The Theodoran Traitors

Chapter Five ~ Athena

We relocated from the bedroom to the living room, where a procession of maids soon arrived. There were five of them in total. The Princess, before we had parted ways yesterday, had mentioned that she would personally select some maids for me, assuring me they were not only well-trained but also up to the task. I cast a quick glance at the group; they appeared to be between the ages of 20 and 25, young enough to still be full of energy but hopefully old enough to know better than to spill the tea—figuratively or literally.

When Harald, seated like he owned the place, came into view, the maids showed no sign of surprise whatsoever. They simply bowed, greeted me, and began introducing themselves with the kind of calm composure that suggested they'd seen far stranger things in their line of work.

The first to speak was the eldest-looking among them, with light brown hair and matching eyes. She was undeniably pretty, though not in a way that would make heads turn in a crowded ballroom. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Athena. I am Luciana Goldenhart, eldest daughter of Ambrose Goldenhart. From this day forward, I shall have the honour of serving as your personal maid. Should you require anything at all, please do not hesitate to inform me, and I will devote myself fully to fulfilling your requests." She straightened with a soft, polite smile. "If it pleases you, feel free to address me as Lucy."

I returned her smile and was about to turn my attention to the next maid, who seemed eager for her turn when something familiar caught my eye. I glanced back at Lucy and noticed the golden-yellow rose pinned in her hair. It was identical to the kind that Emeline wore. Now, that was a curious little coincidence.

I better ask about this later.

I was tempted to start interrogating right then and there, but I had a more pressing issue to deal with—namely, the smug-looking man lounging in my living room. Turning my attention back to the maids, who were patiently waiting to introduce themselves, I nodded for them to continue.

After they finished their introductions, I quickly instructed them to prepare breakfast and to bring me three cups of coffee. I would need all the caffeine I could get if I hoped to survive this day. Lucy nodded briskly and dispatched the others to inform the chef. Mira, Freya, Kayla, and Liyana excused themselves, leaving Lucy behind, probably anticipating further instructions.

But the only thing I needed was a bit of privacy for an important discussion. "Lady Lucy, would you kindly step out? I need to have a private word with Lord Harald," I said with as much composure as I could muster.

Lucy's eyebrows shot up slightly, a questioning look on her face. I arched an eyebrow in return, but she recovered quickly, only to offer a suggestion instead of leaving. "My lady, there's no need to be so formal with me. And, perhaps it would be wise to change before breakfast?"

It took me a second to understand what she was hinting at. Glancing down, I realized I was still wearing my nightdress. My cheeks burned as the blood rushed to my face. I nodded and hurried back to my bedroom, Lucy following behind. As soon as the door closed, I collapsed onto the nearest chair, burying my face in my hands. How utterly mortifying! Not only had Harald seen me like this, but I'd completely forgotten to change! What kind of lady makes such a blunder?

I could only hope the ground would be kind enough to swallow me whole.

Just as I was about to drown in self-pity, something else occurred to me. I hadn't changed yesterday either—I'd been too exhausted to even take a bath. I lowered my hands and took a cautious sniff. The fragrance was fresh, but different from the one I usually wore. Strange. My embarrassment faded as curiosity took over. Had someone bathed me while I was asleep? Surely, that would have woken me up. So, how had it happened?