I was beginning to believe this castle really was out to bring me misfortune now. How could this have come to happen? Five other maids aligned the wall with me, all of whom looked older and better composed than I clearly felt. We all stood with our hands clasped either behind or in front of us as we awaited our turn to be interviewed. The word brought forth a cold sweat and goosebumps to my exposed flesh. Again, I peered over to the large door, willing Gerald to come back out and dismiss us back to our previous jobs. There was no doubt Violet would have some mountainous amount of work waiting for me upon my return. If the others didn't get to me first to interrogate me, that is. Even if I managed to come out of this alright, that situation would still have to be dealt with. A twinge at my temple made me take in a deeply controlled breath. I had never failed to remain inconspicuous in any of the other hideouts I had taken refuge in. What was it about this place that managed to snag at my attempts to lay low, like thorned weeds snagging at my ankles?
Being pulled out of work when I was so new here usually meant trouble, but since I knew it hadn't caused any actual trouble, I had worried my identity had already been discovered. But when no knights poured from around Gerald and he simply told me to follow, I had no choice but to reluctantly comply with all the curious eyes that watched us go. His explanation had been brief, but the words were far from comforting, even if for now, my identity seemed to remain unquestioned.
"Along with a few others, you have been selected to be a possible replacement for a vacant spot to serve the Princess. Wait beside the ladies when we arrive, when your name is called, step forth." The words nearly made me stumble over my feet, fingers digging into my dress as I followed behind him closely. I wasn't entirely sure where we were, which was in itself a problem, but I knew the servants' quarters were at my back.
"The Princess?" I said tentatively. "But I just arrived not too long ago. Surly, there are others better suited to serve her highness?"
"Indeed, but somehow," he looked over at me, vacant eyes fixed on my own. There was an unnerving pressure from that look alone. It wasn't hostility or menace directed at me, which made me all the more wry, because there was no doubt that he could be a threat if he wanted to. He carried a no nonsense feel to him that promised consequences to those he deemed worthy of punishment. "You caught her attention." There was no question in his statement, but I had worked enough to know when I was being cued to give information. There wasn't anything too dangerous about this.
"I did not reveal her hiding spot when she hid from her maids." I volunteered without delay.
"Why?"
"She was playing." It was the simple truth. The other was that being targeted by a Princess for ratting her out was not worth it. I was beginning to regret not simply walking out of the damn room.
"Hmm." Was all he said before we made a turn, to where others were lined against the walls. "Wait over there." He continued forth to the large door at the end of the hall, before he opened it and shut without sound coming forth.
"Yes, sir." I muttered, taking my place at the end. After a few minutes, I had wondered if any of the other women would start talking to make small talk, but none did so, which was as comforting as it was annoying. The servants here were trained eerily well. I think the new ones were the only ones that idled in chit chat, and even then they were quickly shushed by the older ones in the room unless they themselves had started the conversations. It made gaining small information difficult when everyone was nearly closed lipped.
Whatever the position they were offering at the princess' side was not something I could take, especially not with the death-dealing knight who kept a close watch over her. I needed to fail the interview without making it obvious. Each time a name was called, it took around thirty minutes for them to come back out. By the time my name was called, I walked over to the door and squared my shoulders. Gerald was sitting at a modest desk, Madame Lota at his side with a folder of some kind. Only the window at his back and the door behind me were the only openings of the stone room. The furniture was all pushed against the walls, a singular couch facing two chairs took up the majority of the space in the room, with the exception of his desk.
"Welcome Ms.Todine, take a seat." Gerald gestured to one of the chairs facing him. I did as I was told, placing my hands on my lap as they both just stared at me. Pushing down the urge to purposely stare back with a haughty brow, I lowered my head instead and pushed my lips together.
"How have you liked your stay so far? Any complaints?" I wasn't sure if he really cared for my answer. I couldn't imagine that a maid's opinion mattered much, when at the end of the day finding someone who could do the work while keeping their opinion to themselves was as easy as picking up a ripe apple off the ground.
"Everything is fine, I have no complaints, as the work is what I came here for." I threw in a content smile.
"Nicely answered." Madame Lota nodded her head, eyes ranking over all of me with shrewdness. I had always had the notion that these two were very intelligent and aware. They had to be working in a castle for so long, but there was also an aloofness and brusqueness that they carried with them that was as refreshing as it was worrying. Castles were usually verbal sparing grounds, one had to remain sharp if they didn't want to impale themselves with their own words. "Usually a newer maid would not have the opportunity to come close to even hearing of this opening, but since the princess mentioned you herself, you have been seen as a potential candidate. What do you think of that?"
"I am honored to be remembered at all by Her Highness, but I am not sure I am fit or able to take care of her. As I mentioned to Sir Lumin, I am sure there are better suited-" Gerald raised a gloved hand, I shut my mouth. He leaned forward on his desk, looking me directly in the eyes with unwavering intensity. He had been in here for hours and looked as awake and alert as he had been this morning when he came for me. I dug my nail into my pointer finger to focus on the sting, forcing my face to remain neutral despite the urge to smile. I made a note to pick something other than maid work, the expectancy to remain neutral, and meek was far too boring for my troubling personality.
"We will decide that." He stated, pursing my lips together. I lowered my eyes slowly from his, until I got to his broad shoulders, and then looked to the desk and then away and nodded slowly. "Now, why don't you tell us about yourself?"
I knew this would happen, the sour thought flew through my mind quickly. It wasn't just that I knew I would be asked personal questions eventually, but my own time to wait to be called upon gave me enough time to try and recall as much about this Marie girl as possible. I had to fail this interview, because if I were to be chosen, then Marie would be looked deeper into. It only made sense that they would flip every stone in this girl's life upside down and inside out. My only fear was that they would find the actual Marie Todine under some rock before I could disappear. I was quick to spin a, not too moving, tale of an impoverished family that cared for open another, the ever dutiful daughter, off to work to earn coin for her younger siblings and aging parents. I wasn't sure if she had both parents, so I didn't mention them all too much. I kept a careful eye on Madame Lotta for this. If she so much as frowned (if that was possible, since her face was seemingly forever set in discontent). I would alter or ramble like a nervous girl to distract from the family I wasn't at all familiar with.
