She could hardly breathe. She had been running for nearly an hour, pausing behind trees, stopping only to catch her breath here and there. She knew that eventually she would be caught. Her gowns were heavy, her shoes too thin for all this running. She was too tired to keep this up much longer.
She was breathing so heavily she was unable to hear the footsteps approaching. Before she could run, she was taken.
She had always had a difficult life. She was of mixed blood, and this complicated her daily life. Her father, a duke, had raped her mother one night in drunken lust, and from that unholy union she came. It was not that her mother was a slave; no, in fact she was from a respected family. This was quite a feat, as most Yorden families were still trapped in indentured servitude. But her Wendlar father, the duke of Grayle, had been a married man. And so, this made her not only a mixed race bastard child, but the result of adultery as well.
The duke was responsible for his actions. He gave Kylee's mother a private estate in the country, one with servants and and horses. And every year for her birthday, he came to visit with gifts of jewelry and dresses. It was not until her mother's death, when Kylee was only 17 that her father seemed to change. He sent a messenger to inform her that indeed, he would be selling her home, and he would no longer be able to pay for her living. He then informed her that he had found her a position in the king's home, and that she would be sent there in two months time.
When the carriages pulled up outside the home, she knew it was the king's men. She waited for the servants to greet them, and were surprised at what she saw. From the window, she watched as all the female servants were forced into the carriages. Then, the men made their way toward the house. Screaming ensued, as maids began running about the house, trying to get away. Kylee ran down the back stairwell and through the kitchen out into the garden in the rear of the home. Someone shouted "There! Grab that one!" she ran through the garden, into the forrest.
She had been running ever since, trying to get away, using her knowledge of the terrain to keep the king's men from being able to follow too closely with their horses. But in the end, she was put into a carriage like all the other women and the strong men. Next to her was her own chamber maid, Mira. They looked at one another and it was clear they both felt unimaginable fear.
Once she had arrived at the palace, she was shown about. Each of the three gardens, the libraries, the stables... the three wings of the palace were huge, and hard to remember. She was made a servant to the queen along with Mira.
That night she was called to the library. Upon entering, she fell into her deepest curtsy- recognizing the king and queen. The queen looked up and saw her, and said "Well, you must be my new lady. What, pray tell, is your name?". Kylee cleared her throat and while she knew she had spoken her name, she had not even heard it herself.
The queen and king welcomed her, and she was quickly dismissed. She shared a room with Mira, in the queens wing of the palace. While the room was not inadequate, it was certainly not what she was used to. The bed was too stiff, and the room was dark and sullen. The pain caused by her father only seemed to further darken the room. That night, and every night, she wished on a star to give her back the free life she once had.
*~*
Days passed, and turned into weeks. Her birthday had come and gone, with no celebration by anyone.
It was no secret that the queen had fallen ill, and now she formed new hope- as mean spirited as it may be- that with the queen's death she would be released. It was during this time that she was able to gain a large amount of free time. She would spend it reading in the library, listening to birds in the garden, and taking long walks about the palace.
One night, she could not sleep and headed to the library. As she huddled herself in the corner with a candle, she read a romantic story she had started earlier in the week. Soon she was completely engulfed in a hot scene of passion. Her face became flush and her body grew warm. She continued to read until she heard footsteps. Looking up, there was a man leaning against the bookcase, watching her as she read.
"You must be enjoying that book, girl." He spoke to her, and she knew she should retire back to her bed.
He had been watching her, taking note of her beautiful face as she became obviously aroused by the reading. Seeing her arousal built something in him as well, and he could not help but want her.
