Serenah's eyes slowly opened. Outside, the darkness of pre-dawn still filled the sky. She grabbed her clock and looked at the time. It was Monday. On any other day, this fact would have brought a smile to her face. This morning was different.
After her father's declaration of punishment for her, she spent the weekend in misery. Her body still ached from Saturday's beating. The vivid bruises were visible reminders of her family's hatred toward her. It would take a while for them to fade. To prolong her suffering, her father had forbidden any healing.
He wanted to burn into her memory that she meant nothing to him. She was unwanted and unloved. Her heart ached. She closed her eyes, willing away the tears that threatened to fall. She would not weep. She had to bear with it.
She didn't move from her bed until the dawn's rays pierced through the curtains. Gingerly, she swung her legs free of the blanket and stood. On silent feet, she padded over to the balcony, pulled aside the curtain, unlatched the lock, and pushed open the glass doors.
The bite of winter's cold touched her. She shivered, her breath steaming the air. She stared off into the distance and wondered how Romeo was doing. Had he tried to contact her? Was he worried?
Serenah stroked her fated mark, feeling a faint tingle of warmth from it in response to her thoughts. She wished Romeo weren't human. If he were like her, she could use the mark to contact him instead of a phone. She shook her head. No use worrying about things she couldn't change.
Reluctantly, she went inside, closing the balcony doors behind her. She decided to take a shower and get to work on her homework. She didn't have anything else to do.
~***~
Three hours later, a sharp rap on her bedroom door startled Serenah. She pulled her gaze from her math homework and called out, "Enter." She frowned when her father's aide, Baron Tymons Havard, strode inside. He wore his usual harried look and disapproving scowl.
She tensed. Nothing good ever happened when he came to deliver her father's edicts. The Baron bowed slightly.
"Your Highness. I have a message from the king."
Serenah kept her attention focused on Baron Havard. He didn't wait for her acknowledgment before delivering the message.
"Princess Serenah is hereby stripped of her title for the next two weeks and shall be reduced to a serving maid. She will obey the orders of the head maid and is subject to the same punishment as the other maids if she fails in executing her duties properly."
Serenah gasped, her body stiff in shock at the baron's words. She felt as if she might faint. Her shock increased as Baron Havard continued.
"The princess is also ordered to report daily to the king's office at one p.m. to speak with the king beginning today and ending at the end of two weeks. Are there any questions?"
"No," she whispered. Her shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Good. Please follow me. You must get dressed for work."
She stood, a chilling cold stealing across her body and soul. Her father truly wanted to break her. She was almost there. She didn't know how much longer she could hold out.
She followed Baron Havard in silence. He took her toward the servants' wing. They went to the head maid's office and were ushered in. Havard explained the situation to Naywren, the head maid.
"I understand and shall obey," said Naywren. "Come, Serenah. Let's get you changed."
Serenah followed Naywren to a storage room. She was forced to change from her dress into the plain, unadorned black and white maid's dress. Naywren helped her pull her long hair up in the required bun.
"I shall place you with the junior maids. They are scrubbing the floors in the banquet hall."
Serenah said nothing as they went to the banquet hall. Naywren made sure to take a route that exposed Serenah to the most eyes. She flushed in humiliation at the gleeful and malicious whispers of the servants and palace staff who saw her in the maid's outfit.
It felt like forever before they arrived at their destination. Naywren pushed open the door and shooed Serenah inside. Serenah saw four other young women busy cleaning the hall. Naywren waved over a curvy brunette.
"Maedlan, this is Serenah. Show her where to start cleaning. Make sure she does her job well."
Maedlan's eyes widened, and she nodded vigorously.
"Serenah, someone will come get you ten minutes before your meeting with His Majesty."
"I understand," replied Serenah, her voice so soft, her words were almost inaudible.
Naywren gave her a long look before leaving. The room was quiet as the maids all stared at Serenah. The moment was broken when Maedlan's expression changed to one of calculated malice.
"So you're one of us now?"
Serenah didn't say anything. She simply walked around Maedlan and grabbed a cleaning cloth from the nearby bucket. She went to the corner of the hall away from the other cleaning maids. She got down on her knees and started scrubbing.
"Hey, bitch, how dare you ignore me!" screeched Maedlan.
Serenah swallowed a sigh. Noble or commoner—they were all the same when they were given perceived power. They had a bad tendency to try to lord it over the weak. She didn't have the energy to put up with this craziness. She only wanted to do her job and survive the day.
She ignored Maedlan and returned to cleaning. This only infuriated the other girl, who lunged forward, knocking Serenah over and onto her back. Maedlan grabbed Serenah's hair and viciously yanked it free of its bun.
Serenah yelped, slapping at Maedlan's hands. The other girl was strong and yanked even harder. Serenah screamed, pain and anger flooding her. She didn't think. She felt her slumbering wind ability roar to life in response to her emotions.
It blasted outward, throwing Maedlan into the nearest wall. The howl of the wind drowned all noise as the other maids rushed to Maedlan's side. Serenah stared coldly at them, the wind whipping her freed hair wildly about.
"Don't…touch…me!" snarled Serenah.
The maids cowered, their fearful eyes locked on Serenah.
When they didn't move toward her, Serenah slowly released her power, the wind howling mournfully as it retreated inside her.
"If you breathe a word of what you saw today, you will not live to see the dawn. Do you understand?" she snarled, her eyes blazing with her lingering power.
The frightened maids nodded their heads vigorously. Satisfied that they would keep their silence, Serenah let her power return to its slumber. She picked up her cleaning cloth and resumed scrubbing the floor.