"As an older sister, you have experience with younger children, but what would you say is one of the hardest parts of dealing with a child?"
This was what I was waiting for, the real questions. This was going to be lightly tricky, I was walking on thin ice here. Too much or too little of a comment from me might paint me as the strict or dotting older sister. I made a show of mulling over my answer, squirming in my chair as my head bobbled side to side.
"Hmm," I pinched my lips to one side. "Children each have their own quirks, but the most difficult part of dealing with them would have to be answering the never-ending questions with answers that are appropriate for their age and mindset."
"So if the Princess were to ask you a difficult question, how would you respond?" The Princess was unnervingly talented at knowing when someone was trying to lie to her, so I would prefer to not be put in a questioning position. But since I would not be giving my honest answer or even a good answer, I went with something that definitely shouldn't be done.
"I'd tell her as much of the truth as possible in a way that she would be able to comprehend." I was quick with my answer, as if it were the only natural one to give, and the notion of lying had not even crossed my mind. Maids were not supposed to lie to their masters after all.
"Regardless if it were hurtful? Inhumane?" I did not know much about how royalty was raised, the customs of this land, or even their king's name, but surely a princess of her age was to be cooled and protected? No one would want a blabber mouth nannie by her side. It would be the epitome of reality, a stark contrast to a childs world.
"Yes." Madame Lotta looked up from whatever it was that she was reading, eyes narrowing slightly, but not in confusion or surprise at my answer.
"Why?"
"Well, for one, I am no one to lie to Her Highness, and most importantly, I think it would be better for her to walk around with both eyes open and to make her own decisions with the truth to prevent regret later on."
"I see." For a moment, I looked back and forth between them, wondering if my answer had been taken positively, but neither gave away what they thought on the matter.
As the questions progressed, I made what I considered blunders, contradicting myself or playing dumb in others. Let them think of me as a simple girl with good intentions, too young to work with the Princess. The longer this went on, the harder it was to maintain my composure, to remain so still and docile. I could feel my patience beginning to wear thin, the tendrils of annoyance brushing against my firm hold on my control, but I would not slip up here.
"Alright Miss Todine, that will be all for now." Those words were heaven sent to my ears. I stood at once as he pulled out a pocket watch, checking the time, but I could see from behind him that the day was still far from over for me. "You may head over for your afternoon meal a bit early today, and then continue with your duties unless called for." I was already moving backwards for the door when Madame Lotta raised a brow at me.
"Do you think you can find your way back?"
"Yes, I think so." I paused. "If the others ask, am I not to discuss what I was brought here for?" It would help me a lot more if the silent order came from an authoritative figure. I had a feeling a lot of the older servants wouldn't like the thought of a new hire being questioned for a position when they had worked for a longer period of time. Hostility was not something I ignored easily. More often than not, it was a trigger of mine.
"If anyone is to ask, we were revising an error on your recommendation letters." Madmae Lotta's words sent a shiver down my spine, unsure if the words were an honest answer or a jab, if she was hinting at something. I swallowed.
"Very well, thank you, good day." I ducked my head and gave a small bow to both, before turning and walking out. As soon as the door shut behind me and I knew no one was around, I dropped my facade, moving my mouth side to side to relax the tense muscles. I shook out my shoulders and stretched my back as I made my way back.
I did not hurry back, but I also made sure not to linger about as I walked the silent halls, my fingers skimming the cold stone walls. There were people around, but the sounds they made were muted, on the other side. By the time I made it to the cafeteria, Marie was ready to talk to her fellow servants. Thankfully, all those already there didn't pay me much mind, rushing to get their meals and take a seat. The issue started when a tried looking Andy walked in, her eyes going directly for the food. Once she had a full plate, she turned to look for a place to sit and caught sight of me cleaning the meat off the bone in my hand. When her eyes widened and she jumped onto her tippy toes, I knew she would be the main interrogator for the day. Her loud yelp caught the attention of those around her, and as soon as she dashed my way, a trail of older women followed behind her at a slower pace. I swallowed the meat and a groan.
Her plate nearly toppled as she set it down, her glass of water splashing over her hand, but that she seemed to feel it, as it nearly knocked my own over. I clenched my teeth together to quiet the growl that wanted to come out at her proximity. My expression turned into a grimace as I was surrounded by various people, some of which I recognized but not by name. The others were less discreet as they stared me down with curious or unhappy eyes. I took a sip of water to clear my mouth of any left over food.
"What happened? Why did Mister Gerald come to get you? Are you in trouble?" Her words rushed from out of her in a long breath, amber eyes sparkling with curious excitement. She wasn't the only one looking on at me to answer, those who had trailed after had planted themselves around me in a way that left me surrounded. Something at my back twitched, I straightened up and took a slow breath. Thankfully, before I could explain, anything, a voice rang out, eyes moving away from me long enough for me to compose myself.
"Was there a problem with your work?"
"You couldn't have possibly been slacking off, Violletta would never allow that."
"She would murder the girl herself before being soldered for bad work."
"Did you break or steal something?" I cast a cool glance over to the glowering woman with spectacles. She didn't look away as she narrowed her dark gray eyes on me further, as if trying to see if she could get a confession from me. Andy's mouth dropped, her fingers twisted together as her eyes looked over at me nervously, a hint of guilt painting her face. That's right, you brought them over here with you.
"There's no way she would-" A pudgy faced woman with a beautifully round nose spoke up quickly. She had long wispy brown strands sticking out from her cap, which made me wonder where she was stationed to work.
"Because you're such a fantastic judge of character." That same snippy woman said rolling her eyes.
"I did not-" I tried to clarify and explain, but it seemed they still weren't done discussing among themselves my possible faults.
