PRINCESS ROSHANNE
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Summoned by the king, princess Roshanne finds herself back in his study. Back in the day when she was young, she used to love this place, where her father would somehow once in a while would show affection towards her. This is the room where he used to read to her about the great warrior princess as well as the story of Abbadon the great beast, she used to admire him... Until that admiration turns into hatred once she realizes what kind of man he is.
"You called me father." She asked him, she watches him as he looked outside the window, he was admiring something she could not see...
"How is she? Is she fairing well?" For a moment she thought he was asking about the queen, his wife but then she realizes he was asking about Dae.
"Lady Dae is just fine father, she's taking it well. But I must admit there's still a lot of adjustment needed." She answered him truthfully watching his movement, the man had never cared to ask about the well being of his whores before, so that's why it surprises her that he asked how lady Dae is fairing...
"She is young and healthy... She would give me a strong son. I trusted you with her well being for the mean time princess." It made Roshanne's jaw clicked in annoyance, he still believes that he would be able to have sons.
"Speaking of which... I called you to discuss something of importance. I received a letter from my cousin, Archduke Arthur, he proposed something." She remained silent for a moment, but it did not fail to peak her interest, the archduke and her barely know each other save from a few conversation they had when she was young. The archduke remained as a mystery to her, but she knows that he is the power behind her father's reign, being his right hand.
" You are past the year of marriage, you are already in your 28th summers, usually girls your age are already swelling with their third or fifth child." Roshanne throats constricted having known where this conversation is headed.
" Father, need I remind you that i-" Her father didn't let her finish her sentence.
"Archduke Arthur offered his son for your hand in marriage. Since you wouldn't want to marry a prince from another kingdom, I thought you would favor it if I offered your hand in marriage to someone closer to home." He finishes before looking at her. Archduke Arthur is their father's cousin and he had only one son, and unlike his daughters who bore the platinum blonde color of their hair, his son bore black hair, that of the color of ravens, and he is sickly, Roshanne felt her stomach turning at the idea of having to marry that miserable and sadistic man... Despite being sickly, his son is named as the master of torture in the dungeons, having find pleasure in the suffering of others.
" Father, must i ceaselessly remind you that I am a Sainte, and your only living legitimate heir." She stated firmly making sure to put emphasis in each word she is speaking.
"I cannot marry with whomever you just have chosen for me. I represent that Goddess Solvira herself, choosing a husband that had no virtues is something i cannot do, it will taint my image, the image of the temple, his son is known for doing various atrocities. Father I cannot marry just any man, especially that cruel man! To marry him is to insult the Gods... he's not worthy of me nor any of your daughters." Her father shook his head and sigh in disappointment, that is all what she have ever been to him... A disappointment.
"If you were a man, if you were just born with a cock... We wouldn't have this conversation. But then again must I remind you that you are a girl, you are without a cock, and therefore you are not my heir." Roshanne clenches her hand and glare at her father.
"With all due respect your grace, with or without a cock... I am all that your pathetic sons could never be... I have the blessings they do not posses." Her eye squinted at him.
"You will never have another son, you lost him in war... All that bronze cunt will ever give to you are defected sons. Just like your bastard" She didn't wait for her father to lash out at her and left, she heard how he screams for her but she did not dare look back. That man is arrogant, and his arrogance had blinded him, he slighted the Gods far too many times and she could only quell her annoyance at for a short time... She ought to explode one way or another. Sooner or later Roshanne would have to find a way to rid of him... He is starting to get on her nerve...
On her way out she didn't expect to see her father's bastard... Kaspian was walking with a smug look on his face.
"Princess." He greeted her, bowing his head a little in mock curtsy. Something Roshanne had not missed.
"Kaspian."She almost sneered at him, refusing to call him a prince, he does not deserve that title, he was no one, he came from the isle of bastards, his mother is a common whore at the silk city, his is of no good origin and yet he flaunt the corridors of the castle with a smug look on his face as if he had every right to do so.
"I see father have already discussed the archduke's offer to you?" He asked before taking a step closer to her, too close that she could already smell ale on his breath, it seems that his brother is spending his time at the goose tavern.
