"Shit."

My arm ached as I vigorously scrubbed the spot of dried dirt. I had been working on this one spot for the past five minutes. My knees were red and sore from being on them for hours. I was starting to lose feeling in my legs below them as my body screamed for a break.

I had been cleaning rooms and scrubbing floors since 8 am after helping Henry in the stables for the first hour. Since Ezra had informed Cassius that I was cleared to work the day he did, he refuses to give me any more time to rest and heal my injured hands. According to Ezra, he didn't want to 'deal with the headache those two would give him if he gave me more time.' Luckily, the cream had my burned hand in near perfect condition by the next day so I was able to do my work left-handed until the magical healing salve had healed my other hand enough. Today was my second day using my right hand again and it was starting to cramp.

It had been my regular routine for the past week to clean so I had gotten used to understanding what to generally expect, but it seemed like someone had put extra effort into dirtying the floors of the foyer last night. I bet I could guess who it was. The same person who intentionally destroyed his room before I had to clean it to make my life harder.

Jaxon.

He always sabotaged my work, making it harder or so that I'd have to redo it. The caked on dirt that covered the foyer and halls was no doubt his work. I bet he used a blow torch to bake that shit on so it would be harder to remove. Clearly, it worked considering it felt like my arm was about to detach from my body.

Although their physical attacks calmed compared to the day in the tea room, Jaxon still shoved or tripped me any chance he got. His push yesterday, as I got off a ladder after cleaning the windows, was the reason I had been kneeling on bruised knees for the past two hours.

While Jaxon was more hands-on with his torment, Zev attacked from the shadows. He didn't dirty his own hands. He had minions to do that for him. After the tea incident, the few servants that were hostile towards me got worse. I started finding tacks in my shoes and my clothes ripped to shreds. My sheets and mattress had been stolen from my room so now I had to sleep on the bare wooden board it used to sit on. The hard surface made the ache I felt throughout my body worse. They even pushed their work off onto me with threats of reporting me to the lords for insubordination since they ranked higher than me. It made it harder to finish my own work. On days where I was painstaking able to finish my work before mealtime, I found myself being locked in a supply closet until it passed. The last time I had three square meals in a day was when I was still healing. Ever since then I had just been surviving on breakfast.

On a positive note, since the incident in the tea room, I no longer had to serve the afternoon tea. I thanked Ezra even though he claimed to have nothing to do with it. The fact he couldn't look me in the eye and had a slight blush gave him away. I also had a feeling he was the reason Zev hadn't tried to bloody me again.

Another positive was that since I didn't have to visit Erza every morning, it made it easier to avoid Axel. I had a few close calls, but I ran in the opposite direction every time I saw him. I also hadn't been summoned by Cassius to be grilled for information. I think Ezra was to thank for that, too. He probably filled him in on the situation.

I did feel a little disheartened that I didn't get to see Ezra as often now. With my busy workload, the only times I got to see him were in passing. Quick greetings and shortened conversation. I didn't realize I would miss our mornings together.

Water splashed across the floor and soaked my side and legs. The echo of metal bouncing and rolling across the marble floor resonated off the walls.

"I think you missed a spot," Jaxon's dark, pleased voice said.

I blanked my face as I looked at the dirty, brown water spreading across the floor that I had just cleaned. The metal bucket stopped as it thumped against the far wall.

I curled my fingers around the brush in my hand. It would take me twice as long to clean it up and finish the area that was left. I would have to work through lunch.

I ground my teeth and, without showing an ounce of the emotions raging inside, I went back to scrubbing the stubborn spot.

"What? You just going to ignore me?" He asked, his feet coming to a stop by my hand.

Yes. Yes, I was.

If there was one thing I learned this past week, it was that even though he was a horrible man, Jaxon was no where close to the level he used to be. None of them were. It more than halved the fear they induced that day in the tea room.

I continued to scrub like he wasn't there. The sound of the brush scrapping over tile was accompanied by the ticking of the grandfather clock against the wall. I swear I could make out the faint sound of Jaxon's ego being offended underneath it all. It didn't seem like he liked being ignored.

"Look at me when I talk to you, bitch!" He shouted before kicked the brush out of my hand. It went to join the bucket.

I clutched my throbbing hand against my stomach, bending over it. Fuck that hurt. Who would have expected a grown man would act like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum when ignored. I flexed my fingers, making sure he didn't break anything.

