The princess's words ring through my head as I try to fall asleep. "Below a peasant, you're a slave." I close my eyes, trying to push away the thoughts, but they won't leave me alone. Eventually, exhaustion wins out and I drift off into a fitful sleep. 

In the morning, I am awoken by the sound of Lady thorn shaking me gently. "Time to get up, Duna," she whispers. "The princess has requested that you prepare her bath." I sit up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, and nod. As I follow Lady thorn out of the room, I can't help but feel a pang of relief that at least someone in this castle seems to show me some kindness. I walk over to the bath house, my heart racing as I wonder what Lady Thorn might say if she knew that I was only pretending to be a servant girl. As I enter the room, I see that it is already filled with steaming water, scented with lavender and roses. Lady Thorn hands me a towel and a small jug of bath salts before taking her leave. I stand with my hands together, waiting for the princess. When she finally enters the room, she looks at me with disdain. "Well, come on then," she says, not bothering to hide her impatience. I hurry to help her out of her nightgown, trying not to meet her gaze. As I lower her into the bath, I can't help but notice how perfectly her body floats in the water, how soft her skin feels against mine. It's a brief moment of envy, before I remind myself that she is the one in the water. She sighs who keeps me here contentedly, closing her eyes as I, as a slave. pour the bath salts over her shoulders. I stand back, watching her for a moment, wondering what kind of life she will have, trapped in this tower with no one to love her, no one to care for her. She stirs in the water, her eyes opening slowly, meeting mine for a brief moment before she looks away again. I want to reach out to her, to tell her that I understand what it's like to be lonely, to be trapped in a life you don't want, but I know better than to speak of such things. Instead, I focus on my task, washing her hair and body as she slips deeper into the water. After some time, she rises from the tub, her skin glowing and her hair slicked back. I hand her a towel and help her dry off, feeling a strange mix of emotions as I do so. I want to hate her, to be as cruel as she is to me, but I can't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for her as well. She dresses quickly, not bothering to look at me as she does so, and then leaves the room without a word. I sigh, watching her go, wishing things could be different. But I know better than to hope for anything from the princess. I'm just her slave, her servant girl, and nothing more.

She stops and turns around glaring at me "What are you waiting for, hurry up."I gulp, my heart racing as I hurry to obey her command. As I walk over to the table, I see that she's already eaten most of the food on her plate. "Here's your breakfast, my lady," I say, setting her plate down in front of her. She snatches up a piece of fruit and takes a bite, her expression softening slightly as she chews. Lady thorn joins us at the table, Vergo comes with her plate and places it in front of her, before looking up and noticing me, she smiles at me before turning to continue her chores. The princess notices this and eyes up at me with a frown. "What is she looking at?" she asks Lady thorn, her voice dripping with sarcasm." Oh, she's just one of the servants, my lady. She's been with us for quite some time," Lady thorn replies calmly, taking a bite of her breakfast. "You should try to be more kind to her. She's been very loyal." The princess looks unconvinced, but she doesn't say anything else. I turn back to my own plate, trying not to show any emotion on my face. As I eat, I watch Lady thorn out of the corner of my eye. There's something about her that I can't quite put my finger on. She seems to have a way of commanding attention without even trying. Even when the princess is being cruel, Lady thorn remains composed and unfazed. I wonder what it would be like to have someone like her looking out for me, someone to protect me from this constant loneliness and despair. I finish my breakfast and begin to clear the table, avoiding the princess's gaze. As I stack the dishes, I catch a glimpse of Vergo out of the corner of my eye. She's watching me intently, a small smile playing on her lips. It's a strange feeling, knowing that someone is looking at you like that. It's almost... warm. I wonder what she sees when she looks at me. 

