35. Make Some Lemonades.

Winifred walked behind Martha in a dejected manner, all the while avoiding bumping into the people she came across with.

“You make things very hard on yourself, dear Winnie,” Martha said quietly as they kept walking.

"How do you mean? I think I'm actually saving myself instead." Winifred responded in a defensive tone.

"You're unnecessarily making things hard for yourself. Do you know how many servants who aren't even human would kill to be in his bed? Heck, do you even know how some, both nobles and servants had succeeded in getting into his bed but he ended up discarding them like trash?"

Winifred was confused, “Isn't that more reason to avoid him and save myself from him, Martha? Just like you just hinted, once he has bedded women, he gets tired of them and discards them without hesitation. I'm not a whore and I won't even resort to being one. I'd rather keep what is left of my dignity than be used and sent to another man to be used all over again and then the cycle just continues. No way." She said, adamant.

Martha smiled, "The fact that he even gave you the chance to choose is a privilege. Imagine being the crown prince's slave, or even the king's,  you think you have a choice? You'll be raped repeatedly until your spirit is ruined. You're just lucky that you belong to Prince Arthur instead and you should be grateful, you could be mistress of this all, winnie. I have seen the way he looks at you, you could at least become a head consort for him when he gets married. You'll live in luxury and life would be easier, he seems to like you very much.” Martha whispered to her.

“I won’t whore for him, Martha. I won't be a consort of any sort, what's the difference between a consort and a mistress, I just want to return home to my world. I wish he would just let me go so I can have a chance to figure that out. I don't belong here.” Winifred said as they approached the servants quarters.

A man passed by, engaging Martha in a talk that seemed engrossing as they both started to smile, she smiled lightly at Winifred, telling her to wait a bit and she smiled back and nodded.

While waiting at a corner of the hallways, Winifred wondered for the first time about her home. Her real home in New york. What time of day was it in united states? What was her father doing? Was he even worried about her? Had he decided to disown her since she wasn't his real daughter? Did the whole town already know that she was a bastard? Was her dad still with her mom or had he divorced her due to paternity fraud and infidelity? Did her also mother care at all about her or was she grateful for her disappearance?  What was Willow doing? Did she regret telling the whole school about her been a bastard? Was Ella and Emily okay? She wondered if Jackson, her boyfriend had moved on to another popular girl in school, probably Chloe since she always wanted her boyfriend. Did the world move on without her? Did anyone miss her?

She couldn't also help but wonder what she would face if she decided to go back to her world? Would the humiliation of been known as a bastard cause her so much ruins? Would she even be able to go back to school after loosing so much days? Would her life remain the same as it used to be? Would she be an outcast? Would it be better if she just stayed in this  world than face all of that?

Martha was finally done with whatever conversation she was having with the man and she called upon Winifred again and soon enough, they were back in the slave quarters and soon in the presence of Florence who was glaring at them both.

"What are you here for again? I thought you would never be let out it the prince's sight henceforth?"

Martha relayed the instruction that the Prince had told her to the head of Servants and Florence rolled her eyes while smirking.

"Looks like your ego is about to put you in hell,  human slave!" She said.

Winifred who didn't want anything that would make her step on Florence's toes again remained silent. She had decided to take her fate as it was thrown at her, instead of talking back to these people, she had decided to just be obedient as they wanted. She didn't want to end up getting beaten or anything again since the prince had decided to let her go.

"I'm sorry what what transpired between us, Flo... uh... Head of servants. I hope we can put that behind us." She apologized.

Her apology shocked both Florence and other slaves in the area. Florence smiled like she had just made a new victory,  "Looks like you've been thrown off your high horse? Has the prince had his way with you and discarded you already?" She mocked, earning no response from Winifred who just stared at her.

"Whatever it is, you have to get the uniform for the lowest slaves on, I would assign a servant to you who would teach you the basics you should know and then you must learn a lot of ethics when it comes to the royal family." She continued.

Martha interrupted her, "Uh... head of servants, the prince also mentioned that she was still hus slave nonetheless, just not his sex slave anymore which means she us to directly or indirectly serve him just like his servants do."

Florence glared at Martha in a hateful way. She had never like the lady too, she acted too high and mighty sometimes and it got on her nerves. Although, she was never rude to her and always dis all she instructed her to do, hence she had no reasons to put her claws on her yet. "The same thing, I heard you the first time,  you don't have to repeat it. We have a lot of things to prepare for, The Queen's remembrance ritual is coming up and so is Prince Arthur's marriage ceremony. We have a lot to do."

The mention of Arthur's marriage caught Winifred's ears and she was again satisfied at the route she had decided to choose.

"So after getting trained today, you're hereby assigned to be the prince's bather, work in the kitchen to cook his foods and then also do his laundries at sunset. To add it, you'll be the one he calls upon for anything he needs henceforth,  which simply means that you'll be part of the maids that follow him around wherever he goes to. The lowest one. Have I made myself clear?" Florence listed out.

Martha eyed the lady and rolled her eyes. That was way too much for one slave to do but then she didn't expect less from someone who was looking for any little opportunity to exert power on who she had her evil eyes on.

"Can't I have any other thing that doesn't have to do with him instead? I'll do any other thing as long as I don't have to see him." Winifred let out..

Florence smiled evily, "He might have raped you and discarded you like the trash that you are but he bought you and owns you. You can't decide not to see him for any reason at all, you have no say here. You'll do as you're told and that's final."

Winifred didn't bother to counter the notion that the lady had created in her mind about the prince and her, she simply nodded her head reluctantly.

"When do I get started?" She asked.

"Take your bath and change out of this whorish outfit first. Martha will take you to where to do that!" Florence declared and left the room, feeling powerful.

Martha led winifred to the so called bathroom and Winifred was shocked. "Where's the bathroom?" She asked.

"We don't have one, we take out bathes right here, outside. With no shelter or anything to shield us from the cold and eyes of men." Martha explained.

"Oh, hell no!" Exclaimed Winifred as she wrapped her arms around her body.

"You'll have to get used to it, Winnie. You decided to go down this path, those are your lemons, use them to make some lemonades."