5

"Milk the cows, you miserable cretin," Hyacinth shook Jza viciously, "It's already sun up and you're lazing about like prissy little princess."

"But I am a princess, how can I milk cows?" Jza protested, feeling disoriented.

"You are no princess. You are only the bastard child of the master's sister. You should be lucky he keeps you fed and gives you shelter."

"But father swore he married my mother," Jza sobbed miserably.

"You don't even know who your father is," The elderly farm worker sneered, "Now, get up."

Jza woke up with a start. She took in great gasps of breath heavily for a few moments before realizing she hadn't ended up back at the farm. The memories of living as a lowly milkmaid before her father discovered her existence still tormented her. They would flit about her subconscious and when she would wake up she would always say a prayer for her father for taking her away from the wretched existence.

Jza felt an ache rise in her body and cringed as the pain brutality hit her. It felt like she had fought of a whole squadron of men all by herself. Her head throbbed while her arms and legs felt like they pinned down by a heavy weight.

The princess lifted her sore head and noticed she wasn't in a bed but on the floor, curled up against a mirror. Jza blinked to get a better bearing of where she was at.

"I thought you would never wake up," A male voice startled her. She turned her head to her right to find a man standing at the window staring out from it. The morning light made the figure's silhouette hazy and ethereal.

Jza tried to remember who he was but he turned around before she could fully recognize him.

"You," She hissed instantly alert when he revealed his face.

Lord Tarquin raised his eyebrows unimpressed by her level of deduction.

"Who did you expect, your great King Galios?"

Jza did not reply to his mocking words but continued to glare at him from the floor.

"This castle is now mine and you should get used to my authority and presence," He sneered.

"Never! This is King Samuel's domain and I shall not allow a foreign nobody to claim his throne."

"A nobody," Tarquin laughed bitterly, "Then tell your historians that it was a foreign nobody who defeated your illustrious King, the grandson of King Galios."

Jza looked away sullenly, having no answer for the Lord's proclamation. It was true their armies had fallen too easily to the enemy although the defeat could also be attributed to the betrayal of a key member of the army. Richmond was heading most of the war efforts and if he had turned traitor then he was the one who led his men to their deaths deliberately.

The man walked towards the bathing tub and gently led his hand through the now visibly tepid water.

"What a waste of splendid hot water," He commented causally.

Jza watched him carefully as he picked up a gold gilded pail and smoothly swooped some water in it. Without any notice he threw it all over her. The girl cried out in horror as she was soaked to the bone. Her tangled hair flailed across her face sloppily.

"I gave you the opportunity to use the facilities in this room but you chose not to. I cannot stand the sight of you so I decided to take matters into my own hands," Tarquin explained blandly unfazed by Jza's spluttering.

The princess pulled her hair back so she could give him a piece of her mind but Tarquin swiftly cut her off before she could even start.

"Now, leave. I had my men bring a dress from a wardrobe from somewhere so you may change."

Jza opened her mouth to argue but he raised a hand silencing her. Tarquin turned around and pulled his new shirt from one of his shoulder, baring it. He looked back at her from his shoulder and smirked knowing his actions would clear the room out. Jza quite predictably gathered her walked out in huff.

She dripped all over the decorative carpet but Jza felt like she did not care. She wished she had pulled a towel with her the Lord's antics did not leave any room to think. He was already aggravating her enough that she worried she might lose her temper and reveal who she really was.

In the middle of the bed was a gown as the Lord had said. It was a peach lace dress with large puffed sleeves and baby pink trimmings and slip.

She recognized the dress immediately, having been a sister's favourite. While she had nothing against peach or pink, the way the dress was designed made the wearer look like a sparkly, fluffed up cupcake.

Jza sat down on the bed feeling the soft gauzy material. There were multiple laces that needed to be tied and an inbuilt corset that required at least three maids to help pull the dress on. It was ridiculous to expect her to wear something so complex and something so wretched a colour. Jza stonily waited for the man to come out.

"Are you decent?" Lord Tarquin asked from the entrance.

"I am always decent," Jza replied, wearily. She had refused to follow his orders and imagined he would try to force her into it himself. But she still took the chance.

Tarquin stepped out from the behind the hanging curtain, rubbing a towel against his hair and tutted with amusement seeing the unworn garment.

