On the edge….
“Aren’t you going to say anything to defend yourself?” he said after a long moment of silence. For a long while, I didn’t say anything, or let’s just say I didn’t even have anything coming to mind to say.
“Ashely?” he continued, and even though I didn’t move an inch from where I stood, I was completely scared of what he would most likely do if he suddenly got angry.
“Your highness, I…”
“Come here!” he ordered, cutting me off as I spoke. My eyes looked around the place as I tried calculating just how fast I would have to run just in case he decided to take the matter of my punishment into his own hands-literally! In compliance with his order, I walked closer to where he had asked for me to, and very surprisingly, he looked up to face me. I instantly looked away to avoid maintaining eye contact with him, as he had always warned me never to do so in my pathetic life-his words, not mine.
“Look up to face me.”
“Oh, your highness, but yo…”
“Shut it! I’m telling you to look up, now!” I sighed in defeat, completely helpless at this point. I feared maintaining eye contact with him so much, but since he himself had given me permission to look up to him, then I would do it either way. As soon as my gaze met his, I was immediately tempted to look back down, but I knew better than to do so.
“What were we talking about before, or it seems you have forgotten so quickly.” I kept quiet for a while, trying to recall what exactly he was talking about. However, as soon as it came to me that the only thing we had discussed was the whole situation involving me being sold, a helpless frown soon settled on my face.
“It seems you have recalled what the discussion was about, good to see that,” he continued, and I gulped nervously.
“Now, you already know that you have a lot at stake, yet you still go about making things hard for everyone in the mansion. Every day you are constantly giving us even more reasons why we should have you sold off for at least the sake of our own safety.” I bit my lips as he spoke, contemplating whether or not to actually reveal what was on my mind.
“Your highness, I had actually done that because I…”
“I don’t want to hear it, Ashely! I don’t want to hear the silly explanation you have. Left to me, I would have had you thrown into a dungeon for the nonsense you keep doing. Just shut up,” he yelled, making me flinch as I took in his words like a hard and bitter pill to swallow. Very slowly, I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, but I just had to summon every bit of willpower I had to keep them from falling-at least in front of Simon. Amidst all this going on, from the corner of my eye, I noticed a slight movement coming from the stairs, and I turned to see Veronica standing there, filled with happiness that was clearly written all over her face.
I looked away to help keep myself strong because I knew that having her enjoy the moment was going to hurt me even more. On the other hand, I didn’t realize that Simon had been watching my every move all this while. As soon as I turned to face him again, I noticed that his attention was clearly on me, so I pursed my lips anxiously.
“Come here,” he ordered, and I obediently walked closer to him as he commanded. He kept calling me even closer, and it got to the point where I started wondering where the whole thing was supposed to be going exactly. As soon as I got very close, to the point where there was barely any space left for me to move again, he then remained silent for a while. The whole room was so quiet that I could clearly hear the sound of my heart beating as well as my hitched breath just from having Simon so close to me. From where he had made me stand, my hips were very close to his head as he sat very comfortably on the two-seater he and Lucas had been sitting on before I was brought in.
“Sit,” he said, and I couldn’t help but wonder where exactly I was supposed to sit, especially when he had made it nearly impossible for me to walk away from where he had ordered me to stand.
“Didn’t you hear what I said, or are you purposefully disrespecting me?” he questioned, and I immediately shook my head out of fear of whatever he might actually do if I did not do as told.
“Sit down, Ashley,” he said with finality, and I looked around for where I was going to sit. He watched me as I looked about, but as soon as my gaze landed back on him, he instantly patted his lap.
“What? No, I… actually, your highness,” I started, but he looked at me with so much sternness that I knew I just had to shut up and do what he asked. Without saying anything more, I quietly took a seat, trying to avoid “the place” where his third leg carefully resided. As soon as I took my seat, he instantly adjusted me to the exact place I had been avoiding, and my eyes instantly widened in shock. I couldn’t tell where this was going, but it really didn’t seem like a punishment anymore at this point. My back was made to face him directly, so frankly speaking, I couldn’t see his face to at least be able to tell what he was thinking or something. We remained like this for a while, and I soon remembered Veronica, who had been standing over by the staircase enjoying the sight of me being yelled at by Simon. As soon as I looked over there and saw that she was no longer in sight, a smile instantly came to my face-who knew I would end up getting the last laugh after all?
