The Whipping Girl's Revenge

"She is the widow of Baron Maximilian. Her name is Zaria."

Alexis gasped. "She married that old man?"

"Yes and she inherited his great fortune, she is now a very powerful young woman." The prince said smiling, clearly in awe of Zaria's beauty just like every other guest.

To Alexis' horror, Zaria sat down on the other side of the Prince. She was slim and tall with brown hair pulled up into an elegant bun, her dress was sleek and fit nicely around her frame. Her dress looked more modern and in fashion than Alexis' massive blue dress.

"Hello, I am Zaria you must be Alexis?" Zaria put her white gloved hand forth for Alexis to shake, which Alexis did.

"Yes, I am betrothed to the Prince, we are to marry in three weeks." Alexis responded staking her claim.

"I know you are such a beautiful woman, I am sure the prince is lucky to have you." Zaria responded.

Alexis smiled in a courteous manner. As she glanced at Zaria she thought the woman looked familiar. She kept glancing at her again and again racking her brain, trying to remember when or where she had seen her before. Finally, she just asked.

"I am sorry, you look familiar, have I seen you before?"

"You look familiar as well, but I do not recall when or where I saw you," Zaria replied smiling.

As the dinner continued the conversation turned to science, towards the controversial theory of Evolution. Zaria proved to be well read on the subject and was able to defend the principle with the utmost articulation. Whereas Alexis who had never taken her studies seriously could not recount anything and remained silent. Zaria seemed to do everything she could to turn the conversation away from Alexis' strengths which were royal gossip and banal pleasantries to more academic subjects. The prince seemed to be gripped by Zaria's words, the two had an undeniable chemistry. Alexis seethed with rage.

The conversation turned to politics and Alexis attempted to interject only to be firmly rebutted by the prince himself. Alexis looked over at Zaria chuckling to herself. Alexis' face was red, she was humiliated. Through the whole dinner, the prince gave Zaria much more attention than Alexis.

As the dinner came to a close the prince took Alexis' hand and said goodbye to Zaria. He kissed her white-gloved hand, pausing for a while to look into her eyes, clearly enamored by her."That Zaria, she certainly is well read." The prince remarked to Alexis.

"Indeed she is," Alexis said seething with jealousy and anger.

"Have you made sure my servant is waiting for me in my quarters," Alexis said with a sociopathic undertone.

"Oh yes, of course, he will be ready for you," Prince Philip said smiling uneasily at Alexis..

The prince kissed Alexis' hand and bowed to her leaving her near her quarters. Alexis schemed her temper flaring.

***

"A Murder Plot!"

***

"ARCHIBALD!" Alexis yelled out.

"Yes, your majesty!" Archibald shuffled up to Alexis, he was still sweating from helping the palace servants clean up the dinner plates.

"This cannot stand, something is afoot, I have a usurper."

"A usurper!" Archibald was shocked.

"Zaria, the widow of Baron Maximilian, she is using her charms to steal the prince away from me!"

"What can we do!" The loyal Archibald replied genuinely disturbed by the news.

"This has happened before, princes have been stolen away after they have been betrothed, their former lovers falling into obscurity, the usurper gaining fame, and fortune! I cannot let it happen to me. It would be unconscionable, I must act!"

"But what can we do? I will do anything."

Alexis calmly walked over to her chest of drawers and pulled out a knife with an ivory handle.

"Dear Archibald, there is but one thing for you to do, you must in the dark of the night sneak into Zaria's quarters and put this knife through her heart." Alexis' eyes were especially icy as she made this statement and gave Archibald the knife.

"I...I...I...I...cannot kill." Archibald meekly responded while holding the knife.

"YOU MUST! THIS WOMAN IS A USURPER! SHE DESERVES DEATH!" Alexis looked at Archibald angrily.

"I...I..." Archibald had no words.

"For a kiss?" Alexis asked, causing the gears in Archibald's mind to turn.

"A kiss?" Archibald replied.

"A nice long kiss, on the lips. You can pretend we are lovers." Alexis came close to Archibald, her chest touching his, Archibald could feel her breath on his face, he was beyond smitten.

Archibald took a deep breath. "I can get a list of whom is staying in which quarters from the servant's quarters. You see we as servants must know this so we can better serve the royalty. I believe there is a skeleton key in the servant's quarters as well, I will find it. I will sneak in and stab her in the heart then I will return and you will kiss me." Archibald stoically responded almost in a trance.

