Episode 2 King's Favor

Duke Ferdinand stood in silence as his hand trembles as he restrained the whip in his hand by clenching it. Camila notices and cough out the cloth that was in her mouth. "Whip her daddy!! Make her give me my titl-" the Duke slapped Camila, turned to Celine and Derrick kneeling. "My queen and king, I'm sorry I'll make this unruly girl shut up."

"Daddy...you never slapped me, you slapped me for this bitch?!" as Camila is restrained by gaurds, kicking and screaming.

"My wife, the queen is not to be called a "Bitch". Duke is this how you teach your daughter. Your oldest daughter have more class!" Derrick rage boils and the participants at the ball whisper among themselves.

"I knew Celine would be queen, I pity her." said a noble maiden.

"Such a father and daughter pair...! I know Camila is such a arrogant girl finally getting disciplined." said baron.

"Celine, let's go up to my chamber tonight and tomorrow we will head to your residence to pick up your things." as the King stares at Camila then the Duke. The Duke broke out in a cold sweat as he realized that Celine's room was the attic.

"N-No need I'll ship everything tomorrow...!" Exclaimed the Duke as he dragged Camila with him back to the entrance hall and out the castle.

"Daddy, what are you doing?! I want to be Queen!! Celine should just-!"

A loud smack could be heard again outside the castle.

"shut up!" yelled the Duke as they entered the carriage and the sound of horses could be heard in the distance.

-In the King's Chamber-

Derrick attitude soften as he saw Celine looked tired, her eyes were puffy and red like she never slept and markings on her back can be viewed on her nightgown fresh whip marking from the night before. How can the Duke treat his legitimate daughter like trash. The Derrick watched as Celine flopped on the bed, usually when his concubines go to sleep before he can have them for the night he will punish them, but Celine deserved a rest.

"Celine, you piss me off, but I'll let you rest for the night, I won't let that sad excuse of a father you have hurt you any longer." Derrick moved her bangs and kissed her head. The marking on her forehead shined even more.

Fantasia watched from a crack in the door as her anger gets the best of her. "Ugh! I shouldn't have found that slut!" She exclaimed with her teeth clench as she walked away huffing and puffying.

As Derrick adjust to the new woman in his bed, he reached for Celine's face in which caused Celine to open her eyes. "What were you doing, your highness?" Celine asked curious of the man's motive.

"Nothing!" yelled Derrick as he rolled over in onto his other side.

Celine stared at Derrick's back even though he moved a feet away from him. They shared a bed...Celine blushed at the thought of what could happen if she stay asleep. "Would he have touched me?" She thought as her imagination ran wild. She rolled over and looked up at the ceiling. "All this happened in one night...I better get some sleep...I don't no what tomorrow awaits me."

Closing her eyes as a sigh leaves her lips. Celine woke up to the sound of Derrick talking to the maids.

"If anyone asked I slept with-" Then Derrick suddenly stopped talking and turned around and saw Celine on the bed with her hand pushing her hair back with her eyes close as she bath in the sunlight with a small huff.

"Damn, she's super pretty. Why didn't I notice the Maiden of House Ferdinand, before?" Derrick thought as he blushed a little then he stopped blushing suddenly and started clearing his throat.

"Melina, Merina. Please prepare the Queen to be. Dress her in trinkets and make her look like an actual Queen." Said Derrick as he walked out the door leaving two maids one of bright colored teal hair and one of dull brown hair. Melina looking like a colorful maid with a bright and peaceful personality, meanwhile, Merina looked disciplined and serious.

Celine noticed the looks of the maids and they looked obsessed with Celine's appearance.

"My lady your hair is white as snow and your eyes are of light grey pools, your appearance is lovely yet rare." said Melina as she picked up a lock of Celine's hair.

"Rare?" Celine stated as she curiously looked at the maid.

"The genes of white hair of House Ferdinand and Celeste were supposed to be supressed. But you and your father possesed that hair type." said Merina as she pushed her glasses up.

