Her Fair Maiden

Into the Lion's Den

    ——————————————
     You jolt awake and immediately look at the grandfather clock in the corner. It reads six fifty-three. Another no breakfast morning.
     You're still in uniform and wearing the same bun you put up yesterday. Though it looks more like a rat's nest now.
     Last night's visit feels more like a hazy dream than reality. If she hadn't stroked your hair, you'd guess it was nothing more than a figment of your imagination.
     Why the sudden turnaround? Didn't she just admit that you were a mistake? What can you do to fix this complicated relationship?
     No. This isn't the time to think about it. You need to get your head out of the gutter and get to work. It's only your second day, and if you spend all your time mulling over something your boss said, you won't survive.
     You pull the light blanket off and get up. Before leaving, you fold the cover and put it on the back of the couch.
     In a rush, you go to your room for the daily itinerary. Luckily, most of the foot traffic is gone by the time you arrive at the servant wing.
     Once you're at your door, you notice that it's slightly cracked open. One of your roommates must still be inside. For once, you hope it's Viviani.
     You push your way through, and lo and behold, there she stands. She turns around from your shared nightstand, locking eyes with you. There is not an ounce of resentment in those big, brown, doe eyes.
     You swiftly cross the room. Before she can even register your movement, you're in her arms. She lets out a small "Oh."
     "I'm sorry," you mumble. "You were right."
     She wraps one arm around your waist and places a comforting hand on the back of your head. "I'm sorry too."
     "Why?"
     She pulls out of the embrace and places her hands on your shoulders. "I was too harsh, and it was your first day. I remember mine. It was bad enough without the added drama. There are hundreds of better ways I could've handled that situation."
    "Meanwhile I was thinking you needed to be harsher," you admit. "After all, I didn't heed your warning."
    "Sometimes you have to make mistakes to learn from them. I know I've had to."
     "Thank you, Viv."
     "And thank you, Antanasia." She smiles, and another thought comes to her. "Oh, before we head out, somebody dropped these off yesterday afternoon." She gestures behind her.
You look over her shoulder at the mystery thing. A flawed, tea-green vase sits on the nightstand with a pristine red rose in it. The red of lovers.
Viviani must see right through you, going off your facial expression alone. "It's from her, isn't it?"
"Yeah," you say quietly, "yeah, it is."
"Do you want me to get rid of it?"
"No. It was her finest out of the entire garden. I can't let it go to waste."
"I can't help but feel like this is going to do more harm than good." You look at her in conflict. "But it's your decision."
"I want to keep it. At least for a few days."
"Very well then. Tell me if you change your mind."
"Will do."
"Come on," she says, "let's go get breakfast. I can imagine you didn't eat a lot yesterday."
"Right. Yeah, I'm starved," you fib, remembering yesterday. I don't want my workers to starve to death. "Wait, it's past seven. How are we—"
"I knew I was going to be late, so I asked Irini to grab some extra. We can share."
     "Are you sure? That can't be enough as is."
     "It's the least I can do."
     "Thank you."
You start to walk off as she stays still. "Forgetting something?" she queries. In her hand is your itinerary.
"Ah, yes." Once you grab it, you're off to breakfast.
     The two of you enter the dining hall in the same manner as yesterday: heads high, backs straight, and eyes forward. There's no sign of buzzing or heavy footsteps. Still, you can't shake the feeling that you're being watched.
     A few steps away from the table, you lock eyes with Irini, whose mouth is agape. Next to her, a fork plummets onto a plate, causing a loud crash. Jules wears an even more shocked expression on her face.
"Was that really necessary?" Viviani deadpans.
Juliani points, gesturing between Viv and you. "You guys are standing next to each other. And look happy. How did I miss so much in thirty minutes?"
"I think you mean to say, how did we miss so much in thirty minutes?" Irini asks.
"It's amazing what a good night's sleep can do," you say.
"Where are you even sleeping?!" Juliani inquires.
"In the library. Same as the night before last."
"You slept in there again?" Viv questions.
"Yeah. It's not a huge deal. The loveseat is comfortable enough."
"No, no. That's not the problem. Sit down."
You do as you're told and expect the worst.
"The first night you slept there, I wasn't worried. It was an accident that you fell asleep—no big deal. That could be forgiven. But the fact that you did it deliberately because of our problems," Viviani sighs. "How are you still in one piece?"
Juliani and Irini don't hide their gazes, filled with dread. You laugh nervously. "You guys are scaring me."
"I'm truly sorry, Antanasia. I'm not trying to start anything again. I'm looking out for you."
"Then tell me what I did wrong."
"It's not you. I should've made this clear myself," Viviani says. "We have a curfew, and let's just say it's not to keep us out of trouble. There are creatures that roam these halls at night. They're here to protect us, but they are unable to differentiate between us and hunters. All they know is that we're of the same species."
"Do I even want to know what 'hunters' are?"
"The time will come for you to learn that information, like a lot of this house's rules and secrets. For now, eat something. We're low on time as is."
"Okay."
     The rest of breakfast is more lighthearted. Your group tries their best to steer the conversation elsewhere. Their tactics work for the most part, but there are still curious questions lingering in the back of your mind. Like, "What are hunters?" or "Who are they hunting?" and "Am I in danger?"
     Viviani pulls you out of your daze. She looks at her watch and says, "It's about that time. I'll see you all at lunch."
     "Oh, see you later," you say.
     "Until then!" Juliani calls.
     "Bye," Irini replies.
     "I'm going to go too," you declare. "You guys have a good day."
     "You too," they both say and then laugh. You leave with a smile on your face.
     After exiting, you take a peek at your agenda to see what today's schedule is.

