The Queen's Maid

two

A/N: I would like to add a disclaimer that I do not have a foot fetish :'D Please believe me.

***

We knelt and took our positions in front of the sliding door. The head palace lady sat in the middle, elegant and graceful, her head slightly bent and her arms modestly hidden in her robes. I sat behind her to the side, bowing as low as I could while holding the tray of fruit and dessert the chefs had spent yet another hour preparing.

"Keep your head down and follow my lead," the Sanggung instructed in a sharp whisper. "Don't you dare do anything that would upset the Queen. I need her to be in a good mood."

"Yes, Sanggung," I muttered, keeping my body crouched and my eyes on the floor.

She had said the same thing to me in the morning, before I had first met the Queen, before the royal chefs' dishes had been scattered onto the ground. I gulped. The Queen had not been in a good mood then, and I did not know if that would change now.

The head palace lady cleared her throat and announced our arrival. A lady-in-waiting opened the door for us. We bowed as low as our ranks required us to—the Sanggung to her waist, and I till my nose touched the wooden floor.

I followed the older woman as we stood up and scurried into the room. When she sat down again, I knelt by her side, placing the tray of food next to her.

I tried my best not to look around, but the dim lighting and floor mattress were enough to tell me what this new room was—and my stomach lurched at the realization.

This was the Queen's bedchamber. This was where she slept.

I had to stop myself from gasping out loud.

"Your Majesty," the head palace lady greeted. She lifted a bowl of honeyed water steeped with magnolia berries and pear slices. "I brought you a bowl of fresh hwachae."

I could see the mattress shifting from the corner of my eyes. Amidst the shuffling noises, there was a soft sigh. A breathy, bewitching sigh.

And then, the familiar pair of feet appeared. My eyes widened.

Once again, I could not stop looking at the Queen, at what I was allowed to see of her. This time, the crimson silk robe was gone, exposing the ankles and the white inner pants. As the Queen folded her legs to the side, her pale feet pressed against the floor mattress like steamed rice cakes stacked on bamboo leaves. And for the first time, I could see her soles. They were unbelievably smooth and flawless, as though the Queen had never walked more than a meter out of this comfortable room.

My heart raced, and I had to clench my fists on my knees. This was the barest I have ever seen of the Queen or any of my previous masters. This almost felt... wrong.

The Queen took a few gulps of the hwachae before the head palace lady added, "I also brought you your favorite peaches, Your Majesty. They are in season right now."

The peaches—which the Sanggung had made me peel and cut meticulously in the kitchen—were part of her grand plan to feed the Queen. Under the bed of peaches was a layer of red bean glutinous rice sprinkled with as many beans and nuts as possible. It was not as nutritious as a full meal, but it was still better than nothing.

Silence ensued.

"Who is she?"

My breath hitched in my throat.

There was a small pause before the head palace lady let out a nervous chuckle. "Do you mean this maid, Your Majesty? She is new here."

I felt my cheeks warming. Why was the Queen asking about me? I bit my lips and lowered my head even more.