* * * *
Donald took big steps toward the dungeons, the guard's eyes widened and they stood at attention, "your highness! You are not to go into the dungeons by the orders of the Empress."
Donald scoffed and smiled raising an eyebrow, "do you really want to do this?" the soldier glanced at his colleague fearful before moving out if the way. Donald walked into the dungeons looking around in dismay. It was the highest dishonor to any royal family to be placed in a dungeon.
Irisa was the third most important woman in Kaley before his wedding to Beatrice, even at that, she was still the fourth in Kaley and she ending up in the dungeon was a dishonor to her. How did he not know of this? How come he was just finding out?
Samuel led him to the middle of the dungeon before walking the guards guarding the dungeon opened the doors. They entered and a wave of nausea hit Donald making him more displease. His eyes widened at the sight before him, a guard had his pants down and his member out, he was busy caressing her naked body
Samuel turned away as soon as he saw her sight, "what are you doing?!" Donald voice boomed, the guard jumped off her swallowing and pulling his pants up, "my... My prince..." the soldier stuttered petrified.
"Tell general Charles to see that this soldier lewrnd the consequences of touching a royal." Samuel nodded before the soldier fell to his knees.
"Your highness! It is no fault of mine, I was ordered! I was just following instructions." Donald scoffed, releasing Irisa from the chains, the soldier continued his pleads. He knew what general Charles was capable of and nobody wanted to be on his bad side. Irisa collapsed into his arms weakly, she could barely open her eyes.
"You are going to be fine!" he said pulling off his royal coat and using it to cover her, he walked out of the dungeons in trusting them soldiers that were all guarding the dungeons to be replaced immediately. Maids and servants whispered as he made his way towards his chambers, he instructed a maid to ask for the attention of a healer.
He placed Irisa on the bed, she was bleeding everywhere and smelt like a mixture of vomit, blood and dried sweat. Only the ancestors knows what that bastard did to her.
"Your highness?" Beatrice called slowly entering into the room, they were supposed to present the bloodied sheet together but he was not present.
Now the official breakfast another tradition that was paramount to show the unity of the royal family was going on and the groom was not presence.
"Tell the maids that I need a warm bath prepared and soft cotton sheets,"
"My prince, we are to arrive at breakfast for me to be announced has the crown princess of Kaley."
Donald scoffed, "Bestrice your sister is in this bed! Fighting for her life, and all you care about is your silly corporation announcement?"
"I..."
"Where is she?!" Benedict bargded in and looked around the room, as soon as he sighted her, he ran toward his sister and knelt by the bed side.
"What did they do you?" he cried out horrified, her head was bald and her eyes were swollen and bleeding.
"Where is the maid I sent to get the healer?!" Donald said agitated, standing to his feet, he walked out of his quarters to find the maid.
"Why are you here Benedict? You and I know that breakfast is important to me!" Benedict wiped his eyes and looked up at her with utter animosity.
"Are you happy now? Is this what you want? She have destroyed her for what exactly?! You shave her head! Her pride is gone! All of you are disgusting and I hope you are punished by the anscetors for what you have done!"
"Do not to me in such my manner! I am better!"
"Well, I hope being my better gets you somewhere because the level of hatred will amount to nothing but destruction! You destroyed her back and her hair is gone, how do you sleep at night knowing you did this to somebody, you did to your sister!"
"She is not my sister! Why do you all care about her! My husband, my brother everyone! Even mother cares about her stupid animosity with Irisa than my bond with her! It is like I exist just to spite her!"
"She is in here!" Donald said entering back into the room, the healer walked toward his bed and he noticed the tension between the siblings. Benedict swallowed and looked away not wanting to look at her face anymore, how could she be bid sweet sister, the one he loved so much.
The healer and her apprentice got to work and started cleaning her, Donald watched patiently and attentively as they cleaned her up and prepared her a bath. Beatrice walked out of the room unable to bear the worry she had seen in Donald and Benedict's eyes.
She walked toward the end of the hall and sat down by small bench provided near a large vase, she had everything she wanted and nothing at the same time, she is was on her way to being one of the supreme leaders of the nations and still she felt worthless.
Tears fell slowly down her face, as she remembered what how cold her husband treated the night before. She felt like a whore used for his pleasure. It was nothing like her mother or the Empress had described and it was the most disgusting experience she could describe.
