"I know the Halpines who work for the town's mayor. Are they possibly your parents?" asked Melva carefully. If Elisha was their daughter, then she must be a human who could be her ally.
"Yes, milady." Elisha was hesitant to ask her question, but she ended up asking in the end anyway. "Are they doing well?"
"Yes, very much. Your parents are really kind. They have been of much help to me." Despite being curious about Elisha, Melva decided to save the questions for another day. She had just met her. It would be rude to ask personal questions about her past this soon. Befriending her first would be the best course of action.
Elisha bowed politely. "Thank you for telling me. I haven't had the chance to visit them and see how they are doing. It is good to know they are in good health."
As Elisha was finished with helping Melva put on the new nightgown from the wardrobe, she was holding the red dress which Melva had previously worn and seemingly pondering on what to do with it. Melva was reminded of Vance's order to Elisha earlier, asking her to get rid of everything red in Melva's possession, meaning that this dress also had to be discarded.
"You can have the red dress. It belongs to Mrs. Halpine," said Melva, thinking that it was best to let Elisha have it if it had to be removed from her possessions anyway. It would be a waste to throw away such a beautiful dress.
Elisha gasped in surprise. "I cannot receive such a beautiful gift."
"You deserve it better than I do. I think your mother would want you to have it. Besides, the Duke insists on getting rid of that dress from my wardrobe. I might as well give it to you. It is too beautiful to only be rubbish, don't you agree?"
"Thank you for your kindness, milady. I will treasure it," thanked Elisha, bowing gratefully to Melva with the dress in her hand.
"I am glad you like it. You can return to your room and rest now." Melva dismissed Elisha to let the maid rest and give herself more time alone. She desperately needed solitude after the eventful day.
"Good night, Lady Melva." Elisha obliged and walked out of the chamber.
It felt wrong that they had come from the same town and raised by the same people, and yet, Elisha was a maid while Melva was a woman whom the King wanted to marry the Duke. Though Vance had been strongly against the marriage, her presence was necessary for his well-being, so she was still an important person in the manor.
Melva was confused on how to behave towards her. She was not clear where they stood, whether they were a lady and a maid or they were fellow Ichorhold townspeople. She didn't want to be seen as arrogant if she behaved like a lady, which was how the people in the manor addressed her, but she was also worried that she would disregard the hierarchy in the manor and thus, break the rules she was probably not aware of, by acting like they were equal.
As she had just arrived in this manor, Melva thought it was better for her to take her time and figure it out, watching carefully how the manor worked and where she stood. She had so much to learn, for she had never stayed in a duke's manor before. In the meantime, she would try not to bother Elisha with works that she could do herself.
Melva had far better sleep than she had initially thought. With the unfamiliar chamber and the stressful day, she had expected she would not get a wink of sleep. The comfortable bed must be the reason why she was sleeping like a log throughout the night. She only woke up once when she heard someone walk inside her chamber. While she was half asleep, she vaguely remembered seeing a figure in white approaching her on the bed to hold her hand and leaving soon afterwards. She went back to sleep, for it was just Vance seeking for her warmth like he had mentioned. The werewolf would gain nothing from killing her, so she could rest assured and sleep peacefully without fearing for her life.
It only dawned on her in the morning as her mind was clear that Vance was heavily dependent on her, to the extent that he couldn't even survive a night without her touch. His condition was apparently worse than she had thought. She might be able to bend him to her will in the near future if she could bargain with him well enough. She needed to start thinking of a strategy to both save Ichorhold and free the townspeople from the blood moon's contract.
Melva was already awake when Elisha knocked on the door to wake her up. She was used to waking up early in the morning to go hunting in the forest near her residence back in Ichorhold and sell the game in the town's marketplace. Although the Halpines would give her allowance if she asked, she refused to spend their money when she could earn it herself.
She wondered whether Vance would allow her to go hunting again. Staying inside the chamber doing nothing was boring her to no end. She pushed the idea to the back of her mind, planning to ask him when she was given the opportunity.
"Come in," called Melva as she was occupied in front of the wardrobe, searching for a dress to wear for her visit to the palace.
'What kind of dress would be proper?' thought Melva, confused. Even if she would only be waiting in the carriage, it was still inside the palace grounds.
Elisha stepped inside and excused herself to the bathroom connected to the chamber to prepare her bath. She came out a few seconds later, looking puzzled. "Lady Melva, did you prepare the bath yourself?"
"I woke up early, so I was bored," lied Melva. Offending Elisha by implying that she was taking over her responsibility was the last thing she would do. "Can you pick a dress for me to wear whilst I take a bath? I am not sure what to wear to the palace."
"Of course, milady."
Melva was walking towards the bathroom to take a bath and let Elisha do her work. When she realised Elisha was following behind her, she quickly stopped her from doing so. "Oh, no need, Elisha. I prefer to take my bath alone."
"If you say so. I will be here if you need help."
Thankfully, Elisha didn't insist on helping her with everything and giving her the space she needed. She found it uncomfortable to live like a doll, having everything done for her, because she was not used to it. She appreciated that Elisha understood what she wished for.
Elisha was helping Melva dry her hair after the bath when there was a knock on the door. She excused herself and went outside the room to see who it was. She returned a few minutes later, bearing an order from Vance: Melva was to eat breakfast in the Duke's chamber.
"Do I have a choice?" asked Melva rhetorically. She knew the answer was no. Vance had made it clear that she had no such freedom.
Elisha answered her rhetorical question anyway. "I'm afraid not, milady."
Melva looked at her reflection in the standing mirror, placed at the corner of the chamber, near the dressing table. Her long brown hair was partly braided to resemble a headband and tied with a purple ribbon which made her grey eyes stand out. The dress Elisha picked for her was a beautiful purple dress that was somewhere between casual and formal.
Satisfied with her appearance, Melva headed out of her chamber to enter the one next to hers, which was the Duke's. Wilber opened the door for her once Elisha knocked and Vance asked her to come in. She went inside while Wilber and Elisha waited by the entrance. What did the werewolf want from her again? Why did they need to eat alone with just the two of them in his chamber instead of the manor's dining hall?
"Good morning, Your Grace. Did you sleep well?" greeted Melva politely as she approached the table in the room where they had had their dinner yesterday. This time there were fried eggs and bacon served on two plates, one of which was already being devoured by Vance.
Unfortunately, Vance took offence at Melva's pleasantry, failing to see it as a harmless greeting. "You were awake when I went into your chamber last night. Do I look like I have enough sleep?"
She was quite surprised at Vance's response towards her morning greeting. He had such a sour mood very early when the day had barely even started. She hoped it would not last until the end of the day. "My apologies, Your Grace. That was not my intention."
"We are departing in ten minutes. I will be waiting in the carriage. I would hurry if I were you." Vance gulped down his drink and jumped to his feet, proceeding to step out of his chamber, leaving Melva alone with the food. What exactly did he want by calling her here and then leaving just like that?
'This man has a bad temper in addition to his rude behaviour,' noted Melva spitefully in her mind. 'How ill-mannered!'