Dinner time came, and she immediately told her friends of the good news that she had received from the Madam and that they could be together in the servant's quarters.
"Finally Aurora your luck has been in the slumps for a while now," Evelyn added.
"You must be serving someone important for them to assign you such duties dedicated to them." Agnes chimed in.
"I hope you don't leave us behind," Ida added dramatically.
"Don't get on a horse and sail off to the sunset," Lucy added melodramatically.
"You all need to stop, the only reason I told you about this is the opportunity that I have to stay in the servant's quarters has finally risen."
"Did Madam give you any rules?" Barbara asked.
"Yes, she said that I belonged to the palace strictly and that I was not allowed to have any relations with men."
"Madam needs to loosen up, we all don't want to end up as spinsters such as herself, we all won't be noticed by the king or let alone the prince so why should we bother. We are at the bottom of the barrel as the maidens from outstanding families are the ones that are chosen as concubines and no one ever spares a glance at the peasants, us the maids." Agnes added in angrily.
"It's totally ridiculous how we lose our jobs the minute we decide to marry or get outed for having relations with men. You really can't trust anyone here as someone might be eyeing your position and jobs are scarce for women." Evelyn added in.
"How did you respond to her?" Lucy asked her.
"I complied obviously."
"Madam is really scary if I say so myself, I spoke with her once and I was shaking in the knees when she scrutinized me with her gaze," Ida added.
"I won't lie I was a bit afraid, but she does understand our needs for companions."
"How so Aurora? She does not speak out against the laws." Agnes replied.
"I think it would not end well for her too, who has ever opposed the king and has a happy ending."
"Fair point but why do you say she understands us?" Evelyn asked between bites.
"Well, she said it was a shame that I was a beauty but I would need to sacrifice one so I could live."
"If beauty truly mattered you would be living off well Aurora, you are a rare gem but the status of the family matters the most," Ida added.
"Very much true, maybe in your next life," Evelyn added.
"I want us to be together in our next lives, living lavishly and treated like the queens we are."
"Cheers to that Aurora," Agnes said loudly.
They had garnered a bit of attention which was not unusual for them as they were a mix of very opinionated bunch.
"I have to love and leave you all, it's already late and dark, hopefully, the moon is on my side."
"Be careful Aurora," Lucy added.
"Hopefully you are moved into the servant's quarters very soon." This time it was Barbara.
"I'm counting down the days and maybe one day we all could be in the same quarters." Agnes chimed in.
Aurora said her goodbyes and went outside, the moon was half-covered by the clouds, she sighed. Hopefully, it would soon that she wouldn't have to make these trips back and forth.
They were very time-consuming and her energy was low after all the work that she did during the course of the day.
It would be nice to just eat dinner and chat with her friends, then walk to her living quarters and go to bed.
She put on her cloak and made her way back home. She cycled carefully, making sure she didn't bump anything.
She needed to be careful or else she could break her neck easily from falling off her bicycle. Aurora made it back home safely and got in her small room which was as cold and hollow as outside.
Aurora closed the door and immediately lit on the candle. She was glad for the little light she had. Candles were very expensive and hard to come by so she could not keep them on for long, just enough to take off her clothes and climb into her bed.
She huddled up trying to keep herself warm the best way that she could, yet the wind was seeping in under the door.
Such cold nights were miserable but they would not last long she was very exhausted and she would need every lick of sleep she could get.
Aurora sat up when she realized she had not studied the paper madam had given to her, she contemplated if she should do it in the morning but she knew better, it would be better to study it now and brush up in the morning.
She switched on her candle again, and she huddled up beneath her blanket, she read the rules written on the paper.
RULES FOR THE CHAMBERS:
1. YOU SHALL NOT BE LATE FOR WORK EVER!
2. CHAMBERS MUST BE CLEANED THOROUGHLY, THERE MUST BE NO SPECK OF DUST AND THE CHAMBERS MUST BE LEFT SPOTLESS.
3. YOUR DUTIES COMMENCE WHEN BREAKFAST IS BEING HELD.
4. YOU HAVE AN HOURGLASS TO NAVIGATE YOUR TIME WHICH YOU GET STRICTLY AN HOUR AND A HALF TO DO YOUR JOB.
5. YOU ARE TO TAKE THEIR AFTERNOON TEA AT 4 IN THE AFTERNOON SHARP.
6. YOU ARE AT THEIR BECK AND CALL.
7. REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE AN RELATIONSHIP OUTSIDE THE PALACE IF YOU DO, YOU ARE TO BE STRIPPED OF YOUR DUTIES IMMEDIATELY.
