The Outcast

Chapter 24

Elizabeth's POV

"Madam here are the dresses that her highness has chosen." The maid walked over and placed the pile if dresses on my bed. I sighed heavily and thanked her before turning back to the book I had been reading. I no longer had any interest in it and for the past hour all I've been doing is stare at the words on page 204. My eyes would scan them constantly but my brain would not register them. I was thinking about too many other things.

I glanced around my room at the many servants that scurried around, packing my luggage and everything I'll need for my three days away from this prison. One maid stood folding my clothes neatly, while another assorted my shoes. They were packing a lot of clothing, way too much for just three days but I wouldn't be carrying the luggage myself so I had no desire to stop them.

Initially, I was happy about this little trip. Three days away from this tower seemed amazing. Being outside and basking in the warm sun, feeling the cool breeze against my skin and breathing in the crisp fresh air. I just wanted to come out of this imprisonment.

That's what it felt like living here all my life. I was a puppet and each year my strings drew tighter and tighter ultimately leaving me trapped and unable to free myself. I did have the freedom to walk around the castle but I've seen everything already, nothing is new. The garden that I once went to ease my growing anxiety was now just...a garden. I wanted to see something new, smell something new. I wanted to feel something new.

So this trip at first had me quite excited. But once I remembered the real reason behind it all my excitement disappeared. I was leaving the castle but I am still a puppet. I-

"Princess." I blinked and snapped out of my thoughts and looked up to see Helga staring down at me.

"Oh Helga, my bad. I was...lost in thought. What did you say?" I closed the book and gave her a warm smile, one she didn't return. Maybe she was in a bad mood.

"Its time to get dressed, the carriage is set to leave soon." She said flatly. I nodded and stood from my desk. I made my way over to the bathroom to see that my bath was already prepared. Helga followed suit. She helped me out of my dress and undergarments and into the tub.

I personally found it quite embarrassing when I had to strip stark naked in front of the maids, I knew we were all women but it still made me self conscious. I always felt like they were silently judging my body. It wasn't perfect, no one was. But it was different with Helga, I somehow always felt at ease. She never had that look in her eyes, that judgmental grudgeful look. At least not until today.

I could tell something was off, just by the way she had looked at me earlier, with such a blank and plain expression. But when she side eyed me as she folded my dress I knew for sure.

"Is everything alright?" I asked amidst the silence. She froze before turning towards me.

"Pardon me?" She asked with a brow raised. I looked away and stared at the milky bath water. I wasn't sure why milk was added, probably to make your skin soft. If that was the case it worked.

"Never mind it." I said before I relaxed and sank into the water, covering my entire frame. The room remained silent for a few minutes before Helga came over and began washing my hair.

Normally we would be conversing happily, she would ask me various questions about the nobles and about my family, sometimes she would even tell me about the outside world or about how her relationship with Abel was progressing. I always felt a pang in my chest whenever she would move the conversation towards that, the guilt of feeling how I felt was unbearable and I would try my best to shift the conversation.

But today was different.

I sat quietly as her hands raked through my hair. It always felt nice to have someone else wash your hair, it was an oddly satisfying feeling, but in this instant I just felt awkward. So, in an attempt to lift this weird awkwardness I asked,