Chapter Two
I step away from the window and force my way through the group of girls who all still look below, horror struck from what they just witnessed. I sit on the edge of the closest bed, trying to keep down whatever was left in my stomach. I can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that the prince killed a man. An innocent man. Instead of simply letting the man go, the prince took his life. He didn't seem bothered by his actions which makes him seem like a monster. Does he have no conscience?
One of the girls backs away from the window and the contents of her stomach erupts and cover the floor before her. I quickly look away before the same happens to me but that doesn't help with the pungent smell.
"Adrianna, just take a deep breath." Edna says, rubbing soothing circles on the girl's back.
"He ripped his head clean off." Adrianna mumbles.
"How about someone start cleaning this up, I'll make sure Adrianna is okay." Edna helps Adrianna to her bed and sits with her, talking to her softly. I stand from my spot and begin to help the other girls clean up the mess, keeping one arm across my nose to block the smell.
"How could he do something like that, and without blinking?" One of the girls ask. "It was so effortless for him."
"He's ruthless." Edna answers. "He always has been, ever since I can remember. I admit he is very, very attractive and his eyes are amazing. But he's a killer and he'll most likely always be."
"Even so," Isabella starts, a girl with pale skin and white blonde hair. She could be mistaken for a vampire if it wasn't for the fact that she's fang less. "I thought it was against the law for a vampire to kill a human."
"That law doesn't apply to the royals." Celeste says. Her strawberry blonde hair is pulled into a bun and her glasses sit on the tip of her nose as if she were an older lady rather than a twenty year old. "The royals can do whatever they want to whomever they want. It's a perk of being royal."
"Well that's hypocritical." Nora says, her long brown hair is braided in a single braid down her back, showing off the one half of her face that was badly burned from a fire she'd been in as a child. "How can you make a law and not follow it? It's called leading by example."
"That goes back to my previous answer." Celeste says. "They're royals, they can get away with anything."
I tune out the conversation that was now a full blown argument. It must really be upsetting to them that their beloved prince would dare kill an innocent. Everything I hear about the royals is new information to me. I don't have any fantasies or expectations for the royal family to live up to. It must be nice to have an idea of what the people you work for are like.
~*~
The argument suddenly ceases as a knock sounds at the door. Celeste rushes over to answer the door. The door swings open and reveals a guard, his face as stoic as usual.
"New employees have been requested in the common room for training." He says.
"There's a common room?" Nora asks. "We weren't told of a common room."
"It's mostly used for training now." Edna explains. "We don't usually have time to use the common area. Anyway, hurry along. Celeste and I will clean up he rest of the mess."
Nora, Isabella, and I follow behind the guard. As usual, I try m best to remember the twists and turns of the hallways. At this point I feel like I'll never learn my way around this place.
We stop outside of two double doors. One door i propped open while the other remains shut. The guard motions for us to go in and we quickly do so. The room is large with black and white marble floors. The walls are covered in a grey wallpaper with intricate designs painted on them. The back wall is lined with windows that allow visual to the brilliant garden. A few couches and tables take up some space on the floor, however there's barely enough to sit fifteen people.
The man who hired me for this job stands in the center of the room. Two older women who look somewhere in their thirties stand on either side of him. Their dresses the same as ours. None of them say a word as we enter. We stand awkwardly before them unsure of what to do.
Isabella, Nora and I each share a look. Are we supposed to know what to do? We're here for training, however we aren't being instructed on anything. Slight chatter suddenly fill the common room and I notice seven other girls enter the room. Each of their dresses match ours.
"Now that you're all here, we'll begin." The man says, his voice somewhat more animated than the first time we met. "Your training today consists of proper palace cleaning. Marie and Rebecca will be in charge of your training. They have been here for over twenty years and therefore have the best knowledge of how this is done. Pay attention, for they will not go over steps twice." He looks at the women on either side of him. "They're all yours." He tells them before walking over to one of the couches to the side of the room.
