Loyalties Lie

Chapter 11

 Magnus sat alone in his room on the edge of the bed, listening to the clock tick as he waited for Mina to arrive. He remained in his formal attire, but he had taken his crown off, unable to bear the weight any longer. Closing his eyes, he rested his head in his hands as he took deep breaths to try to calm himself down. He knew his father would give him grief for leaving the banquet early, but he didn't have much of a choice. If someone else handled the situation with Mina before he did...he didn't even want to think about it. Dealing with Lord Victon was a nightmare in itself, and just hearing all the unsavory things he had to say about her made Magnus want to strangle him just to shut him up for good. Victon deserved all the punishments that were coming Mina's way, but of course, that would never happen. He was a lord and she was a maid, and no matter how heinous his crime was, she'd be the one who lost in the end.

Hearing a knock on the door, he rose to his feet and called out his approval for entry. Seeing someone other than who he was expecting enter the room, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Jia."

"Your Highness," she greeted, dipping into a curtsy.

"I was looking to speak to the new maid, Mina."

Jia clasped her hands behind her back and stood up straighter. "I heard about what happened, and I'll take responsibility for her actions."

"No, that won't be necessary. I just wanted to talk with her, but now that you're here, I'd like to ask a question."

"Yes?"

"What prior work did Mina do before coming here?"

"Carpentry. After that, one of the brothels disguised as a tea house."

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "I see. And her reason for coming here?"

"To get a fresh start at life. She said she didn't want to work there anymore, and this was a job that didn't draw too much attention but was also relatively safe."

He nodded. That seemed like a plausible explanation, but there could be more to Mina's story than she had chosen to reveal. He wondered if she'd answer honestly if he confronted her directly, but now was not the time for that. She had already gone through a lot that night, and the last thing he needed to do was ask her about matters that probably weren't even important. He did his best to put his own curiosity aside despite the way it nipped and clawed at him incessantly, insisting there was something he was still missing.

"Makes sense. Thank you, Jia. Now, if you would bring Mina here please, I'd like to speak with her."

Jia hesitated. "You'll just speak to her? Nothing else?"

Magnus sighed. "You know what has to happen, Jia. I'm sorry."

Jia's frown deepened. "Please, Your Highness, let me take the punishment in her place. She's under my charge and I failed to exert proper control."

Magnus shook his head. "That would be unfair to you. I'd take her place too if I could, but you know that will never pass." His voice softened. "Not for something like this."

Jia hung her head, knowing it was true. "Then please be merciful, Your Highness. Please, please, I beg of you, don't let that monster lay a hand on her."

"I'll do what I can for her, I promise." Seeing her distress, he touched her shoulder gently. "I know you're trying your best, Jia. All the maids are lucky to have you looking after them."

A few tears slipped out of Jia's eyes, but she brushed them away. "It's never enough. I can't do anything to stop men like him..."

"But you've prevented many more from even getting close. Things would be much worse if you weren't here."