Doomed Desires

Chapter six - The Revelation

Maia glanced at the woman. She had just accused her son of murdering servant girls. Maia had done the unthinkable; she had committed treason against her rulers. "I'm sorry ma'am." Maia looked back at the carpet awkwardly awaiting her mistress's reply.

"How?" she said accusingly. Maia cringed back in to the plush red sofa.

"how do they die ma'am?"

"How Maia. How does he do it?" She growled.

Maia's face drained in colour. "All it takes is a kiss and they want more. They crave his touch and then...and then he takes them to bed," Maia glanced at her superior, "when return, they go crazy for him, ma'am. Like they're under a spell."

"Are you sure Maia? Because if you are proved wrong you may be imprisoned for eternity."

"Yes, ma'am."

"How long do the girls last?" Kade said with urgency.

"A month at the most." Maia said and then quickly added ma'am on the end.

"I need you to do something for me. I need you to find out the last girl that spent the night with him."

"I will do it tonight, ma'am."

"You come straight to me to as soon as you know, ok?"

"I understand, ma'am." Maia bowed her head.

"You're dismissed."

Maia rose from the red sofa and her broom which lay abandoned on the floor. She quickly finished sweeping and then swept up the pile with her dustpan, discarding it into a bucket. Out of the corner of Maia's eye she saw her mistress get up and wander to the sketch pad on in the corner. She picked up a pencil and started to draw long floating lines on the outline of a female model. Maia left the parlour room and scurried across the hall to the guest room which had once been Cole and Sonny's nursery. Rarely anyone entered the room anymore except for when Kade's sister and mate came to visit. Maia hastily swept the floor and dusted the furniture, motivated by only Coles room to clean as Sonny's room was off-limits. Maia smiled at the thought of being able to sit down and rest her aching body.

Maia loaded her cart and walked towards Coles door. She hoped he was not inside with everything she had. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside. The room was empty. Maia sigh gratefully. There was a large bed pushed up against the wall in front of her, the bedding was cream and erected from each corner of the bed were thick columns of dark wood and on each pillar were elegantly designed swirling pattern.  The four posts held up a roof which had a small amount of the same coloured fabric as the bedding draped over it. At the end of the bed was a small chest seat which had a plush looking red cushion fastened to it. On either side of the bed there was a matching set of side tables, in the middle of each table sat matching umber candle sticks. The sticks held three cream candles each. Against the far wall was a glass cabinet, displaying many different bottles with different liquids, next to the cabinet on the adjacent wall was a bookcase filled with thick and thin volumes of different colours. There was also a quaint little fireplace directly opposite the bed which was surrounded by two regal looking red chairs with high backs. They were placed carefully on a large Persian rug. Maia looked to her left at what she presumed was his Highnesses wardrobe, it was the same colour as his side tables and stood at least two feet taller than herself. Maia walked to the fireplace and relit it, she briefly warmed her hands on the orange flames and then carried on with her work. Firstly, she changed the screwed up bed sheets and plumped the pillows. She dusted the tables, wardrobe and fireplace and rearranged the cushions on the high backed chairs. Maia strolled over to the bookcase and leisurely ran her fingertip down the columns of a fat red book. The cabinet next to it caught her attention and without thinking she opened it and picked up a half filled glass bottle with amber liquid inside. It started thinner at the bottom and then rounded at the top, in swirling gold letters it said 'Glengoyne'. The bottle also had a neck which was only a thumb thick. The bottle cap was also oval and had a golden symbol which Maia had never seen before. "You have good taste in liquor." Maia whirled around, almost dropping the bottle of liquid.

"I'm sorry sire, I did not mean to pry." Maia said looking at her feet and then at the bottle in her hands waiting for him to dismiss her from Royal service.

"It's an acquired taste, but it's a favourite of mine." He took a few leisurely steps towards her. She frowned slightly. Maia glanced at Cole through her lashes. He was beautiful and she now understood the hold he had over the other maids, just by looking in to his saffron eyes, she felt a pull clenched so tight it was unbearable. Maia was pulled from her thoughts when an image of Anabeth flashed through her brain, her lifeless body hanging from a rope in the kitchen.  Maia forced her eyes to avert from Cole and turned around, placing the glass bottle carefully back in its place. Maia held her breath as she turned around.

"Are you going to dismiss me from castle service, your highness?" she asked.

"Dismiss you? For being curious. No."

"So I get no punishment, sire?"

"I can punish you if you like." He said but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. Maia met his gaze with wide eyes.

"No... I appreciate the offer but I have work to do." She said heat rushing to her feet. "Sir."

"Maybe after you have finished for the day." He enquired as he lay on the bed she had just made. Maia did not reply and carried on dusting the top of the liquor cabinet. She then entered the bathroom, in front of her was a bronze basin with a pump for water and next to it was a matching toilet. In the corner was a sectioned of area with a water pump poking out from the wall at the top behind the door was an old brown bath tub. Maia scrubbed each of the items thoroughly and then swept the floor. Cautiously she stuck her head out of the door, her blonde hair falling over her shoulder. Cole was not on the bed but sitting on one of the high backed chairs reading a thin volume. As quietly as she could Maia swept the stone parts of the floor and then scooped up the remnants. She tiptoed to her cart loaded it up so not to draw attention to herself and opened the heavy door. It creaked, she froze and glanced behind her. He was looking at her thoughtfully. "I thought you had finished."

"No sire, I have to help cook prepare lunch."

"When do you finish then?" he asked cocking his head slightly.

"Tonight your highness."

"Tonight? But your a maid servant?"  He closed the book.

"I'm whatever cook tells me I am." Maia fidgeted and looked longingly into the corridor.

He nodded in understanding.

"I have to go sire." Maia said, before he could reply she pushed her trolley from the room, turned right and then skittered up the hall as fast as she could whilst pushing the cart, to the storage cupboard and hid for ten minutes in the dark. When she was sure that she as safe she existed the room and slipped into the servant's corridor and made her way through the maze of tight passageways and stair cases to the kitchen.