Marie and Rebecca split us into two groups. Isabella is separated from Nora and I as we're grouped with other servants. There's no chance to introduce ourselves as our teacher, Marie, begins her instructions.
Despite thinking cleaning is pretty straight forward, I pay close attention. With my luck there would be a crucial step that only royal's include in their cleaning expectations. Marie shows us the best way to fold a cloth depending on the size location we're cleaning. She even shows us the recipe to a special cleaning solution that won't overpower the royal's senses. She shows us the best way to clean the smallest crystals of the chandeliers, and the fastest way to clean the floor.
A sudden loud gasp echoes through the room and our heads snap up. I follow the gazes of the other girls to the back windows and then I see. Just outside the window Prince Demetri walks through the garden, heading this way towards the palace. His face is expressionless as usual, as he casually walks through the garden.
I think of the moment just minutes ago with the young boy just outside our bedroom window. Is this where he disappeared to after what he did? I try to catch a glimpse of his hands, wondering if the blood is still there. I share a look with my roommates as we each relive the incident from before. The other girls in the room start to chatter as they admire the prince from afar.
"Quiet!" The man who ordered us here suddenly shouts. He stands from his spot on the couch and walks over to draw the curtains across the windows. "You were brought here to train, not to live a fantasy in your little heads. Back to work!" He orders us before walking back to his place on the couch.
Marie and Rebecca grab our attentions again before continuing their lesson. Though the curtains are closed and the chatter has stopped, it's obvious the other girls have their minds on something else. I shake the image of the beheaded boy and the Prince with his possibly still bloodied hands from my mind. I focus my attention on properly cleaning the floor like I was taught.
Some time passes before we're all finally dismissed. Marie and Rebecca leave first, probably needing to be somewhere else. Some of the other girls find seats on the couch and talk with one another, using the common room for what it's supposed to be for.
"Are you going back to the room Elizabeth?" Nora asks me.
"If I can find my way there." I reply.
"Between Isabella and I, we know the way. We can all go together." She gives me a small smile.
"Thank you." I say before following her towards the exit. Isabella meets us there and gives us a small smile.
Just as we step outside a figure brushes against my shoulder as it goes by. I pause and look up to see the Prince's sapphire blue eyes looking down at me. My breath catches for a moment as I stare unable to make myself move for a moment. A hard nudge in my arm snaps me from my trance and I look over to see Isabella and Nora in their curtsy position. I look back towards the Prince to see he's still staring at me with that expressionless face. Feeling somewhat stupid, I cast my eyes towards the floor as I finally get into my curtsy position.
"Sorry." I whisper, unable to make it any louder. I look up at him and catch the slightest movement of his brow furrowing before he turns and continues down the hall. My eyes shift to his hands and I see they are blood free. No trace of what he did to that young boy.
"He was so close." Nora says after the Prince turns down another hall and disappears. "Ellie, you're lucky he didn't hurt you for not showing respect. After what he did that boy I wouldn't be surprised if the smallest things pissed him off."
"He took me by surprise. I wasn't thinking." I explain. But she's right. Who knows what could send him into a murderous frenzy?
When we arrived back to our room the vomit was cleaned up and Adrianna was sitting at the edge of her bed looking much better. Edna announced that it was time for us to retrieve the trays we delivered to the royals this morning. Unfortunately the girls who delivered the Princess's tray refused to retrieve it claiming to be too intimidated by her.
"You don't mind switching with them do you Ellie?" Edna asks, a sympathetic look on her face. I really want to refuse just as the other girls had, but I feel that would be wrong of me to do. There is nothing but fear on the two girl's faces. The least I could do is give them a break.
"Not at all." I lie, giving a small smile. I truly hope I'm not making a mistake. After briefly seeing the Princess, it's obvious that she's the farthest thing from nice and truly hope I don't screw up and end up on her bad side.
