1.
“My lady?” The familiar voice of her dearest maid startled Lily.
She smiled warmly and put down her comb. “I’m almost ready, Mary. Just a moment!”
They had known each other since they were children. They often snuck out to the stables to play in the fields and care for the horses, and when Lily was given the option to choose her maid, she immediately chose Mary. In a way, Mary had become her best friend. The person she went to to pretend she was normal for a moment, that she wasn’t of royal blood.
Mary smiled coyly and winked. “Your future husband’s there if that makes you any quicker.”
Lily shot her a dirty look, suppressing an amused smile. “Oh, hush.”
Mary exited with a giggle, leaving Lily to finish getting ready for breakfast.
When she finally finished, she stared at herself in the mirror and smiled. She felt pretty today. Her makeup and hair had turned out well. Her eyeliner made her eyes pop, the eyeshadow a subtle accent that brought out the green of her irises. Her hair was soft and gently framed her face, her glowing skin seemingly bringing it all together. Today was going to be a good day, she just knew it. Her smile lingered as she made her way down the hall, her usual guards trailing her.
The hall—despite the family's insistence that they didn’t like flaunting their wealth—was ornate, with a flower wallpaper and ivy that grew up the walls. Gold carvings, drawings etched on them, were found at every corner. The magical flames flickered inside the gold braziers, lighting up the hallways and shining on the gold, making it glimmer.
The glamor of it always made Lily feel overwhelmed. It was all too much. It was loud and bright, and just painful to look at altogether. She wished it would go away.
Once she reached the door to the dining room, the guards that had been trailing her parted to either side of the doorway and nodded at her to go in. Part of Lily wanted to run the other way and never look back, wondering if the guards would try and stop her.
The part that guided her through most of her actions, however, made her step inside and sit with her family to eat.
She smiled as she took her place next to Petunia and Mother, her hand wrapping around a crystal cup filled with sparkling water, putting it to her lips and taking a small sip. Once she swallowed, she smiled again.
“I was parched. Anyways, good morning, Mother and Father. Good morning, Petunia!”
Her mother and father smiled and greeted her just as, if not more, cheerfully. Petunia, on the other hand, was less excited about her sister arriving at the table.
“You’re late, and your dress is wrinkled,” Petunia clipped, her nose wrinkling. “Do you care about your appearance at all?”
Lily kept on her smile. Just keep pretending, she thought. Keep pretending she was happy to be there, keep pretending her sister’s remarks didn’t bother her.
Ignoring Petunia, Mother was quick to strike conversation. “How did you sleep, Dears? Wonderfully, I presume!”
Lily’s gaze turned from Petunia to her mother, her smile still plastered on her face. “Oh yes, I slept wonderfully, Mother. Petunia?”
As she turned back to look at Petunia, she suddenly stood up.
“Excuse me. I need to go.”
With that, Petunia whirled around and left the dining room, her stomps heard despite the closed doors.
The table fell silent. The family was used to these outbursts; ever since Lily was discovered to be magical, their parents seemed to stop paying attention to Petunia and more to her. In turn, Petunia grew envious of her. Of their parents' love they now reserved for Lily only. Of her beauty, her magic, her ability to pretend. It just wasn’t fair!
The table, however, didn’t seem to understand.
“Well then.” Her father’s gruff voice cut the silence. He stood and itched his beard. “Well, I finished my food, I’ll be excused too.”
Once he left, only Lily and her mother were left at the table. Oh. Oh no.
“So, Lily dear, have any of your potential suitors raised an interest yet?”
Lily remembered something. Mary said James would be here. So… where was he through all of breakfast?
“Well–”
A yell came from down the hall before she could finish, the guards’ armor clanking as they ran. The dining room doors burst open, revealing a tall girl. She was, well, rough-looking. Her clothes were torn, her skin scratched and bruised, and dried blood was crusted on her face. Yet, somehow, she still seemed poised and dangerous. She still seemed beautiful.
She quickly curtsied, the only thing she was able to do before a guard burst in and grabbed her wrists, roughly yanking her towards him.
“Stupid bitch,” he grumbled, tugging her out of the dining room. Not that she gave in that easily.
