The Lost Princess - A 'Selection' spinoff

CHAPTER 6

Once Aurora had exhausted all her tears, she finally looked at the dimly lit room.

There were easels and incomplete paintings all around. Buckets of different colored paints, and brushes of all sizes were placed on a table pushed to the wall. The carpet was stained with hundreds of colors, an accumulation of years of use.

Aurora walked around, admiring the paintings till she came across an empty canvas.

She grabbed a few brushes and saw a palette filled with bluish shades. 

Painting was her way of letting out her feelings - she seldom cried due to the headache she got the day after, and the vicious swipes of the brush were the only things that could comfort her.

It had been a long time since she had painted, though. 

Her father refused to give her money to buy food for herself, and she knew for a fact that asking for art supplies just meant another hour of beatings.

She didn't know for how long she painted, but when she opened her eyes, she realized that without meaning to, she had drawn her favorite flower - a carnation.

In the exact color of the Queen's eyes -a dark blue bordering on violet.

Aurora dropped to the ground, hugging her knees.

Her anger and pain had drained - Grigori was insensitive. But if he had known what she was going through, he wouldn't have said so.

"That looks lovely," a voice said.

Aurora didn't turn, and felt someone sit near her.

She sighed, and finally looked to her side to see the maid she had helped in the morning, sitting in a similar position as her.

Aurora forced a smile as she asked, "How's your hand?".

It had been bandaged well in a white cloth.

"All fine," the woman replied, waving it, as though proving she was fine.

"How did you find me?" Aurora asked, when it became clear that the woman wouldn't speak more.

"Your shoes. They had been abandoned somewhere along the way. And I remembered that you enjoyed painting," the woman said.

Aurora narrowed her eyes. "How do you know that?".

The woman faltered slightly before answering, "I saw the live telecast".

"Oh," was all Aurora said.

"How did you abandon your slippers like that?" the woman asked curiously.

"I hate wearing them. Heels, shoes, slippers. They're too restricting. And I see you feel the same way too," she said, staring at the woman's fair, bare feet.

The woman shrugged.

"Are you upset as to what happened?" the woman asked gently, pressing her uninjured hand to Aurora's cheek.

Instinctively, Aurora leaned into it.

It had been a long time since someone had touched her like that.

"It's hard not to," Aurora admitted. "I'm sure he didn't mean to be so crude".

"But that doesn't give him the right to speak so inappropriately, especially to women who are already nervous enough," the maid said sharply.

"You sound like the Queen," Aurora joked, missing the woman's widening blue eyes.

"What do you think of the her?" the maid asked suddenly.