"Why am I surprised? I should have been prepared for your disobedience," He stated with a roll of his eyes, "But I thought a girl would show more enthusiasm about new clothing."

"I- I do not dress myself," Jza replied feeling uncharacteristically hesitant, "I require a servant with this heavy dress and complicated lacing and..."

"And," Tarquin asked curiously.

"It is not the colour I would prefer to wear," Jza coughed out. Her body tensed waiting for the next blow to her. Would her hit She eyed the nearest candle stand wearily.

"My, my, I am really behind modern fashion. I thought pink was a girl's best friend. Pardon me for not keeping up since I had a war to plot."

Tarquin opened a gilded closet and pulled out a purple effervescent dress with a sprawling black train. The man took one look his prisoner and threw it on the floor with an exaggerated sigh. He then went through a number of dresses swiftly until he found a green simple empire cut number and Jza eyed it curiously trying to remember which sister had owned it. Tarquin noticed her interest and threw the gown at her.

"I hope you can manage this on your own because in about half an hour dinner will be served and I don't want our guest of honour to be late."

"Guest of honour! That's absurd. You shall trot me out in front of your soldiers only to humiliate me," Jza snapped at him.

"If I wanted to humiliate you I would have left you with them and not brought you in these room under my protection," Tarquin spoke slowly and dangerously, with his eyes fixed on Jza's face, "Then you would have truly found out what humiliation means."

The girl closed her eyes understanding the threat in his words. The option of leaving her, fending for herself was still there.

"Now, clean yourself and wear that dress. I shall be back in fifteen minutes whether you are ready or not," Tarquin ordered and walked out the room.

Jza for a few moments pondered whether climbing out of the window was a good option but let the idea slide. She had nowhere to go to even if she broke out. There were enemy soldiers teeming in every inch of the castle grounds and the civilian populations of the city had already been ordered to evacuate days earlier so there was no hope for a safe haven. If there were her country's soldiers around then their existence would be as prisoners of war. And there was always the danger that one them could point out who she really was and then the whole game would be over.

Decision made the princess decided for once that complying with the Lord would be a good idea. She went back to the bathing area to change. Clean and slightly refreshed Jza walked back to the sleeping chambers hoping the man would not be back but unfortunately he was waiting for her. He was out of his soldier's outfit and instead wore a more formal blue suit with a gold sash on one shoulder.

A neat circular gold band was placed on his head. There were no jewels inlayed in the crown but only an inscription in a language she did not understand.

"That's more like it," The man nodded at her appreciatively but Jza crossed her arms and looked away. Her hair was drier now and plainly combed down. It was not fashionable to have a lady let her hair down but Jza had more pressing concerns to think of.

"Your eyes," His spoke softly, "I have seen them before. I never forget a face."

"My eyes are my own and since I have never seen you before, you have never seen my eyes," Jza hissed moodily.

"Maybe. Now tell me your name?" The Lord asked brusquely.

"I shall never let my name cross your lips."

Tarquin smiled irreverently. He crossed the room and placed his hand against her neck even as she stumbled away from him. The girl twitched under his touch but she knew the touch was nothing more than a warning. His thumb slowly pressed against her throat. Jza started to feel breathless.

"Your name," He asked again patiently not a even a hint of threat in his voice so pleasant was his mien.

"Never," Jza hissed, her hair swung wildly. She knew she was going to have more bruises on her neck.

He pushed her away in disgust.

"I wonder if the name you hide has something to do with who you are. Is your name easily recognizable?"

"My name is none of your concern," Jza coughed weakly. She pushed herself away from the wall.

"A man leading a Lady to dinner should at least know her name," Tarquin smiled widely looking disarming, a heavy shift from his usual broodiness. He sat on the edge of the bed nonchalantly as if he hadn't been just strangling the girl in front of him.

"You can call me Miss Ashbrook," Jza replied softly and looked away. It was not a lie. It was the name she went by before her true parentage was revealed to her when she was thirteen. Her uncle had given her his name to deflect any criticisms or questions. She never had the status her cousins had at the farm but she was still treated better than some of the other farm hands.

"Miss Ashbrook, I expected more of a fight or is it not your true name?" Tarquin peered into her eyes trying to search for some fallacy.

Jza coughed again, her hand tenderly gripped her sore throat. "Some things are not worth a battle."

