“Milady,” they bowed. “We were instructed to bring your dinner here.” Then, they stepped in quietly, their footsteps soft against the polished floor. The scent of warm food drifted into the room, rich and comforting, completely at odds with the storm raging inside me.And then, there were blood replenishing tonics and strength boosting tea. I had seen them before, on my first night with Talahei. With Head Maid Lira’s instructions, they set the trays down and stepped aside. Their heads bowed low. Those carrying wooden containers filled with water, filled past, towards the wash room. Fifteen or so of them. Done, they all bowed, “Milady, enjoy your meal,” and left. The word echoed in my ears, louder than it should have been.My fingers curled slightly at my sides, my breath catching in my throat as I stared at them leave, in a straight line, unable to process what I was seeing.This wasn’t right.Nothing about this was right.Why were they acting like this was normal? Why wasn’t a
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