Punishment

Now in her room, Kat was fuming with anger. "He's an arrogant, self-centered, narcissistic, mannerless, royal brat!" she vented to Vivian. Vivian tried to calm Kat down, "Um... Lady Kat, please calm down." "I was so close to punching that face of his, ugh!" Kat continued. Vivian: "...."

Vivan didn't know what to say or how to calm Kat, and she tried to hush her. Cause no one dared to talk badly about the king. "Manners? He really wants to tell me about manners!" Kat exclaimed, flopping down on her bed and snatching up the book she had been reading earlier. "I'm not going to let him ruin my mood," she huffed, trying to calm herself.

Finally, Vivian could take a breath when Kat calmed down. "Should I bring your lunch?" Vivian asked. "No, thank you. I'm not in the mood to eat," Kat replied. Vivian nodded. "Hey Viv, have you heard of this story, 'Forest of Desires'?" Kat asked Vivian, tapping the surface of the bed for her to take a seat. "I feel like I have heard it somewhere before," Kat added. "It's a folk tale, Mama used to read it to me. People who enter that part of the forest are never seen again, and even if they are, they're deranged with madness. The place lures people in with their desires, taking them never to be heard from again. A dark creature is said to live in the forest, and if one were to step in, it would do unspeakable things to them. I'm sorry though, I can't remember what it was called," Vivian explained. "It's fine, I'm sure it would be in the book," Kat smiled.

Vivian excused herself to go attend to her work, leaving Kat alone in her room. The sun had started to set, casting a soft orange glow over the room. Kat stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her hair to absorb the moisture. After getting dressed, Kat's hair was still wet, so she dried it off with a fresh towel. "My lady," someone called, knocking on the door. Kat went to open the door and saw it was a maid. "It's time for dinner," the maid informed her. Kat hummed, "Have it sent to my room. I will be having my meal in my room, thank you." Though Kat was calm now, she didn't want to have dinner with Lucian, at least, not for the rest of the day. She didn't want to see his face. "Yes, my lady," the maid said before leaving.

In the dining room, Lucian sat, his expression calm as he drank from the tea. A few minutes had passed, and his gaze moved to the empty seat ahead of him and then to the door. "Where is she?" he asked no one in particular. The same maid who had gone to Kat earlier came forward, bowing. "She instructed that she would be having dinner in her room," she said. Though the maid's voice was steady, her legs shook slightly as she spoke. "Is that so?" Lucian muttered. "Has any food been taken to her?" he asked. "No, Your Majesty. I was about to take it to her once I was done serving you," the maid responded. "Good. No one will take any food to her," Lucian ordered. "It's high time the little bird understood how to behave," Lucian commented, as if he was talking about taming a pet.

Back in her room, Kat realized that time had passed, and her stomach was growling. She hadn't eaten in the afternoon and was extremely hungry. Kat let out a small sob, falling onto the bed with her hands wrapped around her small tummy. "What's taking them so long?" she muttered in frustration, staring impatiently at the door. Time passed, and no one came,Kat grew impatient. She opened her door, taking a peek outside before stepping out into the dark hallways lit only by the soft orange glow of candlelights.

Kat spotted a maid walking ahead of her and called out, "Hey, you!" The maid stopped in her tracks, turning around to face Kat. She bowed and greeted Kat, who walked over to her. "Um, sorry to disturb you, but could you please help me bring some food to my room? I had asked someone else, but I haven't seen her." The maid's face turned pale. "I'm sorry, I can't do that, my lady." Kat frowned, her brows drawing together. "Why?" she asked. "The king ordered that no one serve you food for tonight. I'm sorry," the maid explained. The maid bowed again, apologizing.

At the mention of the king, Kat's jaw tightened. "Thank you, it's fine. You can leave." The maid bowed and hurriedly left. Taking a deep breath, Kat made her way to the dining hall.

Back in the dining hall, "Leave," lucain said and all the maids bowed and left. "Don't you think you're being a little too harsh on Miss Kat?" Sebastian asked as he poured Lucian another cup of tea. "Children need discipline from time to time to teach them to behave," Lucian responded, taking a sip of the tea. "Besides, you of all people shouldn't consider this a punishment, as you know what it truly means for someone to be punished by me." Sebastian didn't say anything more and just smiled. A wicked smile came onto Lucian's lips as he started counting down, "5...4...3...2...1," his fingers tapping on the table.

Just on the count, Kat barged in, sending a sharp glare at Lucan. "Good evening, Kathrine," he greeted as she walked towards him. Kat didn't respond as she approached Lucan, slamming her hands on the table in front of him, shaking the dishes slightly. "What is this behavior, Kathrine?" he asked, the smile still playing on his face. "This behavior is exactly what suits you. For what reason am I being starved?" Kat demanded.

"What a temper. It seems you don't want to eat throughout tomorrow as well," Lucan commented, making Kat bite her lips. "You live under my roof and should know to follow my rules. Disobeying me next time won't be treated lightly." The smile on his face fell, replaced with a dark aura. He suddenly stood up, coming in front of Kat, placing one hand beside her on the table, his dark gray eyes boring into her with only a small distance between them. "Is this how you treat someone you are supposed to take care of, sterving them?" Kat managed to say, feeling goosebumps rise on her neck as she heard his cold voice speak. "Not eating for a few days wouldn't kill you, would it?" Despite the feeling of dread over her, Kat didn't stop glaring at Lucan.

