The peace didn’t last long, as most of the girls around us, though, weren’t happy with my appearance. Pretty privilege was a double-edged sword, where at times it made things easier, while in others…
“What the fuck is that?”
“Is that even legal?”
“I bet she’s just a slut that wants to get in bed with one prince.”
“Hey, isn’t that why everyone’s here in the first place?”
Gossip turned into an uproar as everyone sized each other down as if this were a competition. It was like a showdown was about to go off as I couldn’t feel more alienated.
“The nerve of these girls,” Emma grumbled, crossing her arms.
It almost looked like she was going to punch one or two if they didn’t shut up. The last thing we needed was violence or to be kicked out.
Papa… Are you sure this was wise?!
I grabbed onto her hand, shaking my head. “Let it go.”
“Are you wimps done crying over each other yet?” The head maid announced her presence, triggering silence to fall as all eyes landed on her.
She was an older human lady with grey hair, neatly styled in a bun, hazel eyes, and a slender figure. However, her aura was one of strength. A smirk rose on my lips, unable to tear my eyes off her.
This woman is no pushover.
“Welcome, my name’s Gerta.” The old woman identified herself, holding her hands on her waist.
Steadily, she studied us as there was a spark in her that I had never seen before, which allured me to her.
“I know most of you came to want to get near the princes, but trust me when I say you won’t last a day here if you came with that mindset. Those brats are the most annoying devils I have ever met.” She declared, narrowing her gaze at us as there wasn’t a hint of deceit in her words.
Quietly, we watched as she shook her head, “Loki, Alistair, and Oswald are all assholes. They’ll make you all miserable if you let them. I know you girls won’t listen to me, but don’t say I didn’t warn you all.”
A cackle soon left her lips as she expected most of us to drop out before the day ended.
If they are as rowdy as you say, perhaps prisoners might be the best fit for them.
“Well, it won’t matter. No one ever listens to little old me.” She waved her hand before placing it back on her hip. “Let me explain what happens next. The boys will choose their maids today. Unfortunately, I guess? The last ones quit, crying, not too long ago.”
She shrugged, shifting her gaze towards the side. “I feel bad for you souls that come here to work for those ungrateful princes. They don’t resemble their father at all. Now that one was a true gentleman.”
She paused, pursing her lips as she turned her glance back onto us. Some girls around the room rolled their eyes at the old maid, triggering a sudden shock that throbbed through them. Yelps left their lips as Gerta smirked, as I couldn’t help but gaze at Emma, who had been one of the unfortunate girls to receive a jolt.
Emma stared at the ring that had caused it, leaving me to realize it was probably enchanted. Zoe tried to take it off, but couldn’t; she wasn’t the only one, as other girls tried too.
“Oh, don’t even bother. Only I can take them off for you.” The old woman announced, triggering all eyes to fall on her again.
Hah… I doubt I can’t remove it, but there’s no point if I need it to work here.
“You all seem to misunderstand something. If you came here to disrespect me or anyone from the royal family, you’ll receive a rude awakening. That was just a warning of the punishment you’ll incur if you piss off royalty or anyone of the high-ranking staffers.” Gerta warned, causing most of the girls to grumble under their breath.
That isn’t something hard to do, right? Well… perhaps I’m not the best person to ask that.
After all, Emma appeared ready to blow because of it, but we had made our beds.
“The ring activates on itself, and it depends on thoughts. Here, the staff are treated as such. We aren’t allowed to interact with royalty unless addressed first. This is a warning to you all because some of these royals see themselves as gods.” She carried on, prompting a smirk to rise on my lips again as I covered my mouth with my hand.
Of course, royals saw themselves as all-mighty beings.Oh, how I would love to crash their world.
“So, if you don’t want to get shocked, don’t address anyone who hasn’t addressed you. Simple really. This only works in the castle grounds, but as long as you follow every order, it won’t activate. Oh! When I say that, I don’t mean spread your legs for them if they ask you. You can say no. The ring won’t activate if you feel threatened. It’ll alert one of us high-ranking staffers that you’re frightened, and they’ll fetch you.” Gerta informed.
