Twisted Love

Chapter 4

Cinder

"Wow," Cinder breathed when she walked into the palace. Suddenly, from her right shoulder, she felt a shove. Yelping quietly while stumbling forward, she caught herself from nearly falling. She glanced up at the person who had pushed her.

Chiyoko Mori let out a haughty huff and smirked, turning her head back around and marching forward, five maids taking her luggage.

"She's a total SANDY BEACH once you get to know her, don't worry," Scarlet said with a roll of her eyes, lending a hand. Cinder looked up and took it, sighing and dusting off the expensive blue dress that Peony had specifically bought for her. She couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.

"I can already tell she's not exactly sugar sweet," Cinder muttered to the bright redhead.

Scarlet snorted, which was so unladylike that Cinder had to do a double take. If Scarlet had noticed it, she didn't show it. "You can say that again," she agreed. She waved the maid forward. "Come on. We have to catch up." She gestured to the rest of the girls, bunching around the staircase, waiting for the two trailing behind.

"We can't spend all day gawking," Chiyoko drawled in a bored tone, the hideous smirk working its way back up. Cinder gnashed her teeth but sped up anyways. Something about Chiyoko's smirk just made her want to slap her mouth right off of her pretty little face.

So when Scarlet and Cinder passed her, she couldn't help but just give her a little shove. "Oh!" Chiyoko exclaimed with exaggeration, stumbling with a shocked expression on her face. Cinder threw a smirk that rivaled the two's behind her shoulder.

"Sorry, didn't see you there," she said in a fake sympathetic voice. She narrowed her eyes, the same expression that matched the photo shown on the television. A threat. Scarlet shook Cinder out of it when she loudly whispered, "Look, our rooms!" Cinder looked up to see a hallway of doors, blindingly white with edges of shining gold.

"Ladies, here are your rooms," Torin said, his gloved hands gesturing towards the rooms. "You will find your name carved into the wood on the door. Thank you, I hope you enjoy your stay, and have a good day." With a curt bow, he turned the corner and walked away.

Wow. Cinder couldn't believe it. Her own room? And not only that, but her name carved onto the door! When she stood in front of the door, setting her hand on the ornately carved doorknob, excitement bubbled up in her chest. This is mine, and only mine, she thought.

With a bright smile, she pushed open the door. Right when she spotted the beautiful interior, she let out a huge gasp.

"I know, I know," came a voice from behind the door. Taken by surprise, Cinder jumped. A beautiful petite girl stepped out from behind the corner of her bed, wearing a crisp black and white maid uniform. Her hands were also covered with lacy white gloves. She held a metal tray pressed to her torso, but what was most eye-catching was her bright blue hair. Despite the strict maid dresscode, she still found a way to make her hair the most stunning it can be. She bowed.

"Hello, miss. I believe you are Cinder Linh, correct?" Cinder nodded.

She smiled brightly and continued, "I'm Iko, and I'll be your personal maid for the length of the Selection," she paused for Cinder to take everything in.

"But going back to our conversation before, LOOK AT THIS GORGEOUS ROOM!" She spun around. Cinder let out a slight giggle, immediately liking her maid.

"Alright," she said, walking over and plopping her tired body onto the bed. It bounced, lifting her body up a little bit. Cinder sighed and felt the soft sheets, head sinking into the plush pillows. She had never felt a bed so luxurious before. "I'm so tired, I think I'm just going to... go to sleep..."