Princes
Mia learned to keep her trap shut pretty quickly. There was two other maids working with her and Nicki to prepare the dining room for dinner. Mia had been given a mop and bucket to clean the already spotless floors while Nicki dusted all of the decorations. The other two girls started setting the table.
At first, she had tried asking questions. Nicki wasn't able to answer, as she was bustling around to clean. The other two maids gave her strange looks, as if talking wasn't allowed. Considering the chatter in the maids' quarters, it didn't make sense to Mia.
She soon had the large floor cleaned well, and the rug under the table was soon cleaned neatly by her hand. By the time she had finished, she had to admit - she was proud of her work. Even though she detested cleaning, there was something mildly satisfying about seeing it sparkle. Though that feeling vanished as soon as she remembered who she had just cleaned it for.
She and the other three maids barely escaped before the royal family and their guest, Lord Javier, entered. Other maids were rushing past with platters of the meal on their hands, preparing to serve them. Mia didn't miss the whispered hope of a good tip from Lord Javier.
Mia eyed Nicki as they waited to be called for clean up of the dining room after the meal. "Is it always this hectic?"
Nicki shook her head. "No. We've been short handed recently, and our pay gets docked if we start slacking off. Four new maids have applied for the job, so we should be a bit better in a few weeks."
The seasoned maid eyed Mia. "Did you never work for a large home?"
Mia replied easily, "No, just Lord Javier. He is usually by himself."
Nicki nodded instantly, believing the lie as Mia's magic swept over the woman. "Well, welcome to the big shots, Harper."
---
Two days passed, and Mia found herself nearly worked to death. After all, she wasn't used to such work. She was a thief, not a maid.
As she had the night shift, she worked all through the dark hours. That usually meant cleaning the halls and polishing the common decorations. Many times, she had caught herself eyeing something priceless and barely managed to keep her hands away. She slept during the day, which was incredibly difficult. Maids scampered around during the light, often yelling for help or dashing past, waking Mia.
Hilary, the maid before Mia, must have been a deep sleeper. Mia got nearly no sleep. By the time she began to doze, it was her shift.
She hadn't gotten the chance to get into Margaret's room yet. The Queen's sister never called for a maid at the night. In fact, none of the royals had called for a maid at night. It was as if they suddenly knew she was waiting to get into one and snoop around.
Mia was getting frustrated. She hadn't signed up to be a maid - she was here to get her thousand gold. Lord Javier had already departed, as staying for too long would be suspicious. She wanted to leave already, despising the work she was doing.
Mia would have left, if the eight hundred hold she was waiting for was being dangled in front of her nose like a carrot for a mule. Grudgingly, Mia stayed.
On her third night, Mia had been on her feet for several hours. They ached as she cleaned the hallway floors under the rugs, finally returning to the dark and empty kitchen to refill the bucket and wring out her mop.
Everyone had gone to sleep. A few maids were cleaning the kitchen silently, and one cook was dozing on a chair for on-call duty. Mia allowed her steps to be completely silent as she began to clean the bucket.
A bell rang. The cook jumped awake, rubbing his eyes and checking with bell had rung.
"It's the mid-common room," he yawned, heading toward the storage pantry. "Likely a royal wanting some tea or something or other. I'll get it ready."
Mia grimaced, but got to her aching feet. Setting down the bucket, she followed the cook as he prepared the tray. With a tea pot, a few cups in case of multiple people, sugar and honey, he set the lid over it and handed it to Mia.
"Know the way, Harper?"
All of the maids and cooks knew each other's names. They all seemed quite close, except for Mia. She was surprised the cook knew her name. Though she put on a smile, still wearing her facade.
If any of the maids, cooks, or royals had the slightest suspicion that the hardworking, quiet maid Harper was anything then just that - a maid - then she'd be amazed. She felt like asking Lord Javier for double the pay for doing such a good job hiding her true self.
"I think so. The room with the couches and lounging on the floor with the princes' rooms?"
"You got it."
Making sure to hold the tray level, she headed to the lift. The usual boy was gone, replaced with what looked like his brother. The brother took care of the night shift. He pulled the lever, taking the lift upwards. It no longer startled Mia as much.
As they moved upwards, Mia thought about the boys. The brothers likely got good pay, as they were so young. Maybe their mother was a maid of some sort. At least the royals paid the maids and cooks. They weren't servants.
The lift stopped as the boy switched the lever. He nodded at Mia, "Will you be returning this way?"
"Most likely."
"Okay. I'll stay."
"Thank you."
Mia set off down the dark hallway, heading toward the sounds of voices and light from a room. That was the room she was headed for. Over the three days, she had learned to keep her eyes straight ahead and didn't dare to look at anything she would be tempted to snatch.
She knocked on the open door, stepping into sight. Her back stiffened at the sight inside.
