Chapter Two

Annabelle spent three weeks working with the laundry before they moved her, complaints about ruining clothes came in daily and the beatings hadn’t stopped. For a moment she was glad to be moved until she was assigned to clean.

She scrubbed until her fingers bled and most nights she went to sleep hungry. There weren’t enough hours in the day to get to everything she was supposed to. It felt like the universe and everyone in it were working against her.

The days dragged by and Annabelle lost all hope of ever surviving the castle. She was busy washing windows in the library one morning when she heard footsteps and hid behind the big curtains. She had no idea why she’d done it, but after hearing the conversation, she was glad.

“My lord the wench is nothing but a burden.”

“You say she’s something to look at, at least.”

“Yes my lord, that she is, fifteen years of age. She won’t be eligible to enter your harem for another three years. She can’t do the laundry or clean properly, I’m not sure what she did in King Magnus’s court, but she definitely wasn’t a slave.”

“You know Mazegus, I don’t really see how this is my problem. Move her somewhere else or dispose of her. I don’t have time to squander on slaves that can’t work.”

“Of course not my Lord, but Mrs Mueller is at her wits end. She’ll move the girl to the kitchen’s next.”

“Fine, fine.”

The footsteps retreated again and Annabelle let of a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. They were going to kill her. She needed to get out of the castle and quick. Where would she go? It didn’t really matter, did it?

Nobody believed she was a slave so it was time to come up with a new story, should someone bother to ask. She slacked off quite a lot during the rest of the day, knowing that before dinner time they’d tell her to move to the kitchen.

She needed to preserve her energy. She felt the air change and when she turned around the newly self-appointed King stood in front of her. His eyes flashed yellow and she looked down immediately. In the Dragon Kingdom, only the strongest of warriors were blessed with a dragon.

On their sixteenth birthday they were cast out and given one day rations and a sword. They had to make their way to Dragon Mountain and tame a beast. If they returned successfully, they were revered and honored.

Not all men had the ability to tame a dragon, but the honour also wasn’t reserved just for those of noble birth. Any man could try, few succeeded. If a boy’s eyes flashed yellow, they were sent to Dragon Mountain, it was as easy as that.

“My Lord ….”

“You sure are a pretty thing.”

“Thank you my Lord.”

He moved around her as she kept her head bowed because looking them in the eye was a sure way to get sent to the gallows.

“What is your name slave?”

Annabelle dared to glance up then and saw the man in front of her smiling at her. “Serena my Lord.”

“Tell me girl, what exactly was your role in King Magnus’s court.”

Annabelle’s eyes widened for just a second as her throat went dry. She hadn’t had time to think of a plausible reason to explain her unworthiness as a slave. “I … I was a playmate to the Princess my Lord.”

“Princess Annabelle?”

“Yes my Lord. As a child we played together and as she grew I helped her to dress and do her hair, brought her dinner …”

“I see.”

Without saying another word the King turned around and left her in the hallway. Annabelle’s heart beat ferociously against her ribs. The new lie was the first thing she could think of to say and she prayed that the King believed her, that it would save her neck.

She had barely started on beating the dust from the rugs on the floor when another slave girl, Meredith, called her to report to the kitchen. If she was going to the kitchens it meant the King hadn’t believed her story.

They were going to kill her, she just didn’t know when. She needed to escape, sooner rather than later. Dismayed she made her way to the large kitchens and reported to Mrs Mueller who regarded her like she regarded filth.

She’d been in the castle for at least two months now and she hadn’t been given the opportunity to bathe. She’d gotten used to her own rank smell after a week and she’d stopped trying to bother with her knotted hair.

She was first tasked with washing the dirt from the vegetables, which were easy enough, but then she had to start peeling them, soak them in clean water and dice them for the stew. Her fingers bled as she cut herself numerous times.

She received a few slaps and burned herself three times before Mrs Mueller told her to go sit in the corner and wait. This was it, she knew her time was up and dread filled her inside like stones. She looked around wildly and noticed that the kitchen door was seldom closed and there were no guards.

She’d have to wait, she couldn’t run now, not with everyone bustling around the kitchen. Mrs Mueller would notice her absence and sound the alarm because she glanced at Annabelle every few minutes. Annabelle was determined to survive this.

The servants appeared to serve the food to the higher ranking officials and the royal family. Servants were a step above slaves and they were actually paid for their work. Slaves were fed scraps and left overs, if there were any, and slept in the cellar on straw mattresses.

Annabelle waited, laying on the mattress she had fashioned for herself. Soft snores could be heard as the slaves fell asleep. There was no door where they slept and they’d gotten used to the sounds of the castle and the ensuing silence that always followed.

When she heard the guards walk past their room she shot up from the mattress and crept silently to the door. The coast would be clear for the next four minutes. She had to hurry. She grabbed the thin blanket she was given on her first night and wrapped it around herself.

It was now or never.