"If she was a thief, she wouldn't have been left alone to eat lunch." There were a lot of agreeing murmurs and nods from the older ladies, speaking from experience, no doubt of those who had come before me.
"So what did he call you for, girl?" Someone asked from across the table, the direct question silenced everyone as they waited for my answer. Their own silence made me aware of the nosy ears turned in our direction, the usual conversation now soft murmurs. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. No doubt, I was this morning's favorite topic of discussion. That made a sudden thought come to me. If all of the people here didn't know why I was pulled, then the other maids who were must have come from a different batch. They were all seemingly trained to perfection of remaining still and silent, so they must have more experience working here. Oh, this was not good for me. I looked around the table at all of the servants of this castle, whom had worked here for longer periods of time, and yet were, no doubt, the lowest level of servants. And I had managed to stand out from this batch.
"I was called in because one of my previous work places seemed to have made a mistake on my recommendation letters, and they wanted to clarify it before making a decision." The words came out as casually as I could manage, but my sudden realization gave an edge to them.
"So it's not because you did anything you weren't supposed to?" Andy asked carefully, nibbling at her bread.
"Or see something you weren't supposed to?" Someone muttered lowly. A few alarmed looks were passed around, everyone suddenly taking a deeper interest in my answer.
"No, just that." I clarified quickly before they could start theorizing or think to try to keep a close eye on me. "And I certainly did not steal anything." Yet. I gave my accuser a dry look. She turned her head slightly away, but did not look at all sorry. The corner of my lip twitched.
"Oh don't take it personal, we've seen all types of people come through here." An old and wrinkled hand patted at my arm. I glanced down, and then the nearly white haired woman with kind brown eyes that were murky around the edges.
"Hmm." I turned the corners of my lips up in a small understanding smile and nodded before processing with my meal. Now that everyone had heard my answer, they went on to have their own conversations and eat, but that didn't mean I did not take note of the unconvinced eyes that lingered on me or the low whispered that followed me for the remainder of the day.
He came for me the next morning in front of everyone once more. As soon as my name was called, I bit my tongue to refrain from cursing.
"Yes?" I called out, walking over slowly. He stood still, hands clasped behind his back, as always his stone walled expression gave nothing away. I stopped at a decent space away from him. The whispering and eyes going on behind me made it feel as if worms were wiggling at my back. I hated having people behind me.
"You'll be coming with me for the reminder of the day, and perhaps the rest of the week." He turned towards Mervi. "Assign someone to take her place for this week until further notice."
"Yes sir." She answered after gaping at him for a second, her head bobbing in a way that would have been amusing if not for the situation I was in.
"Come along." He said to me before turning and walking off. I threw a quick look over my shoulder. Various expressions stared back at me, I turned back around with a sigh. Now, no matter what I would say, they knew something was up, and for whatever reason I was being picked instead of them. Jelousea really was an ugly expression on some people.
This time it was not his office that I was led to, nor was it in any place I had been to, and the further we went, the more I turned to look behind me. It would be a problem to get out of here, and instinctively I knew this could be nothing compared to the ain't portion of the castle. There were a lot less windows. When he stopped and opened a wooden door for me to go through, I scanned the room, seeing Madame Lotta immediately, along with four women whom I had a vague recognition. Not needing to be ordered, I went to go stand at the side of one of the women who had not spared me a glance as I walked in. As I stood there waiting for whatever this was to continue, I cursed wonderfully within the confines of my mind. Opposite to the furrowed brows and confused expression, I chose to wear. They were insane to pick me up, when there were clearly others better suited for this nanny role. Clearly, I had decided to disappoint the wrong pair. If Princess Ruby had gotten me here, then she was the way out.
But how do I disappoint a Princess without angering her and making sure she didn't raise any suspicions on my identity? My face began to feel warm, cold sweat beading all over my body. The shutting of the door sounded louder than possible, but it brought me out of my muddled thoughts.
"All of you within this room have been brought forth for the same reason for which we spoke of last time. You can consider this the second phase for us to test out your skills and correct or instruct in any areas we might find lacking." Her eyes lingered on me for that last part, but it didn't feel as if it were in an insulting manner, more so in a tire some way. Well, excuse me for going where I was told to go.
Contrary to last time, Madame Lotta was in charge of this situation. Gerald stood a few steps away from her, watching as she directed each of us to stand in different parts of the room.
Doing as we were told, there was a quick knock on the door, as if the person outside knew just when the last of us had gotten to our place, because not soon after five servants came in wheeling in carts with tea pots, various sized cups, and different things neatly arranged about. I felt my eyes tighten as I realized exactly what was going on. We would be displaying our skills on service. I wasn't the worst, but I knew I certainly wasn't to the standards that would be expected of me. Hopefully that would work to my advantage, unless they decided to train me to their satisfaction, which then meant that it was in my best interest to learn quickly. The carts were placed in front of us efficiently, Madame Lotta waited until the door was firmly shut behind the last person before continuing. She was brief with her explanation, but it wasn't hard to guess what would be happening now. As I suspected, she went around one by one, asking us to do some task that was set on the cart. Pouring tea was something that was asked of all of us. Preparing tea with a specific serving, stirring, sometimes she would knock something off the cart and it would shatter to the ground. That had surprised me, but then as I watched as each of the women went about cleaning or attending to the mess, I understood it was a test of some sort. I wasn't sure what the test meant yet.
When it came to my turn, I was impressed with how well Madame Lotta was able to hide her disappointment at my skills. The others poured without being too loud. Their spoon didn't scrape against the sides of the cup as they stirred, neither did they bum into the cart as they moved to grab something. Her pen scribbled furiously as she wrote down what I hoped to be disqualification notes. As she went to taste her tea, I glanced down to see what she would knock over. The whole tea pot? The extra cup close to the edge? She did nothing but pick up the cup of tea and take a drink. Her eye twitched before she swallowed, setting it down with a soft tink. I had a bit of a sweet tooth, it appears she did not. Shame.