All four. All four of the Starling children sat inside, glancing at her expectantly. The oldest, the Crowned Prince, looked around twenty-five. The next looked at twenty-two-ish, the other sixteen, and the last thirteen. Mia realized with a start that the sixteen year old was the young man who had helped her find her way on the first day.
All of them had ash blonde hair, nearly white. The second-to-youngest had it long, to his shoulders. The rest had it cut short. Each had ranging features, but all held the same sort of resemblance. It was uncanny.
She cleared her throat. "Rang for tea, Majesties?"
They looked at the second-to-youngest in confusion. The teen shrugged. "What? I was thirsty. What else do you have?"
Mia stepped forward, into the room, trying to keep herself in check. Her heart pounded, and she kept her hands from shaking with a great effort.
If they knew my last name, I wouldn't be standing here right now.
"Honey and sugar for the tea." She bent down to the table, setting down the tray. There, she lifted the lid and began pouring one cup of tea.
"I'll have one," the eldest added. "Please."
Mia was shocked at his use of the word 'please', and that the fact that a royal knew that word, but poured another cup. Soon, each prince had a cup of tea.
Two wouldn't stop staring at her. The youngest, and the second-to-oldest. The youngest looked wary, and the other just watched her, unblinking.
Mia didn't dare look at any of them in the eye, as if that would betray her. As she set the lid back on the tray, she stood up swiftly. She needed to get away, and not give any of them the chance to even wonder about her. This was the most dangerous part of her job.
"Anything else, Majesties?"
They shook their heads until the second-to-oldest spoke up, his hazel eyes on Mia.
"Perhaps a tray of snacks? I'm feeling a bit hungry."
"Good idea," the youngest agreed instantly, eyeing his brother in relief.
Mia bit the inside of her cheek, but nodded. "Yes, Majesties. I will return." With that, she spun of her heel and left the room. As she darted back to the lift, she hissed between her teeth.
The boy looked at her in confusion as he lowered the lift. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Mia lied. "They just want more when I was hoping for a break."
"Oh."
As she returned to the dark kitchen, she glanced at the cook. "Tray of snacks for the princes?"
The cook sighed. "'Course. Hungry boys, aren't they." He pulled out another tray, and began loading prepared food onto it. Mia didn't look at it, as she headed back upstairs.
And back to the men that could very well put her in the dungeon below the palace. If they knew who she was, they certainly would. It didn't matter that she was a thief - that would only make it worse. Again, her hands wanted to shake. Then she reminded herself who she was - Moonshade. Those blasted princes may be the most dangerous thing in the world to her, but she would survive it.
Like your mother did? A snide voice said in the back of her head. Cold went down her spine and she shoved the crude thought away, focusing on keeping up her act and turning the corner.
As she re-entered the room, she didn't say a word. Hopefully, she could escape without them making note of her.
"Oh yesss!" The youngest eyed the platter, grinning. Mia set it down and lifted the lid again, setting it to the side and turning, hastily making her way to the exit. Instead, one of the brothers addressing her had her freezing in place.
"Why are you leaving?" The youngest asked curiously. "You can stay and have some if you want."
Mia felt eyes on her back as she paused at the door.
She couldn't. They were Starlings - her enemy. Besides, she was a thief hiding as a maid. She couldn't give them a reason to remember her.
"We're not going to get you in trouble for sitting with us," the oldest chuckled, apparently taking her mild disgust and apprehension as being shy. "We just like to offer breaks to our maids."
The second to youngest spoke up, "You look dead on your feet. Come on, have a snack. There's chocolate covered strawberries!"
The offer to sit down was tempting, but she had to deny it. Still, she glanced over her shoulder.
Eyes met hers - bright hazel. They were full of splashes of different colors, but Mia broke the eye-contact before she could make them out. Damn the second-to-oldest for staring at her like that.
"We're not going to hurt you," the second-to-oldest said softly. "Just because we are your employers does not mean we are above you."
That did it. Mia didn't know what to say. She had thought Starlings thought themselves better than everyone else. Now her curiosity rose.
Mia being curious was never a good thing. But she turned around, sheepishly returning. Her head ducked, and as much as she shouted at herself that this was all a bad idea, she slowly made her way back toward them.
The youngest grinned, handing her a plate of a chocolate strawberry - as promised. She felt herself withdraw a bit - she was the one that was supposed to serve them, not the over way around. Then she shook the thought from her head. She was a thief, not a maid. These were her enemies and probably just pitying her.
The youngest was sitting on the floor, the other's scattered on the couches. Mia found a lone plush chair and let herself sit daintily, nibbling on the fruit.
It was quite good, she had to admit. Fresh, and chocolate was an extremely rare treat for the poor. Only the overly rich could ever afford decent chocolate. Just more proof that the Starlings were drowning in wealth they did nothing with.
"What's your name?" One prince asked, pulling Mia from her thoughts.
"Harper," she replied. For a moment, she worried about her lie not going through, but since it was only a half-lie, it must have worked. The prince nodded.
