World of Magick

Two: Prince Bayden Retshert of Marridyn

Chapter Two: Prince Bayden Retshert of Marridyn

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She had her own maids

Saying it to herself over and over in her own head even seemed absolutely ridiculous.

  All her life, even when her father was alive, Althea had always either done everything for herself or for someone else. There was a dark time in her life when she worked as a housekeeper for a noble family. The only thing that kept her there was the pay. She was sixteen, and the nobleman's son was eighteen.

Constantly, he tried to drag her into his bed, shed her of her tattered dress, and lock them into a room alone. The day after he finally succeeded in getting her squirming form out of a dress – he didn't get very far with her, though, as she knocked him out in a state of panic – she was fired for knocking out the nobleman's son. He had made up a ridiculous story to cover up the fact that he was the one that harassed her.

She was glad, but just before she left, she found herself alone in a small room with the nobleman's son. He slapped her and called her nasty things before he shoved her out of the house through the open window.

She still had a scar on her shoulder from where one of the spikes on the fence dug into her shoulder when she fell.

And now, she had her own maids.

There were three of them. They were all polite, and were more than eager to help her in any way possible in the measly ten minutes she'd been in her new chambers.

  She lay on her bed on her stomach, her head resting on her forearms. Her feet rested on the many silk pillows at the head of her bed while she stared around her new bedroom.

It was all too good to be true, to be honest. She didn't fully understand everything, but she knew that Demi and Jonny very much liked being in the palace and—

Althea sat up in her bed suddenly and gasped. Demi and Jonny. She had to see them.

She rang the bell resting on her nightstand hesitantly. She didn't feel very good about having three nice young ladies at her beck and call, but they didn't seem to mind. Coral, Gina and Freda immediately walked through the doors, their expressions eager.

They lined up at the foot of her bed and curtsied delicately. "Milady," they chorused.

Althea shook her head frantically. "No, please, please call me Althea. Please." Her maids bit their lips or fidgeted with their hands, but said nothing. "Can I," Althea started unsurely, "Can I see my siblings? I simply must, but I do not know my way around this vast place."

  Coral tucked a strand of fiery orange hair behind her ear and tilted her head to the side. "Of course you may, Miss Althea. We shall show you to their chambers as soon as we get you ready."

Althea looked down at her nightgown and felt her eyebrows furrow. "Oh, I don't think they would mind if I went like this, really," she said bemusedly. It was just a visit to her brother and sister. Did she really need to dress up?

Freda shook her head. "No, no, Miss Althea. We are sure your siblings would not mind, but there are guards around the palace. It would be terribly improper for them to see a guest of the King in nought but her nightgown."

Oh. The guards.

"Oh," said Althea, feeling foolish. "Oh, of course. How silly of me."

She lowered herself to the floor and her maids guided her to the large closet on the other side of her room. The moment Gina pulled the doors open, Althea felt her eyes widen excessively. Inside the closet was an array of dresses in different colours, shades, cuts and sizes. There were too many to count.