Of course, when it came to correction, I was the sole owner of her attention, the other women were found to be perfect. What a surprise. Kept within that room, I lost count how many times she had me pour tea, stir it within the cup until I was as silent as the others had been. Repeatedly, I was tasked with serving her until I didn't have to put much thought into the action. Which was where she caught me off guard. She had been setting the tea cup down when she pushed something from off the table. I was so focused on reading her reaction to the taste of my tea that I reacted before I could think of what I was doing. My hand was wrapped around the tea cup before it reached the middle of the cart. I straightened up and placed it on the plate slowly, all the while our eyes remained locked together. I brought my hands behind my back slowly as I realized my blunder. There was a slight raise to her brows before she nodded.
"That will be all for now. Go out that door and wait for Gerald to instruct you." Her hand moved quickly as she wrote something on that damned file she had.
"Yes." I breathed out. Slowly walking over to the door she had directed me to, I glared at it before pulling it open and schooling my features.
Whatever had been the task at hand here, the others were clearly done as they stood lined up against the wall. When I walked through, they finally did look my way, but it was not in a way that would brighten my day. If we were a team, I was dead weight. The thought sent a malicious type of pleasure in me that added a bounce to my step. Let them suffer a smidgen of what I was going through.
It was easier to think of everything they had us doing as a sort of game that I had to lose. Gerald had us all do seemingly random tasks for hours. I must have been another way to see our skills for whatever the Princess would need. Any section I failed to pass through, I was once more taught and corrected. When it was time for the mid-day meal, I was almost relieved they brought the lunch for us to eat within the room. Even if the company was being subtly hostile, I was sure the company back with the others wouldn't be much different. I would be lucky if I managed to even put any of the food into my mouth. The food we were being served wasn't much different from what they served, but to anyone who had an educated food platter, the taste was undoubtedly improved. I suspected we were being served left overs. My scoff brought me a few questioning looks, but I paid them no mind.
Start at the bottom, eat off the ground, I suppose. I've had worse. However, even a slight food improvement wouldn't be enough to tempt me to get all that close to the top.
"How kind of them to allow opportunities to those who reach up." The comment was made no louder than a soft whisper, but everyone heard the comment that was directed at me. I didn't even turn to see which had spoken. Now that it was just us in the room, it made sense that the claws would come out.
"Don't." A sharp voice called out like a whip.
"She should know how lucky she is." The first continued, clear distaste in her voice.
"I'm sure she's seen the disparity today. Let her continue to learn, perhaps in a few years she will be lucky again." I plucked at the handful of fruit on my plate and put piece by piece in my mouth as they babbled.
"If she's still around." This new voice was lower than the others, nearly monotone.
"Yes," Smugness coated the word, multiple pairs, so eyes on me now. "If." She spat out.
After they got that off their chest, there were no more comments made my way, but I didn't let it fool me. I had seen what competitive and aggressive people did to those they thought were in their way. If one of them turned out to be more than a loud mouthed brat, I'd have to watch my back constantly. Not that I wouldn't have to do that more now. Gerald was silent when he made his way back into the room, Madame Lotta behind him, sans the paperwork in her hand now. I think it was a first. Right away he started counting off from five, pointing to us individually as he did so, and food in my stomach suddenly felt like too much.
"For the remainder of the day, each of you will have a sufficient amount of time to serve the Princess. The numbers-" My saliva dried up as the other straightened up at the sound of this. "You were given corresponds to the order you will be going in. You will be the first." He said to whoever was first. My mind struggled to stay in the here and now. I was third. How much time was 'sufficient'?
"You will not be told the Princess' schedule, but you will be expected to remain alert at all times for whatever she may require. Along with her personal guard, two other maids will accompany her. Those two will be in charge of the majority of her requirements, but for the sake of seeing how the Princess reacts to you, you may be asked to do things for her. If the Princess dismisses you, you are expected to leave her presence at once and wait outside of the door. Do not inconvenience her or ask to remain. Is that clear?" His voice hardened at the end, a chill wafting through the room even though the windows were all closed. It was impressive. "For all of you?"
Various positive answers were given, mine came a second after everyone else's, not that he cared so long as it was the right answer. I had to admit that being third wasn't awful. The two before me could win the Princess before she got to me, and all my troubles could go away, but if she wished to test us all out, then for once, I wished to be quickly forgotten.
* * *
I was used to being disliked, hated and scorned, but never for something I had honestly no fault in doing. I was being wrongfully punished-or rather rightfully punished for my past crimes-for the wrong reason, and it was about to become a problem. The way things were going, I was going to snap if any more of this tension continued. I never allowed my problems to grow to the point of being an inconvenience to me. Since I had a handful of time to waste, I was asked to return to my sleeping quarters and wait to be called. I was met with a mixture of cold shoulders and fire rapid questions from those who were there. To which answers I was not allowed to give because I did not have permission, which made them all the more hostile to me. I could almost hear the words they were thinking as I walked away. She thinks she's better than us. They weren't wrong, but they would never think to guess the reason behind it.
Since I wasn't sure of the amount of time I had to rest, every sound outside of the small room made me tense up and look in the direction of the door. I was stuck between deciding to leave this place altogether or staying to test my luck. I came up with multiple scenarios of what could happen, but there was always a stumbling block within the plan. I knew too little about this place. Usually that did not deter me from acting, but my instincts told me that this place was no different than that of the cave of a predator. I just wasn't sure how far in I already was.
By the time my time to attend to Princess Ruby had arrived, I was restless, anxious and ready to make a run for it at the first sign of danger. This time when Gerald came for me, I kept my head down. The further we walked, the more the decor changed until we reached an archway with two knights stationed there. They nodded at Gerald before looking me over coldly. There was something about their eyes as they watched me pass that reminded me of something, but I couldn't put my finger on it. We were certainly in a different part of the castle now. The walls were colored brighter, the art work and art all around was softer to the eyes, radiantly positive and peace, everything was well cared for and polished. There were a few servants moving about, their uniform contrastingly different from my own. The women here wore their hair in different, neat hair styles, but all wore a green ribbon somehow intertwined within or around their hair. The same shade of green made up the top portion of their dress, as a darker shade made the skirt, onto an apron that had wispy frills making up the edges. Black knee high boots with crisis crossing white cords that could have been mistaken for socks from afar. Even the men didn't escape the frills as it made up the collar of their shirts. Where their bottoms were the dark shade of green and their top a plain white button down shirt, they wore a thicker material that could have been a scarf around their waist, the same shade of green as the woman's green ribbon, the longer parts brushing at their knees where their boots ended, white with black crossings. It was cute. My lips twitched.
