5. The Luna's Handmaid
THALIA'S POV
"Thank you for saving me, mate,” I rasped. Savior stiffened; I could hear his heart racing. I lifted my head to look at his face, his eyes widened. All my senses told me to back away now that I could, but my body longed for the skinship. So, I foolishly tightened my hands around him. Biggest mistake of the evening.
Savior pushed me away with great force, and I found myself crashing against a flower pot in the garden. I winced in pain but didn't dare to raise my head. I saw this coming from a mile away.
"Have you lost your mind, slave?" He barked, approaching me. "Do you think I came here to save you? Do you think you're worth that much to me?"
Yes. I knew he came to save me, but not because he cherished me or anything. Rather, it was because he would become weak if I was not by his side, alive and well.
"Apologies, my king," my voice shook as I said those words. There was an arrow planted in my heart from his rejection, and it hurt so bad that I felt as if I was suffocating.
"Keep your filthy apologies for the dogs," Savior spat. He looked around suspiciously, then he squatted before me and grabbed my hair, forcing me to look at his face, then he lowered his voice. "I don't want to ever hear you address me as your mate ever again. Do you understand?"
I swallowed, eyes blurred by tears, lips quivering. "Yes, my king."
Savior stood upright and averted his gaze away from me. From his expression and concentration, I knew he was mind-linking someone. It was not long before some guards appeared out of the shadows to drag away the dead rogues.
I remained on the ground, badly bruised on my elbows and mentally broken. Both physically and emotionally, I was in pain. The taste of my own blood in my mouth and the concoction I had from the attack of the rogues reminded me of my pathetic situation.
After the guards finished cleaning up the garden, they escorted Savior back to the main castle. I heard a rustle of footsteps nearby, alerting me. I quickly turned to the direction it came from, my heart thumping. "Who...who is there?"
I could see the heat from the person's body, and from their structure, I knew they were female. "It's me, Annla," my fellow slave and bedmate said, and I breathed out in relief. "Are you alright, Thalia?"
I managed to nod weakly, not trusting my voice to reveal the pain within me. She was the only maid who ever showed me kindness in this wicked world.
Annla helped me to my feet, her touch gentle yet hesitant. It was a known fact that anyone who dared to help me would be accused of pitying me because of my condition, and Savior hated it. So, no one ever helped me even when I needed it.
Annla looked around before whispering, concern etched in her tone. "What happened?"
I shook my head, smiling, unwilling to share the tale of my humiliation and heartbreak. I didn't trust anyone enough to let them into my life.
Understanding that I didn't wish to speak, Annla wordlessly guided me back to the maids' quarter, away from the prying eyes of the passersby maids who wanted to know what was happening.
The shadows hid my tears well as I collapsed onto my cot. The thick scent of despair hung heavy in the air, mingling with the herbs Annla used to tend to my wounds. Without my powers, I was almost like a human, slow in healing.
Annla couldn't continue questioning me because she was summoned. I needed her silent comfort even though I couldn't tell her anything. That night, I cried myself to sleep, the weight of my mate's betrayal and rejection crushing my spirits.
The next morning wasn't any better as I was awakened aggressively. I screamed out of my sleep as cold water was doused on my head.
"Wake up, you useless wretch!" the sharp voice of the head housekeeper, Matilda, echoed through the room. "Your chores are not going to wait for you until noon."
I groaned in pain, my head still reeling. "Housekeeper, it is not yet time for the king's meal," I complained and immediately regretted it as Matilda's cane hit my skin through the fabric of my thin dress.
"It is not yet time for the king's meal, but it is time for the Luna's bath," the brute woman said, scornfully.
I lifted my head, confusion etched so deep it penetrated my soul. "I don't understand..."
Matilda's cane bounced off my skin again, and I winced, swallowing my tears. This was little compared to the horrors I have had to endure.
"You have been assigned some extra duties," Matilda began, hands crossed behind her back. "You have been assigned as the Luna's handmaid."
Matilda's declaration hit me like a tidal wave, washing away my last grain of hope. The cruel irony of my situation crashed upon me— I was going to be forced to serve the woman my mate married. There was nothing more painful. She held my position as Luna, but I was going to be her handmaid, and I had no option to reject. My heart clenched painfully in my chest.
"Get up, you useless wretch!" Matilda's harsh tone sliced through the air, and I unconsciously stumbled to my feet, my body protesting the sudden movement since it was still arching.
Matilda dragged me out, leaving me no space to fetch my cane. As I was led to the Luna's quarters, my mind raced with thoughts of the torment that awaited me. I knew Janette not from now, and she had never liked me.
The Luna's chamber were opulent, adorned with lavish decorations and a lingering scent of expensive perfumes.
Janette, the new Luna, sat regally on a cushioned chair, a smug expression on her face. Her eyes flickered with a mix of hatred and disdain as I entered.