When he was going to sleep, he sent her from the bed and she had to lay on the sofa for the night. She sniffed not realizing she had was now sobbim bitterly. Everyone wanted her, Irisa, even her own mother would insult her and tell her to be more confident like Irisa.
Irisa! Irisa! Irisa!
Everywhere she looked! Everywhere she went! Her brothers hovered around her, she saw the way Aaron looked at her, there was no how that crippled could be lying about the passion he had for her. Irisa did not need to compete with her because she won in all accept. Her black skin was too beautiful and shiny, everyone wanted to be that dark.
She knew her mother hated her pale skin but she tried to competiate in the look department but of course, Irisa had the larger nose and the big heart shaped lips that we're naturally pink. Even her hair!
That was the part she hated the most. After braiding it into corn rows she looked absolutely stunning. Her hair was too soft to hold the weight of the row and sometimes she wished she was Irisa.
Even as the bastard child of a Duke, she was able to reject suitors because she had many of them, maybe she never realized it but Beatrice craved everything she had. Marrying a crippled was supposed to be bad luck but she found a way to turn it into a good thing. Now she was being punished by the Empress, the crown Prince was personally caring for her.
"Your highness!" her maid called and she wiped her eyes away before taking a deep breath. Hannah her maid bowed and frowned seeing her lafy's face, "is something the matter your grace? You are crying?"
Beatrice pulled Hannah down and pulled her into a deep hug, her maid was the only friend she knew, without her, she was sure would her have sent herself to the ancestors, "what is the matter my lady, why are you sad? You breakfast is ready?" Beatrice pulled away and looked down.
"Am I a bad person?" she asked looking into her maid's eyes. Hannah shook her head truthfully, "you have been my only benefactor, your highness. You are not a bad person. Why would you say that to yourself?"
"Beca..."
"Beatrice!" Jessica called out angrily and stormed toward her daughter, the make flew up to her feet and bowed slightly. Beatrice took in a deep breath before sending the maid away.
"What are you doing here? Why are you keeping your mother-in-law and guest?" Beatrice took in a deep breath and stood up, she dusted her dress and walked toward her mother who frowned watching her daughter sniff.
"Why are you crying like a little girl? Beatrice, you are third to the Empress as the most important woman in Kaley! Are you going to disgrace me?" Jessica asked looking around.
"I do not want to disgrace you mother but..."
"But what exactly? I do not want to listen to any of your excuses Beatrice! I have gotten you to where exactly you need to be! Do not fail me due to some stupid emotions of yours! The royal family is ruthless! Its power will destroy you if you cannot control it!" Beatrice nodded saying nothing and moving toward the hall.
"Where exactly is Donald? Why is he not present?" the Empress clenched her jaw angrily.
"Mother!" Donald walked out furious and marched toward her, "where have you been? The guests we all have been waiting to celebrate the bloody sheet with you!"
"What did you do Irisa?" she raised an eyebrow and glanced at her husband who was in attendance at a function for the first time.
"Please sit down son, you are in the presence of your father and his guests."
"To hell with any of them mother! How could you?! That woman is your first son's wife and that same woman saved my life! What could she have done to warrant such treatment?! A shaved head and so many other atrocities?!"
"I do not know what you mean," Agnes turned away and pulled her spoon from the silk clothing that had covered it.
"Are you serious mother? That soldier you sent to torture her, almost raped her! If I hadn't stopped him only the ancestors know what he would have done to her!" Agnes frowned confused.
"The only thing I instructed was for her to be lashed."
"Lashed?! Mother lashed?! How could you lash a woman that is just three titles below you? What would you do to a commoner?"
"I know it looks bad..." Agnes looked around feeling the head staring at her curiously.
"Oh, mother it is more than bad! You have destroyed a woman's pride! How do you expect her to ever recover from all you have done?!"
"I am sorry okay? It is no fault..."
"What did she do that needed punishment?" he asked calmly. She blinked and swallowed, how did he even get to know of her whereabouts? She had instructed him to be told that she was on the trip with Aaron to Venusa.
"Answer me, mother!" Agnes stood to her feet and looked around, "leave all of you!" she commanded quickly knowing when Donald was furious, he would not care who and how he talked to in front of people.
