by Vivian Wood
I had a feeling she was a little too distracted by the castle’s beauty, but figured it was just her way of calming down her nerves. My own were wreaking havoc on me, and I had to remind myself of the reason I was there – Olivier, and his money, the money that would change everything. It was worth it just for that.
Kendy left the room a few moments later, her head held high, but her eyes not meeting those of the other girls. We were all eager to ask her what happened, but she went straight back to the common room. When Freya tried to follow her, Melanie stepped in her path.
“You’re to remain here,” she reminded her. “Her Majesty’s orders.”
Freya balked at the maid, and sat down muttering something to herself. Those two did not get along, and I made a mental note of it. Perhaps I could eventually use it in my favor.
Safiya was called in soon after, and uneasiness twisted my stomach into knots. Her exam took about ten minutes, but when she reappeared, Freya was on her like a hawk. It made me even more scared. This time, Melanie didn’t object, though from what I overheard, Safiya wasn’t willing to share what happened in there.
The girls disappeared into the room one by one while I got more and more nervous. Marceline was the last one to walk into the all-white chamber, and I still had no idea what they were doing in there.
The door burst open moments later, and Marceline exited in tears.
I leaned over to whisper in Zara's ear.
"What's wrong with her?"
She shrugged, and we kept watching as Marceline ran down the hallway, only to be stopped by a tall ice-blonde. Freya. Again.
We watched the two girls talking, and saw Freya cover her mouth as Marceline launched in an explanation, crying even more. Whatever had happened in there had been bad. Now I was even more worried about what lay in store behind the doors of the room the girls kept disappearing into.
Freya gave the girl a brisk hug, and I was surprised by her sudden kindness. Maybe she didn't think Marceline was her competition. She sure as hell didn't feel the same way about me, and she ignored me completely as she made her way to the dwindling group of girls waiting outside the room. She started whispering something to the others, and Zara and I watched them all pale as Freya delivered the news, whatever it was.
"What do you think is happening?" I asked, and Zara shrugged again.
"I'll go find out," she finally whispered in response, winking and nudging me with a conspiratorial grin before walking over to the other girls.
I watched her talk to them out of the corner of my eyes, eager to find out what Marceline had said. Surely the exam couldn't have been that awful? Whatever could have happened to make her cry?
I imagined a room filled with old-fashioned desks and writing an essay like I had in school. Maybe they'd be testing us on our vocabulary, on our abilities to write. However, the tears I'd seen streaming down Marceline's cheeks, and the pale faces of the girls who'd gone in the room before her, spoke of something else happening in the room. Perhaps even something sinister... Whatever it was, it sent a shiver down my spine, and I realized I was trembling in anticipation.
Several excruciating minutes later Zara returned with a triumphant smile.
"It's nothing bad," she told me, sitting back down on the plush velvet sofa. "I thought it would be so much worse!"
"What is it?" I asked in a rush, twisting my hands in my lap. "Please, just tell me."
Zara gave me a curious look before giggling. "It's a doctor's exam."
"A doctor's exam?" I repeated, giving her a wide-eyed look. "But what kind of exam? Are they going to take our blood? Is poor Marceline afraid of needles?"
"No," Zara gave me a sly look. "Something else entirely... Something to ensure we are pure for the wedding."
She gave me a wink, and I knew instantly what she was talking about.
A lump formed in my throat as I stared at her, my heart thumping in my chest. Fuck. I hadn't even thought of that. They were checking to make sure we were virgins.
They were sure as hell in for a disappointment when it came to me, and I bet it would come as a surprise if I delivered the news - that their Prince had been the very one to take my virginity.
I laughed out loud, realizing Zara was expecting a response from me. Shaking my head, I grinned at her, muttering, "Can you believe this?"
"I guess it's part of their old-time traditions," she grinned in response. "But hey, at least we have nothing to worry about, right?"
I stared into her eyes, my heart thudding even louder in my chest. I wanted to check, to make sure if we were on the same page, but I already saw the seed of doubt in Zara's eyes and I knew we were different. Maybe alike in many ways, but this one... this one was where I had the experience - with the Prince, no less - and she was as innocent as I hadn't been for years.
"Amber, you're not..." Zara started just as the door opened, and Marceline's cousin, Chloe, exited looking pale.
"Zara Patel," the woman from before called out, checking a name off her list as she opened the door of the room wide. "Would you come inside, please."
Zara huffed in annoyance and shot me a quick look before hissing, "This isn't over! You have to tell me everything later."
I nodded half-heartedly and watched her walk over to the room and disappear inside the room.
My heart was still pounding, doing nothing for my frayed nerves. I was about to be exposed. But surely, all the other girls weren't virgins... right?
My eyes traveled through the remaining few girls waiting outside the room.
Eva, with her flame-red hair just like mine. She was my age, and heart-stopping in her beauty. Surely, she'd had sex before.
And Freya, with the confidence I could only dream of. She was so sure of herself. I was certain she'd felt a man's touch before.
I bought the virgin thing with Marceline and Chloe - they were so young, which made it even more terrible that they'd been involved in the exam at all. But the other girls seemed so experienced compared to me. At least one of them had to be like me...
