Does it hurt?

Luciana was surprised that the prince offered her his hand, but she took it. She couldn't find the strength to get up on her own. When they started walking, she couldn't resist asking him;

"Are you taking me to get my wounds treated again your highness?"

"What did I say about hurting yourself?" He answered her with a question of his own.

"I'd be punished." She answered like it was a normal thing. "Your highness, may I know where you are taking the girls?" She asked the important question that had been bothering her.

Raziel shook his head. The punishment was not her problem at all. For someone who often inflicted injuries on herself, she might even be looking forward to it.

"I told you they are okay."

"Why did you buy us your highness? Why do you like buying slaves?"

He stopped walking and turned to her.

"Do I owe you an explanation?"

Yes. "I was only curious to know your highness."

"Your curiosity will land you in a lot of trouble your highness."

She fell quiet. He said Annalise was safe, and she would appreciate where she was better. She really hoped it was true, but could she trust him? So he just bought them without having a negative ulterior motive? He was a vampire, and a prince too. People of nobility tend to look down on others. She couldn't believe it just yet. Maybe if she asked him another day, he would tell her.

He took her to his quarters again. When they entered his room, they were shocked see someone else already there, sitting on the bed. Princess Evelyn.

She stood up and strolled to him in her usual seductive steps.

"I have been waiting for you?" Her eyes then shifted to Luciana. "And who is this one?" She looked Luciana up and down the smell of her blood reaching her.

"Your highness." Luciana greeted with a slight bow of her head.

"A human slave. Can I have this one?" She pleaded with Raziel.

"You have maids appointed to you already. And Luciana is not a slave." Raziel said in a stern voice.

"I just want her blood."

With a sigh, Raziel took Evelyn's hand, and they walked out of the room, just a few distance from the door.

"Wait here." Raziel said, before going back to the room and locking her outside.

Luciana knew she wasn't supposed to laugh, but that was funny and she laughed a little.

"I am going to lock you in here for the rest of the day as your punishment." Raziel stated, and Luciana's eyes fell to the bed.

He would lock her in here with the comfortable bed? Wasn't he doing her good?

"And no. You will not be using my bed."

Oh! That's true. It's improper for her to use his bed. Her eyes then widened slightly, remembering the last time they were here. She had sat on it without even thinking.

"Where do I get to sleep then?" She asked.

"Who said you'd be sleeping?"

She just wanted to lie down as her body felt so tired. She wasn't looking forward to sleeping because she knew that the nightmares awaited her. She decided to use the ground.

Raziel then left the room. By the time he came back with the physician, he met her on the ground with her eyes closed. From her breathing, he could tell that she had fallen asleep. She was too tired to keep herself awake.

He noticed how her brows were furrowed as if she was distressed.

"... please... mama..." She muttered some more incoherent words.

She closed her eyes tightly, and a tear fell from the corner of one. He wondered what she had gone through to be so disturbed.

The physician crouched and took her wrist. "You said she does this to herself your highness?"

Raziel nodded, and the physician frowned.

At that moment, Luciana who was asleep reached for her wounded hand that the physician was still holding, and she began to peel the flesh off. He quickly stopped her.

"... use me... take... Freya..." Luciana continued to mutter.

"She had known so much grief." The physician stated, and Raziel's brows creased. He stared at her. She looked so much different when asleep than when she was awake. She always put on a brave face, even though her gaze were hollow. But now that she was asleep, she couldn't hide her broken self.

"Check other parts of her body when treating her." Raziel ordered.

If she was used to punishment, it meant she was punished often, and it only meant that she would have wounds in other parts.

"Yes your highness."

The physician kept his medicine bag on the floor, and requested for water. Prince Raziel looked for maid, and ordered her to do so. She came back with the water in no time.

The moment he began to clean her wound, she sprang up with a loud gasp. She just dreamt of the part where Lord Kruger's men killed her mother with her father watching and wailing. Her breathing was unstable.

"Relax child." The physician said. He was old... and human? This was not the physician that treated her the last time. That one was a vampire. Why did he get a human for her? She didn't have the luxury to think as a terrible headache hit her. She groaned in pain. This was the first time Raziel saw her react to pain.

The physician gently pushed her to lie down.

"Relax. You'd be fine." He whispered to her.

Why was he comforting her? She tried to block it off. She didn't want any comfort. She turned to the other side away from the old man. The man seemed to understand, and he just focused on treating her.

After he was done with her hand, he asked her to loosen her dress so he could see her back. Luciana did as she was told. She turned her back to him and loosened the dress. The old man gasped when he saw the scars on her back. They were mostly from whip marks and scratches.

Raziel was stunned.

"Who did this?" He asked.

"What?" Luciana asked confused.

"The scars on your back." They were big and deep, some were almost purplish. That should cause her a lot of infections.

"Oh, that one? I get whipped often." She shrugged.

"Is that how people are treated there?" Raziel asked with a frown.

"Slaves are never treated kindly. Plus most people find me stubborn." She explained. Raziel only nodded, and she wondered what he had in mind.

The physician carefully applied medicine on her back, gentle not to hurt her too much, but the girl wasn't flinching at all. He shook his head.

She thanked the old man after he was done, and he left. She was left alone with Raziel.

"Does it hurt?" Raziel asked.

"It burns." She tied her dress back. "Your highness, I had been wanting to ask you something." She wasn't sure he would grant her request, but she decided to try. At least, he seemed more approachable at that moment.

"What is it?" Raziel asked.

"Would you let me use the town's laboratory?"

So this was what was more important.

"Why?" Raziel asked curiously.

"I... I'm trying to experiment on something I studied." She explained.

"What are you experimenting on Luciana?"

How was she going to tell him that she was making something that humans could use against vampires? He would not let her.

"I used to produce medicine." She lied.

"What kind?"

"For headaches."

Raziel stared at her. So quick in thinking of a lie.

"Okay. I will take you there tomorrow."

"Thank you your highness." She said with a bow.

He then opened the door, signifying that it was time for her to go.

So he wasn't going to punish her again?

Just when she stepped outside, she came face to face with the vampire princess. She had totally forgotten about her.