Chapter 10 Life as a Palace Maid

**Back to the Present**

"Let me out of here! Please! Open the door!" I screamed as I banged on the closed door with both of my fists.

If no one is out there, I will scream until someone turns up. I need to find out where I am and why I was brought here. They can't just keep me locked up in here, right?

I was scared; to overcome that fear, all I could think of was yelling and banging on the door. If I didn't do this, maybe I would have an emotional breakdown.

"Why are you shouting in the middle of the night? Shut up and go to sleep. You're annoying all of us!" a woman yelled back at me.

There's someone on the other side of this door. I felt relieved that I wasn't the only one here. According to what the woman said, many people should be here.

"Please let me out. Can you please unlock the door?" I roared to ensure she could hear me through the closed door.

"Don't you think you're the louder one, Claudia?" another woman said teasingly.

"Hush everyone, Madame Cassandra is here..." another woman said with warning.

Madame Cassandra?

"Step aside. It's late, and I have no idea why you are not yet in your rooms..." a stern and authoritative voice said, and I assumed it was Madame Cassandra's voice.

I stood in front of my door as I heard clinking sounds of metal hitting against metal. Suddenly, the door handle started to turn at the same time that I heard the sounds of the lock being unlocked on the other side. When the door slowly opened, I came face to face with a woman in a long-sleeved black dress. Her gray hair was tied back into a neat bun on the top of her head, and her expression told me she wasn't here to play.

The woman, who looked in her fifties, stood proudly before me with a food tray. So, this is Madame Cassandra.

"I see that you've regained consciousness. I've brought you your dinner..." the madame stated.

"Umm...where am I?" I asked in a small voice.

Instead of replying to my question, Madame Cassandra walked past me and into the room before placing the tray on the table.

"The maids' quarters as part of the royal palace in the royal castle of the Kingdom of Lacovia," Madame Cassandra replied coldly.

The Kingdom of Locovia.

I've heard of the Kingdom of Locovia from my studies. However, I didn't know much about it apart from the fact that it is a highly wealthy kingdom located on an isolated island with its traditions.

"Is this some mistake? I mean, why am I here?" I asked desperately.

A sickening feeling boiled up in my stomach, and my chest felt tight. Panic and fear crept up on me and threatened to swallow me whole.

"Did the anesthesia rob you of your memories, or are you simply just clueless? You were sold, my dear girl, and the prince of this castle was the one who bought you," the woman replied emotionlessly.

Events from the auction came back to me so vividly that it made me feel dizzy and sick. So, all of that wasn't just some nightmare. Did it happen?

"I need to get back to the orphanage!" I cried, and tears stung the back of my eyes.

"No, you don't. Don't you get it by now? They sold you. They decided to sell you in exchange for money, which is why you are here now. This is also why there is nowhere and no one for you to return to. This place, this castle, is your new home now," the old woman said as she implored me to understand with her eyes.

"No...it can't be..." I murmured in pure disbelief.

"The sooner you accept the facts, the better for you. Work starts at 6 AM sharp tomorrow morning. Your uniform is in that closet over there. Get dressed and line up with the other girls at 6 AM sharp tomorrow morning. Is that clear?" Madame Cassandra ordered before raising a brow at me.

Work starts tomorrow...

"...Yes," I mumbled, although I was still very much confused.

"Good girl. It would be best if you went to sleep. I brought you some dinner in case you are hungry. It seems you haven't eaten anything since you arrived here. Don't worry too much for now. Everything will be clearer when the sun rises," the woman said, and for the first time since we met, she smiled a little at me.

"Ok..." I murmured.

Everything was far from okay, but I didn't know what else to say. According to what she said, everything will become more apparent when morning arrives.

"This is the key to your room. Be sure to lock the door when you are in here at all times. Although your door is unlocked now, I strongly advise you not to try running away. If you're caught, and you will be even before you make it through the front door of this building, you will be tortured in ways that you can't even imagine...and then killed..." she advised before smiling at me.

I gulped in terror as her words sank in. There is no escaping from this, huh?

It was a challenge, but I moved my head enough to nod slightly at her words. She pressed her lips in a thin line and nodded once at me.

"As a maid, your master's command is absolute. You must follow your master's command to the letter without question. Please keep that in mind," the Madame said sternly.

Madame Cassandra left the room without another word and firmly closed the door. Hungry and exhausted, I ended up eating all the food that she brought for me. It tasted more than decent compared to our food at the orphanage. I got to taste fresh fruits for the first time in a long time. Perhaps life here won't be so bad after all. At least, I now had a job...whatever it was...

When I lay back down on the bed, my eyelids immediately felt heavy, and sleep took over me quickly. That night, I slept without dreams for the first time in a very long time.

--To be continued...