The Prince's Choice ✔

Chapter Eighteen • Safety

-Jade-

"Why wasn't she given food when she asked for it?" Elizabeth screamed at the tailors as she ran over to Jade. "WHY IS SHE STILL ON THE FLOOR?"

The loud noise of Elizabeth screaming made Jade flinch. Even though she was barely conscious she noticed that this was the governess' highest level of anger. She was practically spitting out each word. Jade heard the sound of a very hard slap and it was clear that one of the tailors were going to have a very red mark across their powdered face later.

"Get Thomas." Elizabeth told the girl next to Jade in a hissing way. "Jade! Child, look at me!" Elizabeth pleaded. Jade opened her eyes slowly. Elizabeth slapped her cheek rapidly in an attempt to wake her up.

"Please... No more people." Jade asked in a whisper. "I don't want anyone else to see me like this..."

"Hush, child." Elizabeth said and stroked her face gently.

"What is the meaning of this ruckus?" A dark voice appeared in the room. It sounded like a large man's voice.

Damn it... Why don't they just call on everyone in this forsaken place and humiliate me completely. I know! Call on the Queen as well!

"Shut your mouth and get this poor thing off the floor!" Elizabeth ordered the man. "Carry her to her chamber. The man cleared his throat to express his discontent with her words.

"Fine." He muttered and picked Jade up carefully. "She doesn't have a real chamber anymore. That cupboard he has her sleeping in, is not even a room." He hissed at Elizabeth. "There are hundreds of rooms in this place and he puts her in the old potato storage..." He continued. "All because the queen-"

"That is enough, Thomas!" Elizabeth growled.

The short walk to Jade's room felt longer than ever while she was carried to it. Every step the man took made it feel like Jade hit the floor all over.
Images from when her body had slammed into the floor flashed before her eyes. She put her hands around her head when it throbbed and ached with pain.

"Lay her down in her bed. I need to fetch more pillows." Elizabeth mumbled. Jade didn't say anything, not even a moan left her lips. She kept rubbing her head in pain and when her hands arrived at the back of her neck she felt how her fingers became wet, and warm.

"I think a bucket of water and some rags will do you more good." The man said and Jade thought he sounded worried. "She is bleeding." He said and grabbed Jade's bloody hand and showed must have showed it to Elizabeth.

"What?" Elizabeth whispered in panic. Jade cried when the woman's hands examined her closely. She gasped when she discovered that the man was telling the truth. "Just what we need..."

"What do you mean?" He muttered and carefully placed Jade's hand on her abdomen.

"This is going to make him furious..." Elizabeth sighed. Jade opened her eyes a little and looked at both of them.

"Jade, can you hear me?" Elizabeth's voice was very concerned.

"Yes." Jade whispered back. Her governess lips didn't seem to be able to form a smile right now. They remained in the worried open state they were in.

"What am I going to tell him...?" Elizabeth muttered to herself and dabbed Jade were she bled with a piece of cloth and hushed her when she whimpered in pain.

"This wasn't your fault, Elizabeth." The man stated in a low voice. "He can't possibly blame you for this."

"I didn't say that it was, but you know how he gets when he is mad." She mumbled back at him. "And this... Something tells me that this will make him angrier than I have ever seen him..."