Chapter 7

Following the incident that day, Winona consciously distanced herself from everyone. She carried out her duties in silence, much like a mouse that had lost its tail.

She worked relentlessly, drowning herself in her own sorrows and miseries. She had no one to offer her comfort. It was just her and her wolf.

Even though her wolf didn't communicate with her, she felt her presence occasionally. But just as her wolf had chosen to ignore her, she reciprocated the silence.

It wasn't that she was blaming her wolf or anything, but she was too emotionally shattered to offer comfort to anyone or accept any consolation. She just wanted to be left alone.

The servants continued to force her to sleep on the cold balcony, but she didn't mind as long as she could fill her stomach. She disregarded their curses and insults. She bore their beatings whenever they deemed it appropriate to hit her.

She never retaliated. She refused to fight back. Perhaps she was exhausted from fighting back when all she would receive in return would be worse.

Every day she observed as love flourished between her sister and her mate, no, the mate who had rejected her. Although she felt a piercing sting every now and then, she had decided to let go.

The painful part was that Hayley chose the exact spot and time Winona usually went out to do the laundry. She would have no choice but to listen to her sister's giggles and moans with her supposed mate.

It took every bit of her strength to hold back her tears every time or act as if she was oblivious. She was sinking deeper into depression as the days went by. Whenever she felt like breaking down, she thought about her father and that alone gave her hope.

Her sister always portrayed herself as the fragile being that she was. The entire Royal family adored her. She was accepted and pampered by them. No one talked about Winona, the rightful mate to the prince.

And she didn't want to endure another humiliation too, so she just kept quiet. But trust her sister, she wasn't going to let this opportunity pass her by.

One day as she was drying the bedspreads, she overheard a group of maids whispering loudly enough for her to hear.

"That's her. I heard she wanted to claim the prince as her mate."

"Are you sure? I don't believe it!"

"I am absolutely sure. I heard she first claimed him when the prince went to the kitchen."

"And then what happened?"

"Trust Prince Brent, he stopped her immediately and I heard she was flung high above the ground and broke so many bones in her body."

"Serves her right. She dares to open her mouth to claim someone way beyond her class? How arrogant!"

Winona was shaking as she quietly spread the clothes on the line. She steeled her heart against their mockery and she wasn't going to let it get to her.

"As if that wasn't enough lesson for that ugly witch, she decided to spy on the prince and Miss Hayley."

"She did what? You don't mean it, do you?"

"I meant every word I am saying to you. I heard she even claimed she was the Prince's mate! And the prince was so angry that he slapped her! Yet she still didn't learn her lesson."

"She sure is a witch!"

"I heard she was raining insults on Miss Hayley. Prince Brent was so annoyed that he immediately announced Miss Hayley as his mate and future Luna."

Winona smiled bitterly at their twisted version. Why was no one talking about her being the rightful mate to Brent? Why were they saying she insulted her sister?

She knew where all these rumors were coming from. She knew it must be the handiwork of her sister. Hayley spread her own version of the story to ridicule her. Even though she said she didn't care, she couldn't stop the pain that came with being mocked over and over again. She wondered if she would ever be free from those mockeries? These people were just pure evil.

But she didn't blame them. If her own family could mock her, what stopped them from doing worse?

The days rolled into months. It had been three months already and she kept bottling up her tears, anger, and humiliation. She kept working as if she was the only one existing in the world.

As Winona was hanging out her laundry as usual, she heaved a sigh of relief when she looked ahead and didn't see the usual romantic scene between her sister and Brent.

"Thank the goddess I would have a peaceful day today!" she muttered silently so no one could hear her.

It had been a week since she last saw them outside. No one talked to her about anything and her mother avoided her like a plague.

She didn't care, at least, she was relieved of being tormented every day. She was grateful to the Moon goddess for answering her prayers this once.

She had been less depressed these past few days. But something was nudging at her that there might be something wrong. She felt like something awful was going to happen.

If she knew her sister very well, Hayley wouldn't want to miss a day of tormenting her. Even if Brent didn't accompany her, she had her minions who flattered her and threw insults at Winona.

Why had she been absent for almost a week now? What were they planning on doing to her next? She wouldn't believe it if they said Hayley had given up on tormenting her.

Even her mother was nowhere to be found. She always frequented the palace as if it were her home, but strangely, she couldn't see her either.

As she was pondering on those thoughts, she heard hurried footsteps towards her. She was baffled because it was rare for anyone to come to where she usually rested.

She looked up to see a maid with an anxious face running towards her and she could hear her name clearly.

"Winona, you are needed urgently!"

What was that or was she dreaming?

Winona was still reeling from surprise when the maid approached her, panting heavily. What could possibly be the urgency? What had happened? It was unusual for them to engage her in conversation, and even more unusual to hear her own name spoken.

"What do you want and why am I needed? I've already finished my chores," she asked, her face a mask of confusion. What had she done wrong this time?

These people always found a way to blame her for every little thing, and they seemed to take pleasure in watching her punishment. So she couldn't help but wonder what scheme they had concocted this time.

"Winona," the maid called out again. She heard it clearly this time. She wasn't dreaming.

It was the first time she had heard someone in the palace call her by her name. Upon reflection, she didn't think they were trying to punish her. She thought it must be something else, as they had called her by name. That meant it must be something they needed her help with. But what could it be?

"You are needed at the palace infirmary...now!" The maid was panting hard, and she looked extremely worried. It frightened Winona. The palace infirmary was a place where the royals were taken for treatment.

"Palace infirmary? Why would I be needed there? I'm not sick and I don't remember any of my family..."

"Your sister, she..." the maid tried to say as she managed to catch her breath.

Hayley?