The girl looked at the vial. Its content was almost empty, and no wonder – because she had been consistently administering it for about a week now. Today would be the last day she'd do it, and then it would be all over. At least, she hoped it would. Her conscience nagged at her for even attempting to pull off the act, but logically she knew she had to.
She had already accepted the advance payment, after all. She couldn't back out of the job after she had spent the gold coin for medicine and food. There was just no way for her to return it. And even if she had the means to pay back the man, she doubted she'd be allowed to. It was like making a deal with a devil. Once she accepted it, she had to see it through to the end.
She was torn between wishing that the content of the vial was a fluke and that nothing would happen – to hoping that it would be as effective as the man had claimed it would so that she could get the rest of her payment. The pressure was making her go crazy. She didn't know how long she could continue to keep up a façade.
I opened my door to see Ara handing me a mug of hot coffee as usual, and I grinned. 'How long do you intend to keep doing this?' I teased as I let her in my room. She had been delivering me coffee every morning for about a week now. I had no idea why, but I wasn't about to complain, either. As a scullery maid, having someone do things for me instead of the other way around was a rare luxury.
"I figured you might need more coffee today, since you have to attend the ball tonight," she explained. "Why, you don't like it?" she continued cheekily.
'I didn't say that,' I quickly amended, taking a few sips of the brew.
"Seems like you're not finished getting ready yet?" she observed.
'Yes, I need a few more minutes,' I confirmed. I still needed to tie my hair and get a new apron. 'Why don't I meet you at the pantry?'
"No problem," she replied. "But are you sure you won't be late?"
'I won't,' I laughed as I gently pushed her to the door.
The girl was still smiling when the door shut quietly in her face, but her smile disappeared when she turned around and saw that she wasn't alone in the corridor.
"What's with you?" 19 asked, leaning against the wall.
"What do you mean?" the girl said, her voice so soft it was only above a whisper. It was hard to pretend to be calm when her heart was racing. She hadn't been found out – had she?
"Don't play innocent with me," 19 warned. "20 may be too kind for her own good, but I'm not."
"I really don't know what you're talking about," she replied, attempting to walk past the other girl.
19 caught her by the arm and forced her to stop. "You don't?" She released the other girl's arm but blocked her path. "Then let me ask you straight." She held the other girl by the chin so she can look at her directly in the eyes. "Why do you keep bringing 20 coffee in the morning? What's up with that?"
"I-I just want to be friends with her." The girl hastily backed away a few steps.
"Really?" 19 said skeptically. "And you don't want to be friends with the other servants?"
"I'm just comfortable with her, what's wrong with that?" the girl asked, adapting a defensive tone.
"Be sure that's all there is to it," 19 warned before walking down the corridor. She'd save a spot for 20 at the pantry, just like she did whenever her friend was running late.
The girl looked at Concubine Number 19 as she rounded the corner until she was no longer in sight. Before this morning she didn't know how she could possibly get out of the predicament she was in, but perhaps the encounter with the feisty concubine wasn't all that bad. If she used it to her advantage, she may be able to plot an escape and divert the attention away from her. She just had to figure out how.
*****
"20, are you ready?" I heard Caio's voice at my door and grinned. He was punctual and arrived at the exact time he said he would. Thankfully, I had already anticipated it. And as soon as I had finished watering the plants at the garden that afternoon, which was my last chore for the day, I dashed to take a quick bath before getting dressed. Caio always smelled wonderful, with a distinct combination of musk and leather, and I hated to smell like grime and sweat beside him, especially tonight.
'Right on the dot,' I teased him when I opened the door. Monsieur Di Almarati had instructed the lower ranked concubines to wear the dresses which had been distributed for the last ball, and that was perfectly fine with me. I liked my navy blue dress and matching low heeled shoes. And besides, I had only worn them once – I didn't see the need to get a new dress so soon.
"Do you need more time?" Caio asked with a smile. "I can wait for you here, don't worry." She was wearing the same dress and shoes she had worn at the last ball, he noticed. And just like last time, she looked beautiful.
'No, I'm ready,' I replied as I took the arm he offered and we began walking. 19 had gone ahead to the ball, saying I could just meet her there. "I don't intend to tag along behind you and the archduke like a sad puppy," she had teased.
When Caio and I arrived at the ball, the music was in full swing, and I could hear it even at the door. "His Grace Archduke Caio Enzo Rinaldi," the usher announced, just like last time. But instead of proceeding to walk into the room after the announcement, Caio stopped.
"You didn't announce my companion," he turned to the usher. "Do it now."
'What are you doing?' I tugged at his arm. The music stopped playing and everyone's eyes were glued at the entrance. The last thing I wanted was to cause a scene. 'Let's just go.'
Caio smiled at her. "Not until he announces you properly." It irked him that the usher had deliberately ignored 20, as though her presence didn't even matter. He wasn't about to let it slide. "Didn't you hear me?" he asked the usher, his voice carrying a trace of irritation and impatience.
"My apologies, Your Grace," the usher cleared his throat. ""His Grace Archduke Caio Enzo Rinaldi and his companion for tonight Concubine Number 20."
Caio turned back to her. "Now we can go," he smiled.