The Prince and the Slave: Book Three

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Over the passing days, William found Abey's progress remarkable. Her ankle had all but healed, her ribs no longer sending shooting pains whenever she moved, and some of her lesser bruises were already beginning to fade.

He had forced himself to look at her back while he had helped replace the bandages around her middle, and though he could clearly see the places the new wounds have been inflicted - the skin pink and shiny - he found himself thinking it wasn't as bad as he had been expecting.

He carefully tied the ends of the bandage together and tucked away the loose ends. "All done" He said, kissing her neck and making her smile before sitting back on the edge of his bed, watching as she pulled her dress back over her head.

"Thank you. Hard to do by myself" She said with a smile. She was now able to talk in almost full sentences, albeit slowly and slightly stunted. After losing so much of herself and spending weeks in solitude, only allowed to say "Yes, Master" or "No, Master", she felt as if she was learning to speak all over again, like she was learning a completely new language. 'But I'm getting there' she thought happily to herself.

There were still some habits that William was having a hard time getting her to break. For the time, Abey had returned to her old bed, William watching her sleep every night before his own eyes closed; but he would often awake in the middle of the night or early hours of the morning to find her curled on the floor, having slept there for most of the time.

It seemed to have been drilled into her so severely that she belonged on the floor that William was having to work twice as hard to drill it out of her. Every time he found her sleeping on the floor he would immediately lift her up and place her back into bed, and on the occasions she refused to move, would place a pillow under her head and cover her in a blanket. He was never going to allow her to sleep like a dog on the bare floor.

Every now and then, she would also call William 'Master'. He would ask a question or ask her do something and he would receive a mechanical "Yes, Master" in return. In the mornings, she would also still greet him with a flat "Good Morning, Master", having returned in her dreams to Sir Jameson's house, and having to almost slap herself each morning when she remembered she was back with William.

Despite this, Abey quickly fell back into her old routine, waking at sunrise as always, and carrying on with her normal duties at the Palace as if she had never been away. William had tried to persuade her that she had no need to do this, that he didn't want to treat her as a slave anymore, but she had insisted, telling him it was the best way for her to move forward.

He had relented in the end, he couldn't say no to Abey's pleading eyes, and contented himself by instead following her around for most of the day, not wanting to ever let her out of his sight again.

He was beginning to become anxious though. He watched the calander every day as February swiftly drifted into March. His parents and Georgiana were due to arrive back at the Palace any day now, and he would have to start preparing himself for the awkward questions he knew they would ask and he didn't want to answer. He had not heard from his family since he left with Abey, and since then she had been his only concern. He had not thought to come with a plan for once the rest of his family returned.

"You understand, don't you?" He appealed to Abey the morning they were due to arrive. He sat on the edge of his bed, resting his elbows on his knees and sighing into his hands as Abey bustled around him, working as always.

"Of course" She smiled over at him. She could see he was stressed, and no matter how many times she reassured him he still wouldn't relax.

"I just don't want you to think that I don't love you anymore. That couldn't be farther from the truth..."