Slowly the guests made their way out of the large dining hall leaving Donald, Caser, Agnes, and Beatrice.
"Son..."
"Please!" he raised his hands stopping her, "I was just doing it for your good!" Donald scoffed and shook his head, "you are a chronic lier and manipulator mother, how does this involve me? Your malicious ways are disgusting, mother!"
"Son!" he turned and walked out of the hall. Beatrice rushed after him and Agbes fell back into her sit, "even your son now realizes how malicious his is."
"Not now Caser!" Agnes warned running her temple angrily.
"When? When exactly do you plan on addressing your wickedness?!"
"Can keep your mouth shut for a moment, I need to think!"
"Continue thinking Agnes, I hope one day you wake and realize everything is gone!" he snarled and Agnes scoffed, shaking her head.
"You are nothing here! That title you hold should not allow you to forget who is charge!" Casey rolled his eyes.
"You die one day Agnes."
"And my son will take your place and he would be twice the Emperor you could ever be, excuse me." Agnes slammed the silk hand clothes on the table, stood to her feet and walked out of the dinning hall.
* * * *
THREE DAYS LATER
"Your highness!" Nancy bowed and looked up at her, she gasped and walked toward Irisa's solemn body. He sighed looking at the most sobbed.
"M'lady! What have they done to you?!" she whispered in pain, tears filled her eyes sadly, and wiped the small sweat on her forehead.
"The healer, she will be fine!" Nancy clenched her jaw and rook in a deep breath. She pulled her lady's hands and rubbed it to warm it. Everything was a disaster, her lady's eyes were swollen, her head was bald, soft cotton clothes were rapped around her body, one cloud see the blood stain.
Nancy turned to the prince still kneeling, she does her head in submission, "I am so grateful that you got out of the dungeons, we tried everything but to no avail." Donald continued staring at the poor woman that had suffered outrageous atrocities at the hands of his mother and her minions. He was glad that had made sure the Soldier was duly punished.
"It is no problem, she saved my life and this is the least I could do for her knowing that I owe my life to her." Nancy nodded and crawled back to her lady's side staring at her figure. She looked like a ghost, far from the young beauty that was sought after.
"The healer says if she does not wake up in five days, she will... She will die of starvation..." Nancy's head shot up and she frowned starvations. Her lady's chest was barely rising and falling and only the ancestors knew when she was going open her eyes.
Benedict and Asher had been around her attending to every one of her needs, the maids in the palace had been ordered to take care of her especially and they were handsomely rewarded by the prince.
The new bride was left in the conjugal chamber and was wallowing in self-pity as to what her new life was going to be. The Empress struggled to face the consequences of her actions as the court was to sanction her for unduly punishing a royal like her.
Jessica returned to Hasten quickly not wanting to face the wrath of the Imperial court. She left her son who refused to leave Harriton without making sure their half-sister was fine.
Donald was caught in between the woman that gave birth to him and the woman he loved. How could he forgive his mother for committing such atrocities, he remembered the state he had initially found her. The soldier was going to defy her honor if he had not gotten there, who is to say he had not done it before as was trying to repeat it?
Donald shivered not wanting such thoughts to cross his mind, he blamed himself each night for not paying more attention to details, how could he have missed the fact that she was in the same palace being tortured to an inch of her life by his mother's fuel soldier?
"M'lady! She is waking up! She is waking up!" Nancy yelled as Irisa slightly squinted, she groaned as she felt a splitting headache at the crown of her head. She coughed slowly as Donald approached her, she managed to open her swollen eyes, the other one was not as healed as the first.
"Princess! We need the healer! She is in the dinning hall with her apprentice, tell her the princess is awake." Nancy nodded and ran put of the room.
Donald helped her up as she struggled to lift her hand, she tried to look around but panicked when she realized that she could barely see a thing, "Irisa! It is alright! It is alright! Everything is going to be okay! You need to stay calm!" he cooed her as she broke down, sobbing bitterly, she was in pains all over, her swollen jaw slightly opened her closed.
Her soft black skin had turned a purplish-red shade and she flaming hot all over, he pulled her into his arms as she weekends bitterly, remembering where she was the last time she was conscious and what almost happened, she would have been defied if it was not for the prince arrival.
