CHAPTER 5
“GET OUT OF BED NOW!” Jane’s voice boomed through my tiny, dark room as the door flung open.
I had already grown to hate the nasally tone. Jane barged into my room, kicking the side of my bed, sending vibrations through the solid foam mattress that was as comfortable as using a rock for a bed.
“Nothing says good morning like being verbally assaulted before even opening my eyes,” I replied, rubbing the sleep from the corners of my eyelids, as she stormed out of my room.
I grabbed my uniform, which was the same one I wore yesterday, and slipped it on along with my shoes. I stumbled out into the hall to look for Ms. Rise-and-shine to find out what menial tasks she would assign to me today.
The halls were bustling with servants, maids, and cooks going from room to room.
Stopping for two seconds to find my bearings and clear the morning fuzzies from my head, I made my way towards the servants’ common room to see if Jane was there.
On the way there, I passed a parade of floral arrangements, followed by a tray of golden utensils glinting in the morning light peeking through the windows.
What I would have given to have just one of the forks, it would have bought enough food for a week or two back in my village, and here they were carrying platters of them.
Jane was standing by the table where the remnants of breakfast lay, and she took a bite of a croissant; the flaky crust fell onto her chest without her noticing.
I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell her.
“Let’s go,” she said between chewing and taking another bite. “We have to set the ballroom up for tonight’s party.”
She started walking away from me, and I followed behind her, grabbing a muffin from the table, forcing it down as fast as I could.
My headache from yesterday seemed to have subsided, thank the gods, especially since today will be a long one.
The room she led me to was breathtakingly beautiful, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a white-and-gold marble floor.
The windows had golden vines of flowers trailing up towards the sky, and they all met in the middle of the ceiling, encompassed by a dome of windows that resembled the moon.
Tables and chairs lined the outskirts of the room, leaving a space right under the moon of windows for dancing.
I took a moment, awe-struck by the room's beauty.
This was the most extravagant room I had ever seen.
Most of the morning was spent organizing the banquet tables.
The chairs were covered in sheer black material, with golden rope tied around the back; a variety of white flowers were woven into the twists and turns of the rope.
Each table we set had a light grey tablecloth with a sheer white one on top, creating a glistening silver effect.
We laid out golden plates, golden utensils, and crystal drinkware on each table.
At the table's center was a pearl-white crescent moon-shaped stone that had been carved out to hold flowers with ivy trailing down and around it, wrapping around each of the table’s legs.
Against the walls were chest-height tables, decorated in the same fashion, but this was where the drinks were to be served from.
“You will be responsible for table one tonight, alongside me, of course. I’ll be in charge.
The only time you will speak to guests is to ask what drink option they would like.
After that, you are to memorize and monitor each guest's drink to ensure it does not run dry. Other servants will take care of the food and everything else. You just focus on the drinks. I will be serving the King and Queen tonight, so do not bother them or even look at them.” Jane ordered, not even acknowledging me with a glance.
“Sure, and what happens if I run out of drinks?” Replying as I ignored her annoyed look at me for daring to ask her a question.
“I thought The Academy taught you well,” she arched an unimpressed eyebrow at me, trying to call me out for my previous day's comment.
“They did, you haven’t.” I shot back an accusing eyebrow of my own.
Her eyes tightened with irritation, “That is the only time you can leave the room; there should be plenty here. If you need to sneeze, you hold it, cough you hold it, if you must use the bathroom,”
“I hold it. I got it. Don’t move, watch the drinks, don’t talk to anyone, and serve the guests.”
A look of disapproval crossed her face, and she rolled her eyes at me. “Continue stocking the drink tables until I come get you,” and with that order, Jane made her way out of the ballroom.
Probably to stuff her mouth with more food, I quietly laughed to myself at the thought.
I spent the rest of the afternoon organizing each drink table, so they all matched before Jane returned to me. “Your outfit for tonight is on your bed. Quickly wash and change into it,” her eyes flicked to my hair, “and do something with your hair.”
“You know, a please goes a long way,” I said while pulling a wrinkle out of a tablecloth, but she either didn’t hear me or acknowledge it, because she was already walking away.
