Chapter 4

The gentle sunlight came in through the window of Princess Selina's room. The room was so beautiful and majestic. Everything in this room dominated by white. The room is spacious and painted white. A fine white carpet covered the floor of the room like snow. White roses decorate the entire room, making this room even more beautiful.

Selina was sitting in a chair looking at her face in the mirror of the dressing table in front of her. Her maid stood behind her, brushing her beautiful long black hair.

“My princess, you are so beautiful like a goddess.”

Selina smiled at her maid from the mirror with prideful on her face. Her maid smiled back at her with a fake smile. Selina has a face as beautiful as a white rose, but everyone knows that she has a heart as black as a black rose.

Someone suddenly knocked on the door of the room. “Come in,” Selina said as she kept admiring her face in the mirror.

The door opened, and a maid walked into the room and stood by Selina. “My princess, I have news for you.” Selina turned to her maid. “What is it?” she asked curiously. “The girl doesn't sleep in the maids' room. Prince Lucian made her sleep in the attic upstair his room,” said her maid.

The anger and jealousy smoldering inside Selina made the demon in her heart awaken. “You two go to the attic now and teach her how to be a good slave!”

“Yes, my princess,” the maids said with evil smiles on their faces, then they walked out of the room.

The maids banged on the door when they got there. “Open this door now!” said one maid. They walked into the room when the door opened. Suddenly, one maid slapped Violet hard on the cheek. “You lazy slave! You are here to work, not to sleep!”

“No, I'm not sleeping. I'm still here because no one is telling me what to do.” Violet wanted to say those words to them but she didn't dare open her mouth to speak and could only say it in her heart.

“Why are you still standing here! Get off your ass now! And do your job!” the maid said, glaring at Violet, then she and her friend walked out of the room arrogantly. Violet sighed inside before she followed them behind.

The maids brought Violet into the stables. “Clean it up now!” one maid said to Violet, while pointing to the pile of horse dung in front of them.

The maids smiled evilly, seeing Violet, who was about to vomit. “Please, I can't do this. I don't even want to touch that,” said Violet. The maids' faces turned angry, and one of them pushed Violet's body so that she fell onto the pile of horse dung.

Violet immediately stood up hastily, her uniform and her arms smudged with horse dung. The maids laughed mockingly as they watched Violet vomit, crying.

Selina then walked into the stable with the two maids behind her and stood some distance away from Violet. Selina had an evil smile on her face as she looked at Violet, her heart so happy to see her suffering.

“My princess,” the maids who bullied Violet greeted Selina with evil smiles on their faces. “Take her now. I have a special gift for her that she will never forget,” said Selina while gazing into Violet's eyes with hatred in her eyes.

“Yes, my princess,” one maid said, then she walked closer to Violet while covering her nose with her hand and pushing Violet's shoulder roughly. “Move now!”

They all then walked out of the stables towards the dungeon.

Esther, who was peeking at them through the stable window, was sad and worried about Violet. She immediately ran to find prince Lucian and told him everything she had seen and heard.

Violet's heart raced with fear and sadness gripping her at the same time as she saw her uncle hanging on the cross. He had skinned alive. “Uncle Fredrick!” Violet said as she cried with her body trembling.

Fredrick stared at Violet while enduring the excruciating pain. He couldn't say a word and could only shed tears from his bulging eyes.

Selina smiled with a satisfied expression on her face, then she grabbed Violet's face with her demon eyes fixed on hers. “I want to skin you alive just like your uncle, but I have better plans for you. I will make you suffer more than death.”

Selina then walked over to get a burning hot iron bar and walked closer to Violet. “Hold her!” she said to her maids.

“No! Please let me go! Please...” Violet said as she struggled in tears as the maids held her arms. Selina smiled evilly; she couldn't wait to burn Violet's beautiful face.

 “Selina! What are you doing?!” Lucian said as he and his two soldiers walked into the dungeon before the hot iron touched Violet's smooth cheek.

Selina turned her head to Lucian in startled as she wondered why he could be here. She then distanced the hot iron away from Violet's face and gave it to her maid.

The maids who were holding Violet's arms immediately let go of their grip on her as Lucian stood in front of them, staring furiously into their eyes, making them look down in fear.

Violet was so frightened her body trembled that she sat on the floor. Lucian wanted to hug her in his arms, but his mind suddenly reminded him not to do that.

Lucian's eyes opened wide in shock when he saw Fredrick hanging on the cross. “What have you done to him? Why did you skin him alive?” Lucian asked, looking Selina in the eye.

“Why are you asking me that? You were the one who said you wanted to skin them all alive!” Selina protested.

Lucian fell silent, staring into Selina's eyes as he told himself that what she said was true. Violet had made him forget his grudge against her father. Lucian couldn't bear to hurt Violet, and he didn't even have the heart to hurt those who Violet cared about.

“Have you forgotten her father killed our beloved father!” Selina shouted to Lucian as she pointed her finger at Violet.

“I'll never forget that!” Lucian lied to her and to himself. “Then prove it! Kill them both for our father!” Selina challenged Lucian.

Lucian then took a sword from one of his soldiers and stabbed Fredrick right in the heart. “No! Please don't kill him! Please, I beg you,” Violet said as she cried, covering her mouth with both hands.

Fredrick looked into Lucian's eyes, grateful for giving him such a quick death. He was in so much pain he couldn't take it anymore.

Fredrick realized Lucian had fallen in love with Violet and it made him feel relieved that Violet would be safe in Lucian's protection. But Violet didn't realize that. In Violet's eyes, Lucian was a cold-blooded killer who had killed those she cared about.

Lucian pulled the sword from Fredrick's heart when he was dead and gave it to his soldier while saying, “Take her now.”

“Yes, my prince.” The soldiers then walked over to Violet, who was crying, and helped her up from the floor. “Where are you taking her? You must kill her now!” Selina said to Lucian as the soldiers took Violet out of the dungeon.

Lucian walked over and stood in front of Selina with his cold eyes fixed on hers. “I already told you, I will kill her after I bored playing with her. Don't go against me. You'll regret it if you make me angry,” he said in a threatening tone.

Selina clenched her palms with anger burning within her as she watched Lucian leave her walking out of the dungeon.