8. THE PALACE COMES FIRST AND ANY BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS THAT BRING SHAME WILL HAVE HARSH PUNISHMENTS AND CONSEQUENCES.
9. ANY ILLNESSES MUST BE DISPUTED IN A TIMELY MANNER, SO THE RISK OF IT SPREADING IS CURVED.
10. AT TIMES YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO SERVE THROUGH THE NIGHT AND TO WAIT AND CATER BANQUETS BUT THAT WILL BE DISCLOSED TO YOU IN ADVANCE AND TRAINING IS PROVIDED, YOUR SERVICES WILL BE REMUNERATED.
11. SHOULD YOU COME ACROSS ANY PROBLEMS, OR IF YOU ARE NOT SURE OF A SITUATION IT SHOULD BE REPORTED TO THE MADAM IMMEDIATELY!
12. YOUR SERVICES AT TIMES WILL BE EXTENDED TO OTHER ELITE MEMBERS SUCH AS THE CONCUBINES.
13. NO SHOULD NOT BE IN YOUR VOCABULARY. ANY PUNISHMENTS HANDED DOWN FROM THE ROYALS ARE OUTSIDE THE MADAM'S JURISDICTION AND CAN NOT BE HELPED AND APPROPRIATE MEASURES ARE DECIDED BY THE HIGHER-UPS.
14. YOU ARE TO ADDRESS THEM WITH THEIR APPROPRIATE TITLES, AND YOU ARE NOT TO LOOK AT THEM IN THE EYE AND YOUR HEAD MUST BE LOWERED AT ALL TIMES UNLESS PERMITTED TO.
15. LASTLY REMEMBER THAT THEIR NEEDS COME BEFORE YOU AT ALL TIMES.
Aurora felt a bit nervous at the rules, they seemed to be very strict and punishing towards the workers.
If she were to be falsely accused or make a mistake she could have her hand chopped off and the Madam would not have a say in it. She would be also as powerless as she is.
After a few more reads she decided to switch off her candle and she vowed to herself that she would not break any of these rules as they were her lifeline.
She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Aurora woke up in the morning and she did the same routine that she always did but this time she added extra measures and steps to it and made sure she was dressed to perfection.She was starting her new work today so nothing could go wrong, she would make sure of it. She got on her bicycle and was on her way to the palace.When she got to the palace gates she showed her badge and was let in, she went and parked her bicycle in its usual spot and went into the servant's quarters kitchen.She headed straight to the front to get her cup of tea and roll, she said her name and she was ticked off role call.She scanned the room and saw that Lucy was already waiving at her to come over, she made her way through the tables and she could hear blatant gossip about how she had bribed to get the position that she was in.The irony of all this is that they failed to say it to her face, so they whispered it amongst themselves in low tones but loud enough for her to hear it.She ignored them all and
So these were their names, and what did he mean to play with her? So he was enjoying himself by making her squirm.This was going to be a very long road, she hoped she would not have many encounters with them and specifically Caspian.They were so many activities to do, so why should he waste his time on her and his own very precious time."How old are you Aurora?" Caspian asked."Eighteen My Lord.""Interesting," Caspian replied."If that's all My Lord, could I take my leave?"Caspian was surprised at her question, it was clear that this girl wanted to be anywhere but here. She had rich red hair and her eyes were striking green, they were like emeralds.He had never taken any interest in girls till now, there was something behind her beauty that he was getting drawn into."Not yet." He blurted out.She seemed surprised at his response and rightfully so, he had just instinctively replied to her but he did not know what more he wanted to say to her.She seemed to be trembling for fear,
Aurora went to the laundry room and she was relieved she had managed to dodge a bullet, she thought should be frequenting his bed but when he said he does not force women, she felt the relief course through her body and so profound at that.When she had dropped off the clothes, Aurora was glad that today she had no dishes in the kitchen which meant she could get out of cleaning in there.She had never taken a stroll in the palace and now was her chance to do so, she walked through the pathway, which on either side had long tall trees.The breeze was amazing and she inhaled it, and for once she felt free, stress-free from the daily burdens that she needed to carry.She was a bit sad that this position was not hers forever, not that she wanted Constance to stay ill forever.Maybe one day she would have enough money to build herself a small little cottage where she could live and have no one to bother her.Currently, she could not save much as she had to buy candles, and sometimes the fo