Despite the seemingly lax security, deeper within the castle there were more knights roaming the halls, standing guards at locked doors, standing in front of tunnel halls. Even when I looked from an open window, there were more stationed at a bridge that led to a tall tower that looked never ending. Again, the realization that getting in was easier than getting out wrapped around my body, like chains, my feet suddenly heavy for the steps I continued to take.
"In case it has slipped your mind Miss Todine, if Her Highness dismisses you, it is not your place to question her. Step out and wait by the door." He didn't have to ask me if I understood, it was already expectant in his tone of voice. It made me wonder if any of the other two had already been dismissed, or if the Princess was picky. We walked up a grand stair case that split in the middle to head in two different directions. As we went left and through a door, we were suddenly in a grand waiting room colored a soft lime with gold trimmings everywhere, white furniture taking up the majority of the space.
"Understood." I answered distractedly as my ears heard some sort of commotion farther way, two walls in front of me if I had to guess. I glanced over to Gerald as he walked in the direction to the door on the right, pausing as his hands went to the door handles.
"If you have any questions, now is your last chance." He declared, looking down patiently. Trying to read his face would be futile. Those dark eyes surrounded by those neatly trimmed dark brows and his stone like features were a waste of my time. Asking information on the Princess? Or ask for something to give me an edge? Nothing that wouldn't make me sound suspicious came to mind.
"How are you today?" I asked instead. I couldn't hold back the corners of my mouth, turning upward as his eyes widened, mouth parting slightly as his head moved back. No harm in making a friendly relationship with someone who could help one day.
"...I am alright. Thank you for asking." His usual expression was back, but by the way he went about answering, I knew he was confused at the sudden turn my lone question had taken. I nodded once and looked towards the door expectantly, as if I had no worries in the world.
He opened the door to reveal a wide hall with multiple doors, but when we walked down to the left and I spotted the two knights at one of the doors, I knew, not just due to the sounds coming from within, but also by their watchful and distrusting eyes, that this must have been the room where the Princess was currently inside of. Not her bedroom, but she was inside. Gerald lifted a hand in a'stop' motion, and then stepped forward in between the two men and knocked twice on the door. There was a slight pause before a response came through.
"You may enter." A woman voice called out. Turning to me, Gerald stepped away and motioned for me to do so. I took in a breath, squared my shoulders and went in.
I did a light scan of who was in the room as soon as I was inside, not so much because I was looking for the Princess, but rather for her alarmingly silent personal guard. He was standing at the farthest corner of the room, leaning against a small book case close to the window. Like last time he had his face covered, only those unnervingly steady blue eyes were exposed. The rest of him was covered in a long black cloak, but even so, his large build was impossible to hide. Not wanting to appear as if I were assessing him, I looked for the Princess whom I was supposed to greet first. I was here for her after all.
Already dressed for the day, she was as adorable as a child naturally was. Her oddly colored dark faded hair was braided into two sections going down her back, black ribbons tied around the bottom, matching the coloring of the knee high dress she wore, a creamy soft but stormy shade of blue with black frills but long white sleeves that were designed to look like fallen flower petals that ended just above her wrist, when she moved the edges glimmered.
"I greet Your Royal Highness." I bowed, as Gerald had taught me, an improvement from the first time I had greeted her. I peeked to the side to see one of the maids holding multiple different coats in her hand. Was she going out already?
"Good morning. You can stand." I did so, meeting her onyx eyes at once as they glimmered, a small petulant smile on her face. Already she was unhappy. "Get out." There was a sigh from my right.
Oh. Well, that was- I was already moving backwards, taking the sudden opportunity when her next words made me stop.
"Not you," she grumbled at me, hands on her hips. She turned to look at the other two maids in the room. "You two, step out for a moment."
All three of us had the same stupefied expression on our faces, but the other two were fast to do as they were told despite the obvious shocked reactions to being removed. They blinked at me in wonder and confusion as they passed by me, setting what was in their hands down. When the door was safely shut, I faced her with a careful expression.
"What shall I call you Lair?" The name halted my breath, but not for long as I smiled at her. Her chin jutted up, daring me to deny it. I was very aware of the man at the corner of the room hearing all of this. I was just glad she had asked the other two to leave before addressing me. Which was curious all on its own.
"I do have a name, Your Highness." I pointed out truthfully.
"That you don't use." She shot back without pause, a smugness to her tone. Silence filled the room as I looked her over.
"Marie, if you wish." I offered, shrugging.
"And if I don't?"
"Will Liar be my nickname?" I tilted my head, looking off to the side in worry. I doubted I'd be able to get away with playing it off as childish antics.
"...No." Her mouth wiggled about as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked up. "They'll ask why I call you that, and then you'll have to tell them your real name and why you lied."
"And you don't want that?"
"It's no fun. I found a mystery, I want to solve it." Ah, the grin that came over my face this time was real. A girl's curiosity, no matter the cost, I could certainly understand. But there was still a troublesome component to this game. "Fine, Marie." She said the name slowly, leaning forward as she stared up at me with purposely wide eyes, as if reminded me that it was a lie. I nodded, but made it obvious to glance over at Sir Firat without making eye contact with him.
"He won't be saying anything." She promised, but then corrected herself. "So long as you are no threat."
"I mean the Princess, no harm." I swore. Her eyes, ever so dark, widened in an eerie way, without their actually being a change to her face or rather. It was as if her very face became smaller in my mind as I stared into the onyx depth.
