Eva the Maid

  I had heard of many things, nothing as absurd as this, that King Dine apparently was never an heir to the throne, and that he had massacred everyone to claim it. No one can deny Sir Dine was a splendid swordsman, in fact the best in the kingdom! He was a kind man and brave soldier, at the mere age of 14 he had already claimed 2 victories from the invading kingdom of Casrohe. At the age of 17 he had claimed the territory of Ysmor and at the age of 19 he had accomplished great feats at The War of 4 Kingdoms, leading the army to a victory, allowing the expansion of our kingdom, Lafnar.

  I still remember the rejoicing in people's mouths at the news of his coronation, with his achievements it was a given. Word of his relationship with the deceased king resurfaced and circulated– with some doubting him to be his ‘capable illegitimate’ son. People claimed that the right to the throne could very well be his if they wished it to be.

  And therefore I was daft to hear such ill rumors in the palace grounds– the murders.

  However, whether such rumours held a candle to the truth was not my business. I am just a poor woman trying my best to live my life the best I can. This palace is where I intend to start my journey!

  Mother, Father, I pray for your safety, and I pray I earn enough to bring us out of poverty.

  My daily life was quite tiring, and very boring. As a maid assigned mainly to the kitchen and laundry, my time here had no excitement, thus when Queen Ren with her personal maids, had visited the kitchen the atmosphere had sullen with anticipation.

  I, however, had never been so excited.

  When I looked at the Queen, elegance was all I could descry. The faint sweet smell of roses and jasmine clogged my nose and I stared at her, while everyone’s gazes followed the floor. The sun’s reflection shone on her black hair which was held in place with two long hairpins. At the end of both dangled beautiful beads on a long chain and gems embedded on handcrafted flowers, glistening from the soft sunlight. She raised her hand holding a wooden fan with delicate designs and flapped it open to cover half her face. Despite that her brown eyes mesmerised me. Her eyelids were tinted in a soft peach colour, making them even more alluring. I could understand why many men would never look at them. Her wide sleeves were intricately embroidered with golden threads, her dress flowed like a fairy’s wings, which made me wonder if I was looking at a fairy or a human.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Such a revered Queen of ours, I envied.

  Oh how I wished I was her. True she was a noble borned to the kingdom of Casrohe, and I was a commoner, I could still dream– dream of being a princess or a queen. The clothes, the luxury, the elegance, I wish it were mine.

  She stared at the pot that boiled on the stove.

  "Wha-t- brings Our Queen to this humble workplace?" the head chef's voice trembled.

  Her gaze shifted to the corner of the table, where food was being processed. Her silence was deafening. The air around us felt strangely heavy.

  She snapped her hand fan and pointed it at me, "You there!".

  Me?

  Realising that I had been gawking at her, I instinctively lowered my gaze trying to rectify my mistake, "...Ye-s-.." I stuttered. Did she really call for me? My heartbeats were too loud for me to comprehend the situation I was in.

  "What is your name?" she asked, her voice soft and slow.

  "Eva-" my voice quivered.

  She went silent again. I could hear her hand fan flare open. After the silence that almost claimed my life I heard her footsteps walk away. It wasn't until she had reached the entrance that she paused her steps and spoke,"Come, follow me." Her footsteps resumed out the kitchen and so did her maids.

  My mind still blank waited for the picture to be painted.

  "What are you doing Eva, run!" the chef hurried at me.

  Before the picture could be completed I ran to the hall where I found the faint fragrance of jasmine and rose, leaving its traces behind. Not long before I silently followed it, I found her walking through the hallways. Seeing me join their company, her personal maids whispered to each other.

  I was not aware of the topic, but I was certain that it pertained to me. My heart however was beyond afraid– was I going to be punished?

  ***