ALPHA KING'S HUMAN MATE

My eyes were red and heavy, my breath cold as ice. I sat there on my small wooden bed, legs up, cuddling tightly to my body as I struggled to stop the tears from falling from my eyes.

I should be used to this.

This wasn't the first time; I should have expected this to happen.

You would think someone who grew up hand in hand with death won't be this affected anymore when a friend or family member dies.

But who wouldn't bawl their eyes out after losing the only member of their family they had left?

Everyone I ever loved is all gone from this cruel world. I had no parents, no siblings, and now no Tatiana.

When I found Tatiana's dead body, I was numb for a moment. Doing nothing, feeling nothing. I couldn't say anything; I just stood there, staring at her cold, naked body lying on the floor after being raped countless times and left to die with no remorse.

That had been six days ago. No matter how many times I wanted to scream my lungs out, I couldn't.

We were told to carry on with our work like nothing had happened, like a young girl no less than eighteen wasn't brutally raped by their kind and left bleeding out with no care.

The guards had taken her body and dumped it in one of their old cells, not caring to give her a befitting burial.

After four days of her body rotting in the cold, dirty cell alone, it was given back to us to do as we saw fit. So, the younger maids gathered around, giving her a small, simple burial. That was the day before today.

Yet, I still wasn't able to cry.

Even when they laid her in the ground, there were no tears. Even when the sand was used to cover up her body, no tears. When the maids gathered around to sing a final farewell like they did for every human that has passed away, helping them into the promised land, still no tears.

So, when I woke up in the early hours of the morning, shaken within my wilts, with tears falling from my eyes in a hasty manner, I knew it had finally hit me.

I was all alone in this world.

Yes, there were other humans like me, but none of us were that close, and we had to learn from a young age to be wary of them as well. As they won't think twice about putting you under the bus if it means getting a tiny bit of privilege from the beast or escaping any form of punishment.

Drying my tears, I knew it was time for me to get up from the bed before the head maid got to the kitchen.

Madam Perrine was like them, a beast.

You might be wondering if she was a beast; then why work as a maid with the humans?

It's simple. The beasts are divided into five different ranks.

Firstly, the low ranks, born from both families without a hint of nobility in their blood. They work alongside the humans but with much better privileges than we humans could ever have.

The average beast: They are, like the commoners, born with at least blood from one noble parent.

Then there are the upper class. Unlike the commoners, both parents are from a noble bloodline, giving them an upper hand in politics and the like.

Fourthly, the chosen ones. They are specially selected by whom they call the moon goddess, making them leader of their pack. They were also called alphas of a pack, having one of the highest positions in the bestiary.

But they were nothing compared to the Royals. They had said to each possess a unique gift, making them more special than the rest.

And there was him.

The stories of his infamous accomplishment spread across the world, even to the maid, and it was anything but pleasant.

He was a monster. The devil beast, like his people called him.

I was fortunate not to have crossed the pass with him and pray it remained so. It's true that I work as a maid in the palace, but the palace was divided into two separate buildings.

One was for the king, while the other was where some royals stayed, and fortunately that was where I worked.

I wasn't saying they weren't brutal, but they were a better fit than that of the king. I walked over to the small bowl of water beside my bed, washing the dried tears off my face.

I changed into an old, ruined maid dress. Tying my hair up into a bun before putting on my worn-out slippers.

Walking out of the room, I walked through the castle corridor to the back door, leading to the kitchen, where the rest of the maids stood. puffing out a breath when I realised I had gotten there in a matter of time before Madam Perrine.

I stood in line with the other maids, as we all waited for the head maid to make her way into the kitchen. No one said a word, our breath heretic, our body too weak to even utter a word.

We heard a heavy footstep, stomping the ground like always. We all stood rooted in our spot, heads bowed down, as the head maid, Madam Perrine, made her way into the kitchen.

It was part of the law given to us humans; we were not allowed to look into their kind's eyes without being given permission, no matter their rank.

