~Y/N POV~
The parade was announced the day after the death of the king. To prove that the kingdom's strength had not been lost, the queen decided to host a parade where they would tour the entire kingdom. The king was a kind man, although he was known to be a bit ignorant. Many of the kingdom's residents were starving and I doubt the king even knew about it.
The queen however, was known to be ruthless and selfish. I had herd rumors about her being the true leader behind the shadows, that she took care of the monarchy's dirty work. Without the king there, I doubted that there would be any limits to her power. The king and queen had but one daughter, Aurelia. She was known throughout the kingdom for her beauty but also for her cold heart which she likely inherited from her mother.
I had more to worry about than politics. I was starving and had been for the past week. I had been left orphaned over a year ago. My parents had never made a lot of money, but we had enough to survive, even if just barely. After my parents had died I had to find a way to live on my own. I started taking small odd jobs until last week, when I had lost my left hand in an accident. I'd been helping a man transport lumber, which he intended to construct a home with, when a log fell and rolled over my arm when I was attempting to anchor them to a cart. My hand was beyond saving and even if it was, I didn't have the means to pay for any sort of procedure. I was lucky that it didn't get infected. Almost all of the jobs that I had taken before required manual labor. Without both hands, I couldn't earn any money.
On the day of the parade, all citizens were expected to be outside of their homes as the royal family and guards passed. That wasn't much of a problem for me, considering that I didn't even have a home. I heard the trumpets announce the arrival of the royals. Immediately, the street was flooded with people. I saw the float approach, surrounded by cavalry. The queen was at the head of the horse drawn platform, sitting upon an ornate and undoubtedly expensive throne. The princess sat behind her, on a smaller chair that I was sure cost more than I would ever see in my entire life. The rumors of Princess Aurelia's beauty had been proven true when I saw her. Her wavy blond hair reached down past he shoulders and draped over her bosom. She made no attempt to hide the fact that she was annoyed. She wore a scowl and clearly did not want to be there. Our eyes met, and her expression softened. Her manor changed to that of a hungry animal before quickly returning to normal. I managed a small wave and she gave a full-faced smile. In fact it was kind of creepy.
After the parade had passed I entered the alley that I liked to sleep in. With how little I had eaten recently, staying up for more than a few hours was almost impossible. It seemed that each night I slept for longer than before, but that was not the case this night. I awoke in the middle of the night to what I thought was the sound of whispers. I quickly sat up and the noise stopped. I began to get up in an attempt to leave before I was grabbed from behind.
"Stop struggling" commanded one of the assailants while another tied me up. A sack was slid over my head and a rope was tightened, fastening the bag closed my head. I could feel one of the men pick me up before I was thrown into what seemed to be the back of a carriage. I heard a horse whinny before the carriage began to move. I tried to stay awake but malnutrition and suddenly waking up seemed to be a dangerous combination, and I fell asleep in the back of the carriage.
I experienced a hypnic jerk, causing me to awake. It felt as if I laying upon a bed of clouds. My hands were fastened above me with what I assumed were shackles. I heard I high pitched giggle as the sack on my head was removed. It took a minute for my eyes to adjust, but when they did I was greeted by the face of Princess Aurelia.
"Did you sleep well, baby? You've been asleep for a while, it's already noon." She said more but I wasn't listening as I was still stunned by what was happening. At least I was until I was awoken from my daydream by a harsh slap to my face. "Are you even listening to me?" questioned an angry Aurelia.
"W-What's happening?" I asked. I knew that she could hear the fear in my voice, as she began to stroke the side of my head in what I assumed was an attempt to comfort me. Her hand glided down my neck and past my chest until it stopped on my rib cage.
A look of concern presented itself upon her face. "When was the last time you ate?" she questioned, a tone of concern in her voice. I didn't answer and received another slap to my face. "You will respond when I ask you a question" she said sternly.
"A-About f-five days ago, your highness."
She gasped before clipping a leash and collar around my neck and unshackling me from the bed. "We can talk about your new life over lunch." she stated.
"N-New life?" I stuttered.
Her only response was a small smile before she tugged on my leash and began walking away.
982 words Jesus Christ. I hope you guys liked the story and I'm going to try to update weekly from now on! Thank you guys so much for 100 reads!
