Chapter 9: Flicker

Chapter 9: Flicker

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"Lucian, why are you defending that girl? Do you know her?" the guest asked.

"No, I don't know her. But I wasn't pleased with the way you hit her, that was wrong. She made a mistake, but that didn’t mean you should hit her," Lucian said sternly.

The guest nodded, and their conversation resumed, but Lucian’s mind drifted to Kyra.

Why did she feel so familiar?

(Kyra)

The chief maid dragged me roughly into a room and locked the door behind her.

"How dare you mess up! Didn’t I tell you to be on your best behavior? It’s your first day and you’ve already ruined it! Remember what you told me about beheading you? I might have to take that into consideration!" she roared.

I pushed myself up from the cold floor.

"Ma’am, I’m really sorry. It was a mistake , even the prince saw it," I tried to defend myself.

"Shut it! You better thank the heavens the prince was there to save you, you fool! Now get out of my sight!"

I scrambled out quickly.

In a quiet corner, I wiped my tears. I hated what had happened. How could I let myself get distracted? Running a hand through my hair, I reminded myself — I needed to stay focused. I couldn’t afford mistakes.

Now I had to decide on my next move. Should I poison the king’s food since I worked near where his meals were prepared? It was risky… but all my plans were risky. I just had to make it work.

My thoughts drifted back to Lucian. There was something about him that felt… off. I was still lost in thought when I heard a voice.

"Hey."

I looked up and saw a young girl with full red hair. She looked malnourished, her face covered in fresh bruises.

"Hello," I replied.

"Can I sit with you?"

"Yes, you can." I shifted to make room.

"What’s your name?" she asked.

"Kyra." I hadn’t bothered to change my name when I returned to Kyratth.

"Nice name. I’m Lilith." She offered me her hand.

I shook it.

"I saw you in the kitchen earlier when the chief maid brought you in. Those girls are going to give you a hard time, just ignore them."

I nodded with a faint smile, but I couldn’t hold back my curiosity about her bruises.

"What happened to your face? They look fresh."

She gave a faint smile.

"It’s the chief maid. She hit me earlier with a broom because the young master said I didn’t cook his food to his satisfaction. He lied, you know. Ever since I refused to sleep with him, he promised to make my life a living hell."

I stared at her, speechless.

"Who is this young master?" I asked.

"Master Darian, the king’s second son. I’d advise you to stay away from him — or better yet, make sure he never sees you. He’s dangerous." Her hands trembled.

I placed mine gently over hers.

"I’ll avoid him at all costs. What about Prince Lucian? Is he… evil too?" I asked, trying to gauge her reaction.

Lilith’s face lit up.

"No, not at all. Prince Lucian is the opposite of his father and brother — sweet, kind, disciplined. He defended me once in front of Master Darian. Such a gentleman. And he’s very handsome." She leaned closer and whispered with a chuckle, "I think I have a crush on him."

I smiled back, though my mind was elsewhere.

So… he defends everybody. Nice. For a moment, I thought I was special.

Lilith turned to me.

"Uhm, Kyra… I think we should head back to the servants’ quarters. It’s time for bed."

"Oh, okay."

We stood up and walked back. One of the guards had already brought my luggage earlier, so when I spotted it, I figured I’d be sleeping right in front of it—since that’s what everyone else seemed to do.

We were all to sleep on the cold floor. Some people had bedsheets spread out, others just slept as they were. I was glad I’d brought a shawl at least. I laid it out, then glanced around for Lilith and spotted her near the front. We were a bit far apart. She didn’t have any shawl or blanket—just lying there on the bare, cold ground.

"Hey, Lilith," I walked over to her.

"Kyra, aren’t you supposed to be asleep by now?"

"Uhmm… I saw you sleeping on the bare ground. You’ll get a backache."

She shrugged lightly. "Don’t worry. This isn’t my first time. I’m already used to the pain."

I looked back toward my spot and noticed a little girl sleeping beside my luggage. She had a blanket.

I walked over and crouched beside her.

"Hello."

"Hi." She looked up, fear flickering in her eyes.

"I’m not here to hurt you, okay?" I said gently. "I just… I want my friend to sleep beside me. She doesn’t have a blanket or shawl, and she’ll wake up sore. Please?" I folded my hands, pleading.

The girl glanced toward Lilith’s corner. Thankfully, she nodded.

"Thank you," I said, truly meaning it.

She moved, and I signaled to Lilith to join me. My shawl was just big enough for the two of us.

Lilith settled in beside me, looking far more comfortable.

"Thank you, Kyra," she smiled.

"You’re welcome," I smiled back.

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The Next Morning

I woke to the harsh rays of the sun spilling across my face.

Squinting, I found Lilith curled up against me, her head resting on my chest.

A small smile tugged at my lips. I gently shook her.

"Hey, Lilith… it’s morning. Wake up before the chief maid comes." I patted her lightly.

"Mmm… okay," she murmured in a sleepy tone.

Right on cue, the chief maid stormed in, ringing her bell like she was calling for war.

"Wake up, you lazy bitches!!" she bellowed, her voice slicing through the air.

I sometimes wondered if this woman even had a heart—if so, it had to be the size of a grain of sand.

We got up quickly and made our way to the kitchen. Lilith joined the cooking team, while I headed to my corner only to find a mountain of dirty dishes waiting for me.

I sighed and got to work.

Halfway through scrubbing, one of the girls who’d been gossiping about me strutted over with another pile. She dumped it down with a loud clatter.

"Get to work," she sneered.

I ignored her, as always. I prayed I wouldn’t end up in a fight with one of these girls, because if I did, I was certain I’d beat them to a pulp.

I was still rinsing plates when the chief maid’s voice cut through the kitchen.

"Hey, you! Prince Lucian wants you to serve him."

I froze.

The last thing I wanted was another encounter with him after… what happened. But if I wanted my plans to succeed, I needed to know more about the prince and the king.

I nodded without a word, taking the prince’s meal from one of the girls.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the jealous stares of the others. I couldn’t care less.

As we approached the main hall, the chief maid leaned in close, her eyes sharp enough to cut glass.

"Just because the prince saved you before doesn’t mean I can’t still have you beheaded. Mess up again, and I’ll kill you myself."

"Yes, ma’am," I replied flatly.

The guards opened the heavy doors. I stepped inside.

To my relief, the prince was alone—no guests, no audience.

"Here’s your meal, sir." I set it down gently.

"Uhm… sir, I’m very sorry about what happened before. I didn’t mean to—" I bowed my head.

"It’s okay," he said calmly.

"I know you’re wondering why I asked for you to serve me," he continued.

I stayed with my head bowed.

"Look at me."

He stepped closer.

I lifted my gaze—and met those piercing blue eyes again.

My heart skipped.

"What’s your name?" he asked.

"K–Kyra, sir."

"Kyra," he repeated, as if testing the taste of it. "Nice name."

"Thank you, sir."

"I don’t know… but you look familiar. Feels like I’ve seen you before." He chuckled.

That’s when I noticed the dimples.

And just like that, he was even more handsome.

I shook the thought away—reminding myself he was my enemy. I was here to kill his father. Him too. All of them.

Firming my voice, I said, "I think you’re mistaken, sir. I’ve never been near the palace walls before now. Do you need anything else, sir?"

He studied me, smiling faintly.

That smile… it was doing something to me I didn’t want to name.

"You can go," he said.

I turned and left quickly.

I couldn’t afford distractions. Not now. Not ever.