Over Powered

Chapter 4

It wasn't hard at all for Alaina to get into the summer house of the Emperor again. All she had to do was slip into the servants' quarters and swap places with a servant that would go unnoticed. This was easy to do because no one wanted to be a servant for the Emperor.

Alaina quickly changed into some extra cloths from the servant and told her where to go to meet her companions. The servant was quickly out of the way and this left Alaina alone in the servant's room. She sighed and looked out the window where she had come in. She walked across the floor, coming to a stop in front of a floor length mirror.

She sighed and twisted slightly to see the back of her. The outfits hasn't changed sense she had last been a servant herself. They were plane, white, like everything else in the place. The dress had quarter length sleeves and ended just about her knees. The dress was tight around her rib cage but it would fit her in a few days.

Her shoes were plain, white flats with a several scratches on the white leather. Alaina guessed this was a result of the servant girl tripping constantly. Alaina would have to act clumsy or they would suspect. This was something Alaina knew she could manage. Before going to the tribe Alaina had been a clumsy, shy servant girl herself.

She remembered the cold nights under her thin blankets, planing her escape from day one. She had almost made it out, then she was caught because the Emperor's daughter had stopped her to tighten her corset. When Alaina had finished the guards had noticed her gone and were after her. She should have been out by then, but she had liked the Emperor's daughter, was friends with her even. If she hadn't had stopped, she wouldn't have been caught around the corner, throwing into a cell, and beaten for trying to leave.

The Emperor's daughter came to visit her often, tending to her wounds. They would talk and do each other's hair, as if nothing was wrong. When the Emperor found out, he had ordered Alaina to be killed. His daughter had begged him not to, but he wouldn't listen to his daughter. He had told her to shut her mouth and look pretty like she was supposed to or he would kill her next.

She had no choice. The day before Alaina was ordered to be killed she came to see her one last time. She had cried in Alaina's arms for hours, all while coughing, sneezing and wheezing.

The next day a guard had told her that she would not be executed for another three days because the Emperor's daughter had fallen ill. Two days later news came that the Emperor's daughter was dead.

Alaina had cried for hours, then began to study her cell wall. She had stopped eating and didn't keep track of the days as they went by. Her only friend was gone, her family had been killed months before, there was no reason to live. She felt the world's problems cave in on her. She then became ill as well. The guards feared a plague was upon the Emperor's castle and would not execute a sick person in fear of it spreading.

That night, some women had come down to her cell, opened the doors and helped her escape. She had woken up three days later with Cathy quietly singing to her while putting clean water into a flower vase.

Alaina had been thirteen when she was rescued. That was four years ago. To be back in the same spot she had started, was heart breaking. She sighed again and went to hide her old cloths from the tribe before they could be discovered. She had a mission, the sooner she completed it, the sooner she was out again.

Besides, Alaina was no longer a weak, clumsy, shy, little girl. She was a strong, graceful, intelligent women now. She could take care of herself if needed. She did not need people to try to protect her anymore.

A knock sounded at the door signaling time to begin the day. The sun had barley begun to raise over the forest outside her window. The knock sounded again. Alaina tore her eyes away from the highlighted forest, and opened the door.

"Yes." She said simply tilting her chin up at the person standing in front of her.

"Time to get up." A tall women demanded. "Brush your hair then go check your chores for the day."

Alaina stood there staring in to the eyes of the other women. The women became aggravated quickly and leaned over Alaina.

"Are you deaf today, Nikki?" The women threatened Alaina.

"No, m'am." Alaina answered shortly. She turned to close the door when the women grabbed her arm. "Ow." Alaina complained.

"You look different." The women said squinting her eyes. "Did you get taller?"

Alaina nodded and pulled her arm out of the women's grasp. "I have. Thank you for noticing. Good day." Alaina slammed the door shut and brushed out her blonde hair. "I hate her already." Alaina said to herself.

She then opened the door and continued to fallow the other girls and women to look a chart labeled "Chores".

Alaina looked up at the chart and looked for the name of the servant she had taken the place of. She found the name "Nikki" and looked at the chore next to the name.

"Clean room 427" was all it said.

Alaina sighed then went to retrieve a bucket with water and a rag for the floors. Along with a basket for laundry and window cleaner.

"Welcome back." Alaina mutters to herself.