"Well this is a surprise... I guess this means you are actually promised to Prince Theodosius." Evangeline murmured, clutching the necklace tightly in her fist.
"Oh, yes... well I had not actually thought of that..." Ro hastily explained, her cheeks growing as hot as the sun.
Would Theodosius want her now?
"To be honest right now I just want to see my family. We have been parted for so long, and they are all I am thinking of. Whatever is to happen between Theodosius and I, I will figure out another day, but I have to run now. Thank you for... everything, I hope you find true happiness soon." Ro explained feeling a little lightheaded, and bowed to Evangeline one last time as a sign of respect and parting on good terms, before she tried to take her necklace back.
She had to pry it from Evangeline's fingers who did not seem to be in a hurry to let go. Giving the strange girl wracked with envy one last courteous nod, Aurora turned determined to find Theo when Evangeline called out.
"Wait, Ro!" Impatiently she turned around wondering what Evangeline could possibly want now. "I am so... happy for you. As a thank you for everything you have done for me, allow me to take you to Theodosius. I was just with him, and I know a short cut on how to get there." Evangeline proposed.
"...Ok." Ro relented. "But only if we hurry, my parents will be leaving soon and I just have to get to them."
"Of course, follow me." Evangeline nodded, and motioned for Ro to follow her in the opposite direction.
The two girls hurried along, one with nervous anticipation and the other with a sly smile. The truth was Evangeline had no idea where Theodosius was; he barely even looked at her let alone cared to speak with her. Jealousy had corrupted Evangeline's heart and she found herself hating the Princess Aurora who was a pain when she thought she was dead, and now a fatal illness that she was alive. It did not help that the so-called Princess was her maid who Theodosius was already probably in love with; ruining all of Evangeline's hard thought plans to become Queen. Her parents would never look at her again if she did not secure a rank of high honour. She was already second best to her sister. Evangeline was determined to make Ro or Princess Aurora or whoever she was disappear forever with no one knowing the truth but her.
"Are you sure we are going the right way? It seems awfully dark and quiet down here." Ro pondered aloud feeling slightly unnerved. They had not seen a single person apart from a few guards for about five minutes.
"Oh yes Princess, we are going exactly where you belong."
Abruptly Evangeline stopped walking right before they turned a corner.
"What are you doing?" Ro asked impatiently, certain that Evangeline was playing games with her.
In response, Evangeline cried out as if she were in pain and collapsed to the floor crying.
"Oh Evangeline, what's wrong?" Ro gasped as she fell to her knees to help her.
"Help! Help!" Evangeline cried out, scaring Ro as Evangeline brought her arm up and bit herself.
Aurora was in shock... She had never witnessed a lady showing such violent and aggressive behaviour.
"Evangeline... what are you doing?" Ro asked feeling horrified.
Soon the pounding of heavy boots echoed from down the hallway, and Ro was relieved as a single male guard came to see what all the fuss was about.
"What is going on here?" He asked with an air of panic, kneeling down to help the wailing Evangeline.
"Oh sir, thank goodness you have come! This... this brute maid attacked me! She pushed me over and bit me right here, see!" Evangeline sniffled, thrusting her arm in the mans face so he could see the red dents.
"What!" Ro squeaked as she stood up uneasily. "I did not! She bit herself!"
"Are you insinuating I am mad? You are a liar and disgrace to common folk everywhere! Acting like a rabid dog towards nobility you are jealous of!" Evangeline played the part of a damsel in distress expertly, cowering into the man who felt obliged to protect her.
"Right, you are coming with me scum." The guard spit, reaching forward to grasp Ro's little wrist in a punishing hold.
"Wait! She took my necklace too... please sir, do not hurt her, I just want my golden locket back... It is all I have left of my mother." Evangeline lied easily with a sniffle.
"No! She is lying! It is my necklace!" Ro shouted, getting upset and frustrated as the man started roughly pulling her down the corridor.
"Who are you going to believe guard? A guest of the Royal Family such as myself, or a maid who belongs in the sewers?"
"You of course my lady, do not worry, I will get your necklace back." The guard promised with an eager smile to help the seemingly attacked beauty. "Hand it over, now." He growled viciously, shaking Ro's arm like she were a rag doll.
"Please sir, you have to believe me... I would never steal or hurt anyone!" Ro exclaimed with tears in her eyes, but he would not listen to her.