All of this makes me wonder what types of people these princes are used to interacting with.
“Sadly, I have a feeling you’ll do that of your own volition. Even so, you aren’t required to do so if asked. Remember, no is no. Neither are you required to feed them your blood. They have donors for that.” The old woman continued.
A relief for me.
My blood… It seems the rose tea might not be necessary.
“So, please report any unwanted harassment that gets out of hand. Staff is staff, and if you complicate that relationship, you’ll be let go. Well, I think that’s all I have to say to you. The rest is for you to find out! Just remember the royals are way out of your league!” She declared, staring down at us from where she was.
Hah… More like they are out of mine.
Clapping her hands, she appeared to recall something else. “Ah, yes! Also, remember you’ll be living here from today on. Your uniform will be your standard work attire. It’s comfortable, and you can customize it to your liking. Of course, nothing that alters the appearance of the dress into something unsightly.”
Lucky for me, all her warnings didn’t apply to me since I wasn’t there for a ridiculous reason, such as mating with the links. There were twenty girls in the room, ready to head out by the time the head maid was done with her monologue. It wasn’t long until they led us into the throne room, where Asher and the boys were waiting for us.
The first thing that caught my eye was the king, who appeared paler and weaker than the reports suggested.
Damn… This must be the reason why the tensions in the castle are flaring. It won’t be long until you pass.
This was due to the royals’ inbreeding, which caused a deadly illness to be present in their genes. It typically activates in their fifties, but sometimes occurs earlier. Those who were fortunate enough to avoid it would live long lives, while others had a gene that left them infertile.
I guess this is why Loki is a hot commodity now. A new variation on the inbreeding, thanks to your human mother. That thought makes me sick, though.
For Oswald, they hoped his child would breed more vampires with magical abilities into the world. However, the boys who stood next to Asher were something else. Alistair, the eldest of the trio, had bright blue eyes with short black hair. There was an overconfident air about him, from the way he stood to the way he gazed at others.
A scowl quickly settled on his face when we walked in, as Loki and Oswald both had grown into fine young men. Their eyes hadn’t changed one bit, yet their bodies were those of grown men. All of the princes’ bodies were well kept, as Alistair and Loki appeared more built than Oz, who was known to be a bookworm.
Other than their physiques and ears, the only thing that told the twins apart was their beauty marks, which were still exactly where I remembered them to be. Their hair was also different as Loki’s was long and wavy, which he currently had in a ponytail, while Oz had his loose, which reached his waist.
The warlock also had dark circles around his eyes, which indicated a lack of sleep. While the eldest brother wasn’t fond of us walking in, the twins gazed at us like we were new, fun toys to break. Their familiars were with them too. Eli was around Loki’s neck while Zephier was on Oswald’s shoulder.
I don’t think they got a good look at me last time, but still… if they recognize me, it will cause trouble.
A soft sigh left my lips, feeling the pressure as I gazed towards the colorful windows in the room. The entire place was rustic, along with the fancy way the throne rooms usually were. A blue carpet led to the most essential chair there, yet by Asher’s side, his queen was missing.
When the boys’ eyes fell on us, I couldn’t help but shiver.
There’s no way they’ll remember me. Right? I had my hood, and they were out of it when Rem exposed me.Then again... Loki did make complete eye contact with me when he licked my hand. Argh! Worst comes to worst, I’ll take them with me!
For a moment, I could feel my heart stop when we were lined up for them to pick whichever they liked best.
You were too young, and I’m nothing like I used to be! There’s no way you’ll remember me! Stop freaking out already! When the worst comes, they will be my prisoners. Do we even have cells that can hold them?
Taking a deep breath, I tried to hold on to my nerves before gazing at the two boys I had to save. They were barely recognizable to me, even though I had seen them. If it weren’t for the pictures that Dad showed me, I wouldn’t have realized it was them, especially Loki, who didn’t have his wings out.
He could summon them at a whim, and his clothes were enchanted explicitly for them.
It’s been so long since…