The rules were pretty much simple and I knew I wouldn't have trouble following them. Next thing I had to figure out and learn properly was the hierarchy of all the masters and mistresses in the castle. I haven't really met any of the other masters or mistresses which would make it very hard to recognize which face to put with which name
King Lucien - The King
Master Nathan - Best friend to the king
Master Barak - Brother of Nathan
Mistress Aoife - The king's first mistress. manages some hotels under the King's' name
Mistress Aine - The king's current mistress and lady in charge of the affairs of the castle.
These were the ones I had to know before anything. The rest of the 20 superiors in the house were to be mastered later and I couldn't agree more. I couldn't even begin to remember all their names at this point.
Lily rushed in the next morning after the morning bell chimed through the halls of the maid section of the castel - forcing us to step out of the warmth that enveloped us at night. I sat up in my bed with a start but I felt wonderful. It seemed like the best sleep I have had in years. I was certainly grateful that I was bought and brought here. No more sleeping on the cold bare ground in a congested room with barely enough ventilation for the number of people stored in the room.
I followed Lily's steps as she ran to the shower and then got dressed then ran out of the shared room and into the hallway. she stopped me outside the doors to the kitchen and told me not to panic. I was happy she was nice to me and willing to take me under her wing- a feeling like finally someone cared.
We pushed through the heavy oak doors of the kitchen and I stood there waiting to be given a task to accomplish. I saw the head chef of the kitchen bent over the stove frantically stirring a pot as sweat dripped down her back soaking through her uniform. warmth filled the kitchen as pots and pans clanged and banged around. it seemed so noisy and chaotic but alas nothing looked to be going wrong.
An arm suddenly came from behind me and dragged me to a wash area where all the dirty dishes were pilled. I then got my answer as to what my task for the week in the kitchen for the say was. I got to work scrubbing used pots and pans which seemed to never get finished. The more I cleaned them, the more they brought my way but I did them anyway I didn't have a choice in the matter. I don't know how long I sat there till my arms began to ache as did my neck and back. I had been hunched over for a few hours scrubbing away and finally I had taken a break.
All the pots,pans and dishes washed, rinsed and dried. A sigh of relief left my lips. I stood straight and made my way toward the main kitchen again, trying to figure out what to do next. The kitchen was a lot calmer as compared to the state it was in when I first walked in. I stopped one of the others walking past me to ask her what to do next but she didn't know what to tell me either so I had to once again look around for lily. I found myself standing dejectedly in one corner just watching everything play out before me but clueless as to what my purpose was.
I had been at the castle for a while. Finally finding where my place was and that was in the back doing the dishes . I was okay with where I was placed because it gave me less room for trouble. I would be stuck in the corner all day and not encounter anyone beyond my position or would I have the opportunity to offend anyone. And today as usual I was doing my normal task in my regular corner. There was no sense of fulfilment or even happiness but that was fine with me for now I was just going to enjoy whatever this was that I was supposed to be doing. I don't know why but the gods seemed to be against me the moment I thought about me enjoying whatever it was I was doing because it saved me from trouble because the next thing I knew, Lily came running in and then dragging me out into the hallway not offering me any explanation whatsoever. I recognised the hallway as we rushed through, it was the same one that led to the slave master that we met when I first came here. We stood before the door, she knocked and the slave opened up for us.
"Good day mistress" we both greeted with our hands clasped together and our eyes cast to the ground. Now I was even more confused as to what was happening.
" We have lost tem maids just recently and now the chamber maids are understaffed since you're new here Rose, I'm assigning you to the chambers as well. You'll support Lily, clean the rooms and ensure everything is well taken care of for the masters." she said indifferently with her chin resting in the palm of her hands as she looked at us.
"Yes ma'am" we responded.
"You're to see to it that the bedchambers are kept neat at all times and all the needs of the masters are seen too. You are to work as fast as possible and get out. And don't try to take anything from the room or you will be punished" she said, eyes narrowed at us.
"Yes ma'am" we both responded. " Get along with it. You two are both behind schedule the others are already seeing to their chores. You- Rose will see to Mistress Aines room and needs if she takes a liking to you and you Lily will take Mistress Aoife." she said then with a wave of her hand dismissed both of us. I felt fear creep into my body. It was a whole new ballgame altogether and I wasn't ready to be in the face of the main people of the castle. I just started working here and so far it seemed like luck was no longer on my side.