"The Archduke actually asked me to rely that message to father, and I thought isn't it a good idea?" He asked again, Roshanne move pass him deciding not to engage in any conversation with him, he is simply not worth it.
"But if you don't want it, My offer still stands." He drunkenly stated making Roshanne turn to him again.
"What makes you think that you deserve my hand in marriage?" She asked him squinting her eyes at his pathetic form, his shirt had been rumpled and stains of last night festivities hang on it, his hair disheveled and tin layer of beard grows around his face, this man is very far from Khalil, and she wondered how her father could ever think of replacing the good man with this good for nothing piece of shit. He could have chosen Alastair! He could have Chosen Anthony! But no! He chose him instead! But then she wouldn't be surprised, as both men share something in particular... And that's being a torn in her side, a complete hindrance!
"Why not? I mean basically you and I are good match, I am the crown prince, and you a Sainte, wouldn't you think that it would make a good front when everyone sees us supporting one another? It's a marriage of convenience sister." She gritted her teeth, inter marriage had been a common practice in their family, and there are some kings who married their sister in what
they called cleansing of blood, Only usually the king would choose their bride from the Regalia or the Dunhall family, But mostly they married those who came from the Regalia, but once in a while they would marry into their own family to keep their blood pure... And that is what Kaspian had been suggesting.
"What benefits would I got from a person like you? You are basically a worm trying to crawl it's way up." This made the smug look on Kaspian face disappear, it was replaced by an ugly scowl.
"Well... Weather you like it or not sister... I could give you the one thing you desired the most... I can make you a queen." A smirk thug on her lips at his bold suggestions, this man really thought he could sit on that throne? He would be torn apart first before he could sit up their. She move forward and stood closer to him, their lips almost touching at the proximity.
"Well Bastard... Need I remind you that I am very well capable of sitting myself in that throne without a single help from you. So dream all you want but you will never have me." After she said that she turned around quickly leaving him there standing, fuming with anger.
Shaking her head Roshanne finally reaches her room and closed the door, she removes the tie on her hair letting her hair fall before untying her dress and removing it, she then walked towards her closet and fetched her robe.
" You ought to respect the crown prince, Princess." She turns towards the man who stood in the shadows. Her eyebrow furrowed before she tied the robe in front of her.
" He is no prince Alastair, you of all people should know that." She stated before flopping down to her chair, a very unladylike display of habit. She open the flagon of wine and poured herself some.
" What brings you here?" She asked him before taking a sip of her wine.
" Have I no rights to visit you?" She only raise her eyebrow and watch him as he walked out of the shadows of her room, to reveal his face... Despite being the king's son Alastair was unusual than her and their other siblings, while most of them posses golden hair, Alastair posses something that closely resembles silver. Earning him the name of the white knight.
"You hadn't visited me in a while." She whispered still looking at her brother. Alastair chuckle and shakes his head.
"It seems that archduke proposal had upset you dearly, would you like it if I kill him? Deliver his head to you like I did when I brought Khalil's head?" Roshanne closed her eyes at the reminder, it was him who delivered the severed head of their brother after taking it back from the enemies who intended to keep it as a trophy.
"That won't be necessary at all, we don't need more bloodshed" she told him as he nods his head and stood beside her.
"Instead, why don't you tell me all you know about that half blood Sakran woman." She told him, after all Alastair was with their father when they fetched that woman.
"There's nothing note worthy of her sister." He stated before picking up the glass from her hand and taking a sip, Roshanne only watched him
" Well except for the fact that she is a hidden daughter, and that her mother is a Sakran woman. And that father had doted to her every need when were traveling." This had made her raise her brow, so she wasn't just imagining things when she saw the way her father looks at Dae in their morning super, then when he asked about the well being of the girl.
"He always does that to his new paramours, making them think they were special." She took the glass of wine back from him, she was trying to dispell that thought, her father is not capable of affection.
"True, but then he had never doted on anyone the way he does with the girl..." Roshanne's kept quiet for a moment, she let the taste of the wine lingers in her tongue and thought of the girl, In her mind... There was nothing particularly great about the bronze lady, except from her unearthly beauty, but her father had lots of other of concubines, whom all posses great beauty yet this one had seemingly caught his attention.
" Could it be because she's Younger? She's only seventeen summers from what I have heard." She told him before offering the glass of wine in which he gladly took.