"I'm Alexander, the oldest. That's Avery-" he gestured at the second-to-oldest. He was the one who wouldn't stop gazing at her. "-Asher-" the second to youngest, the one with longer hair, "- and Andrew. But we just call him Drew."
Drew lifted his head, mouth full of his own strawberry. "'Ello!"
Avery was still watching her, but his gaze didn't feel like a hungry-man's gaze. It was just one of curiosity. It still sent Mia on edge. She hated attention.
"Where are you from, Harper?" Asher asked.
She answered quietly, hoping they wouldn't keep asking her questions.
"Jythera."
"And you just began working for the palace?" Alexander put in, thinking. "What did you do before?"
Mia pursed her lips, preparing to test her magic. These boys were some of the most powerful men of the century - her magic might not work on them. It probably wouldn't, now that she thought about it.
"Worked for Lord Javier, Majesties."
Her heart jumped into her throat when all of them seemed hesitant as her magic washed over them, sinking into their skin and trying to convince them that she was telling the truth. Alexander narrowed his eyes a little, Avery just tilted his head, Asher nodded, and Drew frowned.
"Really?" Drew asked, looking a bit skeptical.
Alexander and Drew were the more powerful of the four brothers. Asher seemed convinced, which told Mia his power wasn't nearly as strong. Avery seemed halfway convinced. Useful information to have, she knew.
Mia pursed her lips, and nodded. She felt her magic wash over the boys again. Alexander stiffened, and Drew actually flinched. The other two just looked confused.
"Sorry," she said hastily, getting to her feet. "But I must be going, Majesties. I apologize for intruding."
Her nerves were on edge around the princes - and they weren't completely oblivious to her power. She needed to get out. They might be able to notice that her magic was close to brainwashing them whenever she lied. It was too dangerous.
As she went to set her plate down, her foot caught on something had hadn't been there a moment before and she stumbled. A hand grabbed her wrist, catching her from falling.
Mia started with a small squeak, managing to pull her wrist away from Drew. He was on his feet, and surprisingly tall for a thirteen-year-old. He was eyeing her suspiciously now. Mia's heart jumped into her throat, blocking it tightly.
She didn't like how Drew was looking at her. As if he knew who she was.
Mia didn't miss how Avery had stiffened when Drew grabbed her wrist. Her eyes flicked between them all nervously, preparing to bolt. Too dangerous, her conscience snapped. How stupid can you be, Mia?
"Mia, huh?" Drew said softly.
Mia jumped, spinning around to face the teen. He was watching her carefully.
"What?" Her voice raised a pitch in alarm. If he knew that her first name wasn't Harper, and that it was Mia, there was a good chance he knew her last name. That spelled disaster and Mia's hands started to shake, sweating.
"Your name," Drew said slowly. "Is Mia."
How in the name of the gods did he know? She wanted to bolt - she was getting too much attention. She was a thief and not supposed to be the center of watchful eyes. Especially eyes that belonged to her enemies.
"It's Mia Harper," she replied shakily, backing up a bit. Her eyes flicked between the princes. Then she spun on her heel and darted from the room before any of them could stop her. As soon as she was out of sight, she hissed between her teeth and leaned against the wall, hands in her hair and pulling.
What now? If they knew her last name, she had to run. Even without her money. She'd have to bolt quickly-
"You're sure? Her name is Mia?" She heard Avery ask Drew.
"Certain. That's how she thinks of herself, anyway."
"Did you get any explanation for why you couldn't read her?" said Alexander.
Drew seemed to shake his head from the short pause. "No. There was no thought of her magic. Although, she was definitely nervous. She even had a plan written out in case she had to run from us."
"That's to be expected," Asher put in. "She's a new maid, speaking to us no less. We can be intimating."
"Not nervous about that. She's hiding something. All I got was a sense of fear of being caught and surprise. And . . ." Drew paused. "Confusion. Confusion about Avery. And she was very wary of you, brother."
There was a heavy silence.
"How much were you able to get?" Avery finally asked. "You said you couldn't read her without contact, but you seemed to get quite a lot from about two seconds of contact."
"She's not that powerful. Enough that her walls are strong enough to block me, but once I touched her, I could get pretty deep. She pulled away quickly, though. Why was she so nervous around you, Avery?"
Avery paused to speak again, thinking. Mia held her breath as she listened. Her heartbeat was heard in her own ears, drumming against her skull.
"There's something about her. I don't know what it is."
Alexander inhaled sharply. "Soulbond, you think?"
Mia froze, panic starting to make her shake.
"I don't know. Possibly." Avery replied softly, in thought.
Before Mia could hear anything else, she dashed down the hallway. Her footsteps were completely silent as she raced, her heart beating in her chest and her breaths quick.
She had to stay away from the princes. Drew's magic was intrusive, and just touching her had allowed him to sift through her thoughts. Enough that they knew she feared the princes, was hiding something big, and was wary of Prince Avery.
And Avery. If he was truly her Soulmate, Mia was in deep trouble.