Castle Dimitrescu Agenda (9/22/2004)
For: Antanasia Roșca
• Polish sculptures in the Hall of Joy and the Hall of Pleasure
• Sweep and mop the Main Hall
• Make desert

The list doesn't seem too extensive. Well, except for sweeping and mopping the Main Hall. That would take up a large chunk of your time, considering its size. Still, you could be done in time to read again. And without the tour, there will be enough time to whip up something exquisite in the kitchen.
Just as you're about to reach the Hall of Joy, you hear hastened footsteps from behind. But, as you've learned, that isn't unusual. The staff are always running around to abide by the ladies' requests and orders. So you keep walking.
"Antanasia," a breathless Stefana calls. You whip around to face her. "Lady Dimitrescu requests your presence in her office."
     Your eyes widen as far as possible. Why is she requesting to see you personally? Doesn't she want nothing to do with the likes of you? Nonetheless, she is still your employer. So maybe whatever it is that she needs to discuss is purely business.
     "Thank you, Stefana. I'll make my way there now."
     She nods her head and proceeds to her original route down the Main Hall stairs.
     As you watch her walk, you notice something off about her. It's hard to put a finger on it, but her mannerisms seem less chipper. Today she was straight to the point, with no joyful greeting like in previous days. And her strides seem downright depressing. It's almost as if she's advancing slowly on purpose, even though she practically ran to grab you. That could just be the life of a handmaiden. But something is tugging at you, trying to tell you she's not okay. You want to ask—you need to ask her what's going on. But if you keep stalling, there might be worse things coming for you. So you head off.
You reach her door ten minutes later. Anxiety pools in your stomach and rises to the tippy top of your throat. You try to swallow the feeling but to no avail.
Bringing up a fist, you hesitate, and a few seconds later, knock on the gold-accented door.
"Enter."
You take a deep breath and push your way in. Time slows as your eyes make contact with her frame. She doesn't look up; the same as the first time you met. Her face is obscured by that elegant black hat of hers once again. She continues to write and only stops once the door shuts. She peeks at you once her face comes into view. Today she wears a pair of black, rectangular glasses.
"Antanasia."
"My lady."
"Come sit," she says. "I need to discuss something with you."
You abide by her order and take a seat in the minuscule chair.
"Dessert last night was divine. My daughters and I enjoyed it thoroughly."
Pride wells up within you. Impressing her is the best compliment you could receive, especially knowing about her usual diet. The fact that she was even willing to give you a chance—
"But," she continues, "it was not enough."
"What?" you utter.
"Do not act naïve. You're smarter than that."
You can practically see more cracks forming on your bleeding heart. How is it that only twenty-four hours ago she had you pinned down and ready to bed you?
"I know you whipped that confection together within thirty minutes. I gave you ample time to start something in the early afternoon. Stefana makes sure your schedule isn't packed, so you have the entire afternoon—or at least most of it.
"I understand I occupied some of your time yesterday, but that time still could've been better utilized. You had the opportunity to start a full desert instead of finger foods. Instead, you scurried off to the library to read, and my daughter assisted with that. That is another fault of mine. My apologies. She has been dealt with already.
"For future reference, if your time is misused again, I will have no choice but to punish you. Rest assured, my methods of discipline are not to be taken lightly. Do you understand?"
"Completely, ma'am."
"Very good. You're dismissed."
You nod your head and proceed to make your exit.
"Antanasia," she starts again, "don't disappoint me."
Shivers run down your spine. You gulp before responding, "Of course, mistress." And out you go to continue your day as if nothing ever happened.

~~~

Author's Note:

Yay for an update (finally)! I've been super busy with my schooling lately so I haven't had much time to write. But here's a short filler chapter. Sorry it's so short! And I'm also sorry if you find errors because I haven't gotten the chance to proofread yet. Hope this chapter was enjoyable!