127

“You’re late,” Dogara said as Toreh graced the drawing room with her presence. Quickly, she curtsied.

“My apologies my queen. Your nephew delayed me.”

Dogara sighed. “Of course, he did. Wilhelm tells me I’m a fool for considering you a tutor for my grandson and I’d like to think he’s wrong. Did you really kill someone Toreh?”

Toreh looked at her feet. “It happened many years ago. I was young, but strong enough to yield a stake.”

“And when you yielded one?”, Dogara asked as she gestured for Toreh to sit.

“I staked a vampire,” she replied, sitting down.

“I suppose that was your first kill?”

“And my last.”

“Don’t be so sure slave. Not now that you’ve gained enemies.”

“Surely you don’t consider Eloive’s eligible brides as your friends?”

“I don’t,” Toreh said before looking up. “I hope my reply doesn’t bother her majesty.”

“No. I’m simply intrigued. You’re so young, yet you’re well refined. Judging from the way you speak, you’re educated. Tall, beautiful and well trained. The only problem is that….”

“I’m a slave,” Toreh finished.

Dogara smiled. “You lean fast. You’d be a good tutor for my grandson.”

Toreh’s eyes widened. “Does that mean I’m hired?”

“I have hired you today child, but it’s up to you to keep your job. I understand that my grandson feels something for you but it’s up to you to kill that fire, if you still want your sister alive.”

Toreh gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Dogara arched a brow at her words. “I am the queen. I do dare. Your wages would be daily and you would only be paid if I am satisfied with your work. It has come to my knowledge that your owner has been out of the kingdom off on some business trip and has left you in Madame Negro's care. She handed you over to your mother because she didn’t have the time to take care of you. I was also informed that your mother lives very far from the palace, even far from the common folk. On this note, you shall reside on palace grounds, but you will dine with the servants and help out in the day’s work after your lessons.”

“So, I don’t get to rest?”, Toreh asked, staring at the queen.

“Back in my day, slaves didn’t even know how to sleep. I will come see your mother later and discuss some trivial matters with her. Who knows, she might work here in the palace. A great upgrade don't you think?”

“Not one my mother would like. She doesn’t exactly like you Lancasters.”

Dogara smiled. “Nobody ever seems to, but that’s their problem, not ours. Your mother will work for us, so will your loud-mouthed sister. I shall have every one of you work from sunrise to sunset till your bones hurt and you are sorry for your crimes.”

“I killed the vampire. Why should they be punished on my account?”

“For simply being related to you. I’m not usually this harsh slave but with so many eyes watching me, I can’t afford to be all smiley with you.”

“Of course. I forgot for a second what is expected of you as the queen of such a great kingdom.”

“I’ll pardon your sister, mostly because my son seems to be smitten by her. But as for your mother, she’ll work for me and she cannot refuse.”

“I’ll do well to pass the message across to my mother, my queen. Anyways, may I know when I’m to start work?”

“I expect you here once the festive season is over. You know, the day after the epiphany, or whatever you Catholics call it. Before then, you shall meet with the royal seamstress and get clothes befitting for you.”

She was shocked. Royal seamstress? “I’m…I’m quite okay with my clothes.”

Dogara shot her a look. “Toreh, if you think I am going to let you wander these walls while wearing clothes twice your size, you must be mad. You cannot dress like a slave while attending to my grandson. You will be with him most of the time and when you’re not, you’ll be working with the servants. Is that clear?”

“Yes, my queen. If the queen permits, I would like to see her grandson, prince Eloive.”

Dogara was baffled. “I just asked you to stay away from him.”

“And I will,” Toreh said. “After I become his tutor. For now, I want to enjoy whatever we have before it’s over.”

Dogara sighed. “Permission granted. Just don’t keep him for too long. Breakfast is by ten.”

Toreh stood up. “Thank you, my queen.”

“No, I should thank you, for filling my boy with life.”

…..

Amar was overwhelmed by the metallic scent of blood the minute she stepped into the gore room. She wrinkled her nose and took the face mask the prince was offering.

“You can always turn around,” Elvis said softly, noticing her discomfort.

“And accept defeat? Never,” she said, putting on the mask.

“Very well then,” he concluded, advancing forward. Amar followed closely behind him, taking in the dead men that hung from the ceiling upside down, missing a limb. She jumped over a skull, narrowly avoiding a pool of fresh blood. Somebody had been killed here today.

“Watch out for the mogul,” Eloive said as he ducked his head to the side.

“The what?”, she asked, confused.

“Mogul.”

“What’s a…”, she trailed off as she heard it.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Horrified, she looked up to see a dead man hanging upside down from the ceiling. He was missing a limb and a spinal cord. His skin was lacerated, and Amar was certain he had been whipped. She looked closely and saw something white peeking out of his knee. Was that his bone? His face was burnt, hair shaven. He was dead, but still bleeding and his blood was soaking her clothes and soiling her shoes.

“Shouldn’t he have bled out by now?”

“We killed him this morning. I’m even as surprised as you. Look, it’s best you come over here unless you want to leave here stinking like a dead man.”

She scurried to the prince’s side, grasping his arm. “Can we leave please? I…”

“Leave? We just got here and I’m yet to show you our torture equipment.”

“I don’t care about your torture equipment! My clothes are stained with blood and I’m starting to feel queasy.”

Elvis glanced at her. “Fine. But just so you know, you’ve lost.”

She glared. “My skin is more important than winning a game. Now, if his royal highness would be kind enough to get me out of here, I’d really appreciate it.”

“Get on my back.”

She let go of his arm, shocked. “What?”

“Get on my back, unless you want to walk in those shoes.”

“I don’t want to walk in these shoes and I also don’t want my breasts pressing into your back.”

Elvis laughed. “You’re the only woman I know who turns down a piggyback ride from a prince.”

She rolled her eyes. “The women you’ve met must be boring then. If I get on your back, you’re going to ask your servants to run me a bath and get me food.”

He raised a brow. “Food? You still want to eat after what you’ve just seen?”

She shot him a look. “A few dead bodies can never stand between me and delicious goodness. Now bend so that I can get on. You’re too tall.”