"Let this serve as a warning to you."

Freya was in so much pain but she didn't make a sound as she knelt on rice grains on the ground. After the two slaps the matron didn't hit her anymore. But that wasn't even the worst of it. The real punishment began when she was asked to kneel on rice grains until the candle lit in front of her had finished burning.

The scorching midday sun made this ordeal even more unbearable. Like the matron said she could quit right now and all her suffering would come to an end. Words like 'you will never become the crown princess anyway so why bother' were said to her but she was a woman on a mission.

She had vowed to take revenge for her parents so she would endure what she had to endure for them. Clenching her fist tightly she pushed through the pain until the torment finally came to an end. By the time she got to her feet some of the rice grains had embedded into her skin and she was suffering from symptoms of a heat stroke.

"Let this serve as a warning to you. Wouldn't it be better if you just go home and serve your masters diligently," said the matron sitting on a comfortable chair brought for her by one of her subordinates. She had a fan in her hand and an umbrella protecting her from the scorching heat while watching Freya suffer.

Freya's steps paused listening to her and after the matron was done she limped away. Amelda hiding in the corner while reducing her sense of presence rushed over to help her up.

Freya's initial response was to push her away with hatred in her eyes which had Amelda stepping back in fright. When Freya saw it was her she put away her vicious expression and reached out to her.

Amelda exhaled her caught breath before helping her walk back to her quarters. Along the way, they met a group of palace guards who were walking in the opposite direction. Among them was Captain Austin. He was heading to the guard posts on the north side of the palace walls when he saw her limping her face swollen on either side.

When he saw her like this his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. He had begged his aunt to disqualify her from the second selection but his aunt had said because the girl had attracted the crown prince's attention she couldn't do anything unless, of course, she quits herself.

But despite going through so much, Freya was persistent. Without thinking he rushed over ignoring the eyes around him and blocked her path. "What happened to you?" he asked with genuine concern.

Freya didn't even bother answering him. She walked past him with a cold expression lest she gets accused of seducing men again.

Captain Austin was at a loss watching her walking past him without so much as a greeting. His heart ached so much that he became impulsive and shouted after her, "Is he worth you going through this?... You can live a happy life outside this whole drama and find a man who would love you with everything they have." 

Freya didn't hear the rest of his rumblings as she had already walked further. This person took her for a fool. Did he think she didn't know his relationship with Matron Dour? She would be stupid if she believed his nonsense.

It didn't take long before word reached the crown prince's ears. He was writing reports on the situation at the border when Roland came and informed him of what happened.

Roland was well aware that his master's mood wasn't good. For half a day he witnessed the crown prince occasionally staring at his hand while rubbing the tips of his fingers absentmindedly.

He was in an okay mood in the morning but after a briefing with the Keres guards his mood plunged. This knowledge had Roland approaching with caution.

"Your Highness," he called out and Crown Prince Roan raised his head with a scowl.

Roland cleared his throat before explaining what happened to Freya. After hearing that, Crown Prince Roan's expression visibly changed for a split second. Soon he returned to normal before asking, "What does that have to do with me?"

"Uh," exclaimed Roland before abruptly shutting his mouth. He honestly thought his Highness would like to know more especially when he had been paying attention to her.

Throughout the years the crown prince had no interest in anything apart from the blood bath outside the palace walls and his mother. Freya was the first person he had paid attention to other than these two but now his attitude had suddenly changed. Sure enough, men are fickle at heart.

Roan was so irked by what happened today that he didn't want to see her. She sunk her teeth in his flesh and even had the audacity to lick his fingers like a dog. In all his life he had never been disrespected like that.

He told himself he didn't care what happened to her but as the moon rose halfway in the sky a figure suddenly slipped in through the window looking especially eerie in the darkness.

His steps as light as air, he walked over to the side of her bed and to his surprise she was sleeping peacefully despite the pain from her knee. Soon he understood why.

She had burnt some herbs to sedate herself and sleep through the pain. Crown Prince Roan half knelt at the side of her bed his intense gaze fixed on her cheek. It seemed the swelling wasn't as bad as Roland described. It must be that the medicine she used was exceptional.

In a short span of a few hours, the only trace remaining was a slight blush like her face had been stained with rouge.

His gaze shifted towards her pearl-white arm hanging outside the quilt. He hesitated for a moment but soon reached over and held it to place it back under the covers. When he raised her hand his attention was suddenly drawn by the bracelet on her wrist. He reached over to touch the crystal orb like a moth drawn to a flame.

The moment he touched it he suddenly creased his brows as a painful memory flashed in his eyes. He was back in the paralysed state tears of helplessness flowing down his cheeks.  As though sensing his pain a woman whose face he couldn't see sat beside him and whispered, "Don't cry child. You will be okay," as the same crystal orb hovered above his face.

Crown Prince Roan suddenly woke up from this painful memory his hands trembling. He took out the bottle of the elixir he brought for her and placed it on the table. Then like a ghost, he vanished into the night leaving no traces that he had been there.