A game of dart

CHAPTER TEN:

Rain had decided within herself that she would never go to see the servant boy again, Doni had demonstrated to her that he wouldn't want to see her again. She couldn't thank him enough for carrying her to her residence the previous evening.

 He dropped her beside her bed, at first he used the ointment she had brought for him and massaged her legs then he jumped out of the window without saying another word.

 She didn't want to force herself on him, and maybe Lily was right, a lady should act like a lady. A lady like her can't be a friend to servants like him, Doni would never forgive the duke for as long as he lives, and trying to be close to him, is like mocking his feelings.

Even though she would like to give him a better name, something that he could be proud of at least.

"Are you nervous?" Lily's small voice cut through her train of thoughts and Rain nodded her head. "The first day at school can be pretty overwhelming, and frustrating, it would leave you nervous but you could make it through if you remember the lessons you were taught."

"Just the lessons?" She asked curiously. "Sister Iris had said even the crown prince of the empire attends this school, do you think I wouldn't stand out just because I received some few lessons?"

"About that," Rain noticed a small blush on Lily's face, she twisted her arms and moved to the other side of the carriage, and then Rain's lips curved into a smirk. "If it's the crown prince you don't have to be afraid of him, we are a bit close."

"Oh… the crown prince, is he a boy you like?" Rain guessed she knew this much because the courtesan would always blush like this when they talked about a customer they enjoyed spending time with. It was wholesome to watch when the older ladies all spoke about love.

Lily was also blushing as she spoke about him.

"Hey!" Lily squealed in alarm, rushing to cover Rain's mouth. "You can say something like that out loud."

Rain nodded in agreement.

"So, do you like him?" She asked again, her voice lowering and in delight, Lily nodded as fast as she could. "But isn't the crowned prince older?"

"Not so old, he is just ten years old, a two years difference is nothing." She narrated with another broad smile on her lips, Rain could tell that Lily liked the boy a lot. "I could introduce you to him if you want."

"Really?" She asked curiously, she was going to meet a member of the Royal Family of the Aubreun Empire and probably confirm the tales the courtesans told her. "Then please do."

 Her perception of princes in books and tales she had read, was completely different from what a real prince is, if not why is she being darted at?

She shivered and closed her eyes tightly when a knife came flying at her.

"Please," Lily begged on her knees, tears streaming from her eyes and her nose. "Please, Prince Aryan."

"What made you think I would appreciate a low-class being brought to my presence?" He asked with a dignified smirk, Rain was crying as well, praying desperately so that the knives didn't hit somewhere vital. The nobles are the devil's, to them human lives are nothing.

Not even the life of a lady.

"Rain is not a low class," Lily defended. "She is my sister, she is a true member of the Roni family."

Aryan, the crowned prince, sat down on one of the cushions in his personalized classroom. Even in the school, there is a hierarchy of power.

The crowned prince can only study with the sons of other Kings or relatives of the Kings.

Lily had brought her sister to say hi to him but he had heard the rumor that she is an illegitimate child. Aryan felt insulted that someone would bring the daughter of a harlot to his presence and so he used her as a means of entertainment.

"Do you think my father would sit still if I told him about what you have done today?" Lily got up from her knees, she noticed that Rain was already bleeding, she had cuts on her hands and the sides of her shoulder. "Can you handle his wrath?"

"In case you forgot, Lily dear, I am now the crowned prince of this empire and the future king," He drew in a sharp breath and got up from the cushion. "There is nothing a mere Duke could do against an Emperor." 

"What?" She muttered in shock, Aryan walked closer to the table and picked up another small knife, this time aiming for the apple above her head, but he missed again and the knife sliced through Rain's ears.

A small scream erupted in both Rain's and Lily's mouths.

"I'm sorry." Lily dropped to her face, bowing her head to the ground, she had never dropped to the ground before but at this rate, Rain was going to die if he didn't stop. "I beg you, Aryan, please. Please let my sister go."

He chuckled wickedly.

"I promise we will never come before you again." She begged. "I will make sure she never comes close to you again."

"The fact that she attends this school is already an insult upon me and the entirety of this empire." He answered with a smug on his face. "How dare you bring a harlot into my school?"

"We will go home and never come back, please just let her go," Lily begged further.

Rain shivered slightly, and her small body was convulsing in pain, she didn't know how she ended up in the position but she remembered being excited to meet with her sister's crush. Indeed the boy named Aryan is very beautiful, his hair reminded her of gold bars she saw in one of the books she borrowed from Merida, one of the courtesans at the red light districts.

And in this moment, her mind went back to Doni.

 He was more beautiful, his hair shone even brighter than this, why was she thinking about him at a time like this? Maybe this was just her thought before she died, but why would she think about Doni when she is about to die?

The lights in the room grew fainter and the only thing she heard were Lily's screams.

"What insolence…" Rain could hear the voice of the Duke, her eyes were shut tightly and the pain that had once subdued came back. "How could that damned prince do this to my daughter?"

"I don't know but according to what Lily told me, she simply wanted to introduce her sister to the prince but the prince got offended that she brought a bastard to him."

The Duchess right handman explained thoroughly.

"What?" The Duke asked. "How did he find that about that?"

"It's not the Prince," Arcane interrupted. "Everyone in the school already knows." 

"Then the only person that could do someone like this is a member of the family who also knows about this." The Duke tightened his hands against his hat and flung it across the room. He had planned to keep it a secret in case he planned to make her rise to the throne.

Now his plans are ruined.

"Now, there is still something I could do." He sucked in a deep breath. "Summon Iris to my office this instant."

So, it was Iris…

Rain thought to herself, she tried to open her eyes but to no avail, she was awake but she couldn't open her eyes.

 She felt hot and cold at the same time, she had been tended to but the pain was still fresh.

"I'm sorry, Rain." She heard Lily's voice beside her, Lily sniffed. "This is all my fault."

"I-Its n-not your fault." Rain forced out, just realizing that Lily was still with her gave her the strength she needed to open her eyes. "I wanted to meet him too, it's my fault…for being too arrogant. I should have known my place."

"Stop talking nonsense," Lily snapped. "If anyone is to be blamed it should be Sister Iris, how could she do something so cruel to you?"

"No one should be blamed, it's just me who wanted to experience things real ladies do." Tears filled Rain's green eyes, the humiliation that she felt when she was hoisted and darted at. "I was too greedy, my place is in the red light districts with my courtesan mother, I should have never come here."

"No that's not true." Lily shook her head. "Your place is with us, it doesn't matter if your mother is a courtesan, you are a member of the Roni family and father's blood."

"Father would make sure the Prince gets punished, you can trust him."

 In the night, Rain got the strength to get up, from the information she got from Lily, she had been sleeping for three days.

After dinner, she was advised to use her medication.

And now she had enough strength to sit down and read a book. Some of the best fairytales that Lily had recommended.

She heard a soft knock on her window, in surprise, she got up from her bed and limped to the window.

Her eyes widened in surprise when they met the pair of blue eyes staring at her.

"Is getting injured all you ever do?" Doni asked.