Chapter Six - Ava
The grand gates of Evervale Palace loomed before me, towering like silent sentinels, their iron wrought with intricate designs that gleamed in the morning light. Their massive form seemed to pulse with life, like they were breathing in the cool dawn air, marking the threshold between my past and the uncertain road ahead. My heart pounded in my chest, every beat a reminder that today was different. Today, I was no longer Ava, the girl who had once roamed free in the forests and fields, with wind in her hair and grass beneath her feet. Today, I was Ava, the maid—a dragon in disguise, bound by circumstance to serve under the roof of the very family that ruled over Evervale.
It was surreal. Less than a week ago, I had visited Madam Luna, the fortune teller who could give anyone what they needed most in exchange for their last and most precious happy memory. The memory I had sacrificed had been one of freedom, a fleeting moment of pure joy from my childhood, one where I had felt unburdened by the weight of the world. I had been so sure that by giving it up, I would gain something greater, a path out of the looming shadow of the king's demands for taxes I couldn't pay. Instead, she had given me this: a job at the palace. A life of servitude under the very king who had sent the letter that filled me with dread.
I didn't understand it then, and I still don't understand it now. Why here? Why this? What kind of fortune was this? Yet, in the pit of my stomach, I couldn't shake the feeling that the fortune teller had seen something I couldn't. Something larger than myself, something inevitable.
The guards at the gate barely glanced in my direction as I walked through, their disinterest almost unsettling. In my plain but neatly pressed maid's uniform, I was just another servant among many. No one of consequence. The uniform hung heavy on my shoulders, the starched fabric stiff against my skin. I had expected it to feel suffocating, like a physical manifestation of my new captivity, but instead, it felt like a shield—a thin layer of protection that masked the dragon beneath. The freedom I once felt had been replaced by layers of cloth, but it also provided a kind of safety. It made me invisible. And for now, maybe that was enough.
The palace courtyard buzzed with activity. Servants moved with purpose, their arms laden with linens, trays of food, and various supplies for the daily upkeep of royal life. There was a rhythm to their movement, a practiced precision that suggested they had done this so many times that their bodies knew the motions better than their minds. I, on the other hand, stood frozen for a moment, unsure where to begin. I watched their hurried steps with wide eyes, feeling like an outsider in a place that demanded I blend in. My instructions had been brief: report to the head housekeeper, a woman named Matilda, and follow her lead. But where was Matilda?
Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward into the palace itself. The towering doors, made of polished oak and adorned with intricate carvings of mythical beasts, opened with an ominous creak, ushering me into the grand hall. The world beyond those doors was one I had never imagined I would be a part of. It was as though I had stepped into a painting of an unreachable fantasy, a place where every surface gleamed and every detail was crafted with the care and wealth of a kingdom's legacy. The air was cool, perfumed with lavender, beeswax, and the faint, lingering scent of freshly polished wood. The floors sparkled, reflecting the towering marble columns and crystal chandeliers above. Everything about the palace screamed opulence, every corner a testament to the power and wealth of the royal family.
"Ava, I presume?"
The voice, sharp but not unkind, broke through my awe. I turned to see a tall, imposing woman with iron-gray hair pulled back into a severe bun, her stern expression softened only slightly by the wisdom of age. Matilda. She was exactly how I had imagined her, every bit the no-nonsense head housekeeper of a royal palace.
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𝒜 ℋℯ𝒶𝓇𝓉 ℴ𝒻 𝒮𝒸𝒶𝓁ℯ𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒮𝓉ℯℯ𝓁
Fantasy"You kept all these secrets from me...I trusted you, Ava." he says as he took a step closer. "Was it all a lie...?" "It was better for the both of us..." I said, my voice calm and cold. "You should go before I kill you, like I did to your father." A...
