The head maid had been giving me queer looks ever since the incident with the lord two weeks prior. They had not punished me for anything because neither Maud nor Lord Alexander said anything about it to her. Still, she kept giving me weird side glances every time she saw me, and it made me wonder if something had happened.
Luckily, they asked me to report on Lady Lucia’s floor these last few weeks, and I wasn’t going to complain. What had happened on the young lord’s floor plagued my nights. I had often found myself thinking about it, thinking about how his lips were soft and how he tasted of tea and mint and something else. I didn’t understand why my body heated at the thought and yearned for more. It was frightening.
Yes. Working for Lady Lucia was the distraction I needed.
She was Duke Kestrel’s wife. She was a sweet and kind-hearted lady with a playful side that made me feel at ease when I was around her. Despite being born into nobility, she had a very relaxed attitude toward many things that a noblewoman would not have. I appreciated how she made me feel like I was more than just a servant maid working off a debt.
While I worked for her, Lady Lucia would often talk about her youth and all the mischief she would get into. Her quarters were my favourite place to work because it was so much simpler. I found solace in the calmness of her space, and it allowed me to breathe in this forced servitude.
One thing that stood out to me was how Lady Lucia treated me. She never reprimanded me, and always asked how I was in the morning. Sometimes, she would even let me stay with her while she had tea and read her poetry books aloud, so I could enjoy it while cleaning and polishing chandeliers. It was a small gesture, but it made me feel appreciated. Even more than that. It made me feel almost human again. It was a stark contrast to the harsh treatment I had received from other noble families. With her, I could almost pretend I was home, surrounded by people who cared for me.
“Ida, dear, what would you say if I read us something not from this country today? There’s a very well-liked writer named Shakespeare in one of the neighbouring countries. What do you say?” She looked at me quizzically. “Here’s one of his works I know you will like: A Lover’s Complaint.”
I snorted. Lady Lucia would not have known I was familiar with that author and playwright, but I remembered that poem. Although it was a good one, I didn’t enjoy it much. It talked about love and how cruel it could be. Shakespeare wrote about the many facets of love beautifully, but when love blinded all the other senses, his poem reminded us it became something dangerous.
“As you wish, Milady.” I softened my eyes at her when I answered. If it made the duchess happy, I would let her read it to me.
I was feeding more logs into the fire when a small footboy knocked on the parlour door and interrupted the reading. I saw Lady Lucia peer over her book, questioning the young boy’s sudden appearance.
Since I didn’t recognize him, I deduced he wasn’t from this floor.
“My apologies for this disturbance, Lady Kestrel, but Lord Alexander has asked if he could have tea with you this evening?”
“Oh my, he never has time for me! Of course, please let him know he can join me.” She clapped her hands together while trying to suppress her sudden glee. It was another thing I liked about her. Most of the time, etiquette was thrown out the window.
As the footboy bowed and promptly scurried off to deliver the message to his master, my heart pounded faster. It was racing with anticipation, and my mind was a whirlwind of emotions. On one hand, I was thrilled to see Lord Alexander again, but on the other, I couldn’t help feeling a sense of dread.
I smiled when I thought of the irony that Lady Lucia wanted to read me “A Lover’s Complaint.” The Faiths must have had a terrible sense of humour that day.
“Ida, will you make sure that we bring out the nice tea set Alexander gave me for my birthday? I would love to use it while he’s with me.” She paused, bringing her brows together in thought. “And maybe bring up some small biscuits as well?” she asked, smiling. I could tell it delighted her to have him stop by.
I took the ash bucket, inclined my head toward the lady to acknowledge her request, and left swiftly to inform the kitchen of the sudden arrangement.
When I came back and prepared the fine china, I wondered if her son came to visit her often. In the last two weeks of being assigned to her floor, she never really had the company of anyone. Not even Duke Kestrel himself came to see his wife. They were in their late forties, and them having each their quarters wasn’t something odd. It was a widespread practice amongst the nobility. But they rarely saw each other, and I thought how lonely Lady Lucia must feel.
My heart cramped up a bit at the thought of my parents. They had loved each other fiercely and had refused to have separate floors, even though my father was never really around because of his duties. However, he always said that nothing grounded him more than to return to the arms of his loving wife after a hard day’s work.
I hated thinking about my family. I still had nightmares because of what happened years ago. Despite the sadness that crept up on me, I continued with the task at hand. I arranged the fine china with utmost care, making sure everything was perfect. The lady deserved the best, and it was my duty to provide it.
Once the place setting was done, and I had elegantly set the food on the fine porcelain plates, Lady Lucia instructed me not to use silverware while her son was in her company. This caused me to raise my eyebrows inquisitively at her. She shook it off, saying that her son reacted severely to silver. I had to rummage through all the silverware in the estate to find any flatware available. It was tricky, but I could find something accommodating while still looking stylish.
As I waited in the parlour, Lady Lucia soon returned to the room accompanied by Lord Alexander. My eyes were immediately drawn to him as he walked in, looking quite dashing in his black two-piece suit and white dress shirt. Every hair on my body raised when I glimpsed him, and my heart skipped a beat.
The sudden sight of him made me feel like the room had run out of air, and I was plunged into a boiling hot pot. Heat flushed my cheeks, and I was very grateful at that moment that my bonnet covered half my face once I bowed to them.