" She'll be turning eighteen summer in just four weeks, father will wed her then... And from what I have learn, he wishes to remove the imposter as his heir, and place that girls children." This had returned her ire once more.
" If that girl had given birth to a son with golden hair and eyes... It will still be an abomination, for its blood would be tainted with the blood of pagan worshipers. They will not be accepted, they will be shunned. " She told him, having to recall the history of the sakran, they were a quite group of people who used to live scattered in the plain of the kingdom of Solis far from the capitals, they are people born with dark red hair and darker complexion, but because of their looks they were chastised, and deemed as opposite of the light they were called seeds of devils and witches who plague the land, and they were driven away from the kingdom of solis to the unconquered land in the west.
"You mean devil worshipers?" Alastair asked amused.
"Anyway, that girl may not pose as any threat to you sister but I must warn you... She may be harmless... But she is still a threat regardless... If she ever bare father the sons he so wanted... Then your claim will be forfeit. And her father... That man is a venomous leech... I'm sure he will do everything in his will and power to have his blood in the throne." Alastair placed the empty glass of wine on the table and kisses her cheek before parting ways leaving her there with a headache and a bigger problem...
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Early the next day, Roshan woke up just before the sun rises and grace the sky with it's presence, but it seems that day, the sun would not make an appearance, as the cloud remained grey, and lighting could be seen dancing in the far north. The celebration of the king's return is still on it's full height, it will last for seven days, there will be tournaments of knights, feast, the grand ball for the young ladies and young gentleman who are looking for a suitable partners in marriage and then there's the king's grand hunting ceremony that will last for three days. She barely got any sleep last night as she was required to attend each gathering, and she still could feel the slight throbbing in her head for having drunk too much wine, she could have excused herself and went to bed early but the ladies of the noble families kept her up with their stories of latest fashion trend and then gossips about whoever lords they don't like. She didn't personally like those kind of things, she doesn't want talk about fashion and gossips about a noble lord's latest paramour, she's not interested in any new boutique of clothes that opened in the king's city in fact that only time she enjoyed mingling with them and talking with them is when they discuss political problems. Such as the new increase of tax for the people, the problem that the farmers are having with their crops and other things that could benefit her influence in the political aspect of her kingdom, she would also talk to some lords and discuss their opinions about a certain matter and hear their complains. They also discussed the matter about the new claimed territory they have, each year they are getting nearer and nearer to claiming the unconquered lands, with the fall of the Lysos kingdom that basically stood as the protector of the land, it would be easier to expand their territory. But first they must focus on the Lysos, they must build a strong footing in there, and they must be able to control it to avoid any rebellious act that could put an end to the line of Dae's family. Not that she care about her family but war is expensive. It causes them a lot of things and a lot of money and it cost them more lives.
"Good morning your grace." Odette greeted her once she and the other maids entered her chamber.
"Good morning." She replied curtly, her gaze remained outside the window where she could see the cloud rolling. Heavy rain will pour down any minute from now.
"Shall we pour you a bath?" She gave a curt nod. The rain soon began to fall, and it felt like it's going to rain for next couple of days. She looks at her bed and sighed longingly, this is one of the days where she just wished to laze around and enjoy the company of her books with some tea and snacks prepared to her by the servants. But she couldn't allow her self to have a rest, not when the kingdom needed her. There are a lot problem they're facing.
One of those problems is the title of Heir, her father has fourteen other daughters and twelve sons that came from his concubines and whores, but she knows he has a lot of other bastards somewhere living in the city of kings or in the city of mines, some of them might be in the island of bastards. But they aren't threat to the crown, they held no power over it, because they lack power and influence. His other sons were born either with a golden eyes or the golden hair, but none of them possessed both. Same goes with his daughters... None of them has their father's eyes... Their golden locks doesn't even glow the same as her, an indication that none of them recieved the blessings of the sun Gods. His son whom he declared prince would be rejected by the temple and the council, no Bastard had ever sat the golden throne.
With the former crown prince dead, the council of her father might push him to try for another one. He is an old man, but making an heir is not impossible for him, as long as the mother would be young and well capable of. Her thought quickly went to her father's new paramour... The red haired girl, last night he told everyone that she will give him a son, the chance of her giving birth to a Golden child is close to none, she's sure of that.