"Truth." She whispered confidently.
"The King?" Came a smooth voice from the corner. Still, I did not move my eyes from her own. Whatever her power was, I would be as honest as I needed to be, to remain safe. Assassinating royalty was a terrible idea when you knew not the king's name.
"I mean him no harm as well." The man had never even crossed my mind.
"Truth." She repeated, before blinking and grinning over to her guard. "See, Firat, I told you."
"You did." I did not turn to look at him, but from the face the Princess was making, whatever she saw made her frown at him. Even if she promised not to say anything, I wasn't going to put my life on the line for him. His top priority was to get rid of anything that put her in danger, and even if that wasn't me, I wasn't necessarily safe. Now was my best chance to get her to let me go. His obvious distrust worked at my favor.
"Your Highness," I said, gaining her attention once more. "Not that I am not grateful for the chance to serve at your side, but I think there are better equipped servants that would be of beet use-"
"Oh, I know." She nodded, agreeing with me at once. Rather than calming me, my stomach tightened. "I don't want you as a maid, you're my mystery and we're going to play." The grin she gave me was full faced, almond shaped eyes turning up at the corners, dimples appearing on either side, but there was nothing innocent in the curve of her smile. It was too mocking. She wouldn't let me go. I could see that now. I sighed. I was afraid this would happen, but not unprepared.
"Are you not going to ask how I know you're telling the truth?" Her head tilted to the side, her long braid falling from over her shoulder and swinging down. With her dark eyes and cute appearance, she looked like a doll for a moment.
"No." Why would I go digging for trouble when I was already focusing on pulling my ankles out of this sticky situation?
"Why not?" Her indignant voice made me chuckle as she straightened up right away, almost stomping her foot as she took a step towards me.
"Not all mysteries should be looked into." I said casually, looking else where.
"Are you saying I'm not interesting?" Her voice wobbled, sounding unhappy for a moment. I peered down at her for a moment.
"I'm sure you are very interesting, Your Highness," I said carefully, very much aware of the burning glare in my direction. "But a girl must always hold her secrets close to her, for fun, for safety, and for a little mystery." Brows furrowed as she looked at me, going over my words.
"I see." She answered after a moment, nodding her head as she looked down. "That makes sense." I wasn't sure if she really understood what I meant, but I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Seems I've accidently stumbled across the Princess tender wound. What would make a young Princess insecure?
"Does that mean you've made the choice to keep me?"
"Yes."
"Very well then, I look forward to serving you to the best of my abilities." With a dramatic and not at all proper bow, I stood up and smirked at her, before half turning to face the biggest thorn at my side for the moment, half bowing with one hand on my chest. "And I welcome you to watch over me with all the mistrust and suspicion you have, but please remain as respectfully courteous as you can, I do not react well to being man handled."
Through the face covering, his eyes narrowed into slits, but since he controlled his malice, it was a start.
"I'll try to keep that in mind." He said evenly. We both knew the acknowledgement was false. The Princess's giggle brought me back over to her as I returned to my previous position.
"Oh this is going to be grand." She rocked on the balls of her feet, throwing her hands into the air.
"Now what?" I asked, watching her give a giddy sort of dance, all the while remaining in the same spot. My question must have reminded her of something, because her shoulder dropped as she looked over my shoulder with a groan.
"Come in." She called loudly. Immediately, the two who had been asked to step out bustled back in, looking very curious, but also detached, their expressions a perfect mirror of each other as they stood to the side of me.
"Ensley, I'd like you to inform Gerald that Marie," she glanced over at me, her lips twitching. "Is the one I pick to replace Leslie."
They glanced at each other, but the younger girl who had asked me if I had seen the Princess when she was hiding, nodded and turned to the door before stepping out. The one that remained turned to face me.
"I am Hallie, you can shadow us for today instead of trying to serve her since you've already been selected." Straight to the point and not waiting for a reply, she turned back to the Princess. "Your Highness, you still have to get ready."
"I know." Came the petulant reply. As Hallie helped the Princess into one of the multiple coats, I stood there unsure of what exactly I was supposed to do. If all I was expected to do was watch today, then it would be a long day. Especially when I would have my own pair of eyes glued to my every movement. Two knocks came from the door before the girl, Ensley, came back in.
"Sir Gerald has been informed. He says that she will be on a trial period before an official decision is made." She informed Her Highness, moving to pick up the discarded coats.
"Alright." She peeked over to me. "Work hard."
My first instinct was to agree with her, but since she had an uncanny sense for lies, I tilted my head to the side in acknowledgment. I don't think she missed that.
It turns out that being a Princess, even a young one like Ruby, involved a lot of studying at a young age. Hallie and Ensaily were her hands and feet as I trailed after her and watched them prepare or adjust anything that she needed. When she had to enter a room that would be used for learning, only Sir Firat was allowed insider as we three waited. Rather than simply standing there and wasting time, multiple maids came to Hallie and Ensaily, all asking specific questions about tasks that were related to the Princess' meal, schedule or changes that had to be made. All through this, I watched silently, looking over the faces that came and went, the neat uniforms and the speed in which they worked. It was a different environment from what I had been used to so far. Here the people were eager to do.
"Do you have any questions?" I should have tons, I knew, but there was really just one pressing one at the moment.
"Why does Sir Firat cover his face?" I looked straight ahead, but from the corner of my eye I watched her lean forward, her head snapping over to look at me, pink eyes blinking repeatedly. Ensley, beside her, turned to look at me as well, I imagined she too was thrown off by the question.
"That's the first question you have? Nothing about Princess Ruby?" She spluttered with an edge. Ah, no, I did not have that sort of interest in the death night. As amusing as her guess for the thoughts that led to that question was, my inquiry was for another reason altogether. If I could not see his face, if I ever had to escape and he was unmasked, I was sure the only way I would know I was standing before him would be if he was aiming some of his usual malic towards me, and I'd rather not go through that. Killing an official Palace worker who seemed more than capable of handling himself would paint a bigger target than I needed when I made off in the middle of the night. Or morning, as I did most often.