Unfortunately, Simon instantly pushed me away to get up from his lap, and although I did feel a bit embarrassed by it, the incident was fortunately not seen by the witch herself. Without saying a word to me, he made his way upstairs, leaving me on the ground where I had fallen from the impact of his push. I quickly got up and tried making my way to the study room where Lucas had entered. Even if everybody else had their backs against me, having Lucas’ support was definitely huge enough to make a lot of difference, so I didn’t want to blow things with him.
“I will have to apologize to Lucas for what happened. I really don’t want him to actually consider the idea of me being sold off,” I said to myself, as I strengthened my resolve to go meet with him.
As I made my way to the study room, my thoughts swirled in a chaotic mix of fear, desperation, and a sliver of hope. The halls were eerily quiet, every footstep I took echoing louder than it should, as if the mansion itself were holding its breath. My mind raced with possibilities, each one darker than the last, but I knew I had to focus. Lucas was my only ally left in this place, and I couldn’t afford to lose his support.
When I finally reached the heavy wooden door of the study, I paused, my hand hovering just above the doorknob. My heart pounded in my chest, and for a moment, I considered turning back. But then I remembered Simon’s harsh words, the looming threat of being sold, and Veronica’s smug face as she relished in my humiliation. No, I couldn’t back down now. I had to see this through.
Taking a deep breath, I knocked softly, hoping Lucas was still inside. After a brief moment, I heard a faint voice call out, “Come in.” I pushed the door open and stepped inside, immediately greeted by the familiar scent of old books and the sight of Lucas sitting behind the massive mahogany desk, engrossed in a stack of papers.
He looked up as I entered, his expression softening slightly when he saw me. “Ashley,” he said, his tone neutral, giving nothing away. “What brings you here?”
I hesitated, searching for the right words. “Lucas, I… I wanted to apologize. For earlier. I know I’ve caused trouble, and I never meant for things to get this bad.”
Lucas leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest as he regarded me with a thoughtful expression. “You’ve been through a lot,” he acknowledged, his voice calm and measured. “But you need to understand the position you’re in. Simon is under a lot of pressure, and so am I. This isn’t just about you; it’s about everyone in this household.”
“I know,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “And I’m trying to do better, really, I am. But it feels like no matter what I do, it’s never enough. I’m always one step away from disaster.”
Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair as he looked at me with a mix of sympathy and frustration. “It’s not easy for anyone, Ashley. But you need to be more careful. One wrong move, and things could spiral out of control.”
I nodded, tears welling up in my eyes as the weight of his words settled over me. “I don’t want to be sold, Lucas. I can’t-” My voice broke, and I had to bite my lip to keep from crying.
Lucas’s gaze softened, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of the kind, understanding man I had known before everything had gone wrong. This was however instantly replaced with his usual cold expression, and he sighed heavily “No one wants that,” he said gently. “But you need to help us help you. Stay out of trouble, do what’s expected of you, and maybe… just maybe, we can find a way to make things right.”
I took a deep, shuddering breath and nodded again, feeling a small spark of hope. “I will, Lucas. I promise. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
He gave me a small, reassuring smile and then gestured towards the door. “Go get some rest. Tomorrow is a new day, and you’ll need your strength.”
I turned to leave, but just as I reached the door, Lucas called out to me again. “Ashley?”
“Yes?” I turned back, hoping he might have something else to say.
“Be careful,” he said, his voice serious. “Simon is on edge, and Veronica… well, she’s always watching. Don’t give her any more reasons to cause trouble.”
“I won’t,” I promised, before slipping out of the study and quietly closing the door behind me.
As I made my way back to my room, I couldn’t help but feel the heavy burden of the situation pressing down on me. The mansion that had once felt like a place of refuge now seemed like a gilded cage, and the people within it like shadows waiting to pounce on any sign of weakness.
But I had to stay strong. For myself, for Lucas, and for whatever slim chance I had left at escaping the fate that seemed to be closing in on me.
The night was long, and sleep came only in fitful snatches, but when the first light of dawn filtered through my window, I knew one thing for certain: I wasn’t going to let them break me.
Not yet.
The first light of dawn brought with it a sense of determination I hadn’t felt in a long time. The mansion, usually so imposing in the dim light, now seemed less like a prison and more like a battlefield where I still had a chance to win. But to do that, I needed a plan. I couldn’t afford any more missteps.
I dressed quickly, opting for something simple and unobtrusive-anything to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. I knew the day ahead would be full of challenges, but I also knew that Lucas’s warning from the night before was still fresh in my mind: Simon was on edge, and Veronica was always watching.