"Great, then we'll go this way." Edna takes hold of my wrist and leads me down the hall. Just as before, I follow Edna down a series of hallways until we stop in front of a tall wooden door. Edna knocks twice before pushing the door open. With no surprise, the Princess's room is just as luxurious as the King's. A small sitting area with a grand fireplace made of stone sits to one side. On the back wall are two open windows that reveal the beautiful moon and stars. To the opposite side of the small sitting area, a large bed sits atop a platform with a thick white bedspread. Many pillows are neatly stacked on top and a white canopy flows around the head of the bed. The walls are a nice shade of blue with a cream colored paneling.
The princess sits on her bed with one leg crossed over the other. Her gorgeous purple gown flows around her. Many braids are styled into her thick black hair on top of her head. She frowns at us as we enter and I'm beginning to think it's permanently etched onto her face.
"Your highness." Edna greets her with a curtsy. I quickly follow her actions, ignoring my growing fear. "We've come to retrieve your tray ma'am."
"Well it took you long enough." The Princess snaps. "It's there on the coffee table. "
Edna quickly makes her way to the tray on the table as I wait patiently. I can feel the Princess's gaze burning a hole into me, but I refuse to look in her direction. Who knows what would happen if I did.
"Why are you doing all of the heavy lifting?" Princess Rose asks Edna. "That hardly seems fair."
"She's only learning your highness." Edna explains. She comes to stand by my side and my fear begins to dissipate, as if she's a wall that protects me from the Princess's wrath. "I'm simply showing her how it should be done."
"You deliver the tray, and later you retrieve the tray. It is as simple as that. What more is there to know?"
"How am I to know where to deliver the tray?" I'm unable to stop myself from answering the question. Of course it was rhetorical but I truly don't know what happens after this step.
"Talk back to me again and I will rip out your tongue." Princess Rose barks. A hostile expression takes over her features, sending a chill down my spine. "You, girl with the tray, you are free to leave. The bag of bones will be staying to clean my room."
I flinch at her insult. I've never been called a bag of bones, but I've also never run into a person like Princess Rose. She's blunt, cruel, and frightening.
"Get started immediately." She orders. "I want my room to be spotless. I will check your work after it is completed."
Her room is already spotless. There's not a single thing out of place, and there's not a speck of dust I can see. But I've made one mistake of not holding my tongue, I won't make it again.
Edna curtsies to the Princess before slipping out the door. My protective wall is gone and now the fear is settling in again. I pull my new cleaning rag from my pocket. Our instructors had distributed them during our cleaning lesson and stressed that we carry them with us wherever we go. Now I see why. I started with wiping down her coffee table then moved on to the fireplace. I made sure to clean every curve and in every groove. I'm sure if I leave just a speck of dust she'll rip me apart in seconds. I washed the glass windows and tidied the bed. It's impossible not to imagine lying down on this bed and curling up under the silk sheets. Princess Rose has everything and she takes it all for granted. A few hours in my shoes and she'd see just how lucky she is.
When finally finished, I interrupt the Princess from a book she's reading. I nervously catch her attention and lower my head. "I'm finished your highness." I mutter.
"I'll be the judge of that." She says sternly, setting her book aside and standing to circle the room. I twiddle my fingers and bounce nervously as I wait for her verdict. "Hm, I suppose this is good enough." She looks me up and down and frowns. "You're free to leave. Your appearance sickens me."
Without a word, I curtsy and leave the room. As the door closes, I press my back against it and close my eyes as I heave a sigh. "That wasn't so bad." I tell myself, my fear slowly beginning to dissipate. If I can make it through that then I can make it through anything.
I relax and open my eyes to look both ways down the hallway. I'm almost positive Edna and I came from the right, but I'm not completely sure. If only she'd waited for me to finish, but I'm sure she had better things to do. I went right, hoping that my memory is serving its purpose. I follow the hallway and make turns as I think I remember them. I wonder how long it took Edna to map out this palace. Did it take her days, months, or even years?