Suddenly a loud noise is heard from something where in the castle. The princess, her food forgotten, bolts from the table, her guards following close behind. Lady thorn sighs, setting down her napkin and rising gracefully. "Come, Duna," she says, offering me a reassuring smile. "Let's see what the commotion is about." We hurry after the princess and her entourage, making our way through the winding hallways of the castle. The noise grows louder with each step, sounding like a cacophony of shouting voices and clashing metal. As we turn a corner, we see the princess and her guards come to a halt outside a door, their faces pale with fear. The door is splintered and battered, hanging off its hinges. Lady thorn glances at me, her expression worried."Guards!" lady thorn shouts, her voice commanding. "Break down the door! We must see what has happened!" The guards hesitate for a moment before one of them steps forward, drawing his sword. With a mighty blow, he strikes the door, splintering the wood further. The princess covers her mouth in horror, her eyes wide with fear. As the door finally gives way, the guards rush into the room, weapons drawn. Lady Thorn and I follow closely behind, our hearts pounding in our chests."Well, well, well, look who it is." a young man sneers, standing in the center of the room, surrounded by a group of armed guards. His voice is familiar, but I can't quite place it. 

He's  dressed in a black sleeves shirt, with golden earrings, and golden arm rings around his upper arms, and a pair of black pants.

"The great Lady Thorn herself." His grin widening as he sees me. I stare back in shock" And who might you be?" Lady Thorn asks, her voice steady despite her obvious surprise. "The names Marik lady. I do believe you have something that belongs to me, now hand it over or else." He chuckles. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Lady Thorn replies, her expression unreadable. "Perhaps you should explain yourself." The young man, Marik, laughs again, this time more loudly. "Oh, come now, Lady Thorn. You know exactly what I'm talking about." He looks at me. Before turning his attention back to the 3 guards surrounding him.

"Enough of this, arrest him!" Lady thorn orders, the guards glances between each other before moving in on him, one guard tries to grab his arm, Marik dodges with ease grabbing his arm, and throwing him into another guard knocking them both over. He then, jumps on the window, turning back to us waving his pointer finger side to side and let's out a mocking laugh as he jumps."Get him!" Lady thorn orders as they all rush to the window, only to find Marik already far away, on a horse. "He must be heading to the forest!" she exclaims, turning to the princess. "Your Highness, you must return to your chambers. This is no place for you." The princess nods, her face pale and trembling. Lady thorn motions for me to follow her as they both hurry back out of the room.

Lady thorns gestures for the guards to follow her to the dinner table, The guards all sit down around her. The princess sits next to me. "Who the heck was that guy?" one of the guards exclaims. "His name is Marik," Lady thorn says calmly, "he's a well known criminal around these parts." She takes out a wanted poser of him, setting it on the table." Well, it's obvious he's after something," another guard says. "What could he possibly want from us?" Lady thorn frowns, thinking. "I don't know," she admits, "but we need to find out fast. He could be a threat not only to us, but to the princess and the entire kingdom." The guards exchange worried glances. I keep my head down, and mutter "I know what he wants.." "You know that Marik? Lady Thorn asks, turning to me. "Yes, Mistress." I say back in a scared voice." Then, you must tell us everything." Lady Thorn commands, her voice stern but gentle. The princess looks at me with wide eyes, fear and curiosity warring within her. I swallow hard, gathering my courage before speaking." He's my brother.." I mutter back with my eyes down. There's a moment of shocked silence before Lady Thorn finally speaks. "You're related to him?" she asks, incredulous. I nod, feeling the weight of the revelation pressing down on my shoulders. "And what does he want from us?" she continues, her tone hardening. "The truth is, I don't know." I confess. "He's always been a carefree type of guy, treating the world like it's all a big game." "He's a threat to us, that much is certain," one of the guards mutters. Lady Thorn pauses for a moment, thinking. "Very well," she says at last. "We'll need to prepare for his return. In the meantime, I want you, Duna," she motions to me, "to stay close to the princess. You're the only one who knows how he thinks, so you may be able to help protect her. As for the rest of you," she looks around the table at the guards, "I want you all to double your patrols and keep a sharp eye out for Marik." The guards nod grimly.