Caspian lay awake in his chambers as he remembered Aurora's eyes, from the encounter that they had.Her surprised at him being so close to her and blushing when he had touched her face fascinated him more and drew her more to him.He didn't know what he wanted from her as her eyes had made his mind go blank and he had gotten lost in them.He had been with beauties before but the way she was so reserved made him want to crush her resilience all the more.He would have his way with her, it was a matter of time before she succumbed to his charm, she was already flustered with a bit of attention from him.The previous maid was more than happy to be in his bed the minute he had set his eyes on her. She frequented his bed when he was willing to entertain her.Yet Aurora had not made a move or given him fake doe eyes or tried to start a conversation, or seduce him at that.This was the first time a girl had not come willingly to him, he could chase her a bit not that he needed to do much.A
Aurora made her way inside, she did her normal balancing and went up to the table and placed the tray there."Your tea My Lord."Her head was bowed as per usual and she started to turn away,"I didn't dismiss you Aurora."She stood very still at his words and hoped she had not offended him in any way with her actions, she stood there anxiously waiting for his next words or command."Is there something wrong with being in my presence?""I apologize, My Lord, I did not mean to insult you.""Talk freely Aurora and set aside rankings.""I could never do such My Lord.""It's an order."Aurora nodded, she was afraid that one wrong word and this would all end badly for her."Lift up your head."Aurora did so immediately, she didn't want to disobey him as she could decipher what he was thinking."Why do you look so worried Aurora?""I am not My......I mean I am not."It felt strange to not address him the way they were taught,"Look at me."Aurora forced her gaze on him, he was really good-lo
Caspian sat in front of his tea, Aurora was definitely something new to him. He wanted to break all her barriers.She fascinated him and he was thinking about her a lot even though he was frequenting other women who were willing to bare it all for him and that was a lot of girls willing to do so.This was a new challenge to him but Douglas was often a very accurate teller, he had said two weeks and he always set a challenge to himself to break the record and he had excelled in it.Most girls would act coy and then during the night, they would come to his room on their own after hours.He thought he had cracked Aurora and as he sat in his bed chambers, she had not come back and that surprised him, he thought she had run away the first time as she was too embarrassed to approach him but even when he did approach her, she had her guard up.He had thought she must have had a suitor or someone who is interested in her and they shared mutual feelings but those suspicions were on the low for
Weeks go by and Aurora is getting used to her morning routines but they had changed a bit, Caspian was never there when she was in his chambers.She had not seen him for a while and was happy that he wasn't accosting her anymore, he probably saw it was a lost cause to try and pursue her.There was no news from Constance, and the last time she had heard about her was from rumors speculating that she was not getting better by the day.All the maids were extra cautious as they did not want to catch it.They were called by Madam Beatrice and they all stood there,"I called you all here as this weekend we will be hosting a banquet, as you know uniforms are going to be provided for you all. Let me revise the rules..............."After two hours they were finally done and dismissed, all the maids were chatting amongst themselves and there was so much excitement in the air.She was also excited, it meant they would be eating well as there would be lots of food, and there would be extra pay,
Caspian had to prepare for the upcoming banquet for Princess Nadia, she was a known beauty so that would not be a problem on his part. He had to take lessons daily on how to host her and his parents wanted him to make an impression on her. They would not be attending the banquet this time. Weeks went by as he attended his daily classes and how to host a banquet for the first time, he had to show that he had authority and leadership. His father often said he should have enough authority that everyone wanted to impress him. The day of the banquet came and he spent the whole day in baths and being scrubbed. He put on his attire and his hair was brushed, when he walked out he could see that all the women were fawning over him and the man in awe."If I were also a woman I would be falling at your feet." Douglas joked and Caspian pushed his best friend. He waited as Princess Nadia was bought in as they needed to go in together to the banquet, Caspian saw her maids and she emerged in betw