Author's Note: This chapter upholds the mature rating. Just a warning.

III

"You are so young," one commented, pinching a fig delicately between her fingers. "How old are you exactly?"

"Sixteen," I replied, taking another sip of my wine and looking away. All the girls were seated on cushions, their sparkling skirts and flashing jewelry blinding one another.

Lunch was spread on the circular table in front of me. Silver bowls and wooden dishes beckoned to me, urging me to eat. Reluctantly, I snatched a date and took a small bite of it.

A woman beside me was bouncing a baby on her knees, coaxing it to take in a bowl of mush. The baby burped. The First Wife frowned. "Must you keep that disgusting pile of flesh with you everywhere?" she asked, glaring disapprovingly at the couple.

The woman looked at her unconcernedly. "At least I have a boy to cart around," she replied none too sensitively. With a silver spoon, she fed the little toddler.

The sharp nails on the First Wife's hand tapped itself dangerously on the table. "What did you say?" she asked softly. The table watched in silence at the fight waiting to happen.

The woman ignored the First Wife, purposely cooing softly at her little son.

"Are you mute, Kav?" the First Wife, Lenn, asked.

"No, but I do perceive that you are jealous. When was the last time the red candle flickered at your door, Lenn?" Kav asked, stroking her little boy with a fond hand. The various rings on her hand glittered in the sunlight. Tokens, naturally. And it only upset the First Wife making her colored lips turn into a fine line.

The tension was mounting but the staring contest between the two wives ended as another girl broke in with a gentle smile. "Lenn, she didn't mean it. We all know Kav…fast tempered. Do forgive her, sister."

Lenn didn't look like she wanted to do any forgiving. Instead, she looked like she wanted to take an ornate pin out of her hair and stab the drooling baby. However, she broke off the intense glare. "I'll forgive the insolent woman, but only for you, Lina," she said grudgingly, looking at the young girl who had prevented the close fight.

The young girl smiled again. She put her patted Lenn's hand comfortingly. "Thank you, Lenn."

"Only for you, Lina," the First Wife repeated, turning her attention away from Kav and her son. "Aliana," she addressed me abruptly. My eyes instantly snapped to attention again. "Aliana, where were you from?" she asked, her eyes gazing my red skin pointedly.

"I…don't know," I replied foolishly.

"You don't know?" another girl chirped. "How's that possible?"

"I was a slave," I explained, my voice growing quieter with every word. "We don't always know our origins." It was impossible feel anything other than inferior to these richly dressed women, all whom were relatively high born. But as the situation proved, it didn't mean anything what class you were born in. After all, we were all in the harem, weren't we?

"A slave?" the women chorused. "My gods-," they exclaimed.

"That is fascinating," Lina finished for them. They looked at her with confusion. Obviously, they hadn't found my slavery fascinating. Repulsive maybe, but not fascinating. "I think that is fascinating," she said pointedly. "Do you not, sisters?"

They ignored her.

"You must have been had by many masters, then," a woman said bluntly, her brown eyes glittering in morbid enthrallment. The others pretended to be offended by her suggestion, but they all fell silent for my answer.

And my answer was a fierce blush to my cheeks. "I-I haven't."

"By gods, she's blushing," a woman observed, hiding her giggle behind a slender hand. "Oh come now," she said good-naturedly, giving me a knowing smile. "You're acting like a virginal maid."

Silence again.

"You're not suggesting that…" Kav trailed off. Apparently, the thought was too horrid to be voiced out loud.

"You're a virgin," Lenn finished for her. So maybe it wasn't too terrible to say.

I blushed again. If my face could be any rosier, I might have turned into a human beetroot.

"Leave the poor girl alone," Lina interjected, coming to my rescue. "She's only barely sixteen years old, after all."

"But how's that possible?" another girl asked, ignoring Lina. "Unless the Younger Prince didn't—?"

At this suggestion, Lenn suddenly seemed a lot friendlier towards me. "Oh, don't bother her about it. Perhaps she has a defect," she said cheerfully.

The discussion was temporarily put off as a servant walked through the room and towards the bedrooms. In his hands, there was a red candle. There was a pause and Lenn stood up from her cushion. Following her lead, there was a rush from the table as the girls followed after the servant.

"You're blocking my view, Kav," Lina said, appearing aggressive for the first time. "I want to see who the red candle goes to, as much as you do."

The gaggle of women waited with bated breath as the servant paced past the bedroom doors. Finally, he stopped at one particular one and lit the candle, putting it at the foot of the door.

"It's Lenn's door!" a woman exclaimed, looking shocked. The others didn't say anything, but they looked surprised as well.

I looked at Lenn. There was a victorious smirk on her lips as she flippantly shrugged her shoulders and returned to the table. Her figure was deliberately graceful as she sat down on a cushion and picked up a fig to eat.

"Well, I do believe we have witnessed a miracle," Kav said meanly, returning to the table as well. However, her jealousy was not entirely closed from her face. "Who would have thought the Younger Prince would pick ol' Lenn for the night?"

Lenn, however, looked unmoved. "My, my, is someone…dare I say it…jealous?" she asked.

