The scent of blood still clung to her skin.
Adina scrubbed her cheek again, but it was like the stain refused to leave. She could still hear the sickening sound of flesh tearing, could still see the noble's eyes wide with agony as his insides were ripped out before the crowd.
She shuddered internally, remembering the pure rage she'd seen in his eyes. In that moment, he looked exactly like the name he was known for, the beastly king.
Her stomach turned again. She had nearly vomited in the hall. Now, standing under the burning sun with a rusted hoe in hand, she had no choice. The slave master had already shouted once.
"Get to work, girl. You think this is a place to daydream?" The rough-looking man snarled at her.
Adina flinched hard, rushing forward to begin only to halt. She looked around and realized the portion given to her was almost twice as large as the others. The two girls had already begun clearing their parts too.
With this, she won't be done until midnight….
She sighed internally and got to work, jaw clenched. From her peripheral vision, she could see the other two girls helping each other. They were almost done with their work.
Life was truly unfair. She'd begun to wonder if being good was worth it. She'd been messed over by Catherine first, Roman, and now those two girls. Was she destined to always be wronged? She was the one who was brutally attacked by those girls, and now she had the largest portion to clear. She shook her head, something had to be working against her.
It didn't take time, the two girls finished their portions. Adina watched as they gave her mocking glances before walking away, leaving her with the enormous pile.
Time went by, and still, she wasn't even halfway done. Her palms were now blistered, sweat stung her eyes. She hadn't made much progress when the slave master returned, his lips curled in disgust.
"You've done nothing. Nothing!" He snarled, kicking the pile of weed she'd pulled out. "No food. No water. That's what you earn today."
Adina couldn't argue, not when her limbs ached this much.
She lowered her gaze and turned back to the field, trying to summon the strength to keep going, even though her body screamed for rest. This update is available on novel{f}ire.net
A shadow passed beside her.
"You look horrible," a soft voice murmured.
Adina blinked, turning slowly to see a girl kneeling beside her, her dark curls tied back messily and a crooked grin on her face.
The girl held a hoe of her own and began hacking the dry weeds beside Adina as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"What are you—" Adina started, confused.
"Helping," the girl said simply. "I've been watching you for a while now. I figured if I cleared mine early, I might as well make sure you don't drop dead out here."
Adina blinked in shock, unsure whether to be grateful or suspicious.
The girl must've noticed her hesitation. "I'm Kora," she said, glancing sideways. "And before you ask, no, I don't have a death wish. I just hate injustice."
"Injustice?" Adina repeated.
The girl hummed, "I heard what happened. Most of the slaves are talking about it, and I think it's injustice if those girls get such smaller portions to weed and they give you this monstrosity." She gestured to the land.
Ah, so everyone had heard what happened in the room. Seeing as how the girls had turned on her back there. She could only imagine what was being said by everyone now.
"Don't worry about the slave master. He's only been a fool because he wants to get into the head maid's pants." She shrugged casually.
Adina's eyes widened at this; she looked around, hoping no one heard what the girl was saying. The girl glanced at her and rolled her eyes as though she could tell what Adina was thinking.
"Don't worry. It isn't a hidden secret. Almost everyone knows how much the slave master wants the head maid. He's a goner for her and therefore would do anything she wants. Which includes having slaves carve out weeds .." she paused for a second to look at Adina. "Ah, it's you! Now, it makes sense why the head maid hates you."
Adina's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
At this, she leaned closer like she didn't want anyone to hear. "You're the one who made the King…." She paused and leaned back. "Don't worry about it. I just remembered it's Matilda. She hates everyone."
Adina nodded, not wanting to push the conversation further nor did she want to dwell on it.
"I'm Kora, by the way."
Adina offered a small, tired smile. "Adina."
"Nice to meet you, Adina," Kora said. "Now, less talking, more hoeing. These weeds won't pull themselves."
They worked in silence for a while, Adina felt something bloom in her chest—relief, maybe. Gratitude. It was the kindness she showed her, one she hadn't felt in a long time.
A horn blew in the distance, it was sharp and urgent.
Adina straightened, her brows furrowed. "What was that?"
Kora looked up, eyes narrowing. Her nose twitched, scenting the air. Then she stiffened. "Get up," she hissed, grabbing Adina's arm.
The word barely left her mouth when a shout echoed across the field. Warriors burst from the treeline, weapons drawn, snarling orders.
Slaves screamed and scattered. The guards near the outskirts shouted, blades drawn as they ran to intercept. "Get the king! The Rebels have attacked the Eastern borders!"
Kora yanked Adina up, "Run! The rebels have attacked!" She screamed.
Adina stumbled after Kora, heart thudding wildly in her chest as chaos erupted around them. They darted past scattered baskets, sprinting toward the edge of the field. Kora shoved her toward a collapsed shed. "Hide!" she barked.
Adina didn't argue. She dove behind the crumbling wall. She could hear more screams. Kora ducked in beside her, chest heaving.
"I hate days ," she muttered. "They attack mindlessly even though they will all die by the King's hands. Bunch of fools." Kora muttered.
Adina couldn't reply, not when it felt like the world was collapsing. She opened her mouth to speak only to freeze as a shadow blocked the sun.
She turned slowly, eyes wide. A rebel stood in his wolf form. He was hideous, blood smeared his face.
The rebel wolf's eyes locked on Adina, and for a terrifying moment, he didn't move. His muzzle twitched as he scented the air, something feral and confused flashing in his gaze.