I'm, the head guard suddenly walks into the room "Could this be the same guy who robbed us a while back?" "I don't know, it's possible." Lady Thorn says, a frown on her face. "But we mustn't speculate yet. We'll find out soon enough." With that, she turns back to the princess. "Your Highness, if you'll excuse us, I'd like to discuss some matters in private." The princess nods, looking worried but trusting in Lady Thorn's judgment. As they all file out of the room, I can't help but wonder what my brother is planning and what role I'm going to play in all of this. The princess gets up from her chair heading back to her room, I follow behind at a distance. The princess climbs onto her bed, sitting cross-legged amidst a sea of pillows. As I come inside the princess frowns at me, her eyes narrowing. "Ah yes, of course you'd be related to a scoundrel." I flinch at her words, remaining silent. She gets up from her bed, walking over to me then grabs me by my slave collar slamming me into the wall." You know, where I come from we have a thing called family punishments." She says leaning closer. "If a sibling commits a crime the while family pays the price." I squirm under her grip, trying to keep my composure. "Y-yes, princess. I've heard of that." She smirks back at me." Well, since you and your brother are so close, I think it's only fair that you pay the price for his crimes." The princess lets go of my collar, stepping back. I fall to the floor, coughing and rubbing my sore throat. She continues to tower over me, her expression cold and unyielding. The princess walks over to her traveling bag next to her bed, pulling a whip out. "This," she says, cracking it through the air, "is what I think you deserve for being related to that monster. "Tear start to from in my eyes as I start to cry "B-but I didn't do anything, you're highness." 

"Oh?" she says, tilting her head to the side. "You mean to tell me that you had no idea that your brother was planning this all along? "

"N-No" I Shakely say

The princess smirks pulling my hair and slamming me face first on the floor.

The whip cracks through the air, biting into my flesh. The pain is excruciating, burning like fire. I scream and writhe on the floor, my cries echoing through the room. With each crack of the whip, another line of fire is etched into my back. Blood trickles down my legs, staining the carpet beneath me. I can feel my strength fading, my body going numb from the agony. Tears stream down my face as I plead for mercy, begging the princess to stop. But she merely laughs, a cruel and mocking sound. Each time I think I can't take any more, she hits me harder, driving the pain deeper. I feel like I'm dying, like my body is being torn apart piece by piece. The princess continues to whip me, her face twisted into a mask of anger and satisfaction. She mutters curses under her breath, her voice growing hoarse from the exertion. Time seems to stand still as the pain becomes all-consuming, enveloping me in its dark embrace. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the princess steps back, the whip dangling limply from her hand. I lie there on the floor, gasping for air, my body a mass of throbbing pain. Blood covers my back, staining my clothes, and I can feel the warmth of it trickling down my legs. She stands over me, her eyes cold and unyielding, as if daring me to move. The silence in the room is deafening, broken only by my labored breathing and the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. I am broken, shattered into a million pieces. I can feel the weight of the princess's hatred pressing down upon me, making it hard to breathe. I don't know what else she could possibly do to me, but I am terrified of the thought of what might come next. As I lie there, helpless and in agony, I can't help but wonder if my brother truly cares about me at all. Did he put me through this because he hated me? Or was it all just some twisted game to him? The questions swirl through my mind, a never-ending torment that threatens to drive me insane." Now, you're going to stay in here, and you're not going to move got it?" The princess says coldly. I manage to nod weakly. She turns her back on me, collecting her things and settling down into bed. I feel a small measure of relief as she doesn't seem to have any more punishments in mind. As the hours pass, the pain begins to subside, but it never truly goes away. The blood that covers my back continues to drip down my legs, leaving sticky, wet trails on the floor. I shift my weight, trying to find a more comfortable position on the cold floor. 

A servant knocks on the door. "Princess lunch is ready."

