Celine's POV
Slap.
"How dare you come late again?" I stared up at her in shock, my face tingling from the red spot that mimicked the shape of her hand, the force hard enough to knock my head backwards. "What silly excuse do you have now?"
"My…my mother," I stuttered.
"It's always your silly mother," the head maid hissed, her nose flaring.
"My mother had a seizure—"
"If you want to keep your job here, you'll stop coming up with your silly daily excuses. Every time, there is something wrong with your mother," she screamed at me. "Others have sick parents, and they do not come late like you."
I looked down, the cement floor hazy. I was going to cry. I would cry again. "Do you understand me?"
"I am sorry," I apologized. "It will not happen again," I said, blinking.
The head maid snorted. "That is what you said last time," she hissed. "Head up."
I looked up sharply, scared of another slap. "Here," she handed me some properly folded materials. "Take this to Master Fernic's room. Be quick, you have a lot to make up for."
I got up from the floor, clutching the fine silk material that could buy my mother's needed medicine probably a thousand times. "Thank you," I whispered, my cheeks heating up as the other maids stared at me while I fled from the laundry room.
The castle was the same. I walked down the familiar hallway, holding clothes that could feed ten families, as I passed open doors where laughter, the smell of rice, chicken, and beef filled the air, the arrogant sounds of the nobles participating in their gluttony echoing down the halls.
I wonder if they can survive on the mouldy bread I had for breakfast.
"Master Fernic," I called, knocking on the brass door. There was no reply from inside, and I smiled. Maybe I could take something small, small enough to sell for my mother.
I pushed the door open. "Oh gracious heavens," I gasped.
Master Fernic was staring at me, his mouth wide open, while his eyes were furious. "Do you not knock, girl?" He hissed.
I followed the trace of his hands to the young girl trapped beneath him, a hand wrapped tightly around her mouth. "Did you hear me?" He screamed.
It was another maid. What was her name again? Why could I not recall? "I, I am sorry, my lord," I stammered. "I knocked, but I got no reply, so I assumed—"
"You assumed poorly," he hissed. The girl's eyes widened, and she shook her head, then started kicking, trying to push his overweight frame from her small one, as he pinned her to the bed.
"Do what you have to do," he yells again. I stepped into the bedroom, shock and panic still running through my blood. How could I help her? What could I do? Fernic was one of the nobles of Velmara. If I even attempted anything, I could be cursed or worse, killed.
I placed the silk materials into the wardrobe, moving slowly. Fernic had resumed his debauchery, sucking on the poor girl's neck as he trapped her moans and pleadings behind his extra-large hand.
I should say something.
"Aren't you done, girl?"
I snapped out of my trance. "Yes, my lord," I said, bowing. The girl had started crying, still looking at me with hope, but I avoided her gaze. I couldn't risk it, not with my Mama's fragile health.
My eyes glanced around the room, panic in my eyes. Soon, I sighted his sword and armour, the one he has me shine three times a day because of how precious it was to him, and I cursed, hating what I had to do now.
I glanced back to make sure he was occupied, while the young maid's eyes met mine. When I was sure, I wobbled and fell, causing everything on his shelf to crumble, along with his precious armour, a cry escaping my lips.
Just like I expected, Lord Fernic flew off her. "You silly goat," he screamed, rushing at me. I managed to roll away before he grabbed me, but he went for his sword first. "How dare you?"
"I am so sorry, Lord Fernic," I fake cried, watching in satisfaction as the girl grabbed her clothes and ran out the open door. "I slipped and rolled my ankles and—"
"Nonsense," he screamed, wagging his fingers at me. "You must be punished for this. I would have you whipped."
"Please my Lord," I cried, "I will shine it all."
"Now," he breathed angrily, spittle flying everywhere. "By the time I am back, you had better clean everything up."
He left the room angrily, curses and rage spilling down his lips as I got down and started picking up the silver pieces, a smile of victory in my lips.
Finally, after thirty minutes, I had his room back in order, the armour shining like it was brand new. He walked in angrily, inspecting everything and grunting his approval as I slipped out quietly.
I walked down the hall, skipping practically from victory. "Celine," a maid called. "The head maid is looking for you. Lord Fernic reported you to her."
Oh that fat buffalo. "You didn't see me," I hissed, slipping down another hallway to avoid being seen.
The council hall is open. I reduced my pace, passing slowly to not seem as a threat to any of the nobles. One girl ran too fast, and her head was decapitated, severed like she did not exist.
Her body was still moving.
"Madam Ysoria," I heard a man say. "I heard your daughter is participating in the ascension this year."
Madam Ysoria. Revered. Regal. She was the epitome of excellence. "Yes," I heard her soft voice reply.
"I do hope she wins," the man said. "It would be our first victory in the last fifteen years. After those Nightshade's idiots went rogue and wanted all the power to themselves."
Shit.
"Could you imagine? How bold? For one family to think they are better than the rest of us?" I heard another noble say. "Yet, in a night, they were slaughtered like the ants they were."
Breathe, Celine, I thought. Soon, I wouldn't hear them again.
"Well, I am sure my daughter would do the honourable thing," I heard Madam Ysoria say. "Afterall, I gave birth to her, something those mongrels could never have."
Rage filled my heart. I spun around, not caring if they killed me. How dare they? How dare they sully the good name of—
"Oh," I hit hard rock. "I am so sorry," I cried. "I wasn't looking and—"
The man barely glanced at me; he moved faster than before, disappearing down the hallway. "I am so sorry, sir," I raised my voice a bit, sighing.
"Who are you apologizing to?"
"Heavens," I gasped, turning to the faces of six nobles, eagerly waiting for their reply. "I am so sorry, I hope I did not interrupt."
"No," Madam Ysoria replied, raising a brow. "Who were you speaking with?"
Did they not see him? "Sorry, my lady. I suffer from spells sometimes," I bowed slightly.
There was something at my feet. I pushed it underneath my skirt, my head still low in reverence.
"Let's go back, it's just a maid," one of the nobles said. They all retreated slowly back into the council hall, with Madam Ysoria being the last.
"Phew, that was close," I sighed. I bent down and picked up the paper, hurriedly stuffing it between the layers of my gown. I had to find the man; surely this was his.
I went down the same hallway as he, walking fast. "Sorry, did you see a man, a noble, come down this way?" I asked a guard.
"No," he replied tautly. I bowed slightly and continued my search. The head maid would kill me for wandering off, but I would tell her a noble lost something I found.
After what seemed like eternity, I couldn't find him. "Celine," I looked up at the person calling.
"The head maid is furious," a fellow maid told me. "She said she would have you whipped."
I returned quickly to the maids' quarters. After a few tongue lashings, with my remorse duly noted, I continued with my work of the day.
Finally, I brought out the paper the man had dropped. It was an envelope, black. I flipped it over, tracing the golden intricate design around it. Nobles had the finest of things, while we had nothing.
Wait, was this what I thought it was? There was a black glass wax seal; the design would have been foreign to me if I had not seen it before. The Academy. Someone's invitation letter?
I should report this. Give to the head maid. Yet, my hands longed to open it, an itch I couldn't explain.
I peeled the wax slowly, then opened the letter.
The first two words made my heart stop cold.
I was in danger.