{Elira}
~**^**~
I stayed there, bent and broken beside a pile of what had once been food.
Tears streamed down my face, mixing with snot, spit, pain and shame.
I wanted to disappear for a very long time, or maybe just close my eyes in death and finally reunite with my beloved parents.
I missed them... so much.
I wrapped my arms around my body, suddenly feeling chills travel through my nerves. It was a painful reminder that I was all alone in this world.
No one would save me.
After I had packed and disposed of my vomit, I returned to my room to bathe and freshen up.
My tears didn't stop as my toothbrush moved up and down my teeth with extra pressure until my gums bled, then I knew my mouth was clean enough.
As soon as I finished putting on my dress, I left to do another set of Regina's laundry. It was my sole duty to wash her dirty clothes and undies every morning of my life.
I lifted the white dress she had worn last night from the water and noticed the terrible patches of stain on a few spots. One looked like blue ink while the other, at the hem, looked like muddy water.
Regina was always dressed smartly, but just to punish me some more, she would deliberately stain her clothes after taking them off before dumping them on me. While other times, she would change into three outfits in a day just to increase my workload.
A deep sigh escaped my lips as I rubbed detergent into the ink stain before scrubbing it with my palms until they were about to fall off.
I finally got all the stains out after an hour had passed. I proceeded to rinse the clothes in clean water, then wrung them out and hung them to dry on the clothesline.
I sighed in relief, but my joy was short-lived when Regina's maid walked over with a handful of clothes.
She hurled them at me without reservation. "You are to do all my laundry today while I take care of Miss Regina, since you are terrible at it."
Then she scoffed and walked away, leaving her pile of dirty clothes for me to wash.
---
I couldn't feel my palms after spreading the clothes on the ropes and pegging them with clips.
Exhausted and sweaty, I walked into the kitchen for a cup of water.
I was in hell already, and now, I was thinking about how to make it peacefully until nightfall.
But what were the odds?
"Elira!"
A servant appeared behind me. I hadn't heard her come in.
"Lady Maren wants you to go to the market." She rolled her eyes at me. "Now!"
I nodded and dashed to the corner where I kept my satchel before throwing my ragged hair into a scarf.
I knew better than to keep my uncle's wife waiting.
---
Lady Maren was dressed in a simple green dress with gold bangles around her wrists. She gave me a disgusted glance and shook her head in silence.
I exhaled deeply, thankful she didn't find some useless excuse just to connect her hand with my cheeks.
We didn't speak on the way to the market.
Lady Maren walked ahead, clicking her heels against the cobblestones.
We passed butcher stalls, herb carts, bread peddlers. People greeted her respectfully. She was a Beta's wife after all.
As for me, I was nobody. No one ever looked at me.
We stopped at the fabric shop. The tailor stepped forward with a well-rehearsed smile. "Lady Maren, what can I do for—"
"I need a red," she said. "For my daughter's engagement gown."
"Of course, of course." The shopkeeper began pulling bolts of crimson, burgundy, and cherry.
But she waved them off. "None of those are right."
Then she turned to me slowly. "Elira," she said with a sweetness that only brought dread, "come here."
I tensed as I stepped forward, wondering how I would be of any help to her.
Without warning, she grabbed my left hand in a firm grip and nicked, her nail slicing into my palm.
A gasp escaped my lips as the sharp pain registered in my brain. Then a small line of blood welled up.
"There," she said calmly, turning my bleeding hand toward the shopkeeper. "That's the shade I want. Blood on pale flesh."
The shopkeeper swallowed his shock. "Yes, Lady Maren."
Getting nicked was nothing, but as I pressed my palm to my dress and stared at the fabric now dyed with my blood, I wondered how much more of myself they'd take before there was nothing left.
After paying for the fabric, Lady Maren led the way into a jewellery store without waiting for me to catch up.
The shopkeeper had said we could come back for the fabric after it had been measured and cut. That left us time to do more errands, though it was less about errands and more about appearances.
Lady Maren walked into the store like she owned it.
The jewellery designer straightened immediately, offering her a fawning smile.
I stayed near the door, holding onto my bag and trying not to breathe too loudly.
Diamonds sparkled under the glass cases like trapped stars, but Lady Maren looked at them with faint distaste.
"Don't you have anything new?" she asked.
The designer looked a little taken aback. "W-we... we have some sketches, my lady. New concepts we are working on."
"Show me."
Saying that, Lady Maren settled into a chair as the designer handed her a folder. Her expression shifted as she flipped through it, tapping her finger on the pages.
"This one. And this."
"Yes, Lady Maren."
"Adjust the curve. No, elongate it. I want the stones to reach the collarbone." The jewellery designer nodded. "Add matching earrings—slimmer."
"Of course, Lady Maren."
I waited in silence until minutes slipped past. Then I remembered the fabric. I would be blamed if we returned home without it.
However, other than that, I hoped not to have any other part of my body used again to achieve the perfect shade of necklaces.
"My lady…" I spoke low. "The tailor must be done cutting."
She didn't glance at me. "Go."
I left the jewellery store quietly, clutching my bag tightly. The streets were still busy.
The sun cast warm light over baskets of fruit, bolts of silk, jars of spice and dried roots.
I made my way back to the tailor's shop. He had already packed the fabric neatly. I thanked him and left.
The street narrowed where the path curved between two long rows of carts. I didn't hear the engine at first—only the shouting that followed.
"Move! Watch out!"
Before I could realize the calls were for me, a horn blared.
I turned around sharply, just in time to see a blur of black leather and wheels tearing through the crowd.
A motorbike was coming too fast.
I moved to the side, but my foot missed, stepping on a stone, twisting my ankles, and the next moment, my body dropped hard to the ground.
The fabric flew from the bag, unrolling straight into a puddle of muddy water.
My eyes went wide. "No—no, no…"
Ignoring the pain I was in, my instinct kicked in and I scrambled for it, ignoring the way the gravel scraped my palms. The red cloth had soaked up the brown water quickly, splotching the edges and seeping into the centre.
One look at the ruined fabric and one thought crossed my mind… They were going to kill me.
My hands trembled as I examined it. I was still crouched there when the bike stopped, and a tall shadow fell over me.
I looked up and froze.
Black helmet—black jacket and dark, wind-swept hair. Then the biker pulled off his helmet.
Lennon Ashford.
Even without the famous jawline, his presence was unmistakable. He didn't need an introduction.
I gulped as he looked down at the messy state I was in and asked, "You okay?"