Chapter Nine

Nobody seemed to know how I had gotten back to the quarters that night, even though I didn't know. After my outburst I solely believed that Jonathan would have thrown me to the pigsty to feed with them but he had allowed me to go back to my quarters. My bed was now isolated to one corner of the room but I could be bothered less about that. I laid down on my back hoping that the gallons of water I had emptied in my stomach could sustain me till the next morning. 

My reality was dawning faster and faster on me. I had starved for a full day. I had eaten nothing for a full day. I was starting to become a joke and a hated and annoying one at that. I stared at the ceiling of the room, hoping that somewhere in my mind I'd realize that this was just a bad dream and I woke up back at home. 

I didn’t realize when I had slept off until I felt someone shaking me and I slowly opened my eyes, coming face to face with the enlarged face of my personal maid, Runa.

“Runa?” I called out slowly as I tried to sit up on the bed.

“Your Highness you’ve been sleeping for almost a full day” she complained and I looked around me. I was in my room, the familiar furnishings and a painted picture of me hanging across my bed.

“Your Highness?” Runa called, seeing my quietness. I jumped out the bed running towards the standing mirror and checked my reflection in the mirror, I was not looking any different.

Memories of the past few days washed over me and jumped in happiness, “It was a dream” I cooed as I continued jumping while Runa stood by the side dazed.

“Your Highness, what happened?” She asked but I couldn’t stop jumping around but then I suddenly stopped and grabbed Runa’s hands pensively.

“Where’s my father?” I asked and Runa cocked her eyebrow, “Most likely having a meeting with the elders of the village” she replied and I released a sigh I hadn’t even realized I was holding.

“It was really a dream," I whispered. Thank goodness” I whispered.

“My Princess, did something bad happen? What’s going on? You are acting really weird” Runa commented and I nodded my head.

“I had a really terrible dream, Runa. It was scary” I replied as Runa grabbed my hand and led me back to the bed.

“Tell me about it. How bad was it?” She asked and I shook my head, “First, can you bring me food? I want a bit of everything, the soups, the desserts, the rice, the sorghum, bring me everything” I instructed and Runa laughed nodding her head.

“Where did you starve  in your dream?” she asked jokingly and I nodded, “How did you know?” I asked, “I was starved so badly and beaten up in fact so now to wash away the bad dream, I’m going to eat as much as possible” I replied and Runa burst into laughter again.

“Yes, your highness. I already brought you a tray of desserts while I was coming to wake you up” Runa said as she passed the tray of desserts to me. I started at the tray and picked up a cupcake smiling happily.

It was a good thing all of that was a dream but I just never wanted a dream like that ever. The hunger, the beatings, the death of my father, it felt so real. I bit into the cupcake but my face morphed into a frown slowly.

“Why does it taste like…..” I didn’t get to finish my question when I heard loud laughter and I frowned.

“Who is that?” I asked and then I felt a kick in my calf and in one moment; I had blackened out. When I tried opening my eyes the next few minutes, the first thing I saw was two of my roommates looming over me laughing so hard that I thought their teeth might have fallen out.

“Were you that hungry? You decided to eat your own bed!” One of them informed me seeing my confused look and I glanced at my hands to see that indeed I had torn off a part of my bed and I was holding it so delicately in my hands.

It was a dream. 

No wonder the cupcake tasted so weird.

The girls in the room burst into another round of laughter as I drew the foam in my hands away and got up to rinse my mouth.

“Girl you funny” one of them said amidst laughter.

“Or did foam become a foam only royalty eats and we don’t know about it?” another one chipped in.

“Well, she isn’t exactly royalty now is she?” another one pipped in and another loud laughter followed.

I rinsed the remnants of the foam in my mouth and spat it out. I was embarrassed and angry and sad but there was nothing I could do.

“Runa,” I whispered.

Ever since misfortune befell me and my family, I hadn't even thought about her once. My father had forbidden her from accompanying me on my first mission and I hadn't seen her ever since then. She had been my maid since we were little. We were both little and we grew up together and I suddenly missed her. I wondered what she would be doing and if she was doing alright.

I glanced back into the room and seeing that literally everyone was awake and with tehri cackling voices, I knew that entering the room would focus their attention back at me and I was tired and definitely not interested in being the butt of their jokes. I had had more than enough for a day.

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The next morning, by the time I walked into the kitchen, Juniper was already up working in the kitchen and I offered him a small smile.

“Good morning Juniper” I greeted and in return he glanced around before pulling me into a corner and quickly brought out a wrapped loaf of bread. Seeing him like that made me laugh inwardly. I didn’t think twice before collecting it from him and biting into like a starved woman, the truth was that I was starved.

“What do you think you are doing Amira?” Juniper whisper yelled while I stared at him still eating.

“You pulled a knife on Alpha Jonathan?” He asked wincing, “He’s the king, you could have gotten killed” he added and I paused.

“How did you know that?” I asked and Juniper shrugged, “Well some of the palace maids were gossiping about it earlier. Can you just place this revenge vendetta of yours asides and try to live first huh?” he replied and I bit into the bread, swallowing it.

“I’ll try my best” I replied and Juniper scowled immediately, “That didn’t sound like you are planning to try” he replied and I chuckled.

“I will Juniper. Thank you for this” I replied and jUniper smiled, “You are getting really skinner” he commented and I swallowed offering him a smaller smile.

“I heard some of the kitchen maids say you are delivering food to the king this morning, try not to cause any havoc or trouble please. I’ll hide some food for you when you come back, you can have it” Juniper said and I nodded my head getting to my feet.

I had started working for no less than five minutes when Aurora appeared ordering me to carry the king’s food and follow her. I did so quietly walking behind her, I knew better than to ask her if I could eat before working, the answer was no. A part of me guessed that Aurora wanted to starve me to death and I had a feeling that she would actually do it.

We arrived at the dining hall and seeing a woman rebadging Jonathan’s hand made me wince and I placed the food on the table and arranged it. I stood on the side as the unfamiliar woman finished and packed the first aid box.

“Your highness, please don’t go sparring with that hand of yours” she instructed and I could sense the firm warning while Jonathan merely pulled a plate of food to himself and started eating. The woman stood up and walked out her glance only resting for seconds on me before she disappeared.

“Do you care to join me, my princess?” Jonathan asked and I winced shaking my head.

“No thank you” I quickly replied and Aurora glared at me, “What did you say?” she questioned and I glanced wearily at the both of them.

“I don’t want to eat” I replied and Aurora scoffed, “Nobody cares if you want to eat or not, when the king is speaking to you, you respond with your highness. You are a damn slave” she spat at me and I swallowed, tears rushing to my eyes.

A damn slave.

“Now, what did you say?” Aurora asked and I bit down on my lips forcing back the tears threatening to rush down my cheeks.

“No thank you your Highness”