Cruel Reality

Silja looked at her dull eyes and sorry appearance.

'A human.'

The girl put the tray on the table and started to serve the food on their plate with her head down.

"Gwen, do you know Princess Silja is also here for the bride choosing the ceremony of the eldest prince." Lady Helen informed Gwen.

"Huh, A human competing to become the wife of a dragon prince?" She smirked looking at Silja.

"Why not?" Silja could sense hostility coming from the girl.

"I mean, why do you think you, as a human, can stand a chance in front of us dragons?" Gwen said.

"Gwen.. what attitude is that?"Lady Helen tried to sush her daughter.

"Don't mind princess Silja. Actually, Our Gwen is also taking part in the ceremony." the woman said with a proud smile. 'My daughter is going to be the bride.' war written all over her face and Silja could read it clearly.

"Ohh, That's very great." It was clear now why the girl was being extra hostile towards her. Firstly she thought of herself as superior because of being a dragon and then she was thinking of Silja as her competition. Alas, Silja has no intention to compete with her or any other woman for the man she didn't even know.

"Well, it will be good if you don't get your hopes high because I don't think a weak human like you could stand a chance to become a bride." Gwendolyn said with a scoff as she tore a piece of meat and put it in her mouth.

"Well, then you mean King Zachary's judgmental abilities are not that good. Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent an invite to our kingdom personally." Silja put her fork down and smiled at the girl who was behaving like a brat. She was feeling a little bit hungry just before she came but now she lost her appetite mainly because of the human girl she saw and then because of the foul attitude of Gwendolyn.

"What do you mean?" Gwen narrowed her eyes.

"Exactly what you heard." a small smile was blooming on Siljas lips making her bright face more beautiful in the dim light of the room.

"That's very amazing. Princess must possess the extraordinary talent to win favor from the king himself. Now we dare not to underestimate you." Lady Helen was quick to put her hand on her daughter's under the table so she won't try to make things different from a human girl.

While from her lips she spoke sugar-coated words to Silja.

Silja had long put down her spoon but the mother and daughter duo were still munching on the food.

"Slave, pass me the soup." Gwen waved her hand towards the human slave who was standing not too far in the dark corner, almost clafoumaging in darkness.

She walked out and took the bowl of soup which was resting exactly in front of Gwen.

Gwen had her hand on the table which was in front of her plate when the servant girl tried to serve her. Gwen jerked her hand suddenly resulting in all the soup falling on her hand.

"Ahh.." first came Gwen's ear-piercing yell which was followed by a hard slap that landed on the human girl's face.

"Uhhh.." the girl fell on the floor and a low surpassed cry left her mouth.

Silja abruptly stood from her seat but before she could do anything, Lady Helen kicked the girl again.

The girl hit her head on the nearer chair because of the impact. Even though Lady Helen can't change in her dragon form and she was a weak dragon, her physical strength was still better than any Human let alone a weak maid.

"You lowly insect, how dare you," she shouted and then hastily looked at Gwen's hand on which the soup had fallen.

Apart from being a little dirty, no other harm was done.

Gwen was a dragon. Creature of fire and that's why even if the soup was scalding hot she would have been unscathed. Slightly hot soup was nothing to her. She was also immune to fire.

"I have told you mother not to treat these slaves kindly now looking how careless they have become." Gwen yelled and was about to Kick the poor girl when suddenly Silja stopped her.

"Stop it.." her voice was a little high which startled both the mother and daughter duo.

"Who the hell are you to stop me?" it was Gwen who yelled pointing her finger at Silja.

"She will die if you hit her more." Silja could hear small whimpers of the girl who was on the ground.

"Princess Silja, it will be better if you don't say anything about our personal matters. I have paid for her and it is up to me how I treat her.", it was lady Helen who spoke. Seeing her mother backing her Gwen became braver and kicked the girl on the floor again.

And in the next second Silja saw the girl losing her consciousness.

She wanted to say something but she stopped herself. She spoke too abruptly. It was not her place to speak anything about how they treat their servants.

But her heart broke into pieces as she saw the little girl being treated like an animal.

"Jane….too this insect away." Gwen clapped her hand and a maid appeared behind the door. She was the same Maid who led her to the dining hall. The maid got hold of the human servant's hand and dragged her out of the room like she was dragging a goonie sack.

Lady Helen was about to say something but suddenly they heard footsteps coming closer followed by Henry entering the room.

"Sir Henry." Lady Helen greeted the man with a smile on her lips.

Henry's eyes swapped on the people present in the room and he could clearly sense the heavy atmosphere.

"Sorry for not joining you guys for a meal." Henry apologized for bending a little.

"It's okay. We can understand your workload. Why don't you have something now? We are not finished yet." Lady Helen was extra polite towards the man. And why wouldn't she? Henry was a squire and the best man of the king his status was high and even though as a duchess she didn't dare to get on his bad side.

"No, that will be fine." Henry said. His eyes noticed the little mess that was created on the floor and table because of spilling soup.

Then he turned towards Silja.

"Princess, if you don't mind we can start our journey in an hour." Henry looked at Silja and asked politely.

"If everything is prepared I would like to leave as soon as possible." Silja didn't want to spend another second in that place. She was feeling suffocated just by staying in the presence of those people.

"Umm..as you wish princess. We will leave as soon as you are done with your meal." Henry wanted to give her some time for rest and the journey ahead was long but he decided to go with the princess' wish.

"I'm done.", came a quick reply from the girl. Her completions weren't looking better so Henry didn't dare to delay any longer.

After that Silja took her to leave from the dining room and after about fifteen minutes they were ready to leave.

"Here, put this inside too." As soon as Silja came down in the yard she saw a carriage being prepared. Lady Helen was standing there with her daughter and both were ordering the maids to put various trunks on the wagons.

"Sir Henry. I will be counting on you to take care of Gwen on the way. She has never been to the capital before and that makes me worried." Lady Helen said to Henry.

Silja who was standing on the side furrowed her brows.

"She is coming with us too?" Mira muttered slowly in a dissatisfied voice.

Silja then walked ahead.

"This is my lady." Henry saw her carriage as she came. And without saying anything to anyone Silja started to get in the carriage. As she was walking towards the carriage she heard the high pitched voice of Gwen.

"Thank you, mama, for giving me this slave as a personal maid." Her words made Silja look in her direction and she saw the same human maid who was abused before was putting the heavy trunks in the wagon.

Her forehead was bruised and so was one side of her face. Silja's heart turned cold as she looked at the girl who was no older than eighteen.

And when she looked at Gwen she saw the girl smiling Mockingly at her.