Loyalties Lie

Chapter 3

 Mina stared up at the castle as she approached, feeling particularly small next to its massive stone walls and its pointed towers that pierced through the fabric of the sky. Blue and gold flags bearing the royal insignia fluttered in the wind, standing tall and proud between the guard along the outer walls. She had always viewed the castle from afar, but now that she was up close, she could see the moss and vines that sprouted from the gaps between the stones and the burgundy painted rooftops that were faded by the sun. One would think the castle would be in better condition considering how heavily the king taxed the people. Upon entering the main courtyard, she was struck by just how empty it appeared. Though the sun shone brightly that day, she felt a chill run through her, prompting her to wrap her arms around herself.

Mina was riding on a cart with Lith and a handful of other girls, all vying for some kind of job at the palace. Mina did her best to clean up her appearance as much as possible, scrubbing her hands and face clean and braiding part of her hair to keep it out of her eyes, but she failed to straighten out the frown that still creased her face. That was something that never really returned to the way it was. Even when she managed to feel the smallest tinge of joy inside, nothing was ever enough to bring a true smile to her face. Getting off the cart, she and the others were guided to one of the few servants' quarters and told to wait their turn to speak with the head maid. Casting furtive glances at the other girls, it was obviously that they all were trying their best to hide just how poor they all were. Their faces were scrubbed clean but gaunt with hunger and exhaustion. Everyone wore plain dresses, most likely made of repurposed material, and many were mended with patches. One girl's dress was obviously too big for her, and whenever she hitched up her skirt to walk, it revealed her muddy and battered work boots underneath. One girl was no older than twelve.

A few hours passed, and finally, it was down to the final few. Lith went ahead of Mina, striding in with perfect posture and a confident smile plastered on her face. Mina, in response, slouched more in her seat, her eyes staring daggers at her rival until the door shut behind her. Subconsciously, Mina's hands drifted to the ends of her hair, twisting the strands between her fingers. Her hair used to be much longer, but because of a nervous habit that often resulted in her pulling parts of it out, she had cut it short in an attempt to resist the urge. It didn't completely solve the problem, but it helped somewhat. Hoping to busy her hands with something else, she fiddled with her fingers, picking out the leftover dirt from under her nails as she waited.

To her surprise, the door reopened not too long after, Lith stomping out in a huff. Making eye contact with her, she saw the other girl's eyebrows pinched together in an expression of annoyance but also of confusion. Standing up, Mina made her way over to the door, her hand shuddering as she touched the handle. Stepping inside, she was met by an older woman dressed in a long black dress. She had graying black hair tied up in a neat bun, brown almond shaped eyes, and skin so fair that one could seemingly almost see her bones underneath.

"Sit down," the lady ordered, and Mina promptly obeyed. "My name is Jia Kwan."

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," Mina replied, her voice coming out softer than expected.

"Name?"

"Mina Carpenter."

"Age?"

"Twenty-six."

"Where do you come from?"

"The town of Calama on the south side of the kingdom."

"Have you lived in Cordia your whole life?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Previous employment?"

"Carpentry with my father when I was younger and," she breath caught in her throat for a moment. "A tea house, more recently."