Cling!
Clatter!
For a small cubicle room, the servant's back kitchen was full of noise and commotion. It was a room not as loud and active as the main kitchen on the other side of the manor.
Rather, the back kitchen was humble room with only a few washing sinks, a couple of countertops, and a few stoves and kettles. It was a damp, dim, and dank room, without windows and with only a chimney for ventilation. It was meant to be a room where the food carts and other kitchen items could pass in order of main kitchen, back kitchen, and finally to the tables of the dinning hall.
The only time it received such hustle and movement was when the Suthertons would had guests over or decided to eat together in the dining hall like they were doing currently. But the eating together happened so few and far in between that most of the kitchen staff was shocked, and slightly under prepared.
"When you went out there did Lady Erina complain about the texture of her vegetables? What was it this time? Too coarse? Or too soggy? Or too…upsetting?" Stacking empty plates on the dish counter, one of the maids asked her coworkers.
"No, I don't think so." The other maid, replied with a shrug. "Lady Tyrant wasn't really eating. Just picking at the food like normal." She hopped onto the countertop by the sink and firmly placed her bottom down. "Y'know, it's so weird seeing her after all this time. I swear she's gotten smaller and thinner. You think maybe they were feeding her sardines and air at that Marigold's retreat?" She plucked an apple from the counter, observing it. "Honestly, I hope they did."
"Samira." Glaring, a maid cleaning dishes in the sink next to her sighed.
"What? I'm just sayin, she could use a taste of her own medcine." She bobbed her feet, taking a chunk out of the apple.
"Medicine, Sami." The dish maid corrected.
"Don't correct me, Miss never-read-a-book," Samira said, nudging with her elbow. "Besides, Cecily laughed." She pointed to other maid who was still stacking dishes.
"I laughed cause your mouth is dangerous, Samira." Cecily replied, shaking her head. She lifted up her stack of dishes and packed them into a tiny food cart. "Naeun, you'd outta keep an eye on that one," she said, glancing over to the other maid who was still scrubbing dishes.
"Oh, don't worry, big mouth is only big mouth with us. She doesn't play with the wolves," Naeun said, flicking soapy water on Samira.
"Hey!" A splash of water hit her cheek. "Yer gonna get soap in my eyes!" She moved around trying to cover her face from the assaults.
"You two play too much," Cecily laughed, shaking her head. "But I really do thank you two for volunteering to help. The kitchen staff was really unprepared this time around. When they heard Lady Erina was back, some of the staff just turned belly up and quit. I guess the rumors are getting around pretty far in our circles."
"Yeah, I guess they are, and it's okay, we're glad to help." Naeun stopped messing around with Samira, and turned her attention back to Cecily.
"Thanks. I'll be back in a few. I'm going to take these extra plates back to the east wing kitchen."
"Okay." Naeun nodded to Cecily as she left.
"Geez." Samira rubbed her eyes. "You're so aggressive." She shoved Naeun hard in the shoulder, nearly knocking the girl over.
"Uh huh, and I bite." She chomped her teeth with a smirk, and her friend laughed in response.
With a light laughing sigh, Naeun adjusted her feet and focusing back on cleaning. "So?"
"So, what?" Samira dangled her feet around and took another chunk of the apple.
Naeun glanced at her from the cut of her eye. "You've been smiling and bouncing around since you came in from the dinning hall. What is it?"
"Well…." Samira pressed her lips together, resisting a big smile. "He looked at me," she oozed, raising the pitch of her voice.
"The new guy?"
"Mister Ezra," she replied, dreamingly.
"Right, and he glanced at you?"
"Yeah." Her grin beamed as she swayed back in forth. "I think I have a chance with him, y'know?" She brushed loose hair behind her ear.
"You do?" Naeun peered at her with a dead stare.
"Come on, Nae, I'm good about these sorts of things with men. I can charm anyone I set my mind to." She raised her posture, and pumped out her chest.
"Charm them, or scar them?"
"Nae!"
"Sam."
Samira sighed looking away from her. "You don't get things! There's something about him. He's...different." She stared off into the distance.
"You said the same thing about Jonathan, Colt, Benjamin, and oh yes, Castian. Different, they're all so different." Naeun rolled her eyes. "Heaven, Sam, they're all men. I don't know what makes the difference from one man to another. They'll all cheat you out of your money, freedom, and rights."
Samira wistfully gave her friend a pout. "This is why you'll never find any love my dear friend." She patted Naeun on the head.
Naeun rolled her eyes again. "Uh huh."
"Y'know you should take some notes from me. It's not like you have a plain Jane face. You're sweet on the eyes too, Nae. Just like me." She patted her on the cheeks. "If I were a man, I would take you."
Naeun scrubbed the dishes harder; the sound of water spelches growing louder. "You don't have to be a man."
"What? I didn't hear you, the water noises distracted me," Samira said, chewing on another bite of the apple.
"Nothing," she mumbled, setting a clean dish on the counter. "Anyways, can you do something for me?"
"No." She had a mouthful of apple in her mouth as she chewed loudly. "I'm joking." She felt her friend's side glare. "What?"
"Can you get your arse off the counter and help me with these dishes? I would like to get out of here before the sun sets."
In response, Samira jumped down and went to go sit on the counter opposing Naeun. "So? I was thinking for Mister Ezra's welcome party, we could cut some paper decorations out. But oh, you know we have to work quick before anything happens," she said, quickly shifting the topic.
Naeun groaned, shaking her head. "I really don't get why Miss Pedigree still has us throwing those welcome parties. It's a waste of time and resources when people are gone in the next few days."
"Not Mister Ezra!" Samira frowned.
"You wanna bet?" She peaked at her from the corner of her eyes. "I say 3 days."
Samira puckered her lips, pausing to think. "At least a week, Nae."
"Okay. Then 4 days," she countered.
"Naeun," Samira pressed.
"5 days."
"…No, at least 6."
"Sami," she sang, sending her a knowing stare.
"Fine." Samira conceded with a sigh. "It's 5 unless something happens in the impossible span of tonight---."
BAM! THUD! THUD!
A sudden boom of loud noises made both of them flinch.
"What was that?" Samira lowered her voice, glancing to the dinning hall doors.
"I don't know. I'm in here with you," Naeun whispered, pulling her hands out from the sink.