Chapter: 10: The Visitors

Margaret had looked at me with suspicious eyes when I’d requested the premium guestroom to become one of my regular chores until the end of the week.

She must’ve thought I was mad when I came to her, smiling beside twenty loaded bags of dirt, dead dust moths, and even a few husk fairies.

It was like asking for a purple note on purpose.

However, she probably wasn’t aware of the projections, and I had no intention of telling her either.

She ended up granting my wish, and it had been the best week I’d had in a long time.

I would spend the first ten minutes of my assignment watching the mountains and the valleys, enjoying the wind in my hair.

Then, after spending a few minutes feeling guilty about what I had done, I would clean until my fingers burned.

Finally, when the room sparkled, I’d spend another ten minutes flipping through the mesmerizing images before I moved on to my next assignment.

I repeated that routine throughout all five days; today would be the last time.

The visitors would arrive from the Ocean Realm at a late hour tonight, accompanied by Lady Deveroux.

I didn’t know much about the Ocean Realm.

I knew King Ronan and Queen Maren ruled with their three children and that only one of them had been blessed with powers—Lucy, the light bringer.

Maybe they were the lucky visitors to be given this room.

Not that it was any of my concern.

I sighed and leaned into the warm sheets of the comfortable bed, watching the birds fly by.

I’d always wondered what it would be like to fly among them.

The Caeli Board enabled air wielders to soar through the skies by manipulating the wind to move in their favor, but it took years of training to master that device—training I would never receive.

My wrist suddenly started vibrating, and I realized I’d spent too much time in here.

I immediately pushed the button again, returning the room to normal before I wiped the surface down again.

Then I gathered my things and rolled the housekeeping cart out.

“Hopefully, I’ll see you again sometime,” I whispered, glancing back one last time before I shut the door behind me.

The thought of never returning made my heart ache, but I forced my feet through the darkened entry hall until I stood in the corridor, feeling just as empty as my naked surroundings.

“Good, you’re done!”

I nearly turned the cart upside down, startled by the loud voice penetrating the air. My heart raced faster when I saw the large frame of Master Deveroux approaching me.

Despite his wide smile, I was sure he’d discovered I’d been using the forbidden technology.

Fear drained my face of color, and my skin became clammy. Could he feel the unsteady rhythm of my hysterical heart?

“I need to inspect the room for any mistakes,” Master Deveroux said, pushing me aside as if I’d been an insignificant object.

Master Deveroux wasn’t cruel like his son, but he wasn’t a kind soul either. To him, First-bloods were merely tools that only had one purpose in life: to ensure a comfortable life for him and his kin.

He fiercely twisted the silver-plated handle before walking inside to inspect every surface and corner with thorough eyes.

My heart stopped racing wildly but remained lodged in my throat, thumping painfully hard.

The stifling, never-ending tension in my chest as I awaited Master Deveroux’s judgment was unbearable. Perhaps this was what taking an exam was like.

My heart skipped an agonizing beat when he twisted his head to look at me with a smile. It was impossible to tell whether the smile was genuine or hiding something malevolent.

“You did a good job,” he finally said, straightening his back, which made the modest hill of his belly more visible.

Master Deveroux wasn’t necessarily a plump man, but it was evident that he enjoyed food and alcohol more than his daily exercise.

“I can’t seem to find a speck of dust or detect anything that should be out of place.”

A breath of relief escaped me, although I wasn’t quite sure if he was playing with me. I’d never heard him praise any servant like this before. Not even the veterans.

“Th-thank you, sir,” I said, curtsying without lifting my gaze from the ground.

Master Deveroux stepped closer to me, and my muscles tensed. Then he stopped, leaving me to watch his polished, brown brogues instead of the floor.

“A little rumor has been going around the mansion that you, alone, have been taking care of this room for the past week,” he said, buttoning the cuffs of his soil-colored dress shirt.

I kept my eyes glued to his shoes and nodded. The deep chuckle from the robust man resonated in the naked hall, making me feel like his voice surrounded me from all sides.

“I’m impressed,” he said. “Very few of the new maids can clean this well in the beginning. I want you to attend tomorrow’s dinner, serving with the waiters.

“I will be expecting perfection, and I believe you can provide that based on what you’ve achieved here.”

It wasn’t a request. It was an order.

He didn’t expect me to answer, only to comply without questioning his decision. Then, finally, he turned around and walked away without another word.

I let out the breath I’d been holding, grabbed the housekeeping cart, and pushed it through the mansion as fast as possible.

I didn’t know anything about the job of a waiter, and I had less than a day to learn.

Mom would probably scold me for leaving the cart in that condition, but I didn’t have time to return everything the way I found it. She’d understand…hopefully.

I rushed into the kitchen, where I found Milo conversing with the head chef, enjoying the break between meals.

“Milo!” I shouted, gaining his attention.

He turned around for his eyes to find me, but I’d reached him before he could utter his greeting.

