Another day, another grueling shift at the construction site. At 23, I'm already fed up with life. Working my ass off day in and day out under my boss, Mr. Grumpkins a guy who's got the charm of a rabid bulldog has drained whatever hope I had left. Every day he's breathing down my neck, yelling about how I'm doing everything wrong.
"Mike, you idiot! Lay those bricks faster! My grandmother could build this wall quicker, and she's dead!" Mr. Grumpkins barks, his face turning red as usual.
I roll my eyes, trying to hold back a sarcastic comment. The only thing keeping me going is the thought of payday and maybe, just maybe, a beer at the end of this shift. But today's different. His wife, Linda—yeah, the guy somehow has a wife decides to drop by the site. And she's not just your average wife; Linda's got curves that make every guy on-site stop in their tracks.
She's wearing a low-cut top that looks like it's barely hanging on, and those tight pants don't leave much to the imagination either. The way she walks, all eyes are glued to her, including mine. It's like she's stepping straight out of some dirty dream, and I can't help but feel the tension between us whenever she's around.
"Hey, Mike!" Linda calls out with that sweet voice of hers, holding out a water bottle. "You look like you could use this."
I smile awkwardly, wiping the sweat off my face. "Thanks, Mrs. Grumpkins. You always know how to make a guy feel better."
She giggles, leaning in just a little too close. And there it is Mr. Grumpkins standing a few feet away, glaring daggers at me like he's ready to knock my head off.
Just when I'm about to take the water and move on, disaster strikes. My foot catches on a loose brick, and I go down hard. But instead of hitting the ground, I somehow land right in Linda's lap. My face is pressed against her chest, and I'm pretty sure I'm about to die—though not in the way I was expecting.
I look up, horrified, as Mr. Grumpkins' face turns the deepest shade of crimson I've ever seen.
"Mike..." he growls, fists clenched.
Before I can even apologize, my heart skips a beat literally. My chest tightens, everything goes blurry, and... bam. I'm dead. Right there, in his wife's lap.
When I open my eyes again, I'm expecting either flames of hell or some boring white afterlife. Instead, I'm lying on grass. The sky above is unnaturally blue, and I'm surrounded by trees that look like they belong in a fantasy movie.
"What the hell?" I mutter, sitting up. My clothes are gone well, not gone, but they've changed. Instead of my work clothes, I'm wearing some kind of medieval peasant outfit. I look around, still trying to wrap my head around what's happening.
Suddenly, I hear the clank of armor. I turn to see a group of knights heading my way, their swords gleaming in the sunlight. They look pissed.
"You there!" one of them shouts, pointing a sword at me. "What are you doing on royal grounds?"
"Uh... royal grounds?" I echo, completely lost.
"Seize him!" the knight orders, and before I can say another word, they grab me.
"Wait, wait! I don't even know where I am!" I try to protest, but they're not listening. They drag me through the forest and toward a massive castle that looks straight out of a fairy tale if fairy tales had giant stone walls and a thousand guards.
We march right through the front gates, up a set of stairs, and into the throne room. At the end of the hall, sitting on a giant golden throne, is a king. He's got a long beard, a crown, and an aura that screams "I own everything."
The king looks down at me, clearly unimpressed. "Who is this peasant?"
"Your Majesty, we found him sneaking on your lands," the guard explains.
I open my mouth to speak, but the king cuts me off with a chuckle. "A trespasser, hmm? You must pay for your crimes. But instead of a dungeon, I have a better idea."
My heart sinks. This can't be good.
"You will work in the castle, as a servant," the king declares. "That should teach you some humility."
"Work? Here?" I blink. "You mean, like a job?"
The king grins. "Exactly. Take him to the servants' quarters."
And just like that, I go from a construction worker under Mr. Grumpkins to a castle servant under King Beardy. Life's funny that way, huh?
A few days later, I'm wandering around the castle, trying to figure out where everything is. The place is huge, and the other servants barely talk to me. But at least the food is better than anything I got back home.
While I'm exploring, I accidentally stumble into a part of the castle I've never been before. It's quiet, too quiet. Then, I hear something a splash of water. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I peek through a slightly open door.
My eyes go wide.
Inside, there's a large marble bath, steam rising from the water. And in the middle of it is a girl. She's naked, her long silver hair cascading down her back, her skin glistening with water. She's got the kind of body you'd only see in magazines curves in all the right places.
I try to back away, but my foot hits the doorframe, and the door creaks.
Her head snaps around. "Who's there?!"
I freeze. I'm screwed.
In an instant, she's out of the bath, grabbing a towel to cover herself. But not before I get an eyeful. She storms over to me, her eyes blazing.
"You! What are you doing here?" she demands, standing inches away from me. I can feel the heat radiating off her, and not just from the bath.
"I, I didn't mean to!" I stammer, my face burning. "It was an accident, I swear!"
She crosses her arms, the towel barely clinging to her. "Do you know who I am?"
"No," I admit, hoping she'll let me off with a warning.
"I'm Princess Lyria," she says, smirking. "The youngest daughter of the king. And you just made a huge mistake."
"Oh shit," I mutter under my breath.
Her smirk widens. "But I'm feeling generous today. You have two options."
I gulp. "Options?"
"Option one: I call the guards, and you get thrown into the dungeon for spying on me," she says, clearly enjoying this. "Or..."
"Or?" I ask, already dreading the answer.
"Or you become my personal servant," she says, leaning in close, her voice low and teasing. "You'll do whatever I want, whenever I want. And trust me, I can be very.... demanding."
I can feel my heart racing. This is bad. Really bad. But also... maybe not? I mean, she's hot. Really hot.
"What's it going to be?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.
I sigh, knowing I don't have much of a choice. "Fine. I'll be your servant."
Lyria grins, clearly pleased with herself. "Good boy. This is going to be fun."
I have no idea what I've just gotten myself into, but one thing's for sure—this new life is going to be anything but boring.