The class ended with a loud thud as Lady Freya dropped Lumina’s embroidery cloth on the desk. Her voice followed, cold and sharp.
"Your punishment is over today, since you are finally done with this." she began staring at how perfect the design is.
She is furious at how Lumina always finds a way to escape her punishment and would always do whatever she wanted perfectly, she doesn’t want to even think about the lashes she always received and still wouldn’t make a sound.
Lumina didn’t move for a while, her fingers throbbed from hours of needlework.
She had tried to hold her hand steady, tried to follow the lines drawn on the cloth like she was told but it was still hard for her not to poke her hand.
"Lady Freya... you haven’t struck me today." Lumina reminded her and Stela jabbed her giving her the ’are you serious look?’
Lady Freya should have done it but today’s earnings from Ashen made her withdraw.
"I decided not to do so today," she replied and Lumina snorted.
"Class dismissed!" Lady Freya Announced and the rest of the ladies stood up.
Lumina reached forward with shaking fingers, wanting to feel her work. But before she could lift it, that voice came.
"Sister..." Rhynera’s words were coated in fake sweetness. "You tried... but this isn’t embroidery. It’s a bleeding cloth.... You have your blood all over it."
Stella, who had been silently waiting behind Lumina, stepped forward at once. Her eyes flared with anger as she snatched the cloth from the table.
"This belongs to my lady and it’s none of your business." Stella snapped.
A loud smack echoed across the room and everyone turned in shock to see Rhynera had struck Stella across the face.
Even Lady Freya’s breath caught for a moment.
Stella stumbled and her cheek turned red instantly.
Lumina stood so fast her chair nearly fell behind her. Her voice was loud, trembling with anger and pain.
"How dare you hurt her!" Her voice echoed through the chamber walls, surprising every noble daughter present.
Rhynera also stepped back in fear, she knew this tone. It only flares up anytime Stella gets hurt.
Stella quickly rushed to her lady, grabbing her hand with both of hers.
"My lady, I am fine. Please, don’t get mad..."
But Lumina paid the deaf war. Her breathing was hard. She faced Rhynera straight on, as if her eyes could still see the girl standing there.
"Sister," Rhynera said with a soft voice, but her words were laced with irritation mixed with nervousness. "You don’t want to fight me because of a servant, do you?"
At her signal, several other ladies moved forward and stood beside her. Their expressions are proud, as if preparing for a battle of words or more.
"You want to fight the crown princess because of a girl ?" Princess Aurelia’s voice came sharply from the side.
She walked in from behind with her arms crossed, her presence instantly pulling the room to silence again.
Lumina took a deep breath. Her jaw tightened. Her palm was still bleeding from earlier embroidery.
"My lady... please." Stella’s voice came in again and Lumina sighed.
Three more days to her ceremony, she couldn’t afford a rumor, so she would let this go.
"I am sorry," she said softly, controlling her voice. "It won’t happen again." She held Stella’s hand tighter.
They stepped forward. But before they could make it out, Princess Aurelia shoved Lumina from the side, making her lose balance.
Stella cried out as Lumina crashed onto the floor, her knees hitting first with a dull thud. But before she could rise, a sharp pain struck her hand.
Aurelia had stepped on her palm so hard, now twisting her leg on Lumina’s palm.
A scream tore from Lumina’s lips. She gritted her teeth and curled inward from the pain, with blood oozing between her fingers.
"My lady!" Stella shouted, trying to rush forward. But one of the girls grabbed Stella and shoved her hard to the ground too.
"Seems like my brother’s attention is turning you into something you are not," Aurelia said, pressing harder with her heel. "You think because he holds your hands and acts like a puppy with you?"
Lumina didn’t speak but bit her lower lip so hard it bled.
"Please stop! Let her go!" Stella pleaded again.
Only then did Rhynera step forward, her tone filled with fake concern.
"Princess Aurelia... please. Her nuptial ceremony is near. It wouldn’t be right to see her injured before the event."
Aurelia hissed through her teeth now considering her words.
"You are lucky, you had a reasonable sister," she said, lifting her foot off Lumina’s hand. "If Rhynera wasn’t here, I would’ve taught you a lesson you forgot to learn."
With that, she turned and walked out, the other girls following her one by one having a proud smile on her face.
Rhynera stood back having that continuous victorious smile she always has behind her veil anytime Lumina is being punished.
Stella tried to help Lumina, but Rhynera pushed her gently aside and crouched down.
She placed her hands on Lumina’s hurt palm and pressed on it again using the disguise of helping her up. Lumina gritted her teeth but didn’t let out a sound.
When they both stood, Rhynera leaned close and whispered with a smile.
"I told you that you will always be below me." She pushed Lumina back gently and walked off.
Lumina stood still, her blindfold hid the tears, but Stella saw one fall from under the edge and her heart broke.
"My lady," she whispered. "I am sorry I was useless. I couldn’t protect you." Lumina finally spoke.
"Stella..." Her voice was soft, like she had not just been bullied.
"Let’s go back to the chambers," Lumina said softly.
Without another word, Stella followed quietly, and they walked back together. Stella could tell Lumina was hurt, but she didn’t say anything.
When they reached the chambers, they stopped in surprise. Many guards and maids were there, and their maids were kneeling on the floor, bowing.
"What’s going on?" Stella asked. Just then, one of the maids turned to Lumina.
"My lady, you are back... the queen is here and has asked for you in the inner chambers."
Lumina frowned slightly, wondering why the queen had come, but she didn’t let her discomfort show.
Just when she thought she would have a rest another trouble popped up.