{Music Recommendation: Unwanted ~ D2S1}
Izrina sat on the bed, still trying to recover from whatever had just happened to her. The woman had an intimidating aura that made her find breathing difficult.
"Rina, yes?" One of the women dropped a dress on her body. "Change into this and have some grit. That is the only way you can survive here."
Spinola waited for everyone to look away before she gave Izrina attention. "Darling, are you alright?" she helped her get into the new dress.
Izrina nodded, sniffling. The princess knew the woman was right. She didn't have to show weakness, but how she could she not? When each moment reminded her that she wasn't a princess anymore. She had been reduced to something worse, and her parents were dead.
"Shh....don't cry here." Spinola patted the girl on her back. "You did well earlier." And it was the truth. For a girl who had never had to do things for herself or even receive orders from people. The girl was doing just great.
"I saw a place you can wash up, when others leave the room. I'll take you there." Spinola had noticed the girl didn't get to wash up properly.
"Let's move ladies, I wish you all to meet the man of your dreams." The women trooped out of the room in small groups chattering and laughing.
The bells around their wrist announced their presence even before their face. The royal courtyard soon filled with courtesans who were ready to serve the king's guests.
Unlike Izrina who didn't belong here, the rest of the women seemed happy in the place.
"Let's leave now." Spinola took Izrina's hand before leaving the woman picked up a pouch near another woman's bed.
Izrina trotted behind Spinola, her stare blank and tired. She moved because she was being pushed, not because she had the will to.
Outside their room, the clouds had gathered in the sky. It was either dusk or rainfall, but the hallways lit up with fire torches casting shadows of everything everyone on the walls. Blazing lights in every corner of the palace.
It was the first time Izrina walked around her new home. The princess forgot about her situation. She stared at the mansion in awe, comparing it to her palace. She missed home so much.
"I heard from the girls that a fountain was around here....you can have a fresh bath while I stay on lookout." Spinola opened Izrina's palm, placed a pouch in her hand. "I saw one of the girls hide this...it has a good scent." she removed the bell from her wrist.
"You don't have to wear this, you're a princess and not whatever stupid soiled dove they talk about." The woman muttered to herself. She couldn't imagine a whole princess serving her body to old rotten old men and their deranged king that should seek help.
"You heard what they said about the king, I knew that young man has lost it. I was right about him." Spinola continued shaking her head,
"We can't stay here....I need to find Cora....we need to leave this place. Everyone here has lost their mind. We sh-"
Izrina touched the woman's face gently, causing her to stop. "Breathe, Spinola." she whispered faintly. "Breathe...."
Spinola closed her eyes, with a shaky breath she inhaled deeply.
Izrina stared at the woman with pity. All these while the woman had tried to remain strong, but this showed that she was also greatly affected and scared. They all were.
"I should have protected you...I let that woman...." Spinola puffed, shaking her head.
Izrina raised the pouch. "Let us focus on things we can control for now...until we leave this place."
Spinola nodded,she was grateful the princess wasn't the one being emotional. One person had to be stable. "We will-"
"Who is there?" A guard barked.
Spinola dragged Izrina down, making herself visible. "Good sir," she waved her hand to show her bell.
"A pro- soiled dove?" The guard frowned, "What are you doing over there..."
Spinola moved her shoulders so her dress would drop then she smiled, "I might have lost my way," she flipped her hair like a damsel in distress.
Izrina watched how Spinola could effortlessly waltz from emotionally wrecked to fitting into her new identity. The woman was quite reliable. And as stupid as it sounds, Izrina was glad she was stuck in this tragedy with someone like her.
"You are not allowed to be there, come over here now." The guard's voice softened when he saw the woman's skin.
Spinola waved her hands, "I'm coming, my shoes are..." she bent over, pretending to fix her shoes. "Stay here...I'll come find you as soon as I cam." she promised before running towards the guard.
"The weather is cold, my lord. Let us go inside so I can keep you warm."
Minutes passed with Izrina still hiding in same spot, she listened for Spinola's voice but heard a silence that pressed her heavily.
The silence, which was supposed to give her peace, echoed the voices and cries that Izrina wished not to think about. At least not now, until she was in the right place to mourn her family.