Roshan looked at her reflection in the mirror. The only way the king could have another golden heir is to bed his wife the queen again . It's the only way he could produce a pure line, untainted and blessed by the Gods. Just like Roshanne
"Your grace, your bath is ready." She looks back at Odette who stood beside another maid awaiting for her instructions, she looks at the other servants inside and her brow raised.
"Where's Dae?" She asked, ire was clear in her voice before removing the lace of her night gown. The maid shared a look.
"She is still in her room my lady. Would you like us to call for her?" Odette asked, she nods her head before removing her night gown, she now stood naked before them.
"She will be the one to assist me in my bath, the rest of you are dismissed." She spoke, she saw hesitation in their eyes but she couldn't care less, she needs to talk to that girl alone to see her worth. After all she is basically her servant. Once they all left she quickly went inside the bathroom to soak in. A sigh of relief escape through her lips once she's inside the bath the warm water had help lessen the tension on her muscle allowing her to relax. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy it for a couple of more hours.
Her peace was disturb when someone knocked on the bathroom door, opening her eyes she saw Dae standing by the door, looking at her with uncertainty. She sat up and looked at her in the eyes, Dae's cheek have grown red, and she quickly averted her gaze. Roshanne at the moment had no patience, and so with a her voice a little harsher, she commanded Dae to approach her.
"Come quick, before the water gets cold." She knows she shouldn't be venting her anger towards this poor girl, but she is the cause of all her ire.
"Kneel, so I could get a look at your face." Dae silently followed her order and kneeled, she did that without casting a glance at her which annoyed her, she grab her by the Cheek and forced her face to look at her.
"Look at me when I'm speaking to you young lady. It's making me think you hate me." She spoke to her harshly while putting pressure on her cheeks.
" Forgive me your highness." She apologize, Roshan would have let go of her but she caught a glimpse of her eyes that started to tear up. It made her deep emerald eyes sparkles like a gemstone.
" I really like your eyes." She spoke almost in a whisper as she admires the Emerald eyes of Dae.
" It has some gold flecks on it." She added, the eyes of the Helios and Regalia, her family possess the best features in all the kingdom of Gaia as they come from the direct line of the sun Gods, their golden hair shines as a positive sign that the gods blesses them, and their eyes are like the color of a molten gold that reflects their divine power. No one could match with their beauty yet for some reason she find herself captivated by these set of emerald eyes.
"Did you look at my father like this?" She asked her while still keeping her firm grip on her.
"I don't know what you mean your grace." Roshanne hums, Dae has still the look of an innocent girl, even her eyes screams innocence.
"My father has a peculiar taste for children." She spoke to her before letting go of her face. Dae remained kneeling on the floor.
"Go and bathe me." She ordered her before watching as Dae scrambles to her feet to get the scrub from the basket that one of the servant had left. When she returned Roshan continued to speak.
"In his youth he spent his days whoring around in the city of flesh. He slept with all things that breath." She stated before holding Dae's hand and guiding her behind her. She then placed her hand on her shoulder where she began to gently scrub her. Dae's touch were soft, shy like a butterflies wings, but she quiet enjoyed it, unlike the way her servants scrub her body where it left her skin feeling bruised and red.
" He once lay with a man, who's skin resembles that of the earth, he also once lay with an older woman... He once slept with a mother while she's feeding her babe from her chest." She threw her head back and allowed Dae to run her hand against her neck, she knows she shouldn't be allowing this girl this kind of privilege, showing her neck to her is like greeting death at its door, the girl could have a knife hidden in her gown and slice her neck, but only a fool would do that.
" He slept with a woman who's hair is the color of blackberry, he slept with a voluptuous woman, a skinny man." A chuckle left her lips, she was always amused by the story of her father's infidelity and weird sexual rendezvous.
"Some even says he fucked his father's mare when he was in his 20s." When she opens her eyes she saw how horrified Dae is, and.she didn't know if it's from the news of the king fucking a mare or from the vulgar word that she had said.
"You haven't heard the word fuck before? Or are you horrified at the notion that your soon to be husband used to fuck horses?" Dae shakes her head confirming her suspicious, and it made everything more funnier for her.