"My prince..." the healer called softly, he pulled away, taking a deep breath before moving from the healer's path still wary of her condition.
Twenty minutes later, the healer approached the worried prince, she took in a deep breath before starting, "your highness, her condition is horrible, I have not treated wounds this bad in a while, the wounds on her back her very deep and the constant flow of blood from there is a problem, her eyes is healing but it will take another month or two before she can fully regain her slight. Please feed her as much as possible. She needs her loved ones around and..." the healer swallowed looking down, "permit me to speak freely your highness?"
"What is it? Speak at ones!" hr commanded, the healer prayed that her head does get separated from her body for what she was about to say.
"It would be advisable to take her back to her own manor, she is to heal there, she would need a place where she is not reminded of what has happened to her." Donald blinked thinking about what the healer had suggested, it was true that she would not be free in the palace, how would she move around knowing that his mother was still in the same palace, eating and enjoying freedom after what she had done.
But then again he was not sure if the eastern manor was conducive enough for her, last he heard the place was practically falling apart. He approach Nancy who was now feeding Irisa who had stop her weeping but was still sobbing.
"I need to speak to you Nancy, follow me." Nancy nodded and stood to her feet, following the prince to a corner, "your highness, you requested my presence?"
"Yes, I did. The healer asked me to return Irisa back to the eastern manor for proper healing, as her maid, do you think it is a good idea?" Nancy glanced at her lady that was laying like a vegetable. She was truly strong for her to still be alive after all they have done to her.
"I think it is, if the healer has suggested it, then I advice we return to the eastern manor." Donald frowned, he knew the maid would agree to return to the manor so why was he so disappointed in the outright agreement.
"I fear it might not be conducive enough for her, she is sick."
"Your brother has stayed there all his life, my prince and Irisa is his wife.... Rumors have started..." Nancy stopped herself remembering it was the ruthless prince she was talking to.
"Speak freely Nancy, I need your utmost honesty. All I do is for your lady." Nancy frowned hearing the least statement he just made so freely, if any other person hears it, they would think he was confessing his love for his brother's wife.
"There are rumors already amongst the servants and maids of the palace that you are in... In love... In love with the princess and she has charmed you after the feast hosted."
Donald rolled his eyes, "they are a nuisance who know nothing but want to say absolutely everything about a person."
"I know my prince but false rumors spread faster than good news or the truth. M'lady's reputation will be the most affected in all of this and consider your new brode, you spent so much time by my lady's side that you have not had any time to be by your wife's side. It is not fair to both of you and I am sure my lady cares about you well enough to understand that you have responsibilities too. You have done more than enough for us and on behave of the first princess of Kaley..." Nancy fell to her knees and bowed, "thank you."
Donald took in a deep breath and nodded, helping the maid up. His eyes flew to the lady that was blinking, she was struggling to see anything. His mother was horrible for what she did.
"Arrange a carriage to take her back, Samuel and three other guards will be stationed outside the manor and maids will be there to help in talking care of her and the healer will visit you daily."
Nancy smiled victorious, although not sure having Donald's spy around the manor knowing the first prince was hiding the secret of the century in his manor might be stupid but they lived in the manor for seven weeks and found nothing.
"We will leave as soon as possible your highness, may the ancestors continue to bless and protect you and your work." she prayed and he nodded walking out of the room.
* * * *
TWO WEEKS LATER.
"Nancy! I do not know why you think I am not fit enough to garden, here I am doing the exact thing you said I cannot do?!" Irisa rambled as Nancy approached her quickly.
"M'lady!" Nancy whispered into her ears, "the crown prince is behind you!"Irisa's head whipped to the back, surprisingly, she found the crown prince and his personal guard, he had an amused smile on his face as he watched her struggle to rise to her feet.
"Your highness," she wiped the sweat from her body and looked down at the dress she was wearing, "what are you doing here?"
During the course of her recovery, she learnt that he was the one that saved her and took care I her personally. He sent words and messages through Samuel who was now slowly getting comfortable around the manor. Although Irisa was not too comfortable with idea of Donald's guards moving around the manor knowing it held secrets that were unspeakable.
He had promised to visit in his last message and she did not think he was being serious