Zara was in there for ages, which only made me more anxious. Once she came out, she was eager to rush back to my side and ask all the questions in the world, but I was reluctant to answer. I just sat there, stewing in my own misery as she fired question after question. They all went unanswered, and she seemed to understand why I was so nervous. She sat close to me, pulling me in for a bear hug, and I let her hold me. I could smell her rose-scented perfume, and it was comforting, yet I still shivered with fear.
"You're going to be okay," she whispered in my ear. "I promise. I'm sure they won't make a big deal of it."
She didn't even say what we were both thinking, but she seemed to get nervous for me as the girls dwindled until the last one walked into the room, and only I was left unexamined.
"Zara, I can't do this!" I panicked at the last minute. "They're going to kick me out of the competition, and I'll never forgive myself for letting this happen."
"You have me on your side," she reassured me, squeezing my hand. "And the other girls. Maybe not Freya, but the others. We're going to fight for you."
Her words didn't soothe me, instead making me panic even more. Was it really such a big deal that I wasn't a virgin anymore? I was twenty years old, and I didn't want to be shamed for my choices. Especially when Olivier had a hand in my deflowering... and some other body parts, too.
The door of the room opened and we both glanced as Freya walked down the hallway with a smug smirk on her face and a spring in her step.
"Fuck," I muttered to myself just as Melanie called out my name.
"Don't worry," Zara said again. "You'll be fine. Chin up!"
I got up on shaky feet just as she cleared her throat at the sound of footsteps. I turned around and came face-to-face with the Queen, who wore a triumphant smile that somehow still managed to be disdainful. I curtsied like we'd been told to do in the presence of the Queen, feeling my heart hammering in my chest.
"Girls," the Qu
een said, walking right up to the room I was supposed to go in and giving me an impatient look. "Well, Miss Jonathan? Stop dilly-dallying and come forward."
I paled at the sight of her, fearing the worst.
"Was she in the room with you?" I whispered to Zara, and my friend shook her head, looking just as horrified as I was.
“Amber!” the Queen called out again, and I left my friend standing there, following the imposing woman into the bright white room.
The lights blinded me as the door shut behind us. In the room, there were just three of us. The Queen, me and a woman wearing white scrubs. God, it’s true! I thought, panicking right away. They’re going to do the test now, and with the Queen present, no less. How am I going to get out of this one?
“Please strip down to your undergarments,” the nurse instructed in a cool, impassive voice. At least she wasn’t prejudiced against me. But the Queen was.
I looked around the room for a screen, but there was nothing. And while the nurse turned around to give me some privacy, the Queen’s eyes were right on me.
“Well?” she barked at me. “Stop wasting everybody’s time, girl. We have better things to do than wait around for you.”
My mouth set in a thin line and I fought back the remark lingering on my lips. What gave her the right to be present for this? I had a feeling Olivier had no idea about any of this. And he would not be happy when I told him.
I looked the Queen right in the eyes as I pulled down my pleated skirt and unbuttoned the white silk blouse I was wearing. She didn’t look away, though her cheeks colored in an angry beetroot red when I defied her.
I stripped down to my black lace lingerie set and the stockings I was wearing, held up by a garter belt. Then, I crossed my hands in front of my body, staring at the older woman in front of me and willing her to say something.
From her disapproving look, I could almost tell exactly what she was thinking. My lingerie didn’t exactly scream ‘vigin bride’. She was angry, I could tell, but she decided not to say anything, keeping her composure while she turned to face the nurse.
“Well, get on with it,” she barked at the woman. “I don’t have all day.”
“Of course, Your Majesty,” the woman hurried to say, offering her an awkward smile. “If you could just wait here while I do the exam.”
“Wait?” the Queen argued. “I specifically requested to be present during this girl’s examination.”
I shifted while the woman glanced at me. Then, she leaned in closer to the Queen, muttering, “I just think it might be uncomfortably for the girl, Your Majesty.”
“Do I look like I give a damn?” the Queen hissed. “God, it’s impossible to find good help these days. Get on with it, woman, I don’t have time to stand around all day.”
The nurse shot me an apologetic look before motioning for us to follow her in the other room.
This one was white too, but what frightened me more was the large seat with stirrups in front of it. Surely, this was all a sick joke. They didn’t expect me to get into that thing while the Queen was watching my every move… right?
“If you please, Miss Jonathan,” the nurse said awkwardly, motioning to the seat.
I glanced between her and the Queen, feeling my heart hammering in my chest. When neither of them moved an inch, just staring at me, I realized I didn’t have a choice. Either I went through with this or I risked making the Queen angry. And I wasn’t about to let her belittle me for feeling uncomfortable.
I put my most confident face on as I removed my panties and climbed onto the seat. The Queen glared at me with disgust in her eyes, but I defied her by staring right back. If she wanted to do this the hard way, I was more than happy to oblige. I would make it as uncomfortable for her as possible.