The faint sound of a beautiful melody suddenly catches my attention. A piano. I follow the beautiful sound eagerly wishing to hear the rest of the song. I follow the music around the corner and to a large door that's slightly ajar. I stand just outside the door and listen to the beautiful music. Its melody is bright, however the pauses and rhythm make it sound somewhat sad.
I let my curiosity get the best of me as I crouch down and peek inside to see the artist of such beautiful music. In the middle of the enormous room surrounded by endless shelves of books is a large black piano. The one tickling its ivories is non other than the Prince. His fingers dance gracefully across the keys as he reads invisible sheet music behind his closed eyes. He sways just slightly to the music as he plays the melody passionately. I never would have thought someone so cold-hearted and expressionless could channel that much emotion to create something so beautiful.
The Prince suddenly pauses, the music stopping. My heart begins to race as I hide behind the door once again. Did I make some type of noise to give myself away? The music was so loud there's no way he could know I'm here. I quietly try to stand to make my escape but before I can, the door behind me opens and I fall inside.
I fall on my back and looking up, I see the Prince looking down at me. For the first time since I arrived, his face isn't expressionless. His jaw clenches and unclenches as his eyes, like blue flames, glare down at me. A chill runs up my spine as I realize I've been caught doing something a commoner should never do. Spy on a royal. I want to apologize, beg for my life even, but I can't make the words leave my mouth.
He suddenly reaches down so fast that his movement is a blur. He grabs a fistful of my hair and pulls me to my knees. I wince and let out a cry of pain. I instinctively claw at his hand trying to free myself as tears streak my cheeks.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He growls, my attempts at freedom obviously having no effect.
"I-I'm sorry." I cry out.
"Sorry? Do you know the penalty for spying?" His grip tightens slightly and I let out a small whimper.
"I'm sorry. I was just passing by. I'm sorry. Please don't kill me."
"Why shouldn't I, peasant?" He snaps. "That is the penalty, isn't it?"
"Please, please!" I beg. "My parent's lives depend on this job. Please! It'll never happen again, I swear." An image of my parents come to mind. Their bodies nearly as skinny as mine. My mother's tired, hollowed face as her body is slowly overcome by the aggressively spreading cancer. They need this money more than anything in this world. They won't survive without it. If I die now, it'll be all over for them.
His grip slowly loosens before he finally releases me. I don't move as I take a few deep breaths to calm myself. I hesitantly look over to see the Prince sitting on the piano bench again. He stares at me, not really seeming to see me anymore.
I wipe my tears as I look at him expectantly, needing some indication whether I'm being spared or not. I reach up and gently start fixing my hair. That seems to snap him out of his thoughts as his eyes focus on me.
"Get out." He says, his voice soft but still stern. A wave of relief washes over me as I scramble to my feet and rush to the door. "Speak of this to anyone and I'll..."
"You'll kill me." I finish quietly for him. I nod my understanding before slipping out the door and rushing down the hall, unsure of which direction I'm going.
When I feel I'm far enough away I stop and lean against the wall to catch my breath. I was almost the Prince's second victim tonight. It's only my first night here as a servant and I've barely survived. My father had every reason to forbid me from working here. If he knew the things that happened here tonight, he would give me a big fat "I told you so". I smile slightly at the thought.
I wonder what my parents are doing now. Now that I'm gone my father will have to scavenge for food on his own. I hate to do that to him. Leaving my mother home alone was something he never wanted to do. With her illness she needs constant care. Around this time Father should be returning home with what he was able scrounge up, if anything. I just hope soon my first paycheck will be getting to them. I hope soon they won't be suffering anymore.
~*~
While wandering the halls still in search of my room, a sudden mass of workers fill the halls. Confused by the sudden group, I join in and follow them. Given the large size, we must have been summoned by the King, or luckily it's time to eat. My stomach growls at the thought of food.
Soon I stand in the middle of the throne room before those three enormous thrones just as I had earlier today. I realize there's no particular grouping so I move around in search of Edna. She has to be here right? The entire palace staff seems to be present.
