In the middle of the night.
Lina tossed and turned, but woke up in contempt at the sight of rumbling stomach. She remembered how she forgot to take dinner earlier and went sleep due to her tiredness. With a hungry stomach, she bolted right up, sitting upright; her messy black hair scattered on her bare shoulder, making her raise her hands to fix it. She strolled across the room and grabbed a white robe before heading outside.
The hallways were awfully quiet. Her footsteps echoed through the silence, disrupting the peace. She was walking alone til she finds her way to the kitchen area however, she never knew where it was.
She felt an ice cold seep through her, penetrating right to the bone. The palace grew cold; an eerie quiet. She didn't know how long she was walking.
With the arrival of the darkness, the moon shone brightly through a cloudless sky. It's moonlight rays reflected through the windows, emanated the light across the room. It was a little light except Lina's bright, clear limpid eyes, her face obscured by shadows.
She felt she was walking into circles. If she knew she would be lost on the palace like this, she should've gone to call a maid for it. Or maybe, ask her to prepare a meal for her. Dammit!
Due to her stubborness, she'll never make out to eat and fill her hungry stomach.
Along the way, she tried checking out every rooms, but never saw the kitchen. Therefore, she proceeded to kept her pace and marched towards to another room. She decided to search her way to the backyard first. She remembered, in webnovels. Most kitchen were placed near the backyard cause it's near to light the fire to cook for the stove or what it was.
After she arrives, she finally get to see the kitchen. She frowned to why it'd to be to so far. How would the maids serve this way? She opened the two big doors. Guided by the light of the moon, she saw that the backyard was much larger than the front one, though both layouts were similar. There were four main rooms, each with a wing a small door leading outside the courtyard. The candle on the desk emitted a weak tendril of light as the logs in the stove gradually extinguised.
Everything was pitch black, except the southernmost room, where a weak light was flickering.
Huh, How odd. It was already midnight, so why was someone still awake? Could it be a maid? Lina wondered.
She reached to a fridge she saw nearby across the room, opening it with her bare hands. She noticed the food were mostly cold from freezer. She saw pastries lay upon the corner. As much she hated sweet, she had no choice but to grab some and a bottle of milk. These foods were supposed to be eaten by breakfast.
Lina cried mentally, if only she was at home. She'll rather take a noodle and heat it on the microwave. Just a pleasant warm soup helps. Feeling homesick, she wondered when would she able to go back. After eating, she heard a creaking sound on the back door making her hair from the back of her arms stood.
Lina saw a shadowy figure walking out of the room on the south side. She bent over the side to watch, without moving a muscle. She could hear muffled voices and soft whispers as she pressed her body against the wall to listen.
Strange, she hadn't seen that man in the palace.
Lina scrutinized the room, look at the figure that seemed to be making a gesture, its cloaked cover the person's face. So, Lina couldn't see who's the person is. Another figure came in, and whispered.
The two of them were practically facing one another and they seemed busy making a plan and tried to be still as quiet as possible.
"Sir, everyone had fallen asleep. The potion seemed had great affect on the meals"
"Check the quarters for the girl and be quick, surely don't let anyone wake the king." one said.
"Make sure she's unharmed." the black cloaked last words.
Soon, another then another figure appeared on the dark room. Lina widened her eyes and she saw more than ten people invaded the backroom. All of them were wearing black cloaks and they seemed had a strong aura as if they were prepared to attack the palace soon.
Lina made a sweat, and tried to move her body away the remaining spot and went to the east where she entered the big doors earlier. As she turned around to head the door, she accidentally hit a vase nearby with her arm, making a loud thud sound, getting the attention of the black cloaked people.
She bolted and ran.
A male black cloaked figure saw the woman had run, in a blink of eye he was already on the front and reached to grab her. Lina tried to scream for help, but no to avail when the man's palm clamped her mouth, leaving muffled 'mhm' or moaning sounds.
She wriggled her body with all her might, kicking her legs out, making the man's arm gripped tightly.
A black cloaked figure appeared infront of them made a chuckle.
"What's a surprise! What a little thing doing here all night alone. In fact, we didn't have to bear a fight all along since the little princess is here." a woman voice seemed to be more amused.
"How couldn't she be awake this time?" a deep man's voice joined.
"Maybe, she didn't take the meal?" another chimed in.
"Oh poor thing, she haven't been fed!" a loud chuckle from the old man.
All of the black masked figure, laughing hysterically which Lina gave them a cold glare.
I fall asleep alright. How could it be her fault? She cried mentally.
"That's enough. We'lll give our lord a pleasant surprise." The woman chuckled and disappeared in the thin air leaving with a black mist.
Others followed.
The man who held Lina, knocked her out and making her body went limp, carrying her with bridal style and disappeared in the shadows.