10|| A Lesson They Will Never Forget

“Your Highness, she said she’s busy.”

It only took five minutes for Poppy to return. She was breathless with her cheeks flushed and her chest rising and falling like she had run the entire time. She avoided my eyes, but I could see that she wanted to cry. Head Maid Smite hadn’t just said that to her. She must have said something very cruel, and Poppy was trying to protect me from hearing it.

My hands clenched into fists beneath the duvet. My throat still burned with dryness, even though I’d been sipping water since I woke up. My body felt like I’d fallen from a tall cliff with every muscle in my body aching. And I was also freezing. All I wanted was to turn on my side and bury my face in the sheets, and go back to sleep.

But I was just so angry. All I could think about was Head Maid Smite’s condescending attitude. The way she treated me with her shoulder raised so high. She looked at me like Coralie did. Like I was nothing but a speck of dust under her feet. Like she didn’t expect much from me.

I forced myself to take a long, steady breath and lifted my head, looking at Poppy.

“Get a list of everything that is wrong with our quarters and things we need. Don’t forget anything even if it’s a needle. Then get me something warm to wear,” I said, my voice rough but firm. “And help me up.”

Poppy blinked, shocked. “Your Highness, are you sure? The doctor said—”

“I don’t care what he said,” I cut her off. My hands shook as I pushed the duvet aside. “If Head Maid Smite thinks she can treat me however she likes and I’ll keep quiet like a fool, she couldn’t be more wrong.”

I grunted as Poppy helped me to my feet, leaning down to massage my muscles. She steadied me until she saw I could stand on my own, then ran to grab a long coat before slipping her arm under mine, guiding me carefully toward the door.

The moment I got pushed, I shivered and looked up at the sky. For the first time since I got here, I’d let myself truly look around me. The castle was really beautiful, if you ignored how wicked the people that are inside it are. I took another deep breath letting the cold air fill my lungs before turning to Poppy. “Take me to her.”

Poppy led me down the path toward the main palace. We passed servants and staff along the way, but not a single one stopped to bow or even offer a polite nod. It’s not that I cared if people greeted me or not. But a part of me couldn’t help but feel irritated. In their eyes I was a concubine. I wasn’t officially one but I was still one. Yet, they treated me like a house mouse.

And even when I forced myself to greet them, some ignored me completely. Others glanced at me with disdain, smirked, or laughed under their breath as if I were a joke walking in plain sight.

I bit my lip and let Poppy take me toward the staff quarters. My hand reached for the door, but I froze when I heard my name from the other side.

“Who does she think she is?” Head Maid Smite’s voice rang from behind the door.. “She dares to call for me—me—as if I’m some errand girl she can call anytime she wants. Is she stupid or something? I’m the Head Maid of this castle. She's just a sex slave pretending to be a concubine.”

I heard the voices of other people laughing like this was the funniest thing they’ve ever heard.

“She couldn’t even survive one trial without collapsing like a weakling,” another maid scoffed. “If the king hadn’t taken pity on her, she’d already be rotting in the ground.”

“She looks like she hasn’t eaten in months. Does she think the King will find her attractive? Compared to the other official concubines she looks like a fish”

I heard more laughter before someone clapped their hands.

“I have a friend in the MoonFang pack, I asked him about her and apparently no one liked her there either. Everyone was glad when she left. Do you know what they called her? A jinx.”

“A jinx?” They asked.

“Why jinx?”

“Because she killed her own mother and brother. At least, that’s what people say. Even her father can’t stand the sight of her.”

Gasps and laughter followed.

“And did you hear? Her mate rejected her and married another woman. They just had their wedding not long ago.”

“Oh! And you won’t believe this, her own sister was the maid of honor.”

“What? Her sister was the maid of honor for her rival’s wedding?”

“If her sister would rather stand by another woman, then it must be true, she must really be awful.”

“She’ll probably bring ruin here too. What if she hurts us like she hurt her family? Ohhh, I’m so scared!”

My hand clenched around the door handle so tightly I thought it might snap.

I couldn’t stand to listen to another word.

I shoved the door open and stormed inside. The room fell silent as every pair of eyes swung toward me.

Head Maid Smite stood up immediately, frowning as if I was the one who did something wrong. “Your Highness, this is the staff quarters not anyone can just—”

I didn’t let her finish. Something inside me broke loose. I walked across the room, my hand rising before I even realized it, and slapped her so hard her head snapped to the side. She stumbled and crashed to the floor like a pile of potatoes.

The sharp sound echoed through the room like thunder.

Every servant froze, their mouths hanging open as they turned to me like they couldn’t believe I’d done that. Even Poppy looked so shocked.

Smite’s hand flew to her cheek, her eyes wide. “What…what did you just…” she stammered, voice shaking.

Why?” I smirked, flicking my fingers like I’d just touched something filthy. “Even if I’m not an official concubine, I still outrank you. And I can punish a servant for running her mouth about a member of the royal family.”

The room went dead quiet.

Because let’s call a spade a spade, I might be many things, but like Ethan said when he brought me here, I am still tied to the royal bloodline. And if a servant is caught insulting a royal, isn’t that the same as spitting on the king himself?

Smite might walk around as head maid, but at the end of the day, she’s still a servant. I am the king’s woman.

So tell me, where exactly did she find the audacity to believe she could mock me?

No one dared to even breathe too loudly. And for the first time in my entire life, I realized that I really didn’t need to take people’s bullshit. I really didn’t need to endure all the horrible things people do to me. Especially now, because I am the most powerful person in this room.

I turned to the maids letting my eyes sweep all over them one by one. They looked away immediately, like cowards. “Oh don’t look away now,” I laughed. “You all had so much to say a moment ago. About me. About my family. About things you have no right to even whisper.”

One girl trembled, clutching her apron. “Y–Your Highness, we didn’t—”

“Didn’t what?” I snapped, making her flinch. “Didn’t call me a jinx? Didn’t claim I killed my mother and brother? Didn’t mock the fact that my sister stood at another woman’s side while my mate rejected me?” I turned my head to the side, smiling brightly. “ It was such nice juicy gossip so I had to come in to hear more. So do me a favor and say it again, say it to my face. Go on. I want to hear from your mouth.”

They couldn’t even make a sound.

I stepped closer, the long coat Poppy had wrapped me in sweeping the floor. “No? Then kneel. All of you.”

They hesitated looking at Smite as if she could stop me.

“Now!”

Chairs scraped as they all quickly fell to their knees shaking like Christmas goats, even Poppy knelt down and I had to glare at her before she realized that she wasn’t part of them. She stood up sheepishly scratching her head before rushing to stand behind me.

“No one has anything to say anymore? Why? Cat got your tongue?”

I finally turned to Head Maid Smite who was still looking at me in shock. Her face had already turned red and it was even swelling. I didn’t know I was that strong.

“Do you also not have anything to say? Really? Alright then.” I motioned for Poppy to get me a chair and I sat down in front of all of them crossing my legs and grabbing the list I told Poppy to make. “Because I have so many things to say.”