Chapter 5: Chapter 5

KAMORA

The young lord sat by the counter, his face alight with satisfaction. From the way his eyes were closed in bliss, Kamora knew she had gotten on his good side.

“Did you enjoy it, my lord?” she asked.

“It is perfect,” he sighed. “I never knew commoners had such a perfect delicacy.”

Kamora grinned widely. “If you wish, my lord, I can make it for you whenever you desire.”

“Really?” he exclaimed, opening his eyes. “You cannot go back on your word.”

She nodded, still smiling.

Studying the young lord, she took a deep breath, then asked the question that had been pressing against her heart. “My lord, what were you doing here tonight? Were you hungry? You know you can call on any of us to prepare something for you. Why did you have to sneak in here in the dark?”

“I am an elite Fae, so I can see far better than most of you,” he said proudly.

Then a shadow passed over his expression. “I do not sleep very well at night,” he confessed.

Kamora frowned. “Since when did that begin, my lord? Does your father know?”

“It’s been happening for a very long time,” he sighed. “And even if my father knows, I doubt he cares too much to bother.”

Kamora had not yet met the lord of the manor, but she already detested him. His poor son was desperate for the love of a parent, but for some reason, he kept pushing his son away.

“What about you?” the young Fae asked, his wide eyes open in curiosity. “What are you doing here?”

“I had a nightmare,” Kamora answered truthfully. “I came out to get a bit of fresh air.”

They both remained silent, enjoying each other’s presence. For the short while Kamora had spent with the young lord, she had felt a strong pull toward him.

There was something endearing about the child that made her want to love him like one would a younger sibling. Perhaps it was because he grew up too fast, never experiencing the simple joy of childhood.

“I have to return to my room,” the young Fae lord said suddenly, his domineering attitude snapping back into place.

She frowned. “My lord, let me escort you back.”

“I came here all by myself. I can find my way back all alone.”

“Apologies, my lord, but I will not feel comfortable leaving you by yourself.” She smiled gently. “I know you are a strong, capable lord, but please do me this favor of calming my heart. I want to make sure you arrive safely, even though you are capable of doing so yourself.”

The young lord blushed, and Kamora’s heart turned to mush. “Okay then,” he said finally, trying to put on an indifferent facade. “But only because you begged to do so.”

He hopped down from where he sat and marched out of the kitchen. A smiling Kamora went after him. She took the candle she had placed atop the shelf and used it to light their path.

The young lord’s room was at the upper part of the manor, a place Kamora wasn’t familiar with yet, as all her work required her to stay on the ground hallway and the kitchen. They reached the stairs and began to climb.

Though the candle offered only a dim glow, Kamora tried to take in her surroundings—the winding staircase wrapped in shadows, the faint creak of wood beneath their feet.

“Have you never been to this place before?” the young lord asked suddenly.

“No, my lord,” she answered honestly. “I just recently began working here and haven’t had time to explore the manor. All this while, I’ve been working in the kitchen and the grand hallway.”

“No wonder you were so bold, talking to me like you would an equal.”

Kamora grinned. “Are you still angry with me, my lord? I couldn’t help it. You were too cute for me to get scared.”

“Hmph!” he exclaimed, more flustered than offended.

They reached the upper hallway and walked down until they came to a large door. The young lord paused, then turned to face Kamora.

“This is my room,” he said. “You can leave now.”

Kamora grinned and bowed slightly. “I wish you a good sleep, my lord.”

She waited for him to walk in and close the door before she began to leave. She had taken just a few steps when she sensed a chill brush against her skin.

Kamora looked back suddenly, raising her candlelight to scan the hallway. The air felt still—too still—and the tiny hairs on her neck prickled.

Goosebumps crept along her arms. ~It has to be the dream~, she thought. It was causing her to feel undue paranoia.

Once she returned to sleep, she’d probably dream about something else and forget all this.

***

The morning came.

Kamora woke up to someone shoving her shoulder rather aggressively. She groaned softly and slowly opened her eyes to see Petal’s beautiful face hovering above her, worry etched on her features.

“Come on, wake up! You’re going to be late,” Petal said.

Kamora sat up abruptly, wincing as a sharp pain flashed through her head. Her body ached from the unrestful sleep.

“I barely got enough sleep,” she muttered as she stood.

“What happened to you?” Petal asked, concern deepening.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine,” Kamora replied with a tired smile.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

They quickly freshened up and began their morning routines. Kamora was assigned to clean the hallway entrance with several other maids, while Petal went to the kitchen.

As usual, the maids worked in silence, their heads down and eyes focused. Kamora swept near the entrance doors, but her thoughts kept drifting to the young lord.

Had he been able to sleep? A child that age shouldn’t be suffering sleepless nights.

What had truly happened to him?

“Listen up everyone, and line up.” A voice called from down the hall.

Kamora looked up to see Head Maid Claudia approaching with several maids behind her. Some were familiar—girls who had arrived with Kamora on the first day but had since been assigned elsewhere.

They quickly dropped whatever they were doing and formed a line by the hallway entrance. Claudia stood before them, two maids flanking her sides.

The sight looked like a repeat of Kamora’s first day. “The lord of the manor is making his way over here as we speak,” Claudia announced.

A hushed tension fell across the gathered crowd, thick enough to choke on.

“You are to be on your best behavior,” Claudia continued. “Our Lord is not as merciful as I might seem.”

That only tightened the nerves of everyone present. Silence fell again like a heavy blanket.

Then came the sound of footsteps—measured, echoing from the dark end of the hallway. The same end Claudia had warned them never to approach.

Claudia bowed her head, followed by the two maids beside her.

Without hesitation, everyone mimicked them, lowering their heads.

“Welcome back, my lord,” Claudia said.

The tension in the air thickened, like the calm before a storm.

Then, a deep, cold voice rang out:

“Raise your head.”

Kamora’s heart stuttered in her chest. That voice… It was eerily familiar.

She raised her head slowly, and all breath left her when her eyes met Lord Maroke.

Beautiful was too shallow a word. It felt insulting to use something so basic for the being before her.

Though Fae, his presence was celestial—like a dark angel come to toy with the world before casting it aside.

His chiseled features were masked with indifference, his long dark hair brushing the tops of his shoulders. His eyes—those dark, soul-piercing orbs—seemed to strip her bare with just a glance.

His lips were firm and sensual, his skin pulled taut over the elegant ridge of his cheekbones. His tailored clothes clung perfectly to his lean form, enhancing the majestic aura that clung to him like a second skin.

Then, his gaze locked on hers, and Kamora’s breath caught. Her knees threatened to give way.

“You are all welcome to the manor,” he said, his voice as smooth and chilling as a lover’s caress.

Something stirred deep within her.

~I have heard this voice before. I know I have.~

“Do well to keep to the rules if you wish to stay longer in this manor,” he continued.

And suddenly, a spark lit in her mind. Recognition bloomed.

Her eyes widened. Her dreams.

He was the voice that always called out to her in her dreams.