" When the king's father found out about it he quickly punished him, but it didn't stop him from fucking a couple more horses and the cows and the Pigs in the farm." She finished, she saw how disgust was written all over her face, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy Dae's soft hand.
"But my father has a thing for great beauties, for soft and innocent look very much just like how you look. Soft, sweet perhaps naive. But one time... My father brought back a small child, with red hair and soft skin that resembles the soil. With big doe blue eyes... She's beautiful, and would have been more beautiful if she got the chance to grow. " She moves away from Dae's touch and looked at her.
" At some point I think she looks very much like you." A smirk thug upon her lips when she saw how she froze in fear.
" The child was no older than ten. Still very young. He brought her along to his room and locked it. He spent several days locked with her, only just coming out and eating." She watches Dae's reaction to her gaze, it was not a story she's making, her father really did that. And Roshanne remember hearing that child cry whenever she passes her father's room. It never fails to make her shiver.
" They only came out of that room when the child was already burning up from fever that lasted three days before she died... I never once saw a king cry.... But when he heard about the passing of that beautiful child he wept for days... He cradles the body and locked himself in the room with the corpse of the girl." She leans back in the thub, she looks forward and into the mirror that was facing them, there she continue watching her.
"It turns out that he continues to lay with the corpse of the child." She finished before she heard the unmistakable sounds of vomiting. Roshanne closes her eyes and smiled at the sound of it. The girl had no back bone in her, just the mare story of it was enough to send her hurling out everything she ate that morning.
"Ever since then his obsession with your people had grown stronger, it was his desire to have that girl again that drove him to this silly idea of conquer and fame and glory." She finished her story with a shake of her head, the king was a cruel king, very so unlike of the Kings who come before him. He's not like his good father nor his grandfather nor the first king. He's cruel... Evil and downright menace. His reign should end.
"You're his new toy... Tell me, when he manage to penetrate the fortress of your father's castle did he lay with you as soon as he sees you? Did he forced you?" She looks as to where Dae is, she was now wiping her mouth. She looks at her and shakes her head.
"He... He did not manage to breach the castle, they were a mile away from the red castle, my father meet him half way and surrendered." This had caught her attention.
"Your father surrendered? Just like That?" She asked her in disbelief. She was taken a back for a moment.
" I don't know why, but he did. He picked me up from the tower where I was and presented me before his Majesty. He then discussed the term of surrender." Dae finished before walking towards her again to continue and bathe her. Roshan was speechless for a moment, she thought they managed to breach the walls of the red castle, but it turns out that the proud king of Lyson had surrendered.
"What did your father asked in exchange?" Dae's soft hand return on her shoulder as she began to scrub her body again.
" I do not know what my father asked in exchange of his surrender, I was already at his Majesty's tent. " Roshan took a deep breath and sighed before she suddenly rose from the thub.
"Get me my dress, it's time to teach you something." Dae bows her head and Steps out of the bathroom to get her clothes while Roshan dries herself from the bath.
A moment later the two of them were in the library.
"Do you know about the Gods? The sun Gods and the history of Gaia?" She asked as she places several book in front of Dae who looks at it with curious gaze.
"My mother's people praise the earth Gods, we praise the god of the woods and the rivers and the fields. I only know about how you praise the sun Gods and the Gods of the sky." Roshan hums, Dae's people were far from her own, their beliefs and culture differs from one another.
"We do praise them, but do you know them?" Dae shakes her head all the while keeping her gaze at her.
"Very well." Roshan smiles and opened the first book that she took from the shelves, she opened it on the first page.
"We have Six Sun Gods, and Four Sky Gods. The chief God we prayed to is Helios... He is the sun and the father of all dragons. It was in his seed where the dragon came and it was in his blood where my family come from." She stated while pointing to the picture on the book. Dae listened to her like a child.
"We pray to the mother Gaia. The mother of all Gods." Dae shared which surprises her, she was never interested in any other Gods, she is loyal to her own Gods.
"Your grace, if you don't mind me asking.... Why do you have to teach me? When I can be just your servant?" Emerald green eyes once again met golden eyes. Roshan closes the book and leans against the table before she gently touches Dae's chin.
