I woke up startled in a dark room that I hardly recognized; I looked around the room groggily and frantically. My face felt swollen from crying the night before and I realized my body was trembling badly.
I tried to remember the events of last night; I remembered coming to Prince William's chamber with Melody and then he had her leave and ordered me to bring him tea. Once I brought him the tea ... he... he...
Oh my goodness.
He tried to assault me again.
I stared down at my half-bare body and gasped; my maid's uniform was completely ruined. Wrapped around me was a large coat I didn't recognize; it was covering me like a blanket. I looked over at him, he was sleeping soundly in his bed without a care in the world.
Did the coat belong to him?
Why would he wrap me in his coat?
I held the coat closer to my body; it smelled like him. It had the same royal musk that he had. My heart was beating heavily against my chest as I stared at him in awe; I couldn't believe he had me stay in his room all night. I can't believe he actually let me sleep.
He stirred in his sleep, groggily opening his eyes, and peering around the room until his eyes landed on me.
He shot up in his bed and stared at me for a long while; I felt the heat rising into my face as we locked eyes. My breathing got caught in my throat and for a moment, I thought I was going to pass out.
This wasn't happening to me right now. This couldn't be happening to me right now.
If Melody found out I spent the night in Prince William's room, she was going to kill me.
"Leave," he said, his voice filled with sleep.
I looked at him confused for a moment; he wasn't looking at me anymore. He had completely turned his head in the opposite direction.
"Get out," he said again once he realized I hadn't moved.
I said nothing as I scrambled off the couch. I still held his coat close to my body my fingers trembling as I was about to place it on his bed before leaving. I wondered how I was going to get back to my room, half-naked, unseen.
"Take it with you," he mumbled, still not looking at me.
I shot him a look; I couldn't have heard him correctly.
Your majesty?" I asked, my voice no longer sounds like my own.
"You can't leave here naked," he murmured. "Take it with you."
I nodded my head and gave him a quick curtsy, even though he refused to meet my eyes.
"Thank you, your majesty," I said, before running to his door and into the hallway.
I was glad that the hallway was empty, and no one saw me leaving William's chambers. I kept the coat close to my body as I made my way down the hallway and to the handmaiden wing. I heard some voices coming from within their rooms, but thankfully no one was in the hallway to see my walk of shame.
I felt disgusting; even though I knew nothing happened between William and me, I still somehow felt tainted and disgusted. He was going to ruin my chances of getting my freedom; if that happened, Beth would never forgive me. I would be letting her down, I would be letting myself down, and I would be letting my mother down.
My heart tugged painfully as I thought about my mother; I wished more than anything that she could be with me again. She always knew what to do and say to make me feel better when I wasn't well. Beth had become that person for me and I don't even have her either.
I felt tears burning in the back of my eyes and I had to bite onto my bottom lip to keep from sobbing.
I finally reached my room; I pushed my door open and paused at the sight of Melody standing in the middle of my room. Her eyes were large and wild, flashes of grey and a bit of black circulating around her pupils. She was breathing heavily as she tried hard to contain her wolf. She took a step forward, closer to me and her lip curled up as she snarled.
Her teeth grew larger and sharper, transitioning into her wolf's teeth. Her grey fur beginning to poke through her skin.
I took an unsteady step backward; afraid of what she might do. My body trembled uncontrollably, and tears filled my eyes.
"I knew it," she hissed through her gritted teeth. "You were after him this whole time."
"No, my lady," I tried to say but my voice came out as a squeak.
"Shut up!" She yelled; I backed up into the wall, using it for support as she neared me. "You have disrespected me for the last time."
I opened my mouth to say more but her hand shot up; I flinched, waiting for the sharp impact. I felt the claws of her wolf's hand slicing through the flesh on my face. I screamed as I landed on the ground; a puddle of my blood already forming around me.
I touched my trembling fingers to my wound and felt the large gash across my cheek as I looked back up at her. Horror in my eyes met the hatred in hers.
"You fucking whore!!" She hissed as the heel of her shoe shot into my stomach; I coughed at the impact. Pain coursed through my body, and I huddled together to keep the pain managed. Tears fell down my features and stung the open wound on my face, making me wince as more pain coursed through my weak body.
"Please..." I whispered.
"You thought you could spend the night with my prince, return naked, and I wouldn't find out?!" Melody yelled; I heard the growl of her wolf escaping her mouth.
I felt the impact of another sharp blow to my stomach from the heal of her foot; I coughed again and this time I tasted blood on my mouth.
"Please..." I tried to say again, but I was inaudible.
"You thought wouldn't find out about you lurking outside of his chamber doors. In hopes of getting a sight of him?!" Melody screeched as she kicked me again.
"No..." I tried to say as I spoke, and pain shot through my body once again.
My throat was filling with blood and making me gag at my words.
"My Lady!" Ms. Shirley said, running into my room, followed by a couple of other ladies that looked more than concerned.
They must have heard the commotion easily from the hallway.
"My lady, what has she done? What caused the severity of this punishment?" Ms. Shirley asked, her voice laced with worry as she ran to Melody's side and peered down at me.
"This little whore has been dishonest, disrespectful, and throwing herself at Prince William. She needs to be punished," Melody seethed.
She lunged toward me, but I was too weak to move out of the way. The sharpness of her claws tightened around my throat, cutting off my air supply. I coughed out, trying to beg her to release me, but I was unable to speak.
I saw the horror of Ms. Shirley and some of the other ladies as I struggled to breathe. Blood trickled down my features as her claws continued to dig into my flesh. My vision became distorted, and I started seeing dark spots crossing my eyes; wooziness started taking over.
"Lady Melody, you are going to kill her," Ms. Shirley cried. "Please unhand her!"
"Disobedience mustn't go unpunished," Melody hissed as she lifted me off the ground from my throat.
Her nail was sharp as she placed it on my forehead; I felt the trickling of the blood down my features.
"Let's see how desirable you are when you have no face..." Melody said, her voice low and threatening.
"My Lady, please," Ms. Shirley pleaded. "What more can she do for you? She had gone to see Prince Martin on your behalf and did what she could to get Prince William to recognize you. She couldn't be after him as you say."
As my consciousness began to fade away, I was released and fell to the ground. I coughed to gain as much air as I could before it got taken away again. When the attack had stopped the room had gone silent, I wondered if it was because she had turned her attention to Ms. Shirley.
Had she said too much and now Melody was punishing her??
She couldn't.
Could she?
I opened my swollen eyes slightly, wincing at the pain as it came. I saw a blurred vision; Melody was standing before a tall figure. From what I could tell, she was back in her human form, and she was backing away from him with unease.
I couldn't make out who he was though.
"My prince..." she stammered. "I can explain."
"You sent her to my brother?"