Arabella
“Look after my girl.”
His girl? Since when?! The irony isn’t lost on me as the jerk goes to get ready for more dates. Pfft. Men.
I pride myself on not being a weak woman, yet here I’m melting like ice cream at all the princes sweet words.
I turn to Bridgette, grateful for the distraction, anything to pull me from the war on my mind.
She stands taller than me, her olive skin catching the light with quiet elegance.
Her brown curls are piled into a messy bun that looks like it was thrown together in a moment; but still falls perfectly.
There’s an effortless beauty to her that leaves me quietly stunned.
It’s hard to believe she isn’t at one of the courting events.
Her eyes are a striking shade of grey, stormy and alive, but it’s her smile that softens me.
Open, easy, disarming. Just like her mother’s.
“Bri, it is so lovely to meet you. I am ready to jump in as soon as I can get a room, so I can change into a uniform. I assume they will provide it in my room?”
Shockingly, she interlocks her elbow with mine. I think I am going to like this woman.
“In due time, we will get ya workin’. What I want to know is why Koi looked like he was ready to hang the moon for you. Then Mum was telling me Grayer was also sending gifts your way? Those two boys have never settled or even had a girlfriend, yet here they are chasing after you. Spill the beans.”
We start walking to the servants’ quarters as I quietly fill her in on everything, omitting the fact that I am The Shadow and that I talk to animals. In this story, I am simply just a silly girl trying to steal from the princes. By the time we reach the rooms, we are laughing, arms still joined.
“And here is where you will be staying. Sylas pulled a few extra strings to get you a room you will not have to share. Though none of the suites have attached bathrooms. The communal bathroom is just down the hall and to the right.”
Rest in peace, my precious bathtub. I will forever miss you.
“I will let you get adjusted to the space, and yes, your uniform is in the top drawer. I will be back in a few!”
I open the door and take in my new, quite small, space.
A part of me enjoys the familiarity of living in a tight space, the space already feeling a little more like home.
There is a set of drawers, a small twin bed on the left and a little desk.
A decent-sized window that overlooks the city is in the middle of the wall at the end.
My city. I yearn to go out and be The Shadow again.
I am still a few floors up, so I don’t think I will be able to climb down this wall either.
“This will do just fine,” I say out loud.
“Can we come out now, Arabelly?” In answer, I open the pouch pockets of my dress.
“Hmm. I think we are better suited for the other room.”
“With the princes that serve us!”
“Sorry, guys, we had one day of fake royalty. Now back to work for us! Would you boys be willing to do some light spying again?”
I may have told a bit of a white lie to Sylas and Koi earlier. I did use my mice to spy on them, though initially it was just to get answers as to why they had been so distant. It was just a serendipitous turn of events that I could catch their plans for me.
I put on my new uniform while I fill the boys in on their mission: figure out how I will sneak out of this stone prison, if only to see Lo.
Then there is the mage. I need to get out and see if I can get him to break this curse. My days grow limited as the courting events continue. I also need them to keep an eye on the princes.
The foolish part of me wants to stay in the castle. I would be lying to myself if I were to say I hadn’t been appreciating the attention of the Princes. Even though it has been quite confusing.
A knock on the door has my furry friends scurrying away to hide.
“Are you ready, friend?”
“I will be right out, Bri!” My heart warms at the thought of gaining a new friend who isn’t an animal. I feel like Lo will love her just as much.
Bri spent the rest of the morning showing me around the castle and filling me in on my duties. By the time we finish, we head over to the ballroom where the high tea is taking place.
I had thought I was going to be clearing the dishes after the event, yet as I walk in, my stomach sinks as I see the large array of beautiful women.
They are all dressed to the nines, with their makeup and hair perfectly done up.
All four princes seem to be engaged in conversation with a few stunning ladies.
I try not to look their way again as I set about doing my job. Picking up plate after plate. Avoiding the misplaced emotional turmoil at the reality of the princes finding wives.