If it were someone else, they would have had their eyes plucked out by now. "This would be your first and last warning, Katherine. Don't disobey me, next time, your punishment won't be as simple as not eating dinner next time." He bent forward, his lips coming close to her ear and he whispered. "You tend to think you are special, it would be best to get that out of your head. You were right that day, I don't care if you leave or die, and certainly wouldn't mind disposing of you myself if I wish to." Every word he said felt like it went through her whole body, her heart raced. He pulled away, stepping back from her. Kat breathed in, trying to calm her heart, staring right back at him. "I'm not scared of you," she said, to which Lucan simply tilted his head. "You should be." Just for a second, Kat saw something glimmer in his eyes, something that felt otherworldly dark. "Leave," he commanded, and Kat stormed out of the dining room, the door shutting with a bang.

Here is the continuation of the rewritten text:

Kat stormed out of the dining hall, her heart still racing from the encounter with Lucian. She couldn't believe the audacity he had, threatening her like that. She had never seen anyone as cruel and heartless as him before.

As she walked back to her room, Kat couldn't help but think about the situation she was in. She was now in this place with no way to escape, at the mercy of a man who seemed to take great pleasure in tormenting her.

When Kat got back into her room, she sat on the edge of the bed. Kat had already thought she was just going to eat a bag of chips from the snacks she had with her, but a scent wafted in the air, and Kat's nose caught the aroma, her stomach also growling in response. When she spotted something on her bedside table when she spotted something on her bed side table, a try covered with a lid. She climbed up the bed and began to crawl towards the bedside table. She opened the lid, her mouth watering at the sight of the steaming bowl of pottage. Its aroma wafted up like a warm embrace. The thick, hearty soup was a deep brown color, with chunks of tender vegetables and scraps of meat floating in a rich, savory broth. A sprinkle of fresh herbs added a pop of color and a hint of freshness to the dish. Kat licked her lips, wanting to take a bite, then she paused. "Who brought this here?" Kat asked herself. She frowned, wondering who brought the food. She was also worried that they could get in trouble for it. But she couldn't resist, as her stomach growled again in protest, she was just too hungry not to eat. "Besides, I can't let it go to waste," she muttered, taking a spoonful. The flavors exploded on her tongue. 'It tastes so familiar, yet it's not,' she thought to herself. After finishing the whole bowl of pottage, Kat's belly was stuffed. A sleepy yawn escaped her lips before she eventually fell asleep.

The crow stood by the window, watching Kat as she slept for a while before it flew away into the night.

The next morning, Kat woke up energetic. She walked over to the window, opening it, and the bright light of the sun engulfed her. She saw something black out of the corner of her eye. She picked it up," a feather" she mutterd as she twirled it with her fingers, not thinking too much about it. Kat threw it out the window. The feather smoothly flew off before landing on the castle grounds.

Kat had gotten ready early before the maids arrived, leaving her hair loose, cascading down her shoulders. As she stepped out of her room, Kat had made up her mind to avoid Lucian at all costs if she wanted her stay here to be peaceful, she couldn't be in his line of sight. She just had to get through her meals, since the only time they ever met was in the dining hall.

In the dining hall, Kat stepped in. "Good morning," she greeted. "Good morning, Miss Kat," Sebastian returned her greeting. "Good morning, Katharine, how was your night?" Lucian asked. Kat paused, not responding immediately. "It was fine." After that, Kat silently ate her food. Everything was going fine so far. "Sebastian, what are the dishes served today?" Lucian asked. Sebastian stepped forward, listing the dishes. "...and fried lambs, that's all, my lord," he concluded. Lucian hummed, "So there's no pottage in today's dishes?" At the mention of pottage, Kat paused for a second before composing herself. "No, Your Highness, there's no pottage in today meal," Sebastian responded.

"Now how can that be? I smell pottage," Lucian said, raising an eyebrow. "Don't you, Katherine?" he asked. Kat looked up from her food, meeting his gaze. "No" she responded. 'Can he really smell it? How's that possible?' Kat panicked inwardly, stylishly bringing her palm to her face to sniff her breath.

"Did you eat last night, Katherine?" Lucian asked, in a calm tone. "What are you talking about? I didn't eat anything," Kat denied.

"Is that so?" Lucian didn't say anything more, and the rest of breakfast was quiet. "Thank you for the meal," Kat thanked, making her way out of the dining hall.

As she passed by Lucian, "Stop," he suddenly said, making Kat pause in her tracks. Lucian took in a breath, as if smelling the air around him. Kat turned around and walked over to Lucian. "Yes?"

Lucian raised his right hand, laying his palm out in front of her.

Kat: "...."

"Umm, what?" She asked confused "your hand" he said blandly. Realising he ment for her to place her hand on his, hesitatively she did as he said placing her right hand on his. Kat frowned when Lucian raised her hand to his face. 'Is he going to kiss my hand?' she thought to herself. But to her surprise, Lucian sniffed her hand before letting go. "You can leave," he said, not waiting even a little more. Kat left immediately. The moment she stepped out, she let out a sigh of relief.

Back in the dinning hall "Someone got into the castle last night. Check the barriers and keep an eye on her," Lucian said to Sebastian, who bowed in response. "Yes, my lord."

Author's note :

Warning of you are not confusable with, blood or gore or any brutal form of violence, this novel isn't for you, and if you are enjoying the novel but find the thing I mentioned to be disturbing you can skip the next chapter.