"Good girl, you are learning fast. Now, be a dear and reveal your first name as well," Tarquin raised his eyebrows.

"I have heard it is custom that no man in your Kingdom takes the name of women they do not call family," Jza mentioned haltingly hoping she could make him quit his incessant questioning.

"I hail from a small country with little contact with the outside world. It is interesting you know of such customs," Tarquin's gaze became more calculating as he stood up.

"Books are worth more than aimless talk," Jza replied curtly.

"I agree," Tarquin turned around, "My soldiers' are waiting for their first meal in this castle and our aimless talk is making them hungrier. Come on."

The man held his arm out as if he expected to take it.

"Take it or you shall have to get by without any more food for today," He spoke without turning around.

"Why can't you just leave me be. Why must you parade me in front of your minions," Jza spoke harshly scrunching her nose in disgust.

"What would be the fun in that?" Tarquin arched an eyebrow as he turned around.

The Lord walked towards her and firmly placed her arm around his. Jza pulled away slightly but she already knew in her mind that without food for a few more hours she would lose any energy she had.

Tarquin did not give her any time to make any more choices and led her out forcefully. He walked with much longer strides making it harder for the Princess to keep up and struggled along with him. He finally led her to a door she knew to be one of the banquet halls. It made sense a large dinner was to be served there.

The doors were closed and yet she could hear every sound being made inside. It sounded like the men were roaring at each other like animals. It was quite unlike the polite dinner parties that occurred when she had attended them in the room.

"Open the doors," Tarquin demanded of the two men guarding them. Jza instinctively latched onto her captor's arm, worried about having to face the same leering men again. Tarquin gave her an amused look which she did not appreciate at all.

As soon as they entered a chicken leg piece hit the doorman, on Jza's side, squarely on the face. The stunned man gripped his nose immediately with a low groan.

There was silence as soon as the rowdy men noticed the new entrants.

"I understand so many days camping and crawling though forests has left your manners a little lacking but is this how the cream of the crop of my army behaves," Tarquin's voice was soft and steady but the expressions of fear on the men's faces seemed as if he were shouting at them.

"We have a lady present and I would suggest you behave accordingly," Tarquin finally announced carelessly. Jza felt a pang as she realized the man would be taking her father's empty seat.

"I see my own seat but where shall the lady sit," Tarquin sounded like he thinking out aloud but his men knew that it was an indirect order. One of the men swiftly left the seat next to the King's and rushed off to find a seat elsewhere.

Lord Tarquin helped Jza into her seat and finally sat down on the King's rightful place.

"Need I say anything?" Tarquin eyed the occupants of the room and the men started wolfing down the food.

The Princess was shocked at the ill breeding of the man next to her. She could feel the flecks of gravy from his mouth reach her. Even she hadn't been so uncouth when she had first been brought to the castle. She had been a willful, uncultured farm girl with very little training on actual cutlery but she had never thrown her food around quite like that. Jza imagined her old governesses face looking at the carnage before her.

"Animals, all of them," Tarquin eyed the men with disdain, "No wonder my nation never prospered before I was crowned."

"I have never met a man who talked poorly about his people," Jza asked curiously.

"I only speak the truth," Her captor steadily sipped on his soup in a complete contrast from his men. His table manners were as refined and as any of the former Royal family.

Jza delicately brought the spoon to her lips and was surprised at the taste. It was sour and salty with an underlying taste of cucumber.

"Rassolnik soup only tastes good when it is made at home. The veal added to it is of such poor quality," Tarquin criticized but Jza found she was uninterested in defending the veal. Far more important things needed defending and veal of her country did not make it to that list.

Jza was hit in the shoulder by her other neighbour, who so busy with a portion of the main course that he didn't even notice what he had accidentally done. Jza took another sip but it was interrupted by the slam of the doors opening. Every head whipped towards with equal amount of shock on their faces.

An extremely beautiful woman was posing at the doorway with a very dazed footman holding the train of her dress.

"Have we missed the party?" A woman grinned broadly at the room. The crowd inside went wild. Jza winced when her other dining neighbour wolf whistled spitting everywhere.

"What is she doing here?" Tarquin hissed to himself.

"Who is she?" Jza asked urgently.

"She is the leader of my Harem," Tarquin informed her as if were talking about something as normal as the weather.