KINGSLAYER

♕ 7 | 4 ♕

Off to the right, there was a doorless threshold that led to a series of rooms with as many beds crammed into them as possible. The layout was like that of a dormitory. Jaylah looked for valuables—not heirlooms nor gems but letters written from family members or little knickknacks—on the bedside tables. There were hardly any. Furthermore, the servants seemed to have barely enough space for any personal items at all, including fresh clothing. Most had nothing but a few flat suitcases shoved under the rickety bed frames. Then, with displeasure, it occurred to Jaylah that each was only allowed one suitcase and that the ones with two were from servants who had to double up on beds. There were not enough for everyone to sleep normally.

Striding over the perfectly-swept floors, Jaylah found herself in what seemed to be an office. A man with a bald head that shone in the candlelight seemed to have been speaking gruffly to three maids before the two women entered, but all of them fell into silent veneration when they saw her.

"Your Majesty, what a surprise," the man, who Jaylah suspected was the supervisor, said with a flourish of a bow. The maid closest to him winced at his sudden arm movement. It did not go unnoticed.

"I have merely been looking into the palace's staff, being sure that everything is to my liking." Jaylah forced benevolence into her voice, though the maids' scared faces from before were burned into her memory. "Even in the deepest, darkest corners of the palace such as this place. I wish for everyone here to be held to the highest standard."

"Of course, Your Majesty," the overseer said, closing his eyes in firm agreement. But when he opened them, he gave the maids a sidelong glance as if to demand, Are you listening? But she was not talking about them.

Correcting him would be impolite. So Jaylah simply gave a quick glance around the room, while she knew all four of them held their breaths. This entire space was too large for one man's office. It would be better cleared out to make more room for the servants' quarters. The thought was vague as her gaze honed in on the dark cup of tea on his desk. Nearly cooled.

"It seems all is well. I will return shortly to be sure this is upheld." With that, Jaylah turned from the room and left. For several moments upon her departure, they held their tongues for fear of risking her displeasure.

But just as she and Antinoch were heading through the doors, Jaylah heard the supervisor's hushed scolding begin again. He thought she could not hear, but the marble walls carried sound spectacularly.

Jaylah glanced to Antinoch, who was blank-faced and vacant-eyed. She did not know much about her, but one did not simply become hired to be the Queen's aide, especially not at Antinoch's young age of twenty-two. She was given to the palace as a young girl and had to work up the ranks. So Jaylah suspected being within the servants quarters where she would have lived before was less than enjoyable for her. Jaylah wondered if she warned her against going down there for fear of what they may encounter the supervisor doing. And if he had done anything to her.

"It is quite dark down here," Jaylah said, making a point of speaking to her aide. "Let us go to the gardens."

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It was a relatively cool day outside, and the sun darted behind patches of textured clouds from time to time. Bees buzzed nearby. It was a standard day in Oceana, but beautiful regardless. Moments like these were the ones Jaylah dreamed of while sleeping in shabby Paragonian inns.

The vibrancy of the gardens reminded Jaylah of her childhood, running in circles along the grass pathways, chasing Ourania with cattails before she was allowed to handle swords. Her sister always sought reprieve behind their mother's skirts to hide from her.