---
"Good afternoon, Your Highness," she greeted.
"Good afternoon," Princess Sabrina responded, recognizing the maid as Sally, her father's mistress's handmaid. What did she want?
"His Majesty, the King, requests your presence at the palace court now."
Her father wanted her? Why? And Sally being here meant Lady Ashley, the mistress, was with her father.
"You are dismissed," she ordered dismissively.
"Yes, Your Highness," Sally bowed and immediately scampered out of sight.
Abruptly, Sabrina changed direction, walking regally toward the palace courtroom. He probably wanted to give her more scrolls to interpret. She sighed; it was all part of being a princess in a powerful kingdom. It came with a lot of responsibilities and duties. A lot.
---
"You sent for me, Father?" Princess Sabrina said after paying her respects to him. She stood regally before him, her head held high with an air of composure, awaiting his next move.
She was definitely taken aback when she entered the courtroom to find her father's mistress, General Jade, and the slave master, Derek, already there. That wasn't what she expected. She didn't need anyone to tell her why her presence was required. Indeed, words spread like wildfire in the palace.
"I heard a report of you locking up the slave master. What was his offense?" King Judrith asked.
Princess Sabrina took a deep breath before speaking. "Father, the slave master committed an atrocious crime that angered me, and I had him locked up in the palace jail."
The King sighed heavily. "What was the crime?"
"This morning, as I was inspecting the slaves' work in the mine, I caught the slave master, who is standing here, assaulting and harassing a female slave openly. The girl would have been badly hurt if I hadn't gotten there in time. He really needs to be punished for such an inhumane act."
The King huffed. "And who said he needs to be punished?"
Princess Sabrina was undoubtedly surprised by his words. "Father," she pleaded.
"She is a slave, Princess, and he is there to inspect them. He has the right to penalize any of them who chooses to prove stubborn. They are just a slave," he repeated. The way he spoke of the slave with revulsion, one would think he was speaking of some contagious disease.
"Even to the extent of stripping them of their dignity, Father?" Princess Sabrina pressed.
"They are slaves, Princess; they have no dignity whatsoever to protect. They are below us, the lowest of humans. The last in the food chain."
The dejected and disappointed look on her face was something she couldn't deny. How lowly her father thought of servants!
"And even if they are killed?" she asked, pressing on.
"They are of no essence to the world anyway," he replied, with no hint of remorse in his voice. How cruel!
"Your Majesty!" she exclaimed, utterly disappointed.
"Princess! You should behave!" Lady Ashley, the king's mistress, spoke for the first time. There she stood effortlessly behind the seated king.
"I heard the slave girl was taken to the palace clinic. Such outrageous behavior, Princess. Such care is only for the royal family," he said, a bit angry.
The Princess remained silent this time; she was obviously pissed off, but making her father angry wouldn't help her in any way.
"You all should excuse us. You can get back to work, Derek," the King ordered.
The slave master and General Jade bowed respectfully and made their way out of the courtroom.
"You should leave as well, Ashley. I will call for you later in the day," King Judrith ordered, not sparing her a glance. His gaze was fixed on his daughter standing before him.
For a split second, the mistress had a sour look, but was quick to replace it with a fake, tight-lipped smile.
"Your wish is my command, my King," she muttered with a bow. Oh, she wished she could witness how the princess would be scolded by her father, the king. Without wasting any more time, she walked out of the court, her ball gown swaying with her slender figure.
---
"Princess," the King began immediately they were alone.
"Yes, Father," Princess Sabrina responded, gulping a lump of saliva down her throat.
He stood up from his throne slowly, taking measured strides toward his daughter.
"Look up at my face," he ordered, now standing two feet away from her.
Obediently, she raised her slightly bowed head, maintaining eye contact with her father.
"For the past years, I made sure to raise you to be the perfect princess of Badrith. Best tutors, best books, best foods, best life… I did all of that for you, not just for you to be a Princess, but a perfect one. Not to be a princess who shows mercy to slaves. A royal's favor is not something everyone should get—not the servants, slaves, or the weak." He paused.
Princess Sabrina gulped hard, her grip tightening on her dress.
"You are a princess, a royal. I trained you to be one, not a weakling, and you should act like one. Remember what I always tell you? Speak it to my hearing."
She took a deep breath. "A real royal doesn't show mercy. We need to be ruthless."
Proudly, his lips twitched into a smile. "Good! That's my princess. I know how intelligent you are, and that is why I won't give you out to just anyone. You are my gem; you deserve the best man, right?"
"Yes, Father," she forced out, her hands balled into furious fists.
"Good. Then I believe you shall act accordingly. I raised a princess, not a weakling. You are dismissed," he ordered, walking majestically back to his throne.
"Yes, Father." With a last small bow, she walked out of the throne room.
Immediately she was out of his breathing space, she heaved a huge sigh of relief. Her sigh came out in shakes. That was who she was, the daughter of the most powerful and ruthless king in all of the seven kingdoms. Her father did a great job in building that powerful image for her as well.
Well respected by all, even princesses of her kind envied her. A princess who led an army of princesses.
But they knew nothing about being fathered by a power-drunk king… They didn't have any idea.
They didn't.
With tears in her eyes, she walked back to her quarters.
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