I use my slight figure to maneuver my way through the mass of people, but I seem to be getting nowhere. The amount of people in this one room is far too great. Edna is just another face lost in the crowd.
King Lucien makes his appearance, forcing me to direct my attention to him. He wears a grey suit with the top few buttons open on the dark dress shirt beneath as if he'd rushed to get ready.
"I have called you all here to inform you of the ball we will be hosting tomorrow night." King Lucien starts, his voice filling the entire room. "Only those of the highest titles will be present and you will be expected to carry out their every need. I expect the servants to clean this room floor to ceiling and prepare every guestroom for our guests who may stay overnight. For the kitchen staff I will send out the food selections tonight. Make sure everything is made only from the freshest ingredients. The ball will be held here in the ball room at 9:00 and I expect everything to be in order no later than 8:45. Am I clear?"
A royal ball. I've always dreamed of going to a royal ball, however that was always out of the question due to our living circumstances. Only occasionally would the royals hold a ball that commoners could attend, but because of my families struggles, anything we could scrounge up to wear would never be suitable enough for a royal ball. It used to always upset me, but I knew that I had bigger things to worry about than some dance.
"Yes sir." We all confirm.
"Good, then you are all dismissed." The group becomes and mass of bows and curtsies as we show respect to the king.
As everyone begins to leave the room, I try searching for Edna once more with no luck. Even if she was looking for me too, she'd never find me in this crowd. Eventually I'm the only one left in the room and Edna is once again gone. I'm beginning to think I'll never make it back to my room.
"Excuse me dear." The King says from behind me. I stiffen, afraid I'm going to get in trouble for still being in his presence. I thought he left before any of us. If I'd known he was till here, I would have left promptly with the others. I slowly turn to face him and give him a curtsy. "Deliver this to my son." He holds out a blank envelope and I nervously take it. "Be sure to stress that it's very important he reads it tonight."
"Um, yes sir." I say with a nod. Without another word he leaves in the opposite direction, leaving me to search for the Prince's room on my own.
I carry the unmarked envelop down the hall as I pointlessly search for the Prince's room. I've never been to the Prince's room, so how am I going to get this very important letter to him? What if it has something to do with the ball tomorrow, or some kind of emergency and he doesn't red it in time because of me? I really don't want that on my conscience.
"You there!" Someone shouts making me jump. A guard approaches me from a side hall. He wears a frown on his face, and I can already tell I'm about to get in trouble. "What are you doing wandering in this wing?" the guard asks when he reaches me.
"I was ordered by the King to deliver this letter to Prince Demetri." I explain as I hold up the letter for proof. He snatches it from me and turns it in his hands a couple times before opening it. "I don't think the King would want just anyone reading that." I say, stopping his movements. He glares down at me and I hold my hand out for the letter. He lets out a grunt before shoving the letter back at me.
"Well, you're going the wrong way." He says. "The Prince's room is in the opposite direction. Follow this hall to the end, turn left, and it's the second door on the left."
"Thank you." I say with a smile before turning and following the guard's directions.
With every step closer to the prince's room I become nervous. The last time we met I barely escaped with my life. Who's to say he won't feel murderous just seeing me again?
I come to his door and take a deep breath before knocking twice. The door begins to open and the moment the door became slightly ajar, the sound of loud music escapes into the hall. I interpret that as my cue to enter. I hesitantly step inside the room and the letter falls from my hands as I clamp my hand over my mouth to suppress a scream. Blood. That's the first thing my eyes see. Three girls dance around the room wearing nothing but their underwear. Crimson red, bleeding punctures cover each of their skin. They dance happily as if they feel absolutely nothing.
The door suddenly slams closed behind me and I let out a yelp as I nearly jump out of my skin. I look over to see the Prince right beside me. He holds a fourth girl tightly in his arms with his head buried in her craned neck as he drinks as much blood as he can swallow. A pleasured sigh escaped the girl's lips as the Prince's hands roamed her body freely.