"Do not make things any harder scum. Hand the lady her necklace or things will get much worse for you." The guard threatened, his hazel eyes spitting anger.
Scared of being hit and abused, Ro reached for her necklace with shaky hands and pulled it from her neck mournfully. How had things gone so wrong in a matter of moments? As soon as the golden necklace was gone from her neck, Evangeline snatched it greedily, making Ro's lower lip wobble and what felt like ice dig into her heart.
"Please..." Ro murmured, her eyes pleading with Evangeline to show mercy, but she turned a blind eye.
"Oh thank you so much sir! You are so handsome and heroic... I will not hesitate to inform the Royal Family of your noble deeds; after all you did save my life." Evangeline giggled with an ostensibly guiltless smile.
"No problem miss, it is an honour to serve someone as beautiful as yourself." The man flirted.
Whilst Evangeline cast her spell on the guard, tears continued to roll from Ro's eyes who felt heartbroken and lost once again. Her family would have left by now, and she was probably going to be locked up with the key thrown away. The only thing connecting her to Alluvia and Princess Aurora was her necklace, which was now hanging from Evangeline's neck. Ro had never felt such a deep dislike for someone before. How could Evangeline do this to her after all she had endured serving her?
"Stop your weeping, you are going to get what you deserve." The guard snapped as he pushed Aurora forward. "It is off to the dungeons for you." He declared and she started to cry more.
"Thank you Melvin for your help, I will never forget you." Evangeline cooed. "If you lock her up and make her impossible to find, come to my room tonight and you shall have a reward. Just ask for directions to Lady Evangeline."
"Of course your Ladyship. She will never see the light of day again!" The young man replied eagerly, dreaming of what Evangeline might gift him that evening. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever spoken to, and she was interested in him. There was no way he was going to screw this one up.
"Ro, what is happening to you now is what you deserve. You will never get out of here – alive anyway. I hated you from the moment I laid eyes on you, and now I know my judgement was correct. When Theodosius hears of this he will hate you too, and any family you think you have will want nothing to do with you. Well, they will never find out you even exist!" Evangeline cackled, showing her true colours.
"No! Please, Evangeline you do not have to do this!" Aurora begged, but the guard twisted her arms behind her back and yanked her forward. She tried to escape from his hold but she was powerless against his brute strength.
For the first time Evangeline felt what she thought was happiness, relieved to have dealt with one of her problems. With Ro out of the way, she could continue to manipulate herself into Prince Theodosius's affections without him getting distracted. She left the isolated part of the castle with a swing in her step, pushing down and forgetting any reservations she had about the treacherous act she had just committed. Aurora's necklace was grasped tightly in her fist, and Evangeline was going to make sure it disappeared from existence so that all trace of evidence was gone.
The guard pulled Aurora along to the gloomy, forbidden depths of the castle where no one sane would enter. Down and down they went to the very depths of the castle, passing only guards who looked upon Aurora's tear-stained face as filth. They trudged down bleak grey stone steps, fiery candles leading the way and no natural light considering they were in a maze of tunnels underground. Aurora tried to convince 'Melvin' she was innocent, but she only got a harsh roughening up and yelling at in response. They passed by the warden of the cells, then Aurora's nightmare got worse as the portcullis was opened and they passed row after row of terrifying prisoners, waiting to be executed for their crimes or serve life sentences. It was no secret that she did not belong there. They turned down a series of corridors, prisoners calling out at Aurora or simply staring with dead eyes making her feel ill. As they reached the deepest and darkest part of the dungeon, the guard thrusted open a dingy cell door, and shoved Ro inside, who tripped up on the filth and fell to her knees. The door behind her was then slammed shut, and Ro quickly turned to see her prison being bolted.
"Wait! Please I have not done anything wrong!" Ro cried, clutching at the bars and trying to bust them open. They held steadfastly though.
"Welcome to your new life mongrel. Someone will come and charge you for your crimes soon - or maybe not. You are meant to get two meals a day, but then sometimes we just... forget. No use wasting food on scum." The guard laughed as he retreated from her cell.
"Please! Somebody help!" Ro screamed, but all she got in response was a few 'be quiets', laughs, and wails of the other prisoners.
Ro sunk even further into herself sobbing, wondering if she would ever get to see her parents, or if she would be killed for being a thief.
Hi guys what do you think is going to happen next? Only 3 chapters left for book one! Xoxo
Edited