Burning Embers of Desire

chapter six

This was strange. Too strange. And to be honest, it's a little bit too freakishly bizarre. Ella gazed at the small clock on the nightstand next to her bed; it was exactly five in the morning, which was quite early for her to be awake as her duties began at seven. However, it was not the strange thing that she was noticing. It's the fact that she did not have a nightmare last night for the very first time of her full existence; instead, she had a pleasant dream in which she was surrounded by roses and sung to by a woman she could not see but whose voice was both heavenly and seductive.

This is the first time in her many years of existence that she slept comfortably, without experiencing nightmares. Why did she think it was strange? She should be happy and celebrating. Ella rubbed her face with both hands as she attempts to let the information sink in. She has been in many places before which she also slept in and had spend the night, but the nightmare never left her until she was suddenly here and it was gone?

"Nevermind." She groaned as the clock chimed, signifying that one minute had passed. After this, there was no way she could sleep again, therefore the best thing she could do is start her day early so she can rest early and maybe give herself some overthinking.

Ella climbed down from her bed and immediately mended it. It was a standard twin bed with white linens and a mattress that was soft. Their room was perfectly sized for a single individual. Ella would not really complain because she had her own wardrobe, bathroom, and the desired seclusion. The last thing she would want at this time is to share a room with any of the other maids who clearly despise her; Jude may be an exception. It would be awkward to strike up a discussion in such a manner if that did really happen. She entered the shower, had a quick bath, and immediately fixed herself. Putting on her uniform, which was black with white ruffles on the sleeves of the blouse, the skirt, and the apron. She learnt that Paula is the only one who wears a different uniform, since she is the head maiden after all, instead of black she wears a blue one with similar white ruffles and apron.

The girl inspected her appearance in the bathroom mirror to see whether her appearance was presentable. She would prefer not to be singled out on her first day due to her appearance. Paula made it abundantly obvious that everyone must be neat and clean, since the lady of the castle has a reputation for being an elegant woman whose standards are never lowered. Ella ties her hair into a ponytail with a black ribnon to match her uniform, and she applies tinted lip balm to her extremely pale lips to add color. Not only are her lips pale, but her entire skin and hair are as well. Due to her pallor, she sometimes believes that she has a terminal condition and is ready to pass away. She kept this joke to herself because if her father heard it, he would subject her to countless reprimands and tears.

After completing her grooming routine, she decided to leave her room and begin her day duties. She is confident that the majority of people are still asleep since it is so early in the morning. She looks along the dim corridor and sees nothing but closed doors. Looks like she is indeed earliest riser. What should she do now? She's not sure if there's already breakfast available for her.

"Ella?" An icy hand almost caused her to scream as it touched her shoulder. If she had, the entire castle may have become awake because of her.

"Paula! You nearly gave me heart attack!" She says, still somewhat shaking.

"Whoops, I apologize for that. I thought I was hallucinating, but thankfully I wasn't." Paula chuckles. "So why are you already dressed and up so early? It is only 5:20; your duty begins at seven if you ever forgotten?"

"I know it's still early, but I can't sleep any longer, so I've decided to start my day earlier than usual."

"You just keep impressing me. If I were you, I would still be in bed. Still, you made a wise decision by going early. You'll be one of the luckiest staffs to eat what the head chef will cook today."