The Gentle Jaguar and her Lion

Chapter 7

It has been a few days or four days to be exact after the incident between Alicea and Luwi. Alicea didn't suffer any consequences from the incident except her selfinduced guilt. It showed out by Alicea's face being very gloomy at times while serving Alaric.  Alicea actually lost her sleep in the night after the incident. The reason is that she got scared that Alaric ate his word and decided to just hang Alicea for harming his soldier. You can't be too trusting in a foreign land and you must always be vigilant. Thankfully Alicea got over her guilt after a heart to heart talk with Atefeh the next day she wokeup and got spare time. As for now Alicea is assisting the head maid with her duties. It is a nice weather today half cloudy so the sun doesn't scorge as much. As of now Alicea is helping others with diswashing. Though Alicea feels unhelpfull. Compared with the other maids she is much slower than them. Alicea sighs in dissappointment.
"What's wrong Alicea" one of the maids asked.
"It is just that it feels like that I am making no difference by helping, since I am so slow compared to you guys. You might as well do this without me and it wouldn't make a difference,"Alicea let out.
"Also it is not as if this is my first time washing dishes, if you have observed. I am a bit dissappointed about my washing speed" she added.
The maid ponders a little.
"Yes it is true, but we can see that you're putting effort in helping us. I also suppose that the effort you are putting in washing the dishes are slowing you down. Just look at this poor piece of loofah you're holding" the maid answered with a hint of amusement.
Alicea looks at the loofah she's holding. The poor piece of loofah all battered on her hand. If the loofah was alive it would have started crying.
"My goodnes! I wasn't trying to damage this" Alicea gasped.
The maids laughed a bit to Alicea's reaction to the loofah, but Alicea didn't notice the maids' amusement.
"But these are his majesty's dishes, yes? Shouldn't we do our very best for the dishes to be squeaky clean? " Alicea asked the maids.
"Yes of course, but we all day to wash the dishes though" one of the maids answered with a sweet smile.
"Oh right right. I forgot about that" Alicea chirped.
Then Alicea and the maids resume washing the dishes with Alicea's washing speed increased.
"I just have to increase the scrubbing pressure the get my wanted result" Alicea thought to herself. After the dishes the headmaid assigned some heavy lifting for Alicea.
"I heard that you have said that you are able to do some heavy labour, Alicea? " the headmaid inquired curiously.
"Yes madam that is true" Alicea confirmed with a cheerful smile.
"Then you should go and help those menservants unload the boxes and vases" the headmaid instructs.
When Alicea goes to help the menservants unload the boxes and vases it causes curiousness in the meservants. Not that it's uncommon for the maidservants to help unload, oftentimes they don't show enjoyment in doing so. Alicea is the complete opposite, rather she seems to enjoy the heavy lifting. Seeing her smiling brigthly while doing the heavylifting. While Alicea's helping she feels like she can't shake off the feeling that she is spied on from a distance. Well she's not wrong. Just after Alicea has finished helping with the dishes Maruf was strolling around the palace. While strolling he spots Alicea in the distance unloading the boxes with the menservants. She is easy to spot because of her shortness and golden hair. So Maruf gets nearer and settles under a tree for shade. He prefers to be under shade everytime possible. He then starts observing her.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself Ally! " one of the menservants said to.
"I sure do. I'm glad to be of help and I am also completing today's workout at the same time! " answered Alicea. 
The mansrevant who  ased Alicea just the nods to her as rsponse. Maruf happens to be near enough to hear the conversaton  between Alcea and the manservant. He wonders how can such a sweet looking person like her ever injure  Luwi but then again Luwi wasn't always as bright as he ought to. Luwi explainend to Maruf he frigthened Alicea so much that she accidentally harmed him. Maruf isn't really that convinced from Luwi's explanation. To be fair who wouldn't. But then again there was always at least one person who believed or seemed to those kind of explanations from their loved one.  And to Maruf's dismay it was his dear friend and king: Alaric Hitesin. But then again it could be possible since he has observed Alicea from a distance as the days have gone by. And Maruf has to admit that he is starting to doubt those stories about Alicea being a really ferocious  warrior and not a bundle of sweetnes in one person. Usually those deadly skilled warriors are hard in heart and  closed off. While Maruf observes Alicea, the head maid notices Maruf under the tree he's standing. Curious she goes to Maruf.