The princess gets up eyeing me, then leaves the room, leaving me on the floor. Minutes pass, then I hear the door open, she walks back in. carrying two trays of food smirking down at me. "I told lady thorn you weren't feeling well and that you wanted to stay inside here for a bit." She says with a sadistic smile. She sets a tray of food on the floor in front of me, before sitting on her bed. I look up at her, feeling confused. The food smells delicious, but I'm not sure if I should eat it. I don't trust her. "What... is this?" I manage to croak out. "It's food stupid, now eat it or else you're going hungry tonight. I hesitate for a moment, but the hunger pains in my stomach are too much. I reach out and grab a piece of bread, taking a small bite. It tastes wonderful, the most delicious thing I've ever had. I look up at her, feeling grateful, and she smiles, pleased with herself. "See? I can be nice sometimes." She says, a cruel laugh escaping her lips. "Now, eat up and get some strength back." She walks over in front of me, grabbing me by my collar forcing me to stand. "Come." She says walking to the corner of the room. I obey, limping over to her. She pushes me into the corner, making sure I can't move. Then she leans in, her face inches from mine. "Now get on your knees." She says, her voice venomous. I struggle to get down on my knees, wincing in pain as I do so. When I'm finally in position, she steps back, nodding approvingly. "Good girl." She says with a smirk. "Now, put your hands on the back of your head." I obey once more, carefully putting my hands on the back of my head. She walks around me, circling slowly, her eyes never leaving my body. I feel trapped, helpless, like an animal in a cage. The pain in my back is excruciating, but it's nothing compared to the fear that grips me now. I can't help but wonder what she's going to do to me next." Now, you're going to stay just like that until Lady thorn makes dinner." She says, her voice cold and commanding. As the minutes tick by, the pain in my back begins to throb anew, making it hard to breathe. I try to shift my weight, to find a more comfortable position, but I can't move. The princess remains in the room, occasionally glancing over at me with a satisfied smile. It's as if she's relishing the sight of my suffering.

Time passes slowly, and I begin to wonder if I'll ever be able to stand again. The pain I'm in now feels like a living hell. I close my eyes, trying to focus on anything but the agony in my back. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, I hear the door open. The princess walks in, carrying a tray of food. She stops in front of me, her eyes running up and down my body. "Hmm, you look a bit more pathetic than usual. Maybe I should let you have some dinner." She says, a cruel smile playing at the corners of her mouth. I feel a surge of hope, but I try not to show it. "Thank you, my lady," I manage to choke out. She laughs, shaking her head. "Oh, don't thank me. You're going to have to earn your dinner." She steps forward and grabs my hair roughly, pulling my head back. "Open your mouth." I obey, opening my mouth wide, wincing in pain. She forces a piece of meat between my lips, pushing it farther and farther back until it reaches the back of my throat. I choke and cough, trying to breathe as she pulls the meat out, and forces another piece in. She repeats this several times, until I'm finally able to swallow on my own. She releases me then, stepping back to watch me struggle."Princess, why are you doing this?" I ask choking back my tears.

Oh, don't play the innocent with me," she says, her voice cold and mocking. "You know exactly why. You're here to rot and die, just like the rest of them. Now, why don't you enjoy your dinner before I change my mind and take it away?"

She turns sitting on her bed pulling out a book."You're going to stay locked in this room for a week got it slave?" "Yes, my lady." She nods, seemingly satisfied. "During that time, you'll be given one meal a day. You'll eat it on your knees, just like you did tonight. If you're lucky, I might even bring you some water. But don't get your hopes up." She pauses, considering something. "And just so you know, I'm going to be outside the door, listening to everything you do. So if you try anything funny, I'll be here to stop you, Now I'm going to bed, when I sleep you sleep."She climbing into her bed watching me. "What are you doing?" she askes annoyed. "Nothing my lady." I choke out scared and unsure of what to do.She gets from the bed and pulls be by the hair dragging me back to my sleeping spot on the floor. "When I say go to bed, you go to bed." She lets go of my hair and I drop to the floor. The pain is intense, making it hard to breathe. I lie there, shivering with fear, waiting for the princess to decide what she wants to do next. she climbs back in her bed tossing and turning. I close my eyes, trying to will myself to sleep. But the thought of what she might do to me if I fall asleep keeps me awake. Hours pass, and I begin to wonder if Alden will ever come back. Finally, exhaustion overtakes me, and I drift off into an fitful sleep.