Chapter 5

• I was so mistaken when I thought he would have allowed me to spend the night in his bed. Instead, he had kicked me off his bed in the middle of the night.
• He ordered me to sleep on the icy floor. It was even worse than being in prison. Humiliated and used me to satisfy his desires for Milanda.
• I persevered, all for the bigger picture.
• Three days later, Milanda summoned me.
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• Milanda’s first question was how the Master had been. It was a hard question for me to answer. Thinking of how he was careful with me while I was the ‘Milanda substitute’ but going all cruel with me when he grumbled about how Jacques was taking a long time made me weak with pain.
• But I just found the power I needed to swallow everything down and withstand all his abuse. He did not limit his abuse to physical pain. I couldn’t name them all. Humiliation, slavery, bondage, verbal abuse…
• “Your resistance is strong,” Milanda remarked, taking her hand off mine. I came to realise I hadn’t expected her sudden action. She continued, “Do you need anything for that pain in you?”
• “No,” I replied firmly.
• “That’s good. I like you, strong woman.”
• I paused. “It’s been three days. I have served him relentlessly, let him perform every fetish he wishes on me, and you haven’t told me what exactly you want.”
• I knew she wasn’t Sis Landa, but the witch version of her. It was no mistake of mine. Both of them wore the same clothing: bright red gowns topped with bold makeup, but they didn’t share the same personality. Sis Landa was mature and arrogant. The witch, however, was immature in her ways. She, however, seemed to care a big deal about the Master Lenard.
• “I told you I want you to satisfy him.”
• “Why do I have to be the scapegoat?’ I had wanted to even add, ‘If you care about him, why can’t you serve him yourself?’ but I refrained from doing so. I wasn’t clear about the motives behind her actions yet.
• “Because you can.”
• I didn’t understand. What was it about me, which I could do, yet she couldn’t? I tried to think rationally. Everything about this woman puzzled me.
• “Wait, what is going on? Who are you exactly?” I asked, ensuring my voice sounded as harmless as possible.
• She was silent for a minute before she answered, “I am Princess.”
• What princess? Or who is this Princess?
• I just grabbed her hand. “Whoever you are, I’ve done a lot for you already. Can’t you just be frank about who you are and what you need from Lenard Lee? What’s your connection with him?”
• She flung off my hand as an icy chill hit me in the face.
• “I’m Milanda’s enemy. She wants him and I want him. I won’t let her have him.”
• “How will using me prevent her from getting him?” I demanded, unsure what she was going on about. She may be a witch, but without me agreeing to her orders, she wouldn’t be able to achieve what she wanted easily.
• “I can tell he’s very pleased with your performance. As long as he doesn’t get seduced by that b*tch, I am satisfied.”
• “You and Milanda, why do you both look alike and are you related?”
• I had barely finished the question when she just collapsed on the floor of Milanda’s room, unconscious. Was she acting? What was she playing at? Questions bombarded themselves in my mind as I attempted to wake her, but to no avail.
• Then she suddenly stood upright.
• “What are you doing here?” The woman sneered at me, pushing me to the floor. In just a few minutes, she had evolved into the domineering sister that the witch claimed to detest. Sis Landa dusted her clothing before returning to me once more.
• Her eyes shifted to the torn dress I was wearing. Pulling me to my feet, she tore open the sleeve of my dress. I retreated, attempting to shield my injuries. Cuts laced my arms, some bruises on my wrists.
• Displeased, she reached for my dress. I evaded her touch, knowing what she was about to see would be even more vexatious to her. But she was stronger, and it just took one move to burst the buttons of my dress.
• “Sis Landa, I…”
• She was flabbergasted to witness the hickeys and bite marks on my skin.
• “You…” She didn’t continue speaking.
• Her findings had led to a sea of silence between us. She furrowed her brow, heading to the window, followed by a long sigh.
• I eased my way towards her, clutching the remains of my dress to preserve my dignity. I was bare underneath and without the witch to teleport me, walking through the den would be a major embarrassment since she had left me with no good buttons.
• “Sis Landa, please listen to me.”
• “I rescued you. But you listened to the words of that shrew, didn’t you?”
• I knew who she was talking about. But when the witch fainted, Sis Landa had woken up in the same body. Except one of them had magic. I suspected Milanda had a split personality disorder.
• A person with a split personality or multiple identity wouldn’t admit to being that. Milanda, as far as I was concerned, seemed fine psychologically. Unless she was such a talented actress that she could fool me easily.
• No matter what, she had saved me. I hung my head low, nodding.
• “Then continue. Whatever she has achieved through you, I hope it works. She will never have him.”
• What was going on? What was the deal between the two different parts of her and the Master I feared so much?
• “Sis Landa…” I tried to probe, but she cut me off before I could even say a further word.
• “Say nothing more. I saved you, so you owe me. Continue serving Lenard Lee, until I say otherwise. Or until that man named Jacques comes to remove you from this place.”
• “You know about Jacques?”
• She ignored my question and looked out of the window, down at the nature outside her room. I knew I wouldn’t get an answer from her, so took a few steps backward, leaving her to her devices.
• She was probably a deranged person. But knowing Jacques was the answer to my freedom, I just prayed hard he would make it to take me away.
• As long as he took me away, I knew I would give him all that he wanted. No matter what it was.