"Yes, my dear Archibald, yes!" Alexis said smiling as Archibald creeped out of the room. Alexis smiled, she was glad she brought Archibald along with her.

***

"Foiled!"

***

Zaria was awoken by her lock gently turning. She saw her door was creaking, a shadowy figure emerged into the room. Zaria nudged a body who was sleeping soundly next to her.

"My love, a fiend approaches!" Zaria spoke.

Within ten seconds, Archibald felt the cold steel of a sword press up against his neck and he heard Prince Philip's voice.

"FOUL WRETCH DROP THY BLADE!"

Archibald dropped the knife immediately. "FORGIVE ME!" he cried out, weeping knowing that he would face the gallows.

A Kerosene lamp was ignited by Zaria and Archibald was revealed.

"Alexis' servant!" Prince Philip who was clad in long underwear, let out a cry of disgust.

"She put you up to this!" The Prince pressed the sword up to Archibald's neck, slightly cutting the skin.

"No, no of course not, I did this on my own. I am a terrible wretch, perverted and evil, I...I..."

"Silence! You ARE pathetic," the Prince spoke.

"Call the guards, take me to the gallows, I confess, I confess." Archibald murmured.

"I don't believe him," Zaria spoke, she was strangely calm considering the circumstances.

The prince turned around, still holding the sword up to Archibald's neck. "He has no motive, only Alexis has a motive, he will do whatever she says." Zaria calmly spoke looking directly into Archibald's terrified eyes.

"I will have the guards fetch her at once." The prince spoke to Zaria.

"I will get the guards, you hold this fiend at bay." Zaria got dressed the prince agreed to her leave the quarters and get the guards.

The prince pulled the sword away slightly and Archibald fell to his knees weeping. "I am sorry, my prince I did not know you were present in this room, please forgive me!"

Through the dim kerosene light, the price looked at the whimpering Archibald with hate in his eyes. "SILENCE WORM!" The prince spoke harshly, Archibald did as he was told.

Meanwhile Alexis who was still awake waiting for Archibald to return heard a stirring outside of her door. She stood up as she heard the door open, without thinking she blurted out. "Archibald did you do the deed?" She nearly fainted when she saw Zaria flanked by two guards standing in her door well.

"Seize her at once, by order of the prince!" Zaria spoke.

In shock Alexis nearly froze and felt immediately faint, when she felt the rough calloused hands of the guards grab her under her shoulders and hoist her up. She was outside of the room when she muttered her first protests.

"May I get dressed!? I cannot be seen publicly wearing nothing but my night slip!"

The guards continued to carry Alexis towards Zaria's chamber.

"Unhand me, unhand me you fools, I am betrothed to the prince!" Alexis kicked her bare feet, but it was to no avail, the guards easily transported her to Zaria's room. There Alexis would see that the prince still held Archibald captive.

Alexis was met with the prince holding a sword up to Archibald's neck with a single kerosene light burning brightly. One of the guards spoke.

"Prince Philip, is this your will, to have this woman transported to this room?"

"Yes, of course, it is, there has been a conspiracy against me of the highest order." The prince replied back.

"Shall we take these fiends to prison?" The other guard questioned.

"No, I will deal with them myself, I dismiss you both and don't mention this to anyone." The prince then dismissed the guards with a flip of his wrist.

The guards left, Philip looked at Alexis, "Alexis take a seat on the bed." There was palpable anger in his voice.

Alexis was confounded, she did not know why the prince was present...in Zaria's quarters.

"What are you doing here?" She asked nervously.

"Take a seat, it will all become clear!" There rage in the prince's voice, a rage that he was no longer hiding. Alexis did what she was told.

"Zaria, light more Kerosene lights, I want to see both of these scoundrel's faces."

"I am betrothed to you, I am no scoundrel, and what are you doing with HER!" Alexis added indignantly as more Kerosene lights light up the room nearly as well as the light of day.

The prince lowered his sword. "Can I trust that neither of you will attempt to kill me or my lover!" The prince spoke.

Alexis was in a rage, "LOVER! I AM BETROTHED TO YOU! YOU HAVE BETRAYED ME!"

"SILENCE! I am a prince, can I not have a lover? You know as well as I do, marriages are little more than politics. I have perfect grounds to throw you into prison for the rest of your pathetic life! Do you want this?"