Her eyes wandered over my body, and I could tell she didn’t approve of that, either. Her scandalized gaze swept over my shaved pussy, and I could tell how pissed off she was that I hadn’t let my hair grow over my vulnerable parts. She muttered something under her breath before coming to stand beside me. At least she gave me that small sense of comfort, but once she glared at me, I realized she’d stare at me through the whole procedure and try to make it as difficult as possible for me. The woman was horrible, and I vowed to get her back for all the stuff she’d done to me.
The nurse set to work, and I winced when I felt the coolness of the tools she was using. I braced myself for what I knew was coming, and sure enough, moments later, she put her specimens aside and cleared her throat.
“Well?” the Queen barked. “What are the results?”
The nurse blushed and motioned for me to get dressed. I pulled my panties on and glared at the older woman beside me. She was really making this difficult, and I had no doubt she’d make a big deal of the big reveal.
“She did not pass,” the nurse muttered, and the Queen laughed out loud.
“I knew it,” she hissed. “I knew it.”
She walked right up to me, jamming her pointer finger between my ribs.
“You filthy little girl,” she hissed. “I knew you were lying all along. I knew you were nothing but a commoner!”
“I may be a commoner,” I replied. “But it seems to me I have more manners than the Queen herself.”
The nurse gasped and the Queen sucked in air as she stared at me.
“You infidel,” she murmured. “You’ll be punished for this, even though you’re not in the competition anymore. Obviously.”
I flushed as I walked up to her, barely reaching to her shoulders but feeling taller from the adrenaline rushing through my veins.
“Obviously?” I repeated. “And how are you going to explain it all to Olivier?”
“Don’t say his name,” she roared at me. So easy to provoke. Almost too easy. “You’re not pure, girl. You’re out of here. Olivier wouldn’t want a woman another man has touched.”
“Oh, no?” I asked, with a sweet smile playing on my lips. “I’m sure he wouldn’t, Your Majesty.”
“So you understand,” she went on, triumphant. “You must be gone by the evening.”
“Except your son was the very one who did this,” I purred as if she hadn’t said a word. “He’s the one who took my virginity. The one who fucked me.”
She flinched at my crude choice of words, the color draining from her cheeks.
“That’s not t-true,” she argued, but her voice wasn’t as certain as it had been before, and she glanced at the nurse as if the other woman would back her up. But she busied herself with the equipment instead, blushing as she ignored our conversation. The Queen turned back toward me, her face furious and twisted in rage. “You’re a liar, Amber Jonathan. Who would confirm your story? No one.”
“No?” I asked. “There is someone who could. Actually, a whole room of people, since your precious son fucked me in front of an audience.”
She paled even further, and I gave her a sweet smile as I left the room. She followed in my step and watched me put on my clothes, stewing in her own anger.
“They’re all liars,” she said as I finished getting dressed. “They’d all lie for you!”
“Then ask the person you trust the most,” I suggested. “Your son.”
She winced as if I’d hit her.
“You traitorous girl,” she muttered. “You liar. You… you slut!”
“Call me whatever name you want,” I purred. “The truth will remain. Now, I’ll be on my way. I trust you don’t need me for anything else?”
“No,” the nurse cut in, giving me a wide smile. I almost got the feeling she was proud of me for defying the tyrant Queen. “You can leave.”
“Such a whore,” the Queen spat out when I opened the door. “Don’t think your filthy ways won’t catch up with you, Amber Jonathan.”
“Oh, I know they will,” I replied with a wide grin. “And they’re precisely why I’ll be the last one standing.”
With those words, I sauntered off.
Chapter Eight
Amb
er
Two days without challenges followed, and I was grateful for them, using the time off to let off some steam with the other girls.
After the exam, I was so angry I could’ve slapped the Queen if she dared show her face in front of me again. But I kept my feelings to myself, knowing that if I expressed my hatred for the older woman to anyone, I could be called out for treason. I needed to keep my secrets my own. I wasn’t sure whom I could trust in the castle, so for now, I didn’t speak of my true feelings to anyone. Even when Zara and Safiya prodded me for more information, I kept a stoic smile on my face and warded off their remarks by saying the Queen was a respectable woman who knew what she was doing.
“You can’t believe that!” Zara exclaimed as we were walking in the castle gardens. Her expression was one of disbelief and she was intent on explaining to me just how much the Queen had wronged me. I merely listened with a serene smile on my face. Keep your secrets to yourself, I reminded myself in my mind, over and over again. You never know who will prove to be a snake.
“Let’s talk about something else,” I finally said, tired of the conversation going in circles. Safiya, who was walking with us, rewarded me with a grin, and I could tell she was getting sick of Zara’s insistence, too. “Safiya, you seem to know so much about this place. Did you read up on it before you came here?”
She nodded, the fire in her eyes returning. She’d regaled us with tales of Luxuria the whole time we’d been chatting, and I marveled at her knowledge of the castle and the country itself.
“I have a little confession,” she admitted, smiling slyly. “I have an ulterior motive to coming here.”
“Safiya!” Zara exclaimed with shock. “You can’t be serious. Isn’t the Prince reason enough to be here?”
“Of course he is,” Safiya responded, giving me a conspiratorial smile. “But there’s so much more to discover in Luxuria than just finding out the color of the Prince’s sheets.”