“Ida, this is my son, Alexander,” Lady Lucia spoke, smiling sweetly at me.
Alexander glanced my way, and his eyes changed from a soft grey to almost black the instant we made eye contact.
He looked almost angry.
What was his deal?
He then straightened himself, recomposed his face, and flashed me an almost perfect smile while tasting the sound of my name. “Ida.”
The whip cracked in the air. I felt the leather strings touch my lower back, and as Shrike pulled, I could feel my skin lift and tear. Once the hooks were out, I was flung back near the post. I stopped breathing and tried to control the pain. I had not expected that. “The show is for my personal amusement, as well as to install fear in your mind. Fear in the body is no fun, but fear in the mind, now that is entertaining. Regarding the reasons why I am doing this… let’s just say it’s simply to pass the time until the king arrives, and then we get down to the nitty-gritty.” I felt the leather touch the inside of my ribs. Again, the skin pulled as the hooks receded. Shrike inflicted four more hits, but those had been higher on my back, where my skin was thicker. It pained me less than the previous ones, but I still had to muffle a cry. I started sweating from the pain and noticed that my feet and knees were slipping in the small pool of blood that was accumulating under me. At this rat
Xander POVAs Ida and Diana left the house, I felt a sudden urge to warn them again against attending the meeting. My Lycan and I had a bad feeling about the whole thing, especially since Ida’s scent was different. Although Diana had reassured us that everything was fine, something felt off about her. Over the past few weeks, we had noticed a significant change in her, and even Gideon had mentioned it to me. But we were both at a loss as to what it could be. I couldn’t believe that two prime shifters, like us, couldn’t tell what was wrong with Ida.Leo walked out of the house and looked at me with pleading eyes, hoping to join us. I ruffled his hair and smiled, but had to disappoint him and leave him behind.“Keep Nimu in the house and ensure everything is ready when we return. The horses must be fed properly if we are to leave in the evening.”Leo’s face turned bitter as he realized he wouldn’t join us. He was still young and had a lot to learn. I couldn’t take the risk of putting him
I closed my eyes and allowed my thoughts to focus on unlocking the memory orb. I sensed the magical energy emanating from the glass sphere and let my own energy flow into it, absorbing some of its power. I slowed my breathing, listening to the vibrations passing through my fingers and into my body. I imagined the orb as a small, delicate package, tied with multiple taut strings that protected its contents from being revealed.I whispered an unlocking incantation, trying to tug at the invisible strings within the orb. I felt my magic tugging at the strings, but they refused to budge. I tried again, chanting the incantation with more intent. I sensed the energy within the orb vibrating in response to my magic, but the strings still held fast.I decided to try a different approach. I would force the strings and break them. I summoned all the energy I could muster, feeling my body heat up and the orb becoming warm as well. I focused my power on the strings, envisioning them snapping under
I took out one of my fancier dresses to wear for my outing, and Xander’s voice echoed in my mind, reminding me of the potential dangers that lay ahead. “You both could walk into a trap,” he had warned me. I knew that leaving the house was a risk, but I needed to get out and find out the truth.As I slipped into the dress, I thought about how Xander had always been so protective of me. It was both comforting and frustrating at the same time. But I knew that in this case, he was right. I needed to be careful if I was going to venture out into the world.My hands were on the poster from the bed, and Diana was cinching up my corset. Each time she tightened a lacing, it constricted my chest and made me take a laboured breath.Why did they have to make those things so tight?Diana pulled on another set of strings, and I almost fainted from the tightness.“Oh, might have overdone it. Sorry, Ida. Let me loosen this a bit,” Diana mumbled as she saw my face pale.Xander, visibly frustrated, sat
After several days had passed without any response from Denis, we came to the conclusion that he had no intention of assisting us, and so we began to prepare to leave the city. Diana was extremely upset after learning that her brother was still alive but had not replied to her note. She was on the edge of a breakdown, and I could see the turmoil in her eyes.“Did he read the message you gave him?” Diana asked me repeatedly.We had already discussed this subject multiple times, and I had given her the same answer each time.“I’m not sure. All I know is that Denis took the note and put it in his front pocket. Can you please tell me what was on that piece of paper I gave him?”Diana continued folding our clothes, appearing deep in thought and keeping the note a secret from us. Her behaviour had caused quite a stir with Xander, who was afraid that Diana might betray us and sell us out to her brother. I understood Xander’s concerns, but I also understood why Diana was being secretive. The C
After Diana’s name left Denis’s lips, he rapidly collected himself and cleared his throat. “I’m so sorry. I mistook you for someone I knew long ago. Please forgive my misobservation. Allow me to help you. That was quite a tumble you almost had.” Denis gingerly got up and made his way to help Diana with the mess the fallen tray had left.“Please, let me take care of it, sir,” I interjected, stepping before Diana.Whatever had happened, Diana still seemed a little shaken by the event. She straightened and mumbled, “It’s fine,” then quickly gathered the broken porcelain.I didn’t think my friend almost fell; her path was clear, and Diana was an experienced maid with a steady footing. I thought she let the tray slip by sheer shock. Although the man and Diana appeared to recognize each other, they both acted as strangers. I thought it would be best to separate them before the guards became suspicious.I looked at Xander, who understood my hint and started asking the curator about the chest’