In hindsight

There was a moment of silence as Viktor contemplated the situation. I crossed my fingers as I silently prayed my plan would work. 

When he finally opened his mouth to speak I nervously swallowed hard. 

"Well, what a waste of time this has been. " Viktor said. "Very well, give him some lashes and put him in the dungeon for three days with no food or water," he ordered the knights. 

He then looked at me once more and his eyes narrowed. "I'll talk to you tomorrow," he told me. There was anger in his voice. Sh*t. I thought to myself.

He then walked away from his throne on the podium heading back toward the castle. I watched him as he left.

Once Viktor was out of sight I finally let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding in. What a terrifying man. To think I would have to regularly interact with him from now on was nightmarish. 

Viktor had been so nonchalant about how he'd said Aldric should be thrown in the dungeon for 3 days.

Aldric looked like he had already received a set of lashings from the fresh wounds on his back and was now going to receive another set. Was Viktor actually trying to kill him? Would Aldric have any skin left if he received any more? I knew Viktor was heartless but the things he did were still so hard to believe. Unfortunately, this was probably as much as I could do for Aldric.

I turned round to look at Aldric who was staring weakly at me in shock, I also caught Griffith close by staring at me with a shocked expression on his face too. Right-- they must both be wondering why I lied about what happened to save Aldric's arm.

Unfortunately, there was no answer I could give that would convince either of them. 'So even though I violate you guys every day against your will I now suddenly have a change of heart and don't want to hurt you anymore.' Even to me, that wasn't convincing at all.

When he realized I was looking at him Griffith's expression changed from shock to anger to a neutral expression before he looked away. His expression changes all happened in a flash which I found interesting. He turned to look at Aldric, who was then lifted from his kneeling position on the table by the knights and then helped to walk since he couldn't move on his own due to his injuries as he was taken to the dungeons.

My guess is as I was a princess Griffith had no right to question my actions which is why despite looking like he wanted to ask me several questions he said nothing.

Another knight then came to Griffiths's side, "My Lord the King is having a meeting later today on the and needs some paperwork from you."

"Right, yes, of course, " He replied. He turned to me once more and bowed before me, then left together with the knight.

Luckily I didn't have to explain to either Aldric or Griffith my actions, for now, that is. The time would come though.

I was left alone in the pit as everyone else walked out. The servant that had initially brought me to the pit came to me. I was surprised to see her since I had forgotten about her. So she had watched what unfolded from a distance. She was sure to gossip to the other servants. 

"Your Highness, shall we head back to your room?" She asked me.

"Yes," I simply answered.

 I was taken back to my room and put back in bed so I could rest.

As the servant left the room I got out of bed and began pacing around the room back and forth deep in thought. 

First, I had to prepare myself for my meeting with Viktor tomorrow there was no doubt in my mind he was definitely angry about my sudden interruption today. 

Then there was Aldric who was being punished in the dungeons with no food or water for the next three days. I needed to help him.

"What are the servants saying about me?" I asked.

"They're talking about you interrupting the Commander's punishment," She told me. Just as I suspected I thought to myself that servant told them everything.

But on to asking more serious questions now.

"What do people usually say I'm like when I talk to the king?" I asked her. I had to know how to talk to him tomorrow so he wouldn't find I talked strange.

"They say you do anything and everything he says or wants," Lucy told me. She seemed a little more enthusiastic now than earlier this morning when she feared she was in trouble. "They say even though he talks down to you, you are desperate for his approval..."

She went to inform me of the typical phrases he told Kara and how she responded. After getting a good sense of her behavior and putting it together about what I knew about Viktor from the book I hope I will be a convincing enough actress tomorrow.

What I did this morning obviously went against Viktor's goals of traumatizing Kara's three husbands as much as possible. Aldric losing his arm was a part of that and I had intervened. I had to convincingly defend my actions hopefully he would buy it.

I won't lie a part of me was kind of worried that if I changed things that happened in the story I would be messing with things making. However, my presence here in this world was a change in itself so making more changes wouldn't really do much, would it?

Later other servants came back to prepare me for bed and afterwards one of them informed of someone who wanted to see me.

"Your Highness, Griffith has come to spend the night with you."

"What?!" I said in horror. Too soon, way too soon. I wasnt ready to be with someone who hated me (well Kara) with a passion!