Hope

Chapter Two: The King

Aimi-

By the time I left Camilla's chamber, I knew she either knew who I was or was getting there. I wondered how that was possible without me saying anything. Camilla had followed me into her room and sat on her bed looking at me intently.

"You, new maid, come tell me about yourself." She patted the bed beside her, trying to be welcoming. She already knew I didn't talk, why in the world would she want to learn about me anyhow? When I raised my eyebrow at her I think she understood.

"Ah yes, the no talking thing. Nonetheless, perhaps you would like to get to know me?" I couldn't right well turn that down and I slowly went and sat beside the Princess Camilla of Charis.

"When I was six years old my brother, the Crown Prince Quentin, found out that my riding instructor was a little over zealous... If I didn't do something correctly I would receive a painful hit to some place on my body. Eventually, when I did nothing wrong, he would still hit me out of sheer anger. At night when my maids would wash me, they saw my large bruises. They would ask where I had gotten them and I would always say I had fallen off my house during practice. My six-year-old brain thought getting hit was my fault. My brother, then ten at the time, thought it was quite odd that in the morning I would mess up during riding lessons by falling, but then in the afternoon, riding with him, I would ride flawlessly.

Without anyone knowing, my brother skipped his own morning lessons and hid in a stable facing the riding grounds to observe my lesson. Not far into my lesson, he saw the instructor raising his hand to hit me... hard... My brother rushed from his hiding place and set himself between me and the instructor. He received the full brunt of the blow on his cheek.

The instructor's eyes filled wide with fear. I think he then realized he was in big trouble. It's easy to hit a six-year-old girl and get away with it, you cannot strike a 10-year-old who has learned for the last four years what justice and fairness are.

My brother snarled at the instructor, 'My little sister is NOT one of your horses. She is the beloved princess of Charis, and above all a human. You do not strike humans like they are your cattle. I will be talking to my father about this.' With one last glare, he wiped the blood that had started trickling from the corner of his mouth away with the back of his hand, took my hand, and we left the riding grounds.

We went and found my father and I meekly told him my nearly one-year horror story. My father was outraged that anyone would touch his little angel. My father might be the king, but he's amazing because still, above all, he's my dad. My father wanted to hang my teacher for treason, but my brother asked if the punishment could be his responsibility. My father looked at the glint of determination in my brother's eyes and consented. The instructor was sent for.

My brother first stripped the man of his titles and then told him to follow. Quentin told the royal trumpeters he had an announcement to make and the horns blared as my brother, the crown prince, and the man who used to be my instructor stepped to the top of the steps leading to the village below. The villagers all gathered at the sound of the trumpets, waiting for the announcement to be made.

'My fellow Charisians, this man was my sister's riding instructor. For the past year he has been mercilessly beating her.' Cries of rage filled the air. I suppose my now former riding instructor had forgotten I was completely beloved by the nation.

'He has been stripped of his titles, something I know will weigh heavily on him as a punishment, due to his extreme arrogance. I tell you now about how he beat the princess because I want you to keep your children safe and protected by keeping them away from this monster. At this time, all that will occur as his punishment that I have bestowed, is the stripping of the titles. You may return to what you were doing, but remember, watch out for this man.' The riding instructor turned to my brother, bowing repeatedly and thanking him for his lax punishment.