"I am curious about some things, but those I think I could understand with a bit more watching and I'm sure that if I'm instructed to do something by Ensley or yourself, it will be done with the utmost efficient method to not waste time or inconvenience the Princess, and if I'm smart enough, then I will ask questions to tasks I am unfamiliar or unsure I will be able to finish." I shrugged softly, before glancing over at her. "As for questions regarding the Princess? As I am on trial, I think any information about her should remain confidential to those trusted. I can be replaced at the end of my trial, but if I learn anything or ask anything about Her Royal Highness and end up being replaced, then I can not say with confidence that it will put me in a good position." My mouth pressed in a wry smile, eyes tightening a bit.
My words had both of them evaluating me differently from this morning's nearly dismissive attitude, taking me in as I stood there calmly.
Hallie pushed her glasses up with a finger, lifting a brow, before she straightened back to her previous stance. "You might just long if you keep that insight to you."
"If you say so, then I shall try." I bowed my head, staring at the scrappy shoes peeking out from under my dress, before straightening up again.
"He's had trouble in the past for his handsome appearance, so he prefers to hide his face." She answered plainly. I nodded. What utter bullshit. A pretty face? That's the excuse he was using? "Why do you ask?"
"You couldn't have fallen for the blue of his eyes? Have you?" Ensley leaned over to peek over at me, a small teasing smirk on her face. It didn't seem to be in a mocking way, and when Hallile signed, I figured she might be the teasing type.
"No, I was just wondering. If he's the guard accompanying the Princess all the time, I was concerned for how to distinguish him from someone else simply wearing the same thing." There was a quiet unlike before. At my words, I knew any security risk questions or comments would get this reaction. I almost wanted to sigh.
"Do you know of someone who would dare try it?" Hallie asked too casually, but unlike Sir Firat's killer malice, hers came off her skin like a thundering storm, charging the air. My ears picked up a sound of approaching footsteps.
I let a few tense seconds pass before speaking, staring straight ahead calmly. "No, but my mother frequently said that idiots are often born in packs on the same day."
"Your mother sounds like a reasonable woman." A gruff voice responded from around the corner. As soon as Hallie and Ensley began to bow, I dropped to do the same.
"Sir Gerald." Standing back up with them in a harmonious way, I found his eyes on me, a peculiar look that disappeared as he looked over to Hallie and began discussing with her. There was nothing particularly interesting in their conversation, so I looked elsewhere until my name was called.
"Yes?"
"When Her Highness returns to her room after class, you are to wait outside of her door. There will be an guide waiting to lead you back to the servant's quarts. That will be all the shadowing you will be going for today. Tomorrow the same guide will be waiting to take you back." He informed me.
"As you say." With a nod, he was off, not looking back as he disappeared just as fast as he came to.
* * *
Princess Ruby was glum to see me go early, but didn't seem to have the energy to put up a fight as she handed over what seemed to be the nights study work and books to Hallie. As I followed after them a few steps away, I looked around. At first glance, the novelty of all the decor within the castle was grand and well taken care of, the carefully selected pieces complementing the towering structure of the castle and its sharp angle arches. Which was why it had been easy to over look the smaller details, over shadowed by the larger things, but once your eyes caught onto the smaller things, it was nearly impossible not to see them anymore.
The red strings were nearly everywhere and on everything. Tied to the wooden leg of a chair, the chandelier, around the state head of a lion, the opening of a carved frame. So many little red strings simply there. I counted them once I saw a handful but soon stopped once I realized this would become a never ending game. Was this a Zelige tradition? So far I had only seen it here, so perhaps it was something to do with Her Highness?
They stopped at a door that was different from the one I had entered this morning, but instead of two people standing at the door there were three. A brown haired boy, the straight hair covering his foreahd and ears, looking straight at me once he rose from his bow. This must be my guide back. As the Princess and the Haillie passed by Sir Firat who held the door for them, Ensley, nearly scampering to catch up. As soon as she was in, Sir Firat shut the door in front of him and wasted no time turning to me. The guard at the door didn't react as he stomed my way, the guide's eyes widened but he was quick to lower his face to the floor. I sighed just as his arm shot out, taking hold of my upper arm and dragged me into the nearest room. The door slammed behind him as he shoved me away.
"I'm not surprised, but I am disappointed." I muttered, knowing fully well that he would be able to hear me at the distance he was. Vicious blue eyes darkened as his hand went to his waist, the threat clear. This was going to be a fine line to walk.
"Who are you?" He seethed.
"Marie Tod-" I shut my mouth at the way his eyes nearly turned feral. I cleared my throat. "I swore I wasn't a threat to the Princess and she belived me, why dont you?"
"She is eight." He growled out. "I am not eight."
Eyeing him from head to toe, I tilted my head . "Clearly."
"Who.Are.You." He demanded taking a step forward, my nose scrunched up instinctivlrey, at this distance the malice was nearly overwheliming, the hostility dizzing. I sighed out through my mouth to clear the air, very much so literaly. Any name I gave him would be looked into, and any sob story would be checked so that left me with a small window of escape for when the information would get back to him. Who shall I revive for this moment?
"Your clearly trying to come up with a lie. If you confess to your sins now I will make your death as fast as possible." He threatned, his words made me press my lips together.
"I wasn't trying to come up with a lie, I was trying to figure out the best way to word my answer."
"Only liars and the damned worry about how their words may come across." I could name a few more people who had to worry about how their words might be taken. Like women, nobles, foreigners, children. The list was long enough to be exhausting but I wasn't about to argue with the man who had declared himself my executer. I brought my arms up, ignoring how he tensed at this, until they were wrapped around me, hunching my shoulders down a bit before looking of to the side of the room where a vase of pink flowers were. I let my eye galze over before I started.