The others all returned to their seats at the table. It was clear that no one suspected Lenn's comeback in favor. Of course, she was the First Wife, but without favor from the Second Child, it was just an empty title.

Kav said nothing, but just hugged her little boy warmly towards her chest. Lenn frowned.

-o-o-o-

It was another day and another meal. It was our midday meal that helped ease the hunger between lunch and dinner. Thankfully, the topic was not on me anymore. However, I hardly preferred the snide comments passed from one wife to another. Lina seemed the only one who was not bashed from head to toe.

"Kav," the First Wife called with false sweetness. "I know a trick that would rid of the last remnants of baby fat on your stomach. Afterwards, you would hardly even notice the offending blubber pooling out at your waist."

Bound by the custom of the Deshret, Kav could only thank her. "Lenn, you are too kind to me," she muttered, squeezing her son so hard he burst out into tears.

The First Wife frowned. However much the comment satisfied her, she did not bargain for the baby's loud cry. Everyone grimaced as the wails continued.

"Here, let me," Lina said in her usual gentle fashion. She took the toddler from Kav and patted it soothingly. It immediately cooed with pleasure and calmed down.

"The little demon," Lenn muttered, dipping her bread.

Lina's face suddenly turned to surprise. She lifted the baby boy from her arms and handed it back to Kav. "I thought it was trained," she said, looking down at her urine sodden dress.

The First Wife took this as an invitation to scold Kav. Her rambling was cut short, however, as the customary servant came in, as it did each day. In his hands was the red candle, waiting to be lighted.

I stood up like the rest of them as they stampeded to see who was chosen for the night.

"He's stopping in front of Aliana's room," one observed sullenly.

I panicked and gripped the gold cloth of my dress. Gods, don't let it be me. The servant was making a mistake.

The servant however, lit the candle and placed it in front of my door. And there it stayed, flickering. I looked away from the candle and returned to my cushion at the table. For days, I had dreaded this moment. I almost came to think that the Younger Prince had forgotten about me. Apparently not.

The rest of the women returned to the table. Lenn's friendliness towards me dropped. Her face was pulled long like a mule's. Her honey eyes glared at me in distaste as if I was a writhing worm on her plate.

I didn't want to eat anymore. In fact, my mind was rushing to the first night of my unpleasant acquaintance with the Second Child. His arrogant smirk…his commanding airs…his possessive hands…

I thought of those same hands unpinning my dress tonight. I thought of his weight pressing against my naked skin. I thought of those annoying freckles on his nose as he peered at me from above, his face lost in ecstasy. A cold feeling crept along my spine and the hairs on my neck stood up.

My hand began to shake my wine goblet and the purple liquid splashed onto my dress. I wasn't just scared anymore, I felt sick. I could practically feel his rough hands groping me in the light of the moon. Bile rushed to my throat and I lurched forward. My hand rushed up to stop the onslaught of vomit but to no avail.

The women grimaced and jumped away from me. The First Wife looked at me with disgust.

"My gods, you're worse than Kav's child," she said, whipping her skirts away from being splattered.

The other women looked too revolted to say anything. Finally, Lina tentatively stepped forward and offered me a napkin. I took it gladly, wiping away the remains of vomit on my mouth.

"Clean this up," Lenn said, calling upon a little servant girl. With another repulsed look in my direction, she swept from the room. The other women followed her lead and eventually, I was left alone.

As I stared at the pool of my own stomach fluids, I thought that this was a lot better than what I must endure tonight.

-o-o-o-

Dread was turning my legs to stone. I stood silently in the middle of the bedroom. From behind me, I heard the soft click of the doors as my escorts exited. The room was glowing in the light of oil lamps. The chairs were there as I remembered it. The curtains were the same gauzy silk. The bed…

I looked away.

The Second Son was not in here. My mind prayed feverishly for him to not appear tonight. I tried to breath. I would count to ten. And if Ren did not appear by then, I would go. I would walk out the bedroom doors. No one would notice, hopefully.

One. Two. Three. Four. Fiv-

The bedroom door was opened. I turned around to see Ren come in. His trousers were the same brilliant white silk. His robe draped across his shoulders and down to his ankles, but exposing his chest.

We faced each other for a silent moment. I was too frozen to move. He was merely staring.

Finally, I remembered myself and bowed my head. "'Evening, my lord," I said, trying not to gag over my own words.

He shut the door behind him and moved to the other side of the room. The side with the bed. "Come here," he told me.

I couldn't breath. I couldn't. I told myself over and over again that this, whatever this was, was perfectly normal. But the fact that a complete stranger was going to touch me in the most intimate way imaginable made me want to turn and run.

Annoyed at my disobedience, Ren tried again. "I said, come here."

I don't know. Maybe it was the lace of danger in his voice, but I walked towards Ren. As soon as I was close enough, he growled and pulled me towards him. Whatever calm I had managed to regain snapped. I stiffened in his half embrace.