Alexis was crying, "Archibald you incompetent fool, this is your fault, I HATE YOU!"

"I am sorry, your majesty, I am sorry I have failed you!" Archibald replied weeping.

"You both will be punished, but if you cooperate, you both will come out of this alive. This merely complicates something that was already in motion for which I was going to reveal to you in a few days time. Now your wicked plot forces me to abruptly inform you of Zaria and my plan. First the truth of Zaria's identity shall now be explained to you." The prince motioned for Zaria to speak.

***

"Zaria Explains"

***

"You do know me, Alexis, you know me well." Zaria stepped in front of Alexis. "Now listen to me carefully, for all will become clear as to who I am and what my motivations are and how you know me." Alexis looked deep into Zaria's piercing eyes, racking her brain, trying to remember who she was. Zaria began to speak.

"I was abandoned by my peasant family, whom could not care for me. You see many peasants had lost their farms in the time period of my youth and moved into the imperial city to look work. Work was long and hard, pollution soiled and air and water. My father could not make high enough wages support the family, the polluted air made my mother very ill. So I was taken to an orphanage, I barely remember my parents. I was raised well in the orphanage, I was told I was smart and likable. That is why, at the age of twelve I was adopted by the nobility, I was beyond excited and the lovely caretakers at the orphanage told me it was a great opportunity. Unfortunately, I was adopted as a servant with a particularly gruesome job. The noble family, the Von Tromp's had an unruly daughter, she did not pay attention in her studies and her teacher was not permitted to use corporal punishment. I was brought in as a whipping girl!" You know me as Guild, which is my true name. I now go by Zaria which is, in fact, my middle name."

Fear fell over Alexis' eyes, she suddenly remembered Zaria was her servant, she knew her as Gilda. Alexis remembered how poorly she treated Guelda. "I remember you!" Alexis cried out.

"Hush, I am not done. A spoiled Baroness terrorized me, her name was Alexis Von Tromp, which would be you!! You took every opportunity to abuse me, instead of being a deterrent for your bad behavior, you seemed to be delighted in watching me suffer! For six years, I was whipped and spanked for YOUR sins. My back is scared because of you! Yet I persevered and I listened to the lectures given by your highly paid teachers and I myself became very well educated. When I was 19 and you finished your studies, I was released. Without a cent to my name I was released, without gratitude and with only the clothing on my back I was released into the harsh world. I was without a home until the kindly Baron Maximilian hired me as a servant. Maximilian was widowed and lonely, he developed a liking to me and eventually he decided he wanted to marry me. After only being married to him for two short years, he died and his family wanted to kick me off of their estate, due to my lack of noble lineage. This is when I came to talk to Prince Philip. We began talking and took a liking to each other, I learned he was betrothed to you and I warned him of your wicked ways. The prince liked me so much we became lovers.Yet sadly, it is a trepidacious thing for us to be married, as I am not of true noble lineage. I told Philip of you, and your complete disinterest in politics, science, art or anything of substance. He told me that he indeed believed you were boring. But we both agreed you looked the part of a queen and acted like one too."

Alexis was seething with anger, but she did not dare interject.

"So Philip and I decided that for us to be together, we needed a figurehead, someone who could look pretty, who could come to all of the parties and gatherings and be a public face for the kingdom. I know this is your dream, I know you well. You want nothing more than to look good. And so we together made a plan to allow you to marry the prince, whereas the prince's true love was me. You being the public wife, myself being the private wife."

Alexis was breathing heavily, stricken with anger.

"Is this not true? Are you not an expert at banalities, at gossip and take no interest in politics? Is it not true that the prince has taken to me and bedded with me on this very night he promised to spend time with you?" Zaria asked.

Alexis looked away, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"You desire the prince, you believed he would be dedicated to you alone, like in the storybooks?" Zaria asked.

Alexis was now sobbing.

"Well I am sorry, I wish the prince had told you sooner, and now we are in a real predicament, because you ordered your man-servant to murder me and I truly don't know how the prince is going to react."

"React, react, how am I supposed to react to this! This is beyond reproach!" The prince called out.

"My lover, please calm, let us talk about this." Zaria put her hand on the prince's shoulder.

"Let's bind these two, and we can confer in the adjacent room alone," Zaria spoke to the angry prince.