That’s when I see dear old Bernice. She walks up to me like a cat stalking its prey, never leaving my eyes. Once she gets close to me, she whispers with a chilly tone. “You and I will be needing to have a few words.” She continues to walk on as if she hadn’t just said the most ominous thing.
Trying not to panic at Bernice’s threat, I bring each new stack of dishes into the kitchen, where a moderately handsome young man has started the dishes. “The name is Mike, and you are?”
“Arabella, I just started. I am going to get a few more bundles, then I will help you out.”
Once I get back out of the ballroom, I chance a look at the princes. I find Grayer talking to the same lady with short, dark black hair and red lips. My heart sinks when I see how handsome they look together.
Koi is talking with a tall brunette who looks like a model, and right next to him is Archer, talking to one of the Quadias and a blue-haired beauty.
I can’t seem to find Sylas until I look over to the balcony. He sits outside with four ladies.
They don’t meet my eyes once, and my stomach sinks. They aren’t mine. Grabbing more plates and putting them into the bin, my eyes go up as I find a hand helping me. Mike.
“Thought you could use some help. Maybe if we do it together, it won’t be so bad?”
I return his kind smile. “That sounds like a great idea.”
We head back to the kitchen with a stack of dishes so high, we laugh as we almost drop them all.
“Now that would have been a shit start to my time here,” I say as we start washing the dishes together. Before I can even get any dishes fully soaked, the kitchen doors bang open.
I turn as I see Grayer stalk over, a vision of brutal violence. But he isn’t looking at me, he is looking at Mike, with murder in his eyes. He grabs Mike by the throat and leans in to get closer to his face.
“Don’t you dare try to go after Arabella. I saw you checking her out and collecting her smiles. Those are for me. Only. Me. Got it?”
“Yes, my prince,” Mike squeaks out. I pull on Grayer’s arm.
“Are you kidding me right now? Leave my friend out of… whatever this is. We have work to do. Now stop being a hypocrite and go back to your dates,” I grind out the last part. The audacity of men knows no bounds.
He softens his gaze as he looks at me.
“Duchess, it’s not what it looks like. Just playing politics. I will tell you later, okay?”
Archer joins the madness in the kitchen now. Looking pissed, nothing new with that, but comes to grab Grayer’s arm. Every member of the kitchen staff frozen mid-task, eyes wide, collectively gawking at the drama.
“Grayer. Stop fraternizing with the help. Winona wants to talk with you some more.”
Grayer shoots death glares at Archer, but still leaves the kitchen. The two princes leaving me in their wake of emotional destruction.
“Jeeze, that was a bit much. Sorry about that, Mike.” I awkwardly laugh.
“Maybe we should just focus on work,” he mutters, turning away from me red-faced. We fall into stiff silence, his eyes never reaching mine again, as we wash the remaining dishes.
So much for gaining another friend.
* * *
I am absolutely beat at the end of the evening of my first day.
After completing the dinner service, Margie hands me my very own tray of vegetarian goodies.
I take it up to my room instead of opting to dine with my coworkers.
Grayer’s outburst, witnessed by a few, has spiraled into whispered staff gossip, and now I feel the cold distance as people avoid me. Lovely.
Though I can’t help reminiscing and wondering about one of the conversations I had overheard earlier as I eat my buttered peas.
“I wonder if she is sleeping with them all. They are known to like sharing one woman in bed.”
“At the same time?”
“At the same time!” She squeals back in confirmation. “Though, they don’t normally go for people like us.”
“Well, the way Prince Archer removed Prince Grayer and called her ‘the help,’ she definitely hasn’t been with him. Such a shame. I would love to run my hands through his snow-white hair.”
“I would rather run my hands down ALL of their abs… and lower.” They giggle as they walk off.
It doesn’t take a scientist to know they were talking about me. Normally, I couldn’t care less if people were gossiping about me. But if Bernice were to overhear, even if false, I fear what she would do to me.
All the more reason to get out of here and find that dang mage.