He laughed at me. In my wild panic, he actually laughed at me. With one hand still digging into the small of my back, he walked his other hand gently up my arm. "You really shouldn't be so scared," he murmured into my ear. He took my earlobe into his mouth and softly sucked it. "In fact, you might find that you will enjoy it as well." With that said, he pushed the dress off my shoulder. My dress, responding naturally to gravity, slid off my body and pooled at my feet.

I gasped, prying myself away from his grasp. I stood completely bare in front of him and my fear, if it was even possible, increased tenfold. I bent down and desperately tried to retrieve the dress to cover myself.

Ren laughed again and easily picked me up. He tackled me to the bed and pinned me down. My wrists were forced at either side of my head. "Stay still," he hissed, straddling my hips. I was writhing beneath him, my heart pounding into my ear with terrible force.

Ren bent his head and traced his lips at my neck and down to my collarbone. He licked and nipped my skin urgently and roughly, leaving small marks of red. Eventually, his mouth found my nipple and he sucked it thoroughly, flicking his tongue over the peak. I gasped beneath him and arched my back. Disgust slammed into my body, flooding me with the familiar feeling of nausea. I felt the bile rising to my throat again, which was still raw from this afternoon. Empowered with this new rush of repugnance, I struggled with renewed vigor.

Suddenly, his face was above mine. Ren's speckled eyes were darkened with lust. His hair was damp against his brow and hung around his face in ebony clumps. "I said, stop moving," he growled. Before I could register what was happening, I already felt the crack of his palm against my cheek. Blood ran out of my nose and his image swam in front of me. My face was red hot and the blow across my head was thumping in pain. The corners of my vision blackened and I fell limp against the bed. Finally, my conscience slipped away as well and I gave in to the blissful abyss of unknowing.

However, the darkness ended all too soon. My eyes snapped open again as an intense pain drove through my body. Above me, Ren's eyes were shut tightly and his mouth moved open and closed with small moans. He rocked rhythmically on top of me and the pain drove itself harder and harder through my body. My mind was too foggy for me to register what was happening, but it wasn't too delirious to ignore the agony. My eyes filmed over with tears as the pain seemed to tear my body in two. Lost in his own world, Ren's hands had lost their grip on my wrists.

My mind was reeling and my body was screaming from the pain. Tears welled up behind my eyes and they did nothing to improve my dim vision. I raised my hand above me and groped something soft—Ren's face. With a scream, I clawed him. He cursed as trickles of blood ran horizontal to his face where my nails had torn his flesh. Clutching his face in his hand, he rolled off of me.

"Out!" he roared, pointing to the door. "OUT!"

I sat up quickly on the bed. My hair was haphazardly tangled and a faint trickle of blood ran from my nose. From beneath me, the sheets were dotted with my blood, but I didn't even notice. My vision was out of focus and my head hurt like there was no tomorrow. I scrambled off of the bed and fled from the room.

As soon as I exited his chambers, it became blatantly clear to me that I was naked. The royal guards in front of his doors stared openly at me. Humiliated beyond tolerance, I ran away blindly.

The hallway torches passed me with a blur. I turned corner after corner, running away as fast as I could. Suddenly, I stumbled and I fell hard on the marble floor, tasting blood in my mouth. A sob escaped my throat and I couldn't find the energy to heave myself back up. The blow on my head was pulsing painfully. The tenderness between my thighs made me screw my eyes shut. From far, far away, I could hear footsteps running towards me.

"Oh gods," a voice above me breathed. I lifted my head and looked up. A pair of pale grey eyes stared back at me. The man hurriedly took off his red silk, robe. He slipped the silk thing from his body and transferred it to his hands. I recoiled. What did he want with me? Why was he taking off his robe?

"Get away from me," I sobbed, crawling backwards on the floor.

The man looked back at me with his pale eyes. "It's alright," he told me gently, as if speaking to a wounded animal. "I'm just going to put this robe around you," he explained.

"Please," I cried, backing away still. "Leave me alone."

He bit his lip. Decisively he draped the red robe around my shoulders. His hands gently held my arms and pulled me up. I stood in front of him and quickly pulled the robe around me. The robe was made to expose the chest, but his build was much bigger than mine. Shakily, I hugged my stomach, keeping the two flaps together.

"Thank you," I said quietly, regaining more of my sanity. Even then, I was able to call upon my manners. Without giving him another glance, I turned and ran away.

-o-o-o-

It was very late already. Inside the harem, the lights were running out of oil and the flames were extinguishing one by one. The servants that should be patrolling the halls had long since snuck away. There was no one awake to catch them, anyways.

I was glad that there was no one to see me. I was naked and only barely covered by a long, red robe. My face was swelling and it felt as if there were bruises all over my body. Once I slowed down to a walk, the numbness left me and I found it hard to move with the soreness between my legs. Stumbling, I made my way into the bathing chamber. It was dark inside and I carefully lit a lamp, trying five times before the match could connect with the wick.

It was only after my bath that I noticed the robe was red. In the safety of my room, I ran my shaking hands over the excellent silk. Gods, what if someone found it? How would I explain away my procession of the True Prince's robes? Quickly, I stuffed it away, praying to Heldon that no one would find it.