What is happening? What is this? These girls are so calm while the Prince is slowly drinking them dry one by one. I want to believe he trapped them here for his own pleasure, but the way these girls are smiling and dancing makes it obvious that's not the case. They're so caught up in his looks and title that they'll let him do anything he pleases to them. Even if it it ends in death.
Prince Demetri lifts his head from the girl's neck and my heart races faster. His eyes lock with mine and this time the expressionless face is back. His lips are dark with fresh blood and a single trickle runs down the corner of his mouth. He licks his lips and catches the trickle with his thumb before leaning in and whispering something in the girl's ear, his eyes never leaving mine. The girl giggles and walks away to join the other three dancing girls.
Prince Demetri moves towards me and my heart feels as if it's going to beat out of my chest. He stops directly in front of me and stares into my eyes a moment longer before kneeling in front of me and picking up the letter I'd dropped. I release a breath I didn't realize I was holding as I realize he's not going to hurt me. Yet. He stands and looks at me with raised brows.
"I'm sorry." I apologize as I finally curtsy. I wonder how many times I've apologized to him today. "The King asked me to deliver that letter to you." I explain. "He said it's very important you read it tonight."
He looks at the letter in his hand. I notice the red thumb print now stained on it from the blood he wiped just seconds ago. His eyes meet with mine as he tucks the letter in the back of his pants.
"You're the girl from before." He says. "The one I caught spying."
I gulp. I was hoping he would take the letter and let me leave. Why is he bringing the spying incident up again? "I'm sorry about that." I say as sincerely as possible. "Your playing was just so beautiful, I had to stop and listen for a minute."
"That's no excuse." His arm extends towards me and I flinch preparing for the blow. Instead, he gently takes my arm. He holds it up as if examining it. "You're so skinny." He says with a slight frown. "I can easily see the bones and veins in your body."
I scoff as I pull my arm from his grasp. He looks at me in shock and my expression matches his. I didn't mean to do that. For a moment I forgot who he is. I swear he must think I'm begging for him to kill me. I open my mouth to say yet another apology when one of the four girls cuts me off.
"Prince Demetri." She whines. "Aren't you still hungry? We're lonely over here." The four girls each hold out their wrists. Punctures are already visible on all of them. Two of them still trickle fresh blood. They want him to suck them dry. They don't have a single care or worry.
"You're not afraid." He states, ignoring the four girls.
"Afraid?" I ask stupidly, trying to keep the tremble out of my voice.
"I'm sure you've realized that none of these girls will be returning home. I could easily kill you too. Right now where you stand. You've seen me do it before. To that servant boy." I flash back to the fear in the boy's eyes and how easily Prince Demetri decided his fate. He recognizes me from that moment?
"If you wanted to kill me, why haven't you done it yet?" I ask. I know I'm challenging him, but either way my fate is in his hands. I'm in his room, with no witnesses besides the future corpses dancing in the middle of his room. Twice I've been alone with him behind closed doors and each time my life was threatened with no action. What is he waiting for?
He stares into my eyes for a moment before a small smile begins to stretch across his face
The sight nearly makes my heart melt. It's beautiful. If only he'd do it more often.
"Prince Demetri." The girl whines once more. This time she approaches him and holds her wrist to his mouth. "Please?" She begs as she presses her body against his. The Prince glances down at her wrist briefly before returning his gaze to me.
"I'll be on my way then." I curtsy. "Sorry again for... everything." I exit his room and lean my back against his now closed door, heaving a sigh. I'm not sure if I can survive anymore encounters with the Prince. Twice I've managed to talk myself out of death tonight and honestly the toll has worn me out. At this point I'm not sure if there's some small sliver of forgiveness inside him that he's trying to hide, or if I have some magical power of talking myself out of bad situations. Which ever it is, I'd really prefer not to push my luck any further.
***************************************************************************************Cover made by: xXMinion_GirlXx