Golden, warm rays of sunlight crept through the window, bathing the room in a soft, ethereal light. The sunlight piercing through the thin curtains warmed her skin. It was all a dream, a funny dream—one of those weird, bizarre ones people have once in a while.
"Miss? Miss?" a voice called out to her in her dream. She tried to follow the voice, to find out who it was, but it was such a weird dream. She rolled over onto her belly, seeking comfort, and continued sleeping.
"Miss...?" The voice came again, slightly louder, more insistent. "Miss!" the voice came, like a sledgehammer, crushing her dreams and jolting her awake.
"Ah!"
Amber woke up with a start, her heart racing. She looked around the room she was in, her mind still lagging behind, trying to keep up with the pace of her now woken and alert body. Her eyes settled on the blurry figure before her. When her eyes adjusted to the morning light, she realized a young woman around her age, dressed in a maid's outfit, stood at the foot of the bed, looking at her quizzically and confused.
Amber's gaze drifted around the room again, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings, before finally settling on the gown she still wore from yesterday.
"Pshaw," she cursed quietly.
It wasn't a dream at all; she wasn't dreaming. He hadn't said a word to her or spared her a glance as his footman escorted her out. She hadn't seen him since then, when the door creaked shut behind her, locking her inside. The sound of the lock clicking into place echoed through the space. She began to desperately search around the room, trying to find a way to escape.
The room was perched high above the ground, a dizzying height; escaping through the window was not a viable option. A jump from there would be suicidal, with no chance of surviving the fall. She felt trapped and helpless once again. Steven had been smart enough, deliberately choosing a room that seemed to defy gravity. The estate's architectural design had ensured that this particular room was inaccessible from anywhere but the door, effectively creating a prison disguised as a luxurious room. After trying for hours to find a way to escape the room, she gave up and crawled into bed. Overwhelmed, tired, and a little hungry, she drifted off to sleep.
"Erhh... Miss?" The voice came again, bringing her back to reality. The maid eyed her warily, looking at her like a deranged beast. Amber looked up at her. "I'm sorry, miss, I didn't mean to wake you up, but I was assigned to you as your lady-in-waiting to attend to your basic requirements. Are you... alright, miss?" the maid asked.
"I think so," Amber murmured, not knowing what else to say.
"The rooms in the guest wing have not yet been refurbished." The maid offered a small apologetic smile. "We don't get many visitors here. The master, relocated to this estate only recently, so there's still a lot of repairs and renovations to be done. I will be responsible for warming your bed, helping you bathe and dress, attending to your needs, and any other assistance you might require. As for breakfast, would you like it before or after you freshen up, milady?"
"After, please?" Amber answered awkwardly. It was weird having a maid attend to her. The closest thing she had had to a maid was a staff member attending to her at an inn she had stayed in.
"Excellent choice, Milady."
"Please, just call me Amber," Amber smiled.
"Oh no, I'm afraid I can't do that, Milady. I'd be whipped or worse, the master will lay me off if he finds out. But you can call me Mary. You must be starving; I'll bring breakfast right away, after you've had a bath."
"Thank you," Amber said, feeling a bit more at ease with Mary's warm demeanor, wondering what the day was going to be like, what was in store for her today.
After a while, Mary returned to the room, assisted by another maid, as they carried a huge basin of hot water, new towels, tooth powder, a hairbrush, soap, and other necessary essentials she might need. Amber had insisted she didn't need help bathing, so they left. She hastily shed her dress and undergarment, yearning for the soothing relief of steaming hot water on her tense muscles. As the fabric slipped away, she noticed the temporary pressure marks her tight dress had left on her skin, particularly around the top of her breasts and shoulders.
She slid into the washbasin, exhaling and sighing loudly as she sank deeper, enjoying the feel of the steamy water on her body for a while before proceeding to wash herself up. When she was done, she returned to the bedroom. There was a plain dressing gown neatly laid out on the bed; Mary must have come back and put it there for her. It wasn't a proper attire for the day, but it didn't matter – she wasn't going anywhere. She might as well be comfortable. On a nearby table was a breakfast spread consisting of toasted bread with butter, slices of cold ham and cheese, a small bowl of sliced strawberries and blueberries, and a small teapot of steaming tea. She didn't realize how hungry she was until the sweet, delicious aroma of toasted bread wafted through the air, and her belly began to growl. She hurried over to the table, snatched a warm slice of bread, and took a bite; she couldn't help but moan from how soft and delicious it was.
Trying to multitask, she attempted to eat while getting dressed. But soon, she found herself in a comical predicament when the door burst open, catching her off guard. Frozen, mid-task, with bread in her mouth and her hands awkwardly positioned at her back, trying to adjust the loosened strings of her dress. The alpha walked in, also caught off guard by the sight that welcomed him. Adding to the already funny scenario, the flaky bread crumbled down her chin. They just stared at each other, shocked. His gaze lingered, taking in the hilarious scene, before a hint of mockery played at the corner of his eyes as Amber's face began to turn red.