"I am sorry to both of you, but due to your crimes you are at risk of fleeing, so we are going to have to bind you while we discuss your fates," Zaria said as the prince pulled a long rope out of a drawer. Each room had rope supplied in case an emergency fire exit needed to be made.

The prince cut the rope in half and handed it to Zaria, "I'll tie the woman." the prince harshly spoke.

The prince approached Alexis, "I am sorry!" She spoke to the prince, her apologies on this night were the first times she had ever attempted an apology in her life, she was insulted that they seemed to have no effect on the visibly angry prince.

"Turn around put your hands behind your back!" Alexis did what she was told, the rough rope was tied harshly around her wrists, he cut the rope with his sword when he was done.

"On your stomach, on the bed!" The prince ordered. Alexis lied flat on her stomach on the bed. Prince Philip then tied Alexis' ankles together and cut the rope again.

"It's so tight, I am so uncomfortable." Alexis protested.

"I am not done yet." The prince stoically replied as he looped a rope around the tie that fastened both Alexis' ankles and wrists together. The prince harshly tugged, forcing Alexis' back to arch uncomfortably. "Ow," Alexis cried out as prince Philip tied the rope. Alexis was still in her night slip, steadfastly hogtied. Her face cringing with discomfort and humiliation.

"Shall we confer" Zaria looked over at Prince Philip. Philip looked over at Archibald now securely fastened to the dresser, rope strewn about his frail body.

For almost an hour, Alexis was forced to endure her bondage as audible murmuring was heard in the adjacent room. Alexis sniffled and cried as she realized that her aspirations and dreams were most likely over, she cursed at Archibald and blamed him. Archibald agreed he was to blame and sobbed uncontrollably. Zaria and Prince Philip seemed to disagree on what to do, but neither Archibald nor Alexis could make out their exact words. Finally, Prince Philip emerged with Zaria.

Alexis realized that she was now entrapped in an elaborate revenge scheme. Zaria had to have known that Alexis was going to ask Archibald to murder her after she upstaged Alexis at the dinner. This is why she on this night made sure the prince lied in her room. She probably laid in wait all night for her assassin. Alexis realized she was dealing with a very cunning adversary.

"Stop your sniffling, you pathetic louts," Philip said with cutting disdain.

"We've come to a solution." Zaria spoke.

"From day one our plan was to have Alexis be the figurehead for the kingdom while I privately acted as the true wife and advisor to the prince. Alexis still has that opportunity. As for Archibald, his life can be spared as well. Philip will you continue."

"Alexis I will bring you up on charges of adultery, for which you will be given a public punishment, not in front of the peasantry, but in front the nobility. The punishment shall be implemented by a female executioner. You shall be forced to lie over the executioner's lap in the nude in my court and take a public spanking on your bare arse! Do not worry I will not cancel our wedding necessarily, although it will cause a few of the older generation to think of you as a harlot. They will learn to accept you as their princess and future queen."

"I cannot endure that! I have never been struck! The shame, the humiliation it will be far too great for me to bear!" Alexis protested, her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. She struggled against her bondage.

"The alternative, is a charge of treason, for which the punishment shall be a public nude whipping and death by the gallows."

Alexis wriggled in her bondage, slamming her head into the bed in hysterics. Glancing at Zaria she noticed Zaria had cracked a wicked, taunting smile.

"Don't smile at me you bitch!"

"Shutup!" The prince ordered as he continued.

"The next part of your punishment shall be much more private, yet just as humbling. In exchange for doing this, I will allow you to act as queen publically. Privately however you will be Zaria and myself's servant. You will do what we say."

"I'll never be her servant!" Alexis spoke still shaking with anger.

"Then you will not marry me and will not act publicly as my wife, instead you shall be given to a nunnery to live your life out in obscurity and chastity."

Zaria spoke, "I know neither of those choices is good choices for you, I hope you understand what is at stake for you. We will give you a day to make your decision. In the meantime, you will be put into a prison cell to make your decision." Zaria smiled and ruffled Alexis' hair.

"You bitch! I hate you!" Alexis screamed as she squirmed in her bondage.

"Remember you are lucky we are sparing your life, for you have attempted to murder someone very dear to me." The prince added, kissing Zaria on the lips before speaking again.

"Archibald! You will also be put into a prison cell for the next 24 hours, your punishment will be decided based on Alexis' decision." Prince Philip said looking down on Archibald who was helplessly sobbing while tied to the dresser.