The night was rough.
After spending hours in the kitchen, taking advice and lessons from the chief chef, Seraphina fell into a much-needed slumber to regain her energy.
But before she could get even a few hours of sleep, she was abruptly awakened by a loud ringing bell.
"What on Earth is that?" Kara asked, covering her ears tightly. "I have a feeling we'll be in pieces in five days," she whispered.
"A lady must not sleep for too long, anyway," Sera said, sitting on the bed.
A knock on the door shifted their attention. The door opened after the third knock, revealing Fiona standing behind it.
"Good morning, ladies. Please come downstairs; we can start our work there," she said with a pleasant smile.
Sera and Kara couldn't help but reciprocate the smile, although not genuinely. They were extremely tired, and exhaustion was evident in their eyes.
"Yes, we'll be there shortly."
"We'll be there."
They both replied with fake smiles on their faces.
Though both ladies longed to be anything but polite, they had to maintain decorum to uphold the respect and dignity of their background. It was ingrained in their blood, as difficult as it was.
Fiona smiled and gave a slight nod before closing the door behind her.
As soon as she left the room, Sera looked at Kara with wide eyes.
"This is going to be much harder than I thought," she said, sighing.
Standing up, she glanced at herself in the mirror, realizing how tired she already appeared.
"Welcome to your future, m'lady," Kara sarcastically remarked, but there was an underlying truth in her words.
If they were to live in this place for the rest of their lives, they had two options: to run away and hide, or to be captured and face death. Both choices were for the future.
"Let's get ready, or else the lady of the house will come up," Sera said, shaking her head.
-
And so, the two new women who had entered the palace for five days began their journey together.
The following days passed in a blur as the elderly lady of the house continued to teach Seraphina various tasks. Sera complied with her instructions, holding onto the memory of her father. She knew that even though he didn't want to give her away, he had no choice.
At just twenty-three years old, her entire future was written on the walls. Sometimes she would dream of growing old and still carrying out chores around the palace.
The most exhausting part was that only Sera and Kara were the ones learning to do chores, not the other wives of Genghis's brothers. It felt unfair, but that's just how the world worked, and those were the exact words of the lady.
On the third evening, Sera and Kara found themselves outside the house, painstakingly pulling out weeds one by one. They were among the other maids of the small palace.
Sera grunted as her leg was struck by a brick near a garden vase.
"Oomph, that hurt," she whispered to herself.
Kara, from a distance, noticed it. Her pointed toe turned red as she focused on the spot.
"You might as well take a break. You're going to become a lady of the house, and these maids aren't going anywhere," Kara said, rolling her eyes.
Sera shook her head. At this point, all Sera wanted was to survive two more days and return home, hopefully to good news like, "You don't need to marry that man." It was the only possibility she could imagine, both in her mind and in her dreams.
"There's just a bit left here. I'll rest after finishing it," Sera whispered, glancing at the remaining tasks.
It was truly a small amount compared to everything she had done throughout the day.
But time passed by swiftly.
By the end of the evening, Sera found herself massaging her foot with her fingers.
"This is truly a nuisance. I can't wait to go back home," Kara said with a shrug.
Sera shook her head.
"I think I might go outside today," Sera whispered.
Kara's eyes widened. She gave Sera a horrified expression.
"What? Outside? Where do you think you're going to survive, Sera? In the woods?" Kara asked, still firmly objecting.
The palace was surrounded by trees, and beyond the trees on the North side, lay the Kingdom of Lumina.
It was no joke that the Darklings lived just a few miles away from the humans.
"I'll figure it out, Kara. I'm tired of being confined within these walls and..." Sera started to say in a whisper, her mouth close to Kara's ear.
Kara's eyes widened as she heard what Sera said. She wanted to go outside. Outside, beyond the walls and gates of the palace.
"No... Shh..." Kara covered Sera's mouth with her hand as they both heard a rustling sound beyond the doors.
While Kara's attempt to silence her friend was successful, it resulted in part of her body unintentionally pressing against Sera's. Kara's hand remained over Sera's mouth.
"Someone was there," Sera said in a hushed tone.
Kara said nothing but nodded.
They exchanged a look.
"It's alright. And no, you are not going outside, Sera. It's too risky, and you know it could cost your life."
"My life? Do you think I'll get caught?" Sera questioned in response.
"I don't know, and it doesn't matter. If you leave through the gate without any protection or security, it's not likely that you'll return unharmed," Kara replied.
Sera chuckled to herself. 'You have no idea what I've done,' she thought silently.
"We'll see about that, Kara. If you're finished contemplating all the possibilities, go ahead and blow out the lamps."
-
The darkness enveloped Sera and her surroundings. She glanced to her left and saw Kara peacefully sleeping, lips partially open and drooling, lost in her own dreams. It was an amusing sight, but Sera had no time to spare for idle observations when she had a task at hand.
Careful not to make any noise, Sera rose from the bed and sat upright. Kara was a light sleeper, easily stirred by the slightest gust of wind. Sera took slow and silent steps as she crept out of her bedroom, moving with caution. Her heart began to race with a growing sense of panic as she ventured outside.
As soon as she stepped out, Sera quickly glanced left and right, ensuring that no one was around. Clutching the dim lamp in her hand, she whispered to herself, "Let's go outside," and proceeded to tiptoe her way forward. While working in the kitchen, she had discovered a hidden pathway leading to the woods, and she intended to use it for her escape.
She descended the stairs and reached the kitchen without breaking a sweat. "This feels surprisingly calm," she thought to herself, finding solace in the control she had over her own actions as Seraphina Rose. To her, the body may belong to anyone, but the soul that carried the memories and struggles of a queen—those were the aspects she needed to protect and embody in her actions.
Sera entered the kitchen and closed the large door behind her, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone else was present. Walking cautiously around the island area, she caught a glimpse of a figure dressed in red.
"Who's there?" she questioned, unable to contain her curiosity. Her brow furrowed, and her heart raced even faster.
Swish!
Raffles!
Noises emanated from the same spot where she had noticed the figure. Step by step, Sera cautiously approached, her heart pounding in her throat.
*lub-dub*
*lub-dub*
*lub-dub*
Her heart thumped heavily in her chest. In the dead of night, as she prepared to make her escape, she unexpectedly found herself in this peculiar situation. Instead of retreating, her curiosity compelled her to move closer.
"I..." A woman's voice interrupted, trembling and apologetic. "I'm sorry, ma'am! I'm v-"
"Shhh..." Sera swiftly lowered herself to the woman's level, urging her to be quiet.
The voice belonged to a frail-looking elderly woman dressed in maid's attire. Tears streamed down her face as she clutched a piece of bread in her hand.
"You're having your dinner?" Sera whispered, her fear dissipating. It was merely a woman enjoying her meal!
"I shouldn't-"
"Hey, you can eat. But remember, you didn't see anything, alright?" Sera interrupted, locking her gaze with the woman.
Though she couldn't discern the woman's features clearly, the moonlight provided some recognition. With approximately twenty maids in the palace, the elderly woman deserved her quiet moment to enjoy a piece of bread. The woman nodded silently in response, and Sera returned the nod.
Sera grasped the hem of her dress, rose to her feet, and without casting a backward glance, she left the room.