"Do I have your attention now?"

I looked up at him. "Yes."

He smirked like he won. Crouching down so he was closer, he reached out a curled a loose strand of my hair around his finger. The natural coil willingly complied.

I felt a sudden urge to cut it off.

"Yes, what?" He asked.

I clenched my jaw, knowing where this was going.

His smile widened at my visible display of anger. "Aren't you going to address me properly, slave?"

I wanted to spit in his face at the address. For some reason, when it was just the two of us he started calling me his slave. When others were around, he continued to mockingly call me princess. It wasn't to save me face. It was him reminding me subtly that I never would be anything close to one.

Well, fuck him. I never wanted to be a princess anyway. All they were, were overly pampered pawns, groomed to be complacent as they got married off to old men to create alliances.

Jaxon tucked the strand of hair behind my ear, he got to his feet. Reaching down, he grabbed me by my messy ponytail and jerking me to my knees, tilting my head up.

He bent over me, his face hovering above mine. "How do you address me, slave?" His voice calmly asked.

I knew he was anything but. His golden eyes were darkening and his voice was deeper, sounding a bit...off.

Feeling a bit rebellious as my stomach growled, reminding me of how I was going to stay hungry longer than necessary once again, I quietly just glared back.

His eyes narrowed and darkened further until the gold appeared antique. "I suggest you address me properly, slave," he threatened. His voice was deep and imposing.

A sliver of doubt wormed its way through my brain. Jaxon seemed different at the moment. He was more imposing, lacking the hint of dark amusement in his eyes.

Another grumble of my stomach reinforced my anger. I was sore, tired, hungry, and sick of all their power play bullshit. It was clear to all parties involved that I had no say or control. Why did they constantly have to rub it into my face?

I squared my jaw, the slight movement caused the pain in my scale to increase as my hair was pulled tighter. "Or what?"

And this here ladies and gentlemen, was why I couldn't go a few weeks without being punished by him. Hunger and sleep deprivation were a leading cause of stupidity. It also delayed survival instincts, like fear, until it was too late. Atleast with him I had the added insentive of avoiding beatingings to keep me in check.

The corner of his lips curled cruelly as a dark glint entered his eye. That was the only warning I got.

I gasped as he pulled me to my feet by my hair and slammed my front up against the closest wall. His harsh hold in my hair kept me up as my numbed legs threatened to crumble. I felt the unnatural heat of his body press against my back before he took a step back.

"Or, you face the consequences," a sharp, stinging palm landed on my ass. "Slave."

I was too stunned to react. Did he just spank me?

I gasped as his hand landed once more- harder. He didn't stop. I screamed as his palm cracked against my ass again. I tried to stop him by covering myself with my hands, but he let go of my hair and pinned both wrists in his hand at the small of my back before continuing. Pain heated my rear and started to spread as the blows kept coming, harsher each time. I didn't want to cry, but it became harder to resist with each humiliating and stinging blow he landed. I don't know how many times he struck me, but by the time he was done, tears were streaming down my face as I gasped and sobbed at the pain and humiliation.

He jerked my head back by the hair as he pressed himself into my back. It became increasingly difficult to get oxygen into my lungs as a new fear started to bloom.

I could feel his arousal pressing into my lower back.

His breath spread against my neck as he brought his lips to my ear. "Are you going to address me properly now?"

Trembling, I nodded my head.

His hold on my hair tightened.

"Y-yes, master," I stuttered at his subtle warning.

"Be sure to greet me properly next time, slave. I went easy on you this time. My palm will be meeting the bare flesh of your ass next time I need to remind you."

I swallowed, suppressing a sob. He released my hair and stepped back. Without his body holding me up, I crumbled to the floor. Hugging my knees as my sore, stinging ass landed on the cold, hard floor, I cowered against the wall.

"Fuck."

I looked up at Jaxon's hissed curse. The gold of his irises had lightened to their usual honeyed gold colour.

He looked at his hand in disgust, wiping it on his dark jeans before pinning me with his eyes. "Clean this shit up," he spat out before storming off.

* * *

I cleaned up the dirty water with humiliation and violation burning through my veins. My ass felt like it was on literal fire, too, making the rest of my job that much harder to do as my body ached. I still had to finish the remaining area but exhaustion has me wanting to collapse and sleep for a week straight. Just thinking of the list of afternoon chores made me want to cry.