I made my way through the maze of halls back to my room to find tonight's outfit lying on my bed. A knee-length black dress that flared out at the hips, accompanied by a small white apron, stared back at me. Both were made of smooth, shimmering silk, a lot nicer than The Academy's uniforms. They had no marks or pulled threads, and if I had to guess, they were new and made recently. I had never owned anything so beautiful in my life. I could hear Maya in my head saying, “Don’t screw up, I want to try it on after,” before she would have shoved me, laughing. I grabbed my towel and washcloth and made my way to the bathroom. The tub had been thoroughly used today, and I was the last to use it; traces from its previous bathers lined the rim, and tiny specs of dirt and debris remained plastered to the porcelain sides. There was no time to cringe, so I filled it quickly with cold water; there wasn’t enough time to heat any over the fire.
I grabbed a sliver of soap resting on the tub's ledge and began washing off the last two days of travel and work from my skin. I spent a little extra time cleaning under my nails, just like Madam instructed us to do at The Academy, even though I wanted to leave some of the dirt out of spite. But knowing I would be on drink service, I didn’t want to gross out any of the guests with the dirt hiding under them.
Once I was back in my room, I dressed quickly and then slipped on the pair of black satin slippers that were placed on the floor by my bed. I grabbed a matching ribbon for my hair and started piling the waves and curls on the top of my head in a suppressed bunch.
“LET’S GO,” Jane yelled into my room, so I fastened my hair with the ribbon, praying it would hold tonight.
Back in the ballroom, Jane took her place at the drink table closest to table one, where the King and Queen would be sitting.
I stood on the opposite side of the table from her, smoothing my dress, straightening my posture, and crossing my hands in front of me.
Guests began arriving, and their outfits were spectacular!
I had to remind myself not to stare and gape at them, as Madam would have said, ‘It is rude to stare, lower your gaze.’ Even just hearing her voice in my head was pure torment.
The guests arrived in groups and were announced by the name of their manor as they entered the room.
The announcer, whom I now realized was the ‘ring master’ from my last day at The Academy, said loudly for all to hear, “Thalendry Manor.”
A group of men and women entered through the towering double doors.
They were dressed in black outfits that covered every part of their bodies; the necklines reached their chins, and the dresses had long sleeves with ruffles at the ends.
They made their way towards table two and took their respective seats.
Shit, was everyone here blessed with good looks?
The ringmaster continued to introduce each manor that resided under the House of Darkness’ rule; the King and Queen, having the highest amount of control, were at the top of that list. Fuuuuuck.
I brought my hand to my forehead, and I could feel the pain coming to life in my head again.
It was only a dull ache, but I knew that before the night was through, I would want to rip my head from my neck.
All the chairs were filling up as the last group of people took their seats.
The ringmaster, in an exaggerated gesture, got the room to quiet and settle down as all eyes turned to him, “Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming tonight. It is my honor to introduce you to our hosts for the evening, the ones they whisper about in the streets, the names forever etched on our hearts, the protectors of our kingdom, the reason our banners still fly high, the King and Queen of the House of Darkness, your majesties, the most handsome King Rozin and the everlasting beauty Queen Leyala.”
He lowered his head and brought his hand around his waist in a dramatic bow, signaling to the party guests to stand.
The King and Queen entered the room, and it felt like hell had frozen over; their faces were stone cold, devoid of emotion.
Guests applauded timidly until they had taken their seats at table one, and Jane curtsied to them as they sat down…
kiss ass. The other guests at table one only sat down once they had, and I looked to see which guest was the Prince everyone was talking about, but one seat remained empty.
The Ringmaster's voice boomed enthusiastically over the low chatter that had started.
He clapped his hands together with a delightful smack, “And finally, ladies and gentlemen, I welcome back the man who led our army into battle, the man who came back home with a victory, the man where beauty clings to him as naturally as a shadow, the man carved by the gods, the man for whom tonight we celebrate”, he paused, for dramatic effect, “Prrrrrrrrrrrrince Zendryk!”