"Anywho~! Let's get our queen ready~! Exclaimed Melina who was excited as she pulled a dress of red fabric and gold trimming, a gorgeous gold chocker with a bejeweled diamond. Shoes of gold bejeweled with rubies that would get you knocked out and stolen from. A white petty coat, ruby earrings and with gold bangles . Merina did the queen's nails and hair while Melina dressed her. As soon as Merina was done with Celine's hair it was curls with a tiara adorning it with a veil, along with red nails adorned with golden ornaments.

Celine make up was light and not heavy as she must eat in the morning. Celine's heels clicked in the hall as Melina held her hand and Merina lift the dress. Celine sat in the chair at the dinning hall of King Derrick as he looked surprised at Celine's change of appearance. He slowly ate as he watched Celine struggle with her cutting ware. She was never taught at cutting things properly.

"I can't take this, anymore..."

The king got up and the servants were taken aback. As the king walked over to Celine, who was more focused on achieving her simple goal of cutting her poached eggs and approach her from behind, the servants thought he was going to kill her.

"Oh No, the Queen is a goner" said one maid.

"Is the king going to kill her?" said another maid.

Then the maids spotted something so rare that they can die. A king who didn't show much emotions was helping the queen learn how to cut foods, guiding her and feeding her.

"You eat like this" said Derrick as he guide her hand. "Then you take the bread and swirl it in the yoke."

Derrick took a bite from Celine's fork as her face flushed red and she felt flustered. "What? Your soon to be husband can't have a bite?"

Celine blushed and looked away as Derrick cleaned his mouth with her napkin some of the yoke spilling down his lip still as he liked it up as Celine peaked. He grabbed Celine's face and gently turned her to face him and cleaned her lips with the same napkin. He quickly licked the yoke off her cheek.

Celine got up quickly, flustered and scurried away as Derrick had a smirk on his face as he watched her run off and he turned to the blushing maids, throwing his napkin.

"Go find the Queen to be and bring her to the carriage outside and treat her with respect."

said Derrick as he walked outside to the awaiting carriage.

-In the castle hall-

Fantasia was walking towards the royal library as she saw Celine squatting and giving herself a prep talk. Fantasia stared bewildered at the young girl's behavior. Fantasia walked over to Celine.

"Ugh, are you ok?" Fantasia asked begrudgingly.

"Yeah" said Celine as she looked up to meet Fantasia's gaze. "Fantasia...I don't know how to thank you for last night-"

"Don't." Fantasia glanced at the girl with narrowed eyes as she walked away. "I just don't see what he sees in you."

Celine looked at Fantasia with a bit of guilt like she owes her something, but she doesn't know why.

"My Lady!" called Melina as she ran up to Celine as she snapped out of her guilt look as Melina was out of breath. "The king request your presence in the royal carriage, you're going to see your father."

Celine felt her heart skip a beat as her nerves get to her. "Don't worry Derrick will be with me." She thought as she followed Melina.

-In the Carriage-

Derrick stared at Celine and Celine sat in silence glancing at the scenery of the town. Derrick cleared his throat catching Celine's attention.

"Those whippings...Who gave those to you?" Said Derrick as she crossed his arms.

"My father..." Celine answered averting his gaze.

"Alrighty, your father will be executed by tomorrow." Celine panicked and sighed.

"Don't do it...Just leave my father alone, it was my fault for what happened that day...I accidentally tore Camila's dress in front of the whole school. Camila was so embarrassed, but she viewed it as me doing it on purpose. She told father and that's how got those whippings." Celine twiddle her fingers like an innocent child as Derrick noticed how rough her hands look meaning she has been tasked with work. She saw how slim she was and if she was handled a certain way she could get sick or injuried easily.

Derrick sighed and grabbed Celine. "I understand how you feel..." Images of his childhood of whippings, verbal abuse and competing with his siblings. "But I solved my problems..."

A muffled "How?" came from Celine.

"I got rid of them." he said as calmness overtakes him, in his eyes he recalled the day he killed his whole two-faced family at the age of 15 and was crowned King. As they pulled up into the Duke's mansion, Camila was adorned in plain clothes looking annoyed as the Duke looked at the approaching carriage nervously.

"Are you ready?" he asked her looking down and their gazes meet.

"I'm ready".

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