- Ashina -
When the three ladies were done taunting me, they walked away, and a few minutes later, another came. "Hi," she greeted softly with a small smile. "My name is Ann." She offered her hand for a handshake and I only glared at her. She withdrew immediately. "I'm so sorry for the way they talked to you. I hope you don't feel bad," she said with uncertainty in her voice. "You are not here to taunt me as well?" I asked, speaking for the first time since I woke into this bizarre situation. "Of course not. I'm not like Suzy, Becca and Loretta who call themselves the squad," then she lowered her voice. "Foolish bitches." I chuckled, having a liking to her immediately. "They are maids like all of us but they go around acting like they are any better," she huffed. "And yes, beware of Becca especially. She's no good." I nodded at her appreciatively. She began talking about how pretty I was and all but I was not listening to her. I wanted to know how Lucian was faring, to see and touch him... I thought of Stacy's betrayal and still couldn't believe she would do that to me. "Didn't the alpha's fiancé die at their wedding?" I said, trying to get some information from Ann. "That's no news," she shrugged casually. "Everyone's over it, including the alpha." "I don't understand..." I muttered. "What do you mean by, 'including the Alpha?" "What, are you a visitor or something? The alpha has moved on from the incident and he got married to her sister after her demise." What!? I felt a choking in my throat, probably my words going back down or they were blocked by the shock I felt, and my mouth suddenly went dry. "Uh..." I heard Ann utter with some concern in her voice. "Are you okay?" I tried to bring myself back to the conversation. "The Alpha got married to her sister?" I repeated and Ann tilted her head back like she was beginning to suspect something. "Yeah?" She replied uncertainly. ""Why is it sounding like a bit deal to you?" "It's...not fair," I said slowly. "I've always believed the Alpha loved...her dearly. Why will he choose to be with... her sister shortly after...her death? He didn't give it time to grief? Doesn't he care about...her that much?" I had to give those pauses to avoid saying "me". Ann had a bewildered look on her face, and then she chuckled lightly. "Well, what do we care? I mean, it's their life and none of our business, is it? After all, they are royals and we are just maids. And even if we were to be important and our thoughts on that count, you aren't the one in the shoes to feel cheated on." I looked at her and nodded. If only she knew who she was talking to. At this point, I could not even explain how I felt; I had to find out what exactly was going on. I was so sure there was a misunderstanding somewhere. Lucian couldn't possibly do such a thing to me, would he? He loves me so much. Just a moment ago, I was wondering how he would have coped with my death only for me to find out he had gotten over me and married Stacy. I stood up abruptly, and Ann held my hand. "Where are you going?" She asked. "To the Alpha's chambers," I replied and her eyes widened. "Why? What for?" She asked hurriedly. "Are you looking for a dead sentence?" Well, I have been dead before, and now this life I was given doesn't promise to be nice at all, so I might as well take my chances with death again. I would rather be dead than alive to be a slave to Lucian’s brother while I watch him be with another woman, worse still, my own sister who killed me. "I need to go find out a few things. I am just a bit curious about the palace you know, so I want to check it out," I told her with a small smile on my face. "Don't do it," she shook her head fearfully. "You'd be risking your life. We are not allowed in the premises of the palace unless being sent for." "They allow maids in the palace," I stated. "Surely, they don't cook their meals themselves and do the chores." "Those are royal maids," she told me. "Assigned specially to serve the royal family directly. We are not allowed to behold them unless they send for us." Oh great! Now what? I am not even a maid with some dignity. I looked at Ann and decided to sit back. I will still go to the royal chambers, I determined. There is no way I am going to sit down here while Lucian and Stacy are out there together. In the meantime, it is a good thing I will not be seeing Gizmo for a while. Hopefully, he might even forget about me and never call me to his presence. This is the only advantage of not being a 'royal' maid. I rested back on the wall and closed my eyes. The next thing that came to my mind was the Alpha. The last time I saw him was a night to the wedding when he gave me those reassurances of his love. We spend so much time in each other's arms, and I couldn't wait to officially be his wife. "What's your name?" Ann broke into my thoughts and I opened my eyes. Ashina, Princess Ashina. "I am Elena." Just then, the room went silent, and everyone was looking towards the door. We both turned to look, too, and I saw the guards walking towards my side. "Elena," One of them called grumpily. "Lord Gizmo wants to see you now." "Wait what? What for?" I asked worriedly but they did not bother giving a reply. Instead, they dragged me out roughly while I struggled with them to let me go. I can't be with Gizmo so soon again. No….- Ashina -"Hey girl", Stacy chanted gingerly as she walked into the room and stopped dead in her tracks with a look of shock on her face. "Oh my goodness! Where'd you get all these from?""Where else would I have gotten them from?" I laughed at the expression on her face. She walked fully into the room and began picking the clothes and accessories from the bed and boxes, looking them over."Wow!" She exclaimed. "They are very expensive, everything here is made of gold and precious stones even..." She picked up a necklace and continued. "Even diamonds? What are all these for? Are we going to appease a goddess or something?"I laughed again."No, we are not. All these are for me.""Really?" Ashina's eyes widened."Yeah," I said with a big smile on my face. "They are from Lucian. He bought them as gifts for me towards our wedding.""Wow!" She exclaimed again. "But all these? This is really much. Did you know how much he spent on all these?""I know, right?" I sighed. "I mean, I can only