“Stop! I need to–” She kicked out and thrashed, her teeth somehow landing on the armor, her already bruised and broken body aching more and more.
“Guard, wait!” Lily stood up. “Bring her back and let her speak. She’s already fought to get this far, may as well let her voice be heard.”
With another grumble, the guard yanked the girl back into the dining room and in front of a confused queen and princess.
“My ladies.” She curtsied again, as best she could with her wrists being held behind her. “I have come with a request. All I need is boarding. In return, I will do work around the palace, anything you need. I just need a place to stay and sustenance to keep me alive.” Her voice broke, and for a moment, her mask of fierceness cracked. Beneath it lay a scared girl, who would do anything if it meant a place to stay for even the smallest amount of time. The mask was quickly fixed, her face hardening once again.
Lily and the Queen looked at each other. She had somehow broken into the palace, managed to best their guards who were all attempting to capture her, burst into the dining room, and stood in front of the two most prestigious women in the kingdom whilst battered and bloody—all this just for a place to stay?
They looked back at the girl. Lily nodded slowly, still confused.
“What’s your name?”
The girl seemed surprised to be asked her name, for a moment, but quickly recovered. “Dorcas Meadowes, Your Highness.”
Lily looked back at her mother again, who nodded. This decision was Lily’s to make.
Plastering her smile back on, Lily turned back towards Dorcas. For a moment, she just stared at her. What if she had ulterior motives, and this was all a mere act? An image of the scared, broken girl flashed before her eyes, the girl who needed this more than anything, the girl who feared others knowing that. She made up her mind.
“Yes, you can stay. I have a maid who will show you around and help you to get the hang of things. I will escort you to where you will be staying now.”
With a curt nod to her mother and the guard, Lily left the dining room, turning back to check Dorcas was behind her. “This way!”
The walk to the maids’ quarters was quiet. Dorcas’ prying eyes studied every vine, every gold carving. She didn’t seem to let a single thing elude her watchful eye. Lily kept that in mind; she’d have to watch herself around Dorcas.
Finally, they reached a wooden door with shiny golden hinges and a statue of the queen next to it. Lily gestured towards the door. “Behind here is the door to the maid's quarters, meaning it is where you will be staying. Ask for Mary, say I told her to give you a tour of the palace and show you what to do. I do hope you get adjusted quickly.”
She smiled and turned to leave, but Dorcas’ voice stopped her. “Excuse me, Princess?”
Lily paused and looked back at her. “Yes, Love?”
“Why do you always have a fake smile on?” she asked. “Do you truly believe it’s fooling anybody?”
She froze, her blood running cold. No, it’s fine. Dorcas is just observant. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean, Dear.”
With that, she left, and Dorcas turned to the abnormally large door. This would be interesting.
Before Dorcas had the opportunity to knock, the door was flung open by a blonde girl. She seemed Asian, which was odd. Some kinds of people just weren’t typically found in this area, the girl in front of her was one of them. Interesting.
The girl smirked when she saw Dorcas. “Ooh, new recruit? And a cute one, too. Fun.”
Dorcas blinked. “Um... Is your name Mary, by chance?”
The girl laughed. “Nah, my name’s Marlene. Mary is in there.” She nodded towards the door that led to the maids’ quarters. “Cool meeting you!”
Marlene winked at Dorcas and left, a golden platter laden with sweets and expensive-looking food in hand. Hmm.. There were lots of things she could nab here. She could be rich by the time she left.
Dorcas smiled and eyed the door. Should she just open the door, or should she knock? What would be the most smiled-upon course of action? Once again, before Dorcas had the chance to make a choice, the door was thrown open.
This time, the girl opening the door had curly brown hair and dark skin like many of the people in the kingdom. She definitely fit in here better than the last girl. She smiled and took a step back to open the door further, gesturing for Dorcas to enter.
“Hi, I’m Mary. I heard about you beating the guards.”
Dorcas opened her mouth, prepared to defend herself, before Mary waved at her.
“Don’t bother, I don’t care at all. As a matter of fact, I think we’ll get along great.”
Dorcas was brought into the room, her eyes immediately widening. It was a medium-sized room, filled with people of all different kinds. Bunks lined the wooden walls. Some girls were already asleep, snoring peacefully in their assigned bunks. Others were on the floor playing games or sitting on a bed gossiping. No one seemed to be annoyed by the lack of quiet. Rather, they seemed to enjoy the noise. How odd.
