The morning sun had barely risen when Isla woke to a sharp scream that pierced through the halls.
Her eyes flew open.
She sat up quickly, her heart pounding. The scream came again, followed by loud thuds and angry voices.
Throwing off the blanket, she rushed to the door, yanked it open, and stepped outside. The hallway was chaotic.
Gasps. Whispers. Footsteps.
And then she saw it—
A maid was being dragged across the marble floor by a guard. She was naked, her skin bruised and bleeding from the lashes of a whip that another guard swung at her mercilessly as they moved.
Isla's eyes widened in horror. Her body froze as the girl let out another scream that echoed through the palace.
Maidens stood at the sides, whispering amongst themselves. None of them moved to help.
Shaken, Isla walked closer to one of the maids standing near her.
"What happened?" she whispered urgently.
The maid looked at her, lowering her voice. "She was caught having an affair with a palace guard," she said quietly. "It's forbidden... because she's meant to be kept for Lord Luciano."
Isla blinked in disbelief.
"So she's the only one being punished?"
The maid shook her head. "No. The guard she was with—he's been thrown into the dungeon. I'm praying he doesn't get the death sentence."
Isla looked at her sharply. "What do you mean by that?"
The maid swallowed. "The last time something like this happened... the guard was killed."
Isla instinctively covered her mouth, horrified. "And the girl?"
The maid lowered her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. "In most cases... she becomes a tool. They let the guards use her as they wish."
Isla stared at her in shock. "You mean… multiple men will have their way with her? Just because she gave herself to someone she loved… someone who isn't Luciano?"
The maid nodded slowly, her eyes filled with silent sorrow.
Before Isla could even think, her feet moved. Her body pushed forward as if something had taken over. She rushed past the others and ran after the guards dragging the broken girl outside.
"Hey!" she screamed. "Let her go!"
She didn't know what she was doing—but she knew she couldn't just stand there.
The guards paused for a second, stunned by her voice.
She reached them and shoved the guard holding the girl by the arm, pushing him back with all the strength she had. The crowd gasped.
She stood in front of the battered maid, breathing heavily, her eyes blazing with fury.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Isla yelled.
The guards stared at her, momentarily confused by her boldness.
The girl on the floor looked up at Isla, her eyes swollen from crying, her lips trembling. Bruises and blood marked her skin.
Isla knelt beside her gently, wiping her tears away with her sleeve. Her touch was soft, filled with concern.
"It's okay," she whispered to her. "You're safe now."
One of the guards stepped forward, his expression hard. "Move out of the way," he ordered coldly.
Isla stood up, slowly turning to face him.
"No."
The guard narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to play the hero here, Miss?"
She stepped closer to him, her voice sharp with hatred.
"Aren't you stupid for asking me such a stupid question?" she snapped.
The guard looked taken aback.
"Let me ask you something," she continued. "If she were your younger sister… would you allow a man to treat her like this? Beat her, shame her, for loving someone?"
The guard opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"You have no words, do you?" Isla went on, her voice trembling with emotion. "Because you know this is inhumane. It's wicked!"
She pointed at the girl behind her. "I'm sure you're excited to violate her because that's the rule around here, isn't it? She belongs to the Lord, and if she disobeys, the rest of you get to punish her however you want."
She shook her head. "Aren't you ashamed?"
The crowd around them stood frozen. Even the guards said nothing.
Isla turned back and helped the girl to her feet, holding her tightly.
But before she could say anything more—crack!
A whip lashed across her back.
She let out a soft gasp but didn't fall. She stood her ground.
Turning around slowly, she looked at the guard who'd struck her.
"Oh… that's your response?" she said, voice steady.
"Step away," the guard growled.
She didn't move.
"If you don't," he warned, "I'll hit you harder than I did her."
Isla laughed, a dry and fearless laugh.
"Really?" she said. "Then go ahead, Mr. Guard! Do it!"
The young girl behind her reached out, tapping Isla's shoulder. "Please… don't defend me," she whispered.
But Isla didn't back away.
Before the whip could strike again—
"That's enough!" a deep voice commanded.
Everyone turned.
Luciano stood at the top of the steps, dressed in a dark robe, his face unreadable. His presence alone silenced the entire courtyard.
Every servant bowed instantly.
Except Isla.
Even when the girl tried to kneel, Isla held her hand tightly.
"Don't," she said sharply. "Don't bow."
Luciano slowly walked down the steps toward them, his boots echoing against the stone floor. He stopped in front of Isla, towering over her, eyes fixed.
"Belle," he said, voice low but firm. "Take her inside."
A hushed silence fell over the crowd.
The maids raised their heads, stunned by what they heard.
"Did he just… call her Belle?"
"She's carrying her?" someone whispered.
"She's stronger than she looks."
Isla said nothing. She just nodded and gently carried the girl in her arms, ignoring everyone's eyes as she walked back into the palace.
She didn't look back at Luciano.
She carried the girl all the way to her own room and placed her carefully on the bed. She moved quickly, grabbing a small box from her drawer filled with healing oils and clean bandages.
As she sat down beside the girl, she took a damp cloth and began cleaning the wounds with gentle hands.
But before she could finish, the girl wrapped her arms tightly around Isla, burying her face in her chest.
"Thank you," she sobbed. "Thank you so much. I thought I was going to die."
Isla hugged her back, stroking her hair.
"Don't cry," she said softly. "You're safe now. Everything will be okay."
After a few minutes, when the girl finally calmed down, Isla continued tending to her wounds, whispering soothing words.
When she was done, she went to her drawer and pulled out a clean dress.
"Here, wear this," Isla said, handing it to her. "It might be a bit big, but it'll keep you warm."
The girl took it with trembling hands.
"What's your name?" Isla asked gently.
The girl wiped her tears and smiled faintly.
"My name is Gaia."
Isla smiled back. "How old are you, Gaia?"
"I'm sixteen," she replied.
Isla blinked. "You're sixteen? You're so young..."
She paused. "How long have you been here?"
Gaia looked down at the floor, her smile fading. "I've been here since I was a little girl."
"What?" Isla asked, stunned. "What do you mean?"
Gaia took a deep breath. "My parents… they traded me for a piece of land from Lord Luciano."
She gave a broken smile. "So I grew up here."
Isla felt her chest tighten.
She sat beside Gaia, quietly holding her hand.
In that moment, she knew—there was so much more darkness in this palace than she could have ever imagined.