“Come,” I said, grabbing Milo’s arm to drag him with me into the breakroom. “Sorry, Charles. I’ll bring him back in a moment.”

“What are you doing?” Milo asked when I’d locked us inside. “Did Knox get to you again?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Master Deveroux has assigned me to serve with the waiters tomorrow, and I need your help to learn.”

Milo looked confused and couldn’t quite make the pieces of the puzzle fit. “Serving? But you’re a maid. You’re not supposed to s—”

“I know,” I said, interrupting him before he had the chance to finish, “but Master Deveroux assigned me personally, and he expects perfection, Milo. You have to help me.”

It took Milo a few seconds to comprehend what I was asking him. Then he shook his head and reached for one of the countless plates beside us.

“You haven’t given me a lot of time, but I guess I could teach you the basics,” he said, handing me the plate.

I smiled widely. “Thank you, Milo,” I said.

He nodded and grabbed a few more plates to demonstrate how to carry four at once.

“Let’s do this, then.”

***

We spent the rest of the day and most of the evening in each other’s company during breaks.

Milo’s job was far from easy, but it was easy to make disastrous mistakes.

Even worse, unlike my work, which was far more subtle, there were generally eyes to witness when the mistakes of a waiter were made.

I slept restlessly through the night, dreaming about flying plates and wine glasses spilling colors of blood on white sheets.

I yawned when Mom and I stepped inside the mansion, leaving the afternoon sun behind.

However, sleep became the least of my worries when I saw Milo greeting me with the shortest dress I’d ever seen.

“I have not gotten enough sleep to find that joke funny, Milo,” I said, slapping his hand away so I could pass him.

Milo sighed. “It’s not a joke,” he said, and I stopped walking.

I turned around to look at him with merciless eyes of rejection.

“I don’t make the rules,” he immediately said before I could raise my voice. “If it were up to me, I’d allow you to wear our uniform, but this is yours, unfortunately.”

I scowled when he handed me the ridiculous uniform. I squeezed it tightly but decided it wasn’t worth the fight. After all, Milo could do nothing to help me.

The skirt felt even shorter on my body than it had looked, and I couldn’t stop pulling it down, hoping that it would magically make it stretch.

“Stop it, Will,” Milo hissed, grabbing my wrists to keep my hands away from the dress.

“You have to ignore it. Lady Deveroux will have you fired if she sees you touch it in there. I’ve seen it happen before.”

I nodded reluctantly, and he let me go.

The skirt fell softly around my hips but only covered my legs to the middle of my thigh, making it even shorter than the brown apron framing my body.

The sleeves reached just above my elbows and clasped onto my skin, like the stiff textile around my torso.

The cloth I usually wore around my head had been wrapped around my neck like a loose cravat, and my black shoes had been replaced with a pair of flats matching the blue of the cursed dress.

My braids were twisted into a low bun, minimizing the chance of my hair suddenly appearing in their food.

“Still, no talking to the guests,” I repeated to ensure I remembered everything. “Only calm gestures with our heads are allowed.

“When we’re not needed, we’re to stand along the wall and remain observant to know when we are.”

Milo nodded. “That’s the basics, yes, but don’t worry. Keep close to me, and I’ll help you through it. Just do what I do.”

My heart was racing in my chest. I was terrified of making a mistake that could ban me from ever stepping inside the mansion again.

Milo started walking, and I followed him into the dining hall, where the rest of the waiters cared for the final details to ensure everything was perfect.

The guests and the Deverouxs were currently being served drinks in the room next door, which meant it wouldn’t be long before they joined us for early dinner.

I looked around and noticed Mom helping another waiter plate up on the table. She was still in her maid dress and didn’t look like she was part of the serving staff.

“Mom,” I said, stepping away from Milo to join her side. I suppressed the sigh of jealousy when I saw her dress caressing her ankles. “What are you doing?”

Mom turned her head but didn’t stop plating. “Good. You’re here,” she said and placed the last glasses in proper order.

“I’m supposed to be here,” I said, wrinkling my brow to display my confusion. “I didn’t think maids were invited to attend the dinner.”

“Margaret mentioned that you’d been asked to serve today and assigned me to help the other maids during dinner service.

“Waiters are responsible for serving and keeping the guests comfortable.

“A few maids need to be present in case something breaks or if anything needs to be cleaned up,” she explained, passing the empty wagon to another maid.

~Why, in the name of the five realms, have I been assigned as a waiter then?~

I never got to ask my question before the doors to the adjacent room opened, and we were rushed to our designated places.

“Lower your head,” Mom said, lightly tapping my arm.

I followed her instructions, but I was curious about the people who had been allowed to stay in the premium guestroom.

My curiosity would be my doom; I knew that.

Careful, I lifted my head just enough for my eye to catch a glimpse of the visitors. What I saw made me doubt my eyes for a fraction of a second.

It was the golden king and his son: Crown Prince Atlas.