- Ashina -Ann's expression carried a suspicious question as she approached me, seeing that I was looking at Lucian and Stacy."What are you saying, standing there and looking at the Alpha and Luna?" She asked with a raised brow and I winced inwardly, thinking she heard me."You wish that were you, huh?" She chuckled, nudging me playfully and I let out a sigh of relief. I thought for a moment she had heard exactly what I said because there was no way I could escape explaining that to her, and I couldn't."Oh the King and Queen look so good together," she placed her hands on her chest, looking at them with admiration. "I wish I were a princess too, you know, and I had my prince charming. But some of us are not so lucky. Imagine, I had to be a maid of all things. Why didn't the goddess give me something better? Like, I should at least have been born to a noble or wealthy family, at least, like the gammas."I barely listened to what she was saying as my eyes could not look away from Lucia
-Ashina -Stacy was walking with graceful and majestic steps towards me, and two maids were behind her. She was looking good and dressed in expensive regiments. I recognised the particular one she was putting on.It was one of these that Lucian had gotten for me as a present, which I had kept to wear when I eventually got married.I believed they were clothes meant for a Luna. I did not get to wear them because I did not live long enough to become Luna.But Stacy got them now because she's married to the Alpha. Memories of how she had poisoned me to death came flashing back.We had grown up loving each other so much but the incident broke everything. Anger writhed within me."Excuse me?" Her sharp voice broke into my thoughts and I shook a little. "Do you have a problem?"She had stopped right before me, and the looks on their face told me they must have been standing a little longer, perhaps trying to get my attention, but I was lost in my thoughts."N...no, my lady," I stuttered and
Chapter 9- Ashina -Blood spurted out of my nose, and I bruised my shoulder when I fell. Ann ran to me and helped me up.Becca and her friends looked down as Damon stared at them with a hard frown on his face."What is this?" He asked them and turned particularly to Becca who had pushed me. "What did you do that for?""I did not mean to, but she pushed me first," Becca lied, and I did not put anything to my defence. Probably because I was still taken aback by the fact that I could not defend myself."And so you react that way? You've caused an injury to her," Damon said, looking at me briefly. "I expect better from you. You have been in this palace long enough and you are a royal attendant. What business do you have with her?"To that, Becca did not reply."I hope this does not repeat itself again because if it does, you will be punished greatly as this is not expected from you," Damon said. Loretta, who had stood behind Becca all this while, suddenly spoke."But are you going to war
Chapter 8- Ashina -"What did you do to Lord Gizmo?" Ann asked me and I sighed."Nothing that I know of," I told her and she shook her head."How so?" She did not believe me. "There's no way he'd just punish you when you did not do anything.""I really don't understand myself," I insisted. There was a reason for the punishment, of course, but I could not tell her since I had been warned to stay away from the palace, and she warned me too.I cannot tell her I was there to see things for myself regarding Lucian and Stacy, and that would only mean I am a thief because there would be no other excuses I could give for going there."Mm," Ann hummed. "Well, you just be careful because you just arrived not long ago. I must warn you, you cannot afford for Gizmo to keep an eye on you. I, for one, try everything possible to avoid him. He's not in any way friendly.""Yeah sure," I smiled lightly. "Thanks for the counsel."She rolled her eyes at that."Now since you don't have anything tangible t
Chapter 7- Gizmo -I growled angrily as I returned to my room. I hate it when Lucian tries to meddle in my affairs and make it obvious he has authority over me and there is nothing I can do.Why doesn't he just stay in his lane and leave me alone? But most times he is not always like this. He barely says anything about my actions and decisions, except that they affect him or it's really serious.What does he care about a mere maid? I dropped onto my bed heavily, the sleep already cleared out of my face.And that useless maid. She just arrived in the palace and she's already causing so much trouble. I will deal with her and make sure she knows her place. What was she looking for in the palace after I warned her not to set foot in here until she was sent for?Now she made me follow Lucian's orders and I will make sure she suffers for it.- Ashina -By the next morning, my entire body was painfully sore and swollen. I couldn't even sleep well on the cold floor, and when the guards opene