Tired of waiting, Izrina decided to sit on the ground but she felt her dress soak up with water. When she looked down, the princess noticed water flowed down to a path. Izrina took a quick glance around for where the water came from. There, she found fountain Spinola had spoken earlier of.
"You were asked to wait." Izrina tried to advise herself. She turned her attention away from the fountain that now tempted her. She was supposed to obey Spinola, the woman hadn't made a decision that didn't keep them alive until now.
Intrusive thoughts won against reasoning.
"Just this once." Izrina muttered. She peeked around, seeing that she was alone, she crawled towards the fountain, which was hidden among very tall trees With a high stairs that made it stand high. The place was well hidden, made Izrina wonder while it was built if it wasn't going to be seen by others.
Izrina took slow steps towards the geyser. The closer she drew to it, the more she felt like running towards it while screaming at the top of her lungs.
The place reminded Izrina of her home. Peaceful, isolated and heavenly. A perfect place to hide.
Izrina dropped her dress, she rushed into the spring with the pouch of scented soap and before she could stop herself, she was already washing herself. It was the first breath of life she had taken since escaping her kingdom.
Throwing the water up and blowing bubbles, the girl dipped herself in and out of the water. Enjoying every moment of it. If she could, Izrina wanted to be buried in this place.
The voices in her head listened to the water trickle down and gush...they listened and they stayed silent.
An idea hit Izrina and she sat up. Walking over to her dress, she picked it up and put it on. Even in a transparent dress, she didn't feel exposed at all.
Izrina moved her feet up and down, then her hands followed with the rhythm she hummed in her mind. Her hips swayed to the side, moving her wet hair up and down.
"Graceful..." Izrina muttered, she tipped her toes and spinned her body. Clapping her hands, she jumped on the fountain stairs then ran around it slapping the waters to cause a splash.
As she danced, Izrina could only think about her mother. Her innocent mother who had loved her until her last breath.
"Wise..." Izrina moved her hands to the back with her eyes closed, she jumped down, spinning her body with grace.
When she opened her eyes, she noticed she was standing at the edge. Izrina stared down, a fall from a place like this would kill her. She moved back slowly then began dancing again towards the edge.
Each step she took was a quiet scream. The girl was pleading to be freed. If she let death take her, then the burden Spinola and Cora carried would disappear. Then she will reunite with her family.
Izrina got to the edge again but then she moved back again. She turned her body in a fast spin, her hair danced along with her and so did her hands that brushed the wind. Death didn't want her, so she lives in a single dance.
"Please...." Izrina rasped, out of breath..."Accept my soul, mother. I cannot do this anymore." instead of dancing, she ran to the edge, again. Stood there for a moment, thinking of her final moment.
It was worth it because her life had ended with a dance but she worried for Spinola who would be devastated.
"I'm sorry, Spinola." Izrina dropped her hands down to her side. Izrina opened her mouth to say something but felt something crawl up her leg. As she tried to hit it off, she missed a step.
"Ahhhh!!!" Izrina screamed for help, and she didn't even understand why she had done that. Since she had come to die.
"Help me!" Izrina yelled, forgetting she was supposed to stay hidden.
A hand reached forward, pulling a distraught Izrina back up to stand on the edge.
"Thank you." Izrina muttered, using her hand to move away the hair on her face so she could see the face of her savior. "Tha-"
Time froze. Or maybe because Izrina held her breath.
Staring back at Izrina were two pairs of pitch-black eyes, with angular high cheekbones and sharp jawline. The breeze moved his tousled hair around his shoulder and his face in a wild elegance.
Stay away from that beast and monster. Izrina heard Spinola's voice in her mind and a lump formed in her throat. Same beast and monster was holding her, stopping her from jumping to her death.
"T-thank y-ou." Izrina tried to wriggle her hand free but the King tightened his grip. Mirth dancing in his eyes. Like a cat who had trapped the neighbors bird.
Neron moved his head to the side, his thick brows knitted together. "If you hear a voice in your head that says die...then, by all means, kill yourself."
"Huh?"
Neron let go of her hand, with a twisted grin. "Then the voice will silence itself." He pushed her chest.