The Original Bastet Story

*Valentine Bastet* "I never meant to be such a cruel person, I always thought I'd be different than my parents, that I would learn from their cruelty to be a better father, a better king, and a better husband. I guess that was just foolish naivety coming from a child's mind and I'm no longer a child, I'm a man now and a king. I wonder when my mind changed into that of a beast's?"  *The Beginning That Caused The End* "VALENTINE! GET YOUR WORTHLESS ASS DOWN HERE ALREADY!" My mother, Valeria, yells for me from downstairs. I know better than to waste time responding back to her so I silently rush down the stairs and into the dining room. "It's about damn time, you pathetic child. Now hurry up and go clean the stables, your father and I are going on a ride into town today." "Yes ma'am." I respond before rushing off to the stables, skipping breakfast for the fourth day in a row because I was not given permission to eat anything. I dare not attempt to eat anything without permission or else mother will have me punished. The last time I ate without permission she had me thrown into a cell with a r****t. I've since learned that to starve is a better option than to be alone in the dark with such a person. I arrive at the stables and quiver with fear as I hear my father speaking to one of the horse tamers. "Where the hell is that lazy child?! The moment he shows his lowly face you are to give him ten whippings, do you understand Pilo?" My father tells the man. "Yes I understand King Voltaire." Pilo answers back. I gulp. Voltaire walks away and suddenly I am yanked by the wrist with sharp nails. "Sorry Lord Valentine, but you heard your father and you know the rules." Pilo tells me as he drags me across the stables to the paddock. "You know you don't have to do this Pilo, you could just walk away and pretend you never saw me." I try to persuade the man.  A loud *CRACK* is heard as I trip and fall headfirst into the gates of the paddock. "I'm sorry Valentine but this is how it has to be, even if I don't do it, you and I both know that the King's punishment for you would bring ten times the pain." Pilo says as he readies the leather whip.  I close my eyes and brace myself for the oncoming pain. *CRACK CRACK CRACK* "AAAAAAHHHHHH!" I scream out as the next set begins. *CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK* "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH PLEASE STOP!!!!" I scream as I feel the blistering heat upon my back from each strike. "I'm truly sorry that it has to be this way young master." Pilo apologizes as he offers me a hand. "I understand Pilo, it's alright." I sigh as I take his hand and stand up. "I'd better get to work on the stables before he returns." I say as I walk back into the stables and grab the cleaning supplies before getting to work. After finishing the stables I move onto brushing the horses and putting their tack and saddles on them. "You missed a spot dumbass. What good is a son that can't even clean a stable properly?" My mother scoffs from behind me. "I apologize ma'am." I say timidly before going back to the cleaning supplies and starting over with the stables. "Why the hell are you still cleaning the stables?! You should've been done hours ago you worthless bastard!" My father yells before punching me in the stomach and stomping off. "Pathetic, worthless, ingrate, loser, bastard, scum, trash. These are all words that I've become accustomed to being called by my parents. They used to upset me, but not anymore. No, I've gotten over the foolish presumption that my parents may one day decide to call me names like sweetie or gods forbid, son." I remind myself as I nearly cry over such a small matter. I finish up cleaning the stables and the horses and then I silently head out to the garden to water, prune, plant, and pull plants. A job that most would think is beneath a prince, however despite the great number of gardeners on the manor, the job was given to me. The gardeners only have to pick which plants are to be planted based on the season and tell me which plants need what. These aren't the only jobs that I am expected to take care of, I am also required to sweep, mop, and vacuum the entire house by supper time or I won't be permitted to eat. In order to go to sleep I must first feed all of the prisoners, feed the animals, clean the prison cells, and all of the bathrooms, then and only then will I be allowed to sleep. And if I forget to do any of my chores or I take too long to finish one of them then I will be punished in whatever way my parents decide. Punishments depend on how angry my parents are on that day. On good days the worst that they'll do is make me skip one day of eating. On bad days it could be anything from skipping a week of eating to whippings or even sleeping in the paddock without so much as a blanket or pillow. On really bad days however, I risk getting put into a cell with the prisoners that have committed crimes involving r**e or murder and sometimes both r**e and murder.