"Hurry! The ladies entering the palace is about to arrive!"
Every servants and maid in the entrance of the palace was busy preparing to welcome the ladies who are to enter the palace to participate in the selection process.
"Have you already cleaned the courtyards?" One Old lady asked as she walk back and fort as she fans her face in front of the servant lined up prepared to serve the ladies to enter the Palace.
"Yes, Matron Esvele." The Servants and Maid in unison answered.
"Remember! This ladies can be the future consort or concubine of the Emperor or even the future Empress of our nation! So be sure to serve them well. Even if they are not to be selected, they are from respectable family and clans so beware of your conducts. I would not hesitate to give your life to them if ever you have angered them! Do you all understand?" The Matron then shouted. All of them straighten out before answering.
"Yes! Matron Esvele!"
Matron Esvele kept her fan away and saw the palace gate open up. The carriages of the ladies then one by one entered.
"Go and welcome them. Be useful, courteous, and serve. That is our way as servants and maids." The servants then proceeded to where the ladies are going off the carriage.
"Matron.. Rory's here.." One of the Matron's underling whisphered to her and pointed at a young man running as he try to fix his clothes. The Matron sigh at the sight.
"Rory!" The Matron called. Rory froze on the spot and slowly turned around to the Matron and he walked forward as he look down on the ground.
"Yes, Matron Esvele?" He asked weakly. The Matron sigh.
"You have been here for almost a year, still you are failing as a servant." The Matron started talking and Rory is just standing as he nods. Rory is at the age of 14, he's one of the youngest servant in the Palace. He was sold off by his step-father for 6 pieces of silver to the palace as a slave.
"You barely passed as a servant from being a slave. If you aren't able to get a master from the ladies, don't even think about being able to stay in the palace to serve. Okay?" The Matron harden her heart as she says those words. Being sold as a slave in the palace was not a bad deal, because you can work your way up as a servant and be assigned to powerful persons. But not being able to progress would deem one as useless and would be thrown out. Six pieces of silver is not a waste if a hindrance was then remove.
"Understood, Matron Esvele."
Rory bowed then run to go after the other servants. When he reached the open area where the carriages stopped. The servants seemingly in their best behavior have started attending to the ladies needs. Some are already carrying luggages and some are assisting the ladies to go down the carriage.
"Move out of the way, Rory."
"Go stand in the corner, your a burden.'
"Rory you're being useless again!"
Servants who saw Rory standing at the middle of the way spouted at him. He meekly walk trying to avoid any trouble as he tries to find someone to help.
"Uhmm. I can hel--" he was about to offer help to a fellow servants when they glared at him so he stepped back.
He just looked at the ground as they walk away, then again he looked around trying to see who needs help. He tried to openly help others but seemingly they sees him as someone who's a bad news thus they decline and proceeded onward ignoring the sad look he has. As he goes around, he still help but he did so without the others knowing. When he reached the end of the carriage line, he heard a conversation.
"I'll be fine, Alexandria. I am only carrying two luggages." Said the voice from the carriage. The Golden haired lady just nodded as two servants help her carry her luggages.
"I will see you later, then." The Golden haired lady smiled before walking towards the Northen Palace where every ladies was first asked to gather.
"Finally she left." The voice from the carriage said. The carriage shake a little as someone was getting off from it and a girl with red dress and long black hair appeared. The girl has a white fair skin and even though he's only seeing the side view of her face, he can see the long, curled, and beautiful eyelashes she has. Her lip is thin, perfectly shape, and pinkish. She stretched out her arms upward the sky and then looked at Rory's side.
"Yes?" Rory was mesmerized as he heard her soft and alluring voice. Her eyes was bright yet there's this mysterious feeling you will get by looking at her dark yet seemingly redish pupils.
"Are you okay, kid?" The woman asked and smiled kindly as she carried her luggages out. This woman, of course, is Reenste. Rory saw what she was doing and then he snapped back to reality from being mesmerized from Reenste's beauty.
"May I help you with your things, my lady." Rory politely said and offered to take her things. Reenste was informed earlier about servants offering their help as soon as they arrive so she didn't declined. But she saw how frail and weak looking he seems so she made her carry the light luggage she has while she carry the heaviest one, which is nothing really for her. While the boy at his back as she walk is just barely walking straight.
She would like to carry it herself, but as someone who work in corporation. She knew well how it would look like when you're seen doing nothing.
"When we reached the northern Palace, you can just leave it with me." Reenste smiled.
"Ah..yes, my lady." He just said and carried it with full strength. Reenste smiled as she saw the kid tried hard to do his job.