I grabbed the bucket of dirty water and made my way to dump it and fill it with clean water. My clothes were still wet and the constant chill of the house made me shiver. Rounding the corner leading to the supply room, I found Kai and Timothy.

"Did you get Chefs list?" Timothy asked Kai as he looked down at the sheets of paper in his hand. His brows furrowed. "I don't think they'll have this much feed in stock."

"No, I was heading over to get it right now."

"Well hurry, we need to get going."

Kai nodded and was about to run off when I approached.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" I asked with a forced smile. I was too drained emotionally and physically to be genuine at the moment.

"Hey-" the smile on Timothy's face dropped when he saw my state.

"Damn, what happened to you, woman?" Kai asked. He sniffed the air. "And why do you smell more than usual?"

I rolled my eyes up. "Thanks for keeping me updated on my hygiene, Kai. I've been too busy scrubbing floors to sniff my pits to see if they meet your expectations of freshness."

"What happened?" Timothy repeated.

I sighed. "Jaxon."

That was all the explanation he needed. Usually. This time it wasn't. But I wasn't going to relive my utter humiliation by recounting what he had done besides drenching me with dirty water.

"Shit, he and Lord Zev really have it out for you," kai commented.

"Thanks for letting me know, I never noticed," I snapped. Closing my eyes and taking I deep breath, I felt guilt. None of this was Kai's fault "Sorry, Kai. I'm just sick and tired of everything. That doesn't mean I should take it out on you though."

"It's alright," he waved my apology off. "I get it. I used to do the same thing at my old mistress's house." His eyes widened at his revelation. He rushed to change the subject, clearly not wanting to elaborate on what he meant by old mistress. "Timmy, I should go get that list before we get behind schedule."

He turned and had begun speed walking away, but stopped when he heard Timothy's question.

"Do you want to join us, Nea?"

I looked at him not knowing what he was asking me to join them in.

"What?" Kai nearly shouted. "Do you want to die?" He hissed at Timothy.

"Stop being overdramatic," Timothy replied.

"O-over dramatic-"

"We're headed to the market to do the weekly supply and produce run," Timothy informed me, cutting off Kai's outraged disbelief. "It'll give you a chance to get out of this manor, to take a break and clear your head. You deserve it after all your hard work. Even Lester doesn't work as hard as you and he has his nose permanently attached to lord Cassius's asshole."

I laughed at the mental image of the haughty old butler.

I sobered as I recalled all the remaining work I have left. "I can't, I still have work to do."

"Don't worry about that. I'll get a friend to cover while we're gone."

I looked at him skeptically. I knew he was well-liked by the others, but I doubted they would do him a favour that would benefit me.

"I don't know... What if they notice I'm missing?"

"Yeah, Tim Tim, what if they notice she's gone?" Kai asked, a hint of panic in his voice.

"Do they ever seek you out?" he asked me.

I thought about it. They never looked for me. They usually set the scene for me to walk into or took advantage of moments of opportunity, like earlier.

"No..."

"Come on, then. We'll only be gone two or three hours max. Go get changed and meet us back here in ten minutes."

"Are you out of your mind?" Kai exclaimed. "Do you know how much trouble we'll be in if we get caught?"

"Kai, calm down, we'll be fine. I get why you're worried. Your still new, but soon you'll realize that the lords aren't like your mistress was," timothy tried to soothe.

"Yes, they are! They treat D like she used to treat me!"

Timothy sighed and sent a pity-filled glance towards me. "You know why, Kai."

Kai released a humourless laugh. "Fine, let's say I believe that they won't do anything to us, but what about her? What happens when they catch her?"

My heart warmed at the concern he held for me.

"I'll take the blame. I'll say something about how I told her it was part of her tasks for the day. Plus they told me to take anyone with me if I needed help. There's an awfully large amount of feed needed this week. Of course I wouldn't be able to carry it all by myself so I'd need to ask someone else to help carry it to the truck."

"And tiny over her would be your first choice?"

Timothy shrugged. "I could have reassigned you to help with the feed and recruited her to get the food products."

Kai shook his head lightly. He seemed less stressed and panicked. "It's all on you if something goes wrong," he said before turning and heading towards the kitchen.

"Go get cleaned up and changed. Wear something that hides the shape of your body," Timothy instructed.

I looked at him in confusion but left to follow his directions anyways. It's not like hiding my body would get me hurt. It used to keep me safe once upon a time.