As early as at dawn. Since it was Noelle's first day at work, she had already woken up. Not like she intended to anyways, it was just that, just like yesterday she couldn't catch a wink of sleep, and this led her into waking up very early.
Noelle had already gotten dressed in her own clothes, since the Maidservants' clothes hasn't been delivered to her yet, she sat quietly on the bed as she watched the other Maidservants too who were in the room get ready.
Non of them had spoken to her yet, neither has she attempted to speak to them also. They were only just looking at her awkwardly. And Noelle disliked it. So she also didn't bother to speak with them, not like she was here because of them in the first place. So she didn't care if they liked her or not.
Noelle's beautiful figure sat on her bed gently. From her sitting position she bent down to tie her sandals, and at that moment she heard someone speak from behind her in the room.
"You can't wear that here," a woman's gentle voice said from behind her. And Noelle who guessed that the words was meant for her promptly turned towards the woman's direction.
Noelle only looked at the woman and didn't say anything. Then the woman who seem to be in her thirties walked agilely towards Noelle.
Standing in front of Noelle now, "Sylvester told me to give you this," she stated firmly. Her face didn't look like that of someone who appeared troublesome. She had a calm expression on her face. And didn't look annoyed eventhough Noelle didn't reply to her words.
"It's the Maidservants uniform," the woman spoke again, as she dropped some neatly folded clothes on the bed beside Noelle. "This is the only attire you're allowed to wear here in the castle."
Noelle glanced at the clothes on the bed beside her. Then she looked towards the woman and gave a delicate nod to the woman's words. "Thank you," she appreciated with a slight and gentle smile.
The woman chuckled, "Oh you can speak…? I mean… You're welcome," she replied amusedly, then continued, "For a moment there I thought you were a mute."
"I'm not a mute," Noelle replied shortly as her earlier smile had already been replaced with a slight frown. But she guessed that since she hasn't said a word all day, perhaps they thought she was a mute. To top it all she even had to use a staff to support herself in walking, so perhaps the Maidservants must've assumed that she was filled with nothing but disabilities, and was dumb.
Noticing Noelle's frown, the woman hastily changed the topic, "Just forget I said that. By the way, nice to meet you. My name is Arcadia. What about yours?" The woman extended her hands out for an handshake.
Although Noelle didn't want any familiarities between herself and the rest of the Maidservants, however, at the same time she didn't want to make any enemies by being rude, so she gently accepted the handshake, and shook Arcadia's hands.
"My name is Noelle. It's a delight to meet you too Arcadia," Noelle replied sharply.
"Noelle. That's a very beautiful name. You're now also part of we lucky few that Mistress trusts and has chosen to work here in the castle. It's really been so long since another Maidservant has been hired," Arcadia praised and Noelle only responded with a smile. "Anyways Noelle, please do change into the Maidservants attire. Sylvester told me to show you around today. And also assign a work for you to do. So quickly get dressed, I'll wait for you, and we can leave the room together and also get something to eat."
"Alright, I'll quickly change then," replied Noelle's gentle voice.
Taking the clothes from beside her, Noelle promptly took it into her clasps. Since they were all women in the quarters, Noelle didn't mind changing in the room.
She hastily changed. The Maidservants uniform was a long purple and black gown with a long black trousers underneath also. When Noelle was done changing into the uniform. She checked herself in the mirror for a while.
Arcadia who was glancing at her from few feets away commented with a tender smile on her lips, "Looks perfect on you, Noelle. Naturally you look beautiful if not for the st…" Arcadia trailed as she looked down at the staff. She then stopped talking as she felt that it wasn't polite to talk about Noelle's disability.
Noelle didn't bother to reply the talkative woman behind her. She bent down and grabbed her staff, and then turned towards Arcadia who was already doing something else.
"Arcadia, I'm ready. Shall we go?"
"Sure, let's go," Arcadia replied and got up from the bed. "Follow me then," she instructed and Noelle did just that.
