A THIRST FOR BLOOD

04 | Defiance is not the answer

Alistair of Utvia

Once she became my personal maid, I learned a few things. She loves money- if I'd known that mentioning a higher pay would instantly make her agree to anything, I would have led with that. I found out she's rather clumsy, most of the bruises on her legs are self-inflicted, and if I hadn't been there to catch her just in time, the outcome could have been worse. I also learned that she has a beautiful smile, and each time she laughs, my heart skips a beat and I can't explain why.

I lean forward against the sink, staring at my reflection in the mirror. It's only been a week, seven days since she arrived - and she's managed to occupy every inch of my thoughts. Even her voice stands out in a crowd. Trying to make me notice her would be pointless, she's already all I see, all I hear.

"Shit." I curse, resting my head against the mirror. Maybe the voices in my head were right when they told me not to act so impulsively.

The soft knocks on the door bring me out of my thoughts. "My Lord?" She calls for me. I step out of my bathroom, make my way to the door for her and slowly pull to find a very tired looking maid.

It was instinctive when I grabbed her face. I wasn't thinking much when I inspected her face closely. Each day she spends here, it seems like the bags underneath her eyes get more noticeable. She grabs my hand, pulling it away from her face.

"My Lord." She says, almost sternly. Her eyebrows knitted together as she looks at me.

I raise my hands in defense. "I know, I know. You don't like it when I do that."

She nods her head as she walks past me into my bedroom. "Correct, so why are you still doing it?"

The corners of my mouth curve upwards. Questioning someone of royal blood is punishable, yet she either doesn't know or simply doesn't care. Whatever the reason, I have no intention of telling her to stop. I like it when she does things others wouldn't dare to do.

I shrug. "My apologies, Eris, but I truly can't help it." I tell her sincerely, which makes her roll her eyes at me. I'm taken aback- no one has ever rolled their eyes at me before. But I quickly forget as her fingertips graze my shoulder. She slips my blouse off and hands me a clean one. Eris sighs, clearly annoyed that I'm taking too much time. Standing on her tiptoes, she helps me button up my blouse. Once satisfied, she picks up the pants lying on the floor, her hand hovering above the doorknob.

"You're leaving already?"

She turns to face me, confusion written across her face. "Well, yes. Or is there something else you need?"

I simply smile at her, in fact, that's all I can do. I'm certain that if I told her what I truly wanted this time, she really would run away. With that I watch her leave, she closes the door behind her yet her scent still lingers around in my room.

Kagan burst inside my room, his eyes roaming around. "Is she here?" He wonders with a grin on his face.

"She just left." I sigh but frown as I glance at him. "Why are you here?"

He clears his throat, rubs his stubble beard as he avoids any eye contact. "The king has summoned you."

I briefly close my eyes, irritation bubbling just beneath the surface. Invisible chains seem to tighten around my legs, dragging me toward the king's quarters. With each step, the frown between my brows deepens, a sign of my growing frustration. To be summoned to the king's quarters can only mean one thing, the king wants me to carry out yet another of his dirty bidding.

The king sits in his throne room, the golden crown perfectly placed on his head. His raven hair neatly styled in a bun. Red glowing eyes fixated on me as soon as I entered, paired with a grin I desperately wanted to punch off his face.