Chapter 4

' Bring what I told you earlier ' Aurelia said to Melissa.

' It's night now, your grace ' she replied.

' What does that have to do with what I told you to do? '

' I'm sorry your grace, the water cooled down already '

Aurelia sighed and said ' Is it cold now? '

' Yes '

' Bring it, since it's cold, that would be much better ' She smiled and Melissa went to bring the said water.

' I seem to have been friendly with you, I'll show the kind of person I am from now on, why would the crown prince know about you when you're just a nobody ' Aurelia thought.

' Here it is your grace ' Melissa said.

' Good, now bring it after me '

Lucia was still in slumber when Aurelia came into her room.

' Pour the water on her face ' she said

' But your grace... ' Melissa tried to persuade her but when she met her glaring eyes she quickly said ' Yes, your grace '

' I'm sorry Lucia ' Melissa said in her mind and then, she poured the water on her face.

Lucia thought she was drowning and she waved her hand in the air but as soon as the water stopped, she was wide awake by then.

She sat up immediately and touched her hair, it was real, she realized.

Her eyes met with Aurelia's and she quickly stood up and bowed.

' What have I done this time to deserve this ' Lucia said in her mind.

' You can leave, Melissa ' Aurelia said to her and she exited the room.

' What is the matter, your grace ' Lucia said with shaky voice, a slap is what she received next.

Aurelia scoffed and asked ' What is the matter?, you're really asking me? '

' I'm sorry '

' I ought to... ' Aurelia made an attempt to slap her again but she stroked her hair instead.

' You know what, this is just the beginning, wait I don't think this place would be convenient to sleep in,so you can sleep with the horses,that would be great, right? ' she said and stormed out of Lucia's room.

It was cold that night, Lucia sat on the floor beside the bed, facing the window, she cried and thought of what she might have done to deserve this treatment.

She took dry clothes and changed into them and then made her way to the stables, she looked around for a space without a horse and she found one, she sat at one corner and cried even more.

' By any chance, if my mother is alive, will all this happen?, I know if father was here, I couldn't be treated any less, I'm a daughter of a Duke too and I should be treated like one, like Aurelia, I should be addressed as ' Your grace ' too, right?, shouldn't I wear royal dresses too, style my hair and put makeup on? ' she thought.

The stable stinks but Lucia didn't care, she thought about her life even more

' Any moment from now, all they will think of is to get rid of me, kill me or marry me off, that is the last thing I want '

She wondered what will happen to the next day and soon sleep took over.

...........

In a far away kingdom, far away from Ivory, a kingdom where bandits and slavers fear to haunt, where daughters marrying into the royal family is a nightmare to the parents and their daughters, even the mention of it makes one shiver, when nearby kingdoms have sleepless nights whenever Capricorn is planning to wage war against them.

' There is no other man as callous and evil as the crown prince of Capricorn ' people will say.

He was known for his strict and brutal killings, they knew him as a very victorious man, despite his fame and superiority, no living man on earth has ever seen his face except his mother and that's when he was a child, it was a tradition of Capricorn' crown princes to do so, until the day they will be crowned as the king, no one must see their faces.

Rumour has it that he had a big scar, some said his face is rotten and some said he's ugly because it's time he get married and despite rumours going around, he did not take actions about it.

The king is dead and as the only prince, he has the responsibility of being the next king but he can't be one without getting married,he refused to get married saying he was not ready, nobody or his subordinates can do nothing about it because they dare not fight against him so they had to wait patiently for the right time for him.

Despite that he's not a king yet, whatever decision he make stands and whoever betrays him shall not live to see the next day.

One bright afternoon or for the man in the dungeon, it was an unfortunate one.

The crown prince made his way to the dungeon along with some of his minions to interrogate the said man, the officer bowed as soon as they saw the crown prince and they made it known to everyone else in the dungeon that he has arrived.

' Bring him out ' the crown prince ordered and the man was brought out and was chained to a torture chair.

' Long time no see ' he said to the man.

' Do you think you can hide from me? ' he continued.

' I was wrong, your highness ' the man pleaded, if he could kneel, he would.

' Do you know the people I hate the most?, people who run away from me because they offended me, so, you Gayus are not an exception '

' Please forgive me, your highness, I'll make sure to pay for what I did '

' You?, no you can't, you lost your chance, your family will pay on your behalf '

' No, your highness, please, I'll pay for it, I'll...

' Silence, I heard you have a daughter, that's enough, I'll think of what to do to her ' the crown prince said, he ordered the officers to torture him with a hot iron rod.

' He must not die but make sure he nearly die ' he said and left.

' Your highness, please, please, don't do anything to her please... ' the man shouted but neither the crown prince nor the torturer had any of it.