They duo walked towards the door, and as they went out of the door, they met another Maidservant, whom Arcadia greeted formally. As expected the Maidservant only stared at Noelle underservingly, wondering how someone like her with a disability was allowed to work in the castle. In spite of all this Noelle didn't give a damn. They weren't her business, so she didn't care about them.
As they continued walking. "Noelle, let me tell you some things you must know, and some rules you must follow strictly, as Sylvester had instructed me to inform you," stated Arcadia and Noelle listened attentively. Then she continued, "Firstly, the only place we Maidservant are allowed to enter without permission is the kitchen, and also the Maidservants quarters. Secondly you can't enter anywhere else, except if any of the royal members asked you to do so. Thirdly you mustn't steal anything from here. Fourthly you must not roam around freely or walk carelessly around here."
"And also you mustn't spoil anything here. And if you disobey the rule, you will be punished," Arcadia added.
Noelle wasn't surprised by all this, solely because she knew it already, but what she didn't know was what sort of punishment would be given if she disobeyed.
"What if we accidentally disobeyed any of the rules you've just spoken about?" Asked Noelle's curious voice.
"It depends on which rule you break. You could lose your job. You could be arrested and locked up forever. And depending on how worse and dire the crime is, you could even be sentenced to death and executed in no time."
Noelle listened attentively to everything being said by Arcadia, and at the same time she also nodded gently to it. 'I wonder what punishment would be given to me if they found out that I poisoned the king?' She thought to herself inwardly.
Looking sideways at Arcadia, "Has anyone ever been killed before due to breaking a very strict rule?" Noelle curiously investigated.
Arcadia stared back at the curious little mermaid beside her, but she didn't mind answering her anyways. She remembered that when she was also new here she use to be as curious as this, so she didn't mind replying Noelle.
Lowering her voice as though she didn't want someone to hear it, "Yes, just once. But I don't know what crime the person committed. I wasn't working here yet when it happened. Just like I'm presently telling you, I was also told by someone too," she whispered. "But if I'm to take a guess, I'll say that perhaps the person tried to assassinate someone in the castle. Maybe King Axel."
"Oh…" Noelle trailed amusedly. Seems she was going to be extra careful if she wanted to seek her own revenge. Or else she might eventually get caught without even having seek her revenge yet.
"Anyways, Noelle. Let's not talk about that anymore. Let's eat first, and afterwards I would show you what you have to do here," Arcadia informed and Noelle agreed, as they both made their way to the kitchen.
Food had already been prepared by the other Maidservants. So Noelle and Arcadia hastily ate at the kitchen. She was served some bread and fried egg. Which she didn't really eat much, since her anxiety was getting the better of her.
Afterwards, Noelle and Arcadia went towards the door. Walking alongst the passageway, they both came across a Guard who greeted Arcadia casually. And stared strangely at Noelle from head to toe.
Noelle knew that kind of look, it wasn't a look of disdain because of her disability. Rather it was a seductive look. And Noelle hated it.
Arcadia also noticed the look, as they walked by, she spoke to Noelle calmly;
"This Guards are nothing but perverts! Don't mind them Noelle. They're always like that. Since you're young and beautiful, it's natural for them to stare like that."
"It's nothing. I'm not bothered by them," Noelle forced a smile, ignoring the Guard's malicious look.
"Alright then. Now about the work I wanted to assign to you. You should start today by cleaning the statue of His Majesty at the main entrance. I'll be in the garden wetting and trimming the plants, so when you're done, you can come and meet me there," Arcadia instructed.
Noelle nodded trivially, "I've heard you Arcadia."
"You will see a towel hung somewhere behind the statue. With that, you can clean the statue. Come I'll show you since I'm going towards there also," Arcadia offered, and Noelle nodded and follow.
As they were going, Noelle thought about the statue she was going to clean. It reminded her about Axel. She still hadn't gotten to see his face yet. Turning slightly towards Arcadia, "Arcadia, is His Majesty around today?"
"Yes sure," Arcadia nodded briefly. Noticing something from the other side of the castle in the gigantic living room. "And… look Noelle, that's him over there."