explanations I offered, they fell on deaf ears. In my father's eyes, Ranlrein's words were unchallengeable, and anyone who dared cast criticism on his beloved was immediately at fault—his own flesh and blood included.

"Will you not respond?" he pressed.

Suppressing my anger, I lowered my head further. Responding here, in this volatile moment, held no promise of a favorable outcome. If I did, my words would only fuel his anger more. My best recourse was to keep silent, tender my apologies for sins not of my making, and endure.