Chapter 6

Elvanya's Pov

The morning came. I had not slept at all. The memory of the King’s glowing eyes kept me awake.

Senna came to unlock the door before the sun was up. She looked tired, all the girls looked tired. I stood up fast, I put the blanket on my mattress and the small bowl in the corner.

“Get dressed fast. You can’t afford to make any mistakes.” Senna said without looking at me.

We didn’t have uniforms. I wore the same simple dark dress I arrived in. I was hungry, we did not get breakfast.

We walked up the cold stone stairs and went to the kitchens. The kitchens were loud and hot. Humans worked fast there, they were scared and moved like mice.

Senna and I got our instructions. The King was having a morning meeting. It was not a meal, it was a council.

“The High Hall is set.” Senna said, checking the silver cups. “You will watch me and do exactly what I do. Don’t make a sound, make sure you don’t drop anything. Don’t let them see your face, remember the rules.”

“I remember the rules,” I whispered.

“Good. Now we go.” She said.

We walked fast through the serving halls until we reached the large doors of the High Hall.

Senna pushed the doors open. We stepped inside. The room was already loud. There were maybe twelve beasts inside. All were Lycans and all were big. They sat at the long table.

The air was heavy. It smelled like blood, cold metal, and something sharp like wolf. It was a terrible smell.

I kept my head down and my eyes on Senna’s feet. She moved silent, and I moved silent too.

At the head of the table sat King Kael. He wore the same black pants but today had a simple black shirt. He didn’t look at us. He was listening to a big beast next to him.

The beasts talked loud. Their voices were growls mixed with snarls and strange sounds I didn’t understand. The noise was scary and made my stomach hurt.

Senna started serving wine. She walked along the table holding a silver pitcher and poured wine into the cups.

I watched her hands. They didn’t shake. She poured perfectly, no drips, no spills and moved away fast.

She pointed at a tray with small pieces of meat. I knew it was my turn.

I picked up the tray and walked to the table slowly and quietly. At the first beast, I held out the tray. He was massive with scars on his face.

He didn’t look at me. He grabbed the meat and ate it in one fast bite.

I moved down the line, keeping my head down. I didn’t look at their faces, only their hands and big chests.

When I got to King Kael, I froze for a second. His chair was big, and he sat back. He was not eating or drinking. He just watched the others.

I held the tray for him but kept my eyes on his chest.

He didn’t take the meat.

I waited.

A beast next to him laughed. “The King does not eat human slave food, little thing.”

I did not move.

Then Kael spoke. His voice was cold. “Take it away.”

I moved fast, finished the rounds at the last beast, then went back to the wall where Senna stood.

“Good,” she whispered. “Too slow at the King. You lingered.”

“He did not take the food.”

“You don’t wait for him. You just move. He is testing you, he wants to see if you stop.”

I nodded, i understood. Don’t stop. Don’t pause.

The meeting went on for hours. We served more wine, brought fresh pitchers, and cleared plates that beasts threw on the floor. They grew louder and drank a lot.

Kael sat quiet, speaking little but every time I moved, I felt his eyes on me. I didn’t look up but still felt it, like a heavy weight on my back. He was watching and waiting.

A beast at the far end laughed very loud. He was drunk. His eyes were red, and he talked to another beast.

“My new human can’t even fetch a stick right. I threw her down the stairs.” He laughed, and the others laughed too.

I walked past them to clear a pitcher, keeping my eyes down.

“Little human,” the drunk beast called.

I did not stop. Senna told me never to answer unless the King or the Beta called.

He shouted again, “Hey, you new pale one. Stop.”

I kept walking and was almost at the door.

He stood up. He was very tall and massive. He slammed his hand on the table. The glasses shook.

“I told you to stop. Disrespectful slave.”

I froze, slowly turned around, and bowed my head low.

“My apologies, Your Highness.”

He grinned, looking mean. “Apologies are useless, you need punishment. The King is too quiet today. I’ll provide the entertainment.”

He walked fast around the table, coming right to me. I stood still, not moving or breathing.

“You look like you’re made of snow.” He grabbed my chin hard. His grip hurt. “Let me see if you melt.”

His face was close. His breath smelled sour from the wine. I closed my eyes for a moment.

Then I heard a loud scraping noise. Kael’s chair moved back hard.

“Release the servant, Jaxian,” Kael said coldly. His voice cut through the noise. It was not loud but sharp.

The beast let me go quickly, stepping back, looking scared. “Sorry, King. Just having some fun.”

Kael didn’t look at Jaxian but stared at me. His eyes were silver now, not gray but silver. They were angry.

“Go back to the kitchen, Elvanya.”

I didn’t wait. I ran out of the Hall, went to the kitchen, and hid behind a large sack of grain. My heart was racing. I shook all over and couldn’t stop.

After a long while, the door opened, and Senna came in. Her face was pale.

“You are alive.”

“Yes. The King told me to go.”

“He saved you. He stopped Jaxian. That beast is the Gamma, very strong. He hurts humans for fun, why did the King stop him?”

“I don’t know.”

“He’s testing you. He’s playing a deeper game.” Senna took my arm. “Come. The meeting is almost over. We have to finish cleaning.”

We went back to the hall. Jaxian sat down angry. The other beasts were quiet and not laughing.

We cleaned fast. The beasts left one by one. Kael was last. He walked past me but didn’t look at me. Still, I felt the cold move when he passed.

We finished cleaning and went back to the kitchen. Senna was quiet. The day was done.

That evening, the beasts had a big feast. They were celebrating something. Senna and I had to serve again in the High Hall.

It was worse this time. There were even more beasts. They drank faster and were louder, the hall was full of noise and bad smells.

I served silently with my head down, following Senna. We walked fast.

The King was there, sitting at the head of the table. He talked a little, cold but speaking to the Beta, Thorne. Thorne sat next to him. Thorne looked evil, with dark eyes that stared at the humans.

I moved to the side of the table. Senna poured wine for a big beast near the middle who was already drunk and slurring his words. He was huge.

Senna leaned over to pour wine.

The beast looked at her and laughed a deep, awful laugh. He didn’t even look at the wine.

He grabbed Senna’s arm with a huge hand and pulled her hard onto his lap. She cried out and dropped the silver pitcher. Wine spilled all over the table.

“Look what I found!” the beast yelled. “A quiet little maid. I hate quiet maids, we need some noise here.”

He shook her hard. Senna struggled and cried. Everyone laughed loud, mean, ugly laughter that filled the hall. They didn’t care, they thought it was funny. They were beasts.

I froze and looked up at the table. Everyone was laughing except one.

King Kael.

He sat still, face hard, watching the beast holding Senna. His hand clenched a silver cup on the table.

His knuckles were white and growing whiter as he gripped the cup. His jaw was locked tight, he did not laugh.

He looked like he was going to explode.

I didn’t move. I just watched his hand and the laughing beast holding Senna. I didn’t know what would happen next. This was too much, this felt like the end for Senna.

I waited for the King to speak. I waited for the silent explosion. The room was full of loud laughter, but I only heard the silence coming from the head of the table. Kael did not move or speak. He just gripped his cup harder.