"A servant?" She scoffed before shaking her head.
"You do really see yourself as a servant?" She asked again, amusement was clear in her eyes.
"Dear girl, people of your status would still act like the spoiled princesses they are, they would keep their heads up and sneer at their enemies even though they are a prisoner, do you not take pride in your position? Have you not revel in the glory that your title has given you? Do you not want to be treated here like how you were treated in your father's castle?" The princess remained silenced, and her eyes remained confused, Roshan couldn't help but roll her eyes.
" Gods, your really are dumb." She murmured before shaking her head in disappointment.
"Here's to answer your question. You're to be a citizen of my kingdom, you should be aware of it's customs if you wish to survive long enough to bare the king a son he could name his heir." Roshan never missed the horrified look on Dae's face when she mentioned the word Heir to her.
"I... I don't want to have children." Roshan sat down by the table, she reached forward and touch Dae's red curls, she didn't expect it to be so soft. Then her hand touched her cheeks like a mother would do, and she did not miss the way the girl fight for the urge to lean.
"Do you think he cares? If the king told you to open your legs, you will do so." Dae bit her lower lip, but she did not look away from her.
"Would you do that too? If you ever had a husband and he ordered you to open you-" She did not get to finish her sentence as Roshan's palm quickly struck her cheeks, the slap was so hard that her head turns to the side. Dae's hand quickly touched her cheeks, shock that the princess had strike her. Roshan on the other hand was breathing hard, anger gleams in her eyes. No one dared talk to her like that before.
"It's seems like you have mistaken my actions for kindness princess that you forget your self. Speak to me like that again And I will have my men strip you off your dress and throw you to the King's chambers. Maybe he'll let his dogs mount you before he does." She sneers making the girl cower in her own seat, when the anger in her subsides she rose from her her sitting Position and placed the thick book in her table.
"Read that." She commanded her, she heard her sniffle but did not care, she watched as Dae slowly removed her hand from her cheeks and opened the book. She flip to the first page, then onto the next, and then the next, she did so continually to the point that it annoyed Roshan, she slapped her hand against the book's pages stopping her from flipping it.
"Did you not just hear what I said? I said read the book!." Dae looks up at her again, then at the book, she started picking at her nails while biting her lips.
"I... I cannot read well your highness." Roshan suddenly stood straight, shock with the revelation, a princess who can't read, that's new to her.
"And here they say that the people of Solis were cruel, yet no one had told me that the king of Lyson is more barbaric than the savages that roams the land that he protected. I have never heard of a princess who cannot read, nor write." Dae kept her head down while she reprimands her.
"Are you really a princess? Or a slave?"
"Father didn't want me to learn." She didn't know why but Roshan got even more annoyed of Dae's father. What kind of a king left his children uneducated.
"I heard he has sons, are they the same as you?" Dae shakes her head no. Her father is a cruel man, he really is. Just because Dae was born as a woman he neglected her and her needs. But then everything seems to became funny to her as the words of the ladies she had conversed with yesterday held some truth in them.
"Your father had really let you live just because your purpose is to get married, tie two families through the blood of your children. He literally trains you like he would train a good bitch. You're purpose to him is to be mounted and give birth to healthy pups." She stated grinning at the look of pure humiliation in the princess face, she knows that she must have been feeling so small by now.
" Is that the reason why he locked you in the tower?" She began to see tears drip from the princess face.
" Gods be good. He did, it was his purpose isn't it? He kept you lock to ensure your purity, that you remain a maiden, because a fool like you is easily swayed with good words isn't it? He knows that a moment a man show you kindness you'll gladly open your legs." She revels more in the humiliation that the princess had felt.
"I didn't choose for that to happen to me you're grace. I'm simply following my father's command." This is what annoyed Roshan more than anything. People who likes to let other people decided for them. Women who rather toil in the service of men than fight back.
"Then you're an even greater fool." She sighs and stood back.
"I don't want a stupid handmaiden in my service. Tomorrow you will begin your study, I will assign a Instructress for you. You will study in the morning before you serve me in the afternoon. Am I understood?" Dae quietly nods her head.
" Good, now stand up. I'll have something else for you to do." She commanded before she walks ahead of her.