Not giving Dorcas the chance to answer, Mary continued, guiding her to where her bed would be, nodding towards it. “This is where you’ll sleep.”
She turned back to Dorcas, looking her up and down. “I’m assuming you don’t have any belongings. Don’t worry, I’ll bring you shopping when you get your first paycheck. Anyways, I don’t sleep here. I’m the head maid so I have a living space of my own. If you need someone at night, talk to Marlene. I’ll be going now. Unless there’s something you need?”
Dorcas paused, thinking. Oh right. “Uh, yeah, actually. The princess said to tell you to give me a tour?”
Mary’s smile widened. “By princess, I’m assuming you mean Lily and not Petunia. But, yes, I know. You’ll accompany me while I work tomorrow, I can show you around then.”
Dorcas nodded, her brain swimming. She was so tired… She wanted a nap.
Mary patted her head. “Tired? Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning, then. Ta!”
She spun around and left the maids’ quarters. Dorcas’ gaze moved around the room, observing peoples’ reactions to Mary’s leaving. Some didn’t seem to notice, some seemed glad. Others seemed nervous, or just blankly stared.
So, opinions on Mary vary here. Good to know.
Just as Dorcas was about to attempt to sleep in the noisy room, another girl appeared. This one had dark black hair and seemed Indian. Another rarity in this kingdom. She wondered if this girl and Marlene were friends.
She held out her hand, a huge smile adorning her face. “Hi, I’m Inaya! You’re new, right? We should be friends!”
Dorcas stared at her for a moment, then smiled back and grabbed her hand, gently shaking it.
“That sounds nice. I’d like that.”
Inaya plopped down beside Dorcas. “Your name is Dorcas, right? Sorry. Gossip travels around here fast. Not the point though!”
She pointed to a group of three girls playing cards. “That’s Emmeline Vance, Emma Vanity, and Amelia Bones. They’re all super nice, I play cards with them a lot!” Her hand moved from them to a girl sitting on her bed reading. “That’s Pandora. She’s not a maid, though, just likes sleeping here. Her brother is one of Princess Lily’s suitors. She’s a seer.”
Inaya’s hand dropped to her side. She turned to beam at Dorcas. “Anyone else you want to know?”
Dorcas smiled awkwardly. “Maybe in the morning, I’m exhausted.”
Inaya nodded quickly. “Yes, of course, I’m so sorry! Sleep well!”
She jumped up and ran back over to the group of girls playing cards, joining them in their game.
Dorcas yawned. It had been a long day.
She laid down, the bed surprisingly soft and firm. The noisy room slowly began to filter out as sleep quickly overtook her. It was a dreamless night. The first time she hadn’t been plagued by nightmares in a while.
The next morning, the door burst open and rays of light filled the dim room. A loud voice yelled at everybody to wake up, the tone firm and bossy.
Dorcas groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes, and her vision blurry. She blinked a few times to clear it, revealing Mary, hand on her hip and eyebrow raised. “Well? What are you all still asleep for? Come on, let’s get working! Who are today’s servers? Amelia and Inaya?”
The two nodded, still half asleep.
“Great. Get down to the kitchen then. Who’s on cleaning duty right now?”
Emmeline, Amelia, Marlene, and a few other girls raised their hands.
Mary clapped her hands. “What are you still doing here? Get going!”
“As for the rest of you," she said, turning back to the remaining maids, “take a breather until you need to do something. And...” She trailed off, her eyes searching the room before landing on Dorcas. “You! With me, please.”
She smiled coyly, her eyes glimmering in the dim light. “Ready for your tour?”
Dorcas’ eyebrows furrowed. “Didn’t you say I’d be working with you today?”
Mary nodded, frowning. “I got told I couldn’t. Never know what you’re really here for, you know? I’ll come back after I make sure Lily is ready for breakfast, and then we’ll start the tour, ‘kay?”
Dorcas nodded, attempting to stand but immediately falling back on her bed. A sharp pain coursed through her whole body. She felt paralyzed, like any attempt at movement would be futile.
What the fuck?