"The Todine family was kind enough to take me in despite having their own children to look after. My mother, my birth mother was friends with the Todines becuase they had always lived within the same villiage. My father only settled down there because he fell in love, everything was fine until he jumped into a drunken, unruly fight and was gravely wounded. He lost the usage of his left leg and soon grew depressed and then turned to drink. As you can imagine he was not the same man." My words grew softer as I neared the end of the sad tale. I dug my fingers into my arms. "After one too many drinks he...lost it, I'm not sure what it was, just he just lost it. I came home from watching over the Todine's children and they were all gone. There was just so much-" I swallowed my words and inhaled sharply, releasing my hold I dropped my arms and straightned up, jaw clenched as I turned to look over at him in with difiance.
There was no pitty or sympathy, but his malic had lesson enough to not be so potent in the shut room. He scanned my face, eyes narrowing slightly.
"I am Marie Todine. I have been her for longer than I ever was anyone else." I declared gravely, my voice raw from the true irritation of having to defend myself. I let the frustration bleed through my face. My desire to convince him was scratching at my throat, clawing to come out and lull him into a stupor until he nodded and agreed to anything I wished.
"Why change your name?" He pushed, clearly not an idiot. Smart men where alluring unless they were against you. Then they were an annoyance.
"I didn't want to be called a name my mother would never be able to speak."
"What was your previous name?" Wow, I was impressed and peeved. Sob stories did not stop this man from being thoughrough. The bastard. If I recalled correctly Marie's hometown was kissing the border between the Vahlair's dessert and the villages around one of the main fields the Apcil Nation uses. It was at least a weeks ride to and a week back without any unessissary breaks, as I figured would be the case if the Princes safety was on the line. A week and half at least. I raced through my memories of the dreery villages nearby when I was rummaging through those lands and picked the most common one. Every second they spent detangling which family web I said I belonged to would be another second for me to put some distance between us.
I took in a shaky breath, hoping he didn't contribute my pause as a calcualtive one but rather an emotional one. "A-Aida Glador."
"I will watch you Aida-"
"Marie Todine."
"...Marie Todine. I will watch you and if I discover-"
"Anything out of place and I die a horrible death?" He did not appreciate my interruption.
"Anything out of place and everyone and anyone who you have ever come into contact will be brought forth to pay the price of your lies as we find out what you are really here for." He seethed.
"I'm here to pay back the kindness of the Todine family and help feed my family!" My hands balled up as I glared back. There was a moments silence as we glared at each other before he took a step back and straighened.
"If that is your truth then you have nothing to fear from me, but if it is not." He let his words trail off. Stepping to the side and turning, I took it as his permission to leave. I took in a breath, lifted my head and stomped off.
Once I was out the door I paused, looked up for a moment, cleared my expression and turned to look over at the curious guide who now seemed to have eyes that could see me. I walked over with a poliet smile.
"Please lead the way back."
"Yes." He nodded awkwardly before taking the lead. His pace was fast, to make up for the lost time, no doubt. Watching his back for a moment I let my mask slip as I glared around me, the halls empty now that we were closer to the empty chambers.
From one mess to the other, I was on my way back to become another spectacle and this time there was no way of worming my way out. My clock had begun ticking from the moment I left Sir Firat in the room. It was time to take stalk of my opportunities and the exits that came with it. Taking in the boy in front of me I ranked my eyes over him. He must have felt my eyes on him, sharp senses because he whirrled around just as I looked away.
I looked back and raised a brow at him curiously. "Yes?"
"Nothing." His hair was long enough to brush his eyes eyelashes, so he repeatedly shook them off. It would have been more convenient to cut them, but since he had not perhaps he was growing out his hair.
"May I ask your name?" I gave him an unsure smile. He looked off to the side for a moment before answering.
"Chistoph." He said bluntly.
"Nice to meet you, I am Marie." Not that he didn't know he had been asked to come pick up.
"Like wise." He said over his shoulder. My brow furrowed as I grinned at the unfriendlyness. I was now marked for trouble thanks to the talk from Sir Firat in his eyes, darn. Unless he saw my self proclaimed exicutionar and I picking flowers together, I doubt he wanted to be called my friend. The realization made me let out a giggle, that I had to quickly cover up as a cough. His shoulders tensed but he did not turn to look or check on me. Most definitely not a fan of mine.
When he dropped me off he was quick to inform me of when he would be back for me the next morning and made off as if he were running for a thief in the night. He wasn't far off. My suspicions about my welcome were proven to be true. The walk back to the room I shared with Violetta was a walk filled with hostile and cold stares, whispers louder than some intenederd and as loud as intended. This type of hostility I was accustomed to, it wrapped around my shoulders like a heavy scarf, but the weight was comforting to me in a twisted way, although I made sure to hide it. I waited for Violetta's return and watched silently to see if she would turn on me or not, when she remained as blunt and non invasive as before I grinned as she collected her things and stuck to her side as we went to wash. I would hate for a girls fight to turn muddy, and as nasty as the attitudes had turned against me, no one here wanted Violetta against them for messing with our washing water. Dinner was nearly the same, but just as I knew I couldn't stick to her sides forever os did they, only I was not bidding my time from trouble but rather preparing for it.
That night had to be the oddest one of all the nights at the castle. Not because of the knife that loomed over head, or even the petty scwables that were soon to take place. No, it was unsettling because as I tried to calm my mind, my ears couldn't help but pick up on what sounded as shouts or pleas that were suddenly cut off before yipps and bug like laughter filled the air only to fade off until I had to force myself to stop trying to listen in. This went on and off fo so long into the night that when I finally went to sleep, I was sure that I had dreamt of the sounds.
And in the early morning as Christoph lead me to the direction of the Princess wing, as all the servents stirred and got ready for their work and we passed the spatially open gate, the further we walked down the gravely path the more the cold seemed to seep into the soles of my quickly worn out shoes. Looking down I realized that the ground was wet. IN fact not only the was the ground soaking, but even the grass, usually misted in light morning dew from the early mist, was dripping. As I looked all around the further we walked, I found the whole field was covered in water and yet the scent that came from the ground was far from natural. It was funny, because I was pretty damn sure it hadn't rained last night.