"Heads up," the head maid ordered coldly, and we all obeyed, raising our heads like we were being controlled. No one uttered a word; it was dead silence in the kitchen, like a graveyard.

I laughed inwardly at the irony of it; after all, this was no different.

"There will be a routine change starting from tomorrow. I expect you all to be here thirty minutes earlier than usual, or there will be repercussions," she said sternly, with no hint of emotion on her face.

Her eyes held nothing but hate for my kind; her height towered over ours, gazing down at us like we were nothing but dirt on her shoe.

To think, in the same situation, she would have a little compassion for us, but it was all wishful thinking.

"Have I made myself clear?" The head maid barked, purging me of my thoughts.

"Yes, Madam Perrine," we all yelled out as loudly as we could, our gazes anywhere but hers.

" Good." She said after some time. " Now scram off your mices. Have breakfast and get to work." She concluded, stomping off, mumbling to herself. " I don't know why the king won't just finish them off; they are nothing but pieces of rats." Were her words before she left the kitchen.

When we were sure she was a safe distance away from the kitchen, I could hear the maid around release a breath of relief as they gathered in twos and threes, talking about the routine change and how they dreaded it.

Once a year, there was a routine change done on both sides of the palaces. Those who were lucky remained here, at this side of the palace, but those who weren't fortunate enough were sent to the other side of the palace.

I heaved out a sigh, looking around the familiar but lonely kitchen.

After my family died ten years ago, my dad was in charge of the stable. When the king's favourite horse had gone missing, my dad was instantly blamed for it, even though he wasn't on shift at that time.

He was, after all, a mere human and an easy enough scapegoat. He was immediately taken to the dungeon, where he was tortured for being careless with the King's property.

They released him weeks later, but his weak body wasn't able to recover from the injury, and he died from it.

My mother couldn't handle the pain of losing the one she loved, even though she had me and my brother Alystair. She ended up killing herself.

It hadn't been weeks since our parents were both laid to rest when my brother Alystair was deployed to the east side of the world. Only for me to receive news about him being dead months later.

That had been a dreadful year for me, knowing I was the only one of my family left alive.

I admit, I had thought of many ways to end my life. To put an end to whatever misery is in this world, then I would be reunited with my family.

Tatiana was the one who helped me, saved me and did everything possible to make me not feel alone.

We became the best of friends, keeping each other company, and she was gone too, leaving me alone, all over again.

I walked over to the trays of hardened bread and cold tea, taking bread from it as I scooped it down as fast as I could.

Holding back the vomit that threatened to come out, I drank the cold, disgusting tea, washed out my cup, and set out to work.

I hurried down the steps and scurried through the crowded hall that was getting filled with other servants doing their daily work. I walked over to the cleaning room, taking out my cleaning tools before making my way back to the steps of the castle, walking to the fifth floor where some kitchen maids and I had been assigned to work.

I huffed, walking towards the first room for the day. I knocked on the door, resting the side of my face on it to hear if anyone was in there. I opened the door slowly, my eyes cast down. After being certain that no one was in the room with me, I lifted my head up.

A weak sigh left my mouth when I saw how messy the room was. A frown formed on my face, and I began picking up the clothes on the floor and bed, placing them on the couch to be sorted later. I carried on picking up the trash on the floor, putting it into the trash can I had brought in with me.

I dusted the bed, fixing it before walking back to the clothes, selecting the ones that needed to be washed, then putting the rest back where they were supposed to be. I swept the floor, putting the rest of the things thrown on the floor in their rightful places before walking into the bathroom.

Holding back a gag, I reached for the lavatory, ceasing my breath as I unclogged it, flushing it off. I moved to the sink, washing my hands off. A look of pure disgust danced around my face.

"I should be used to this." I whispered to myself again. I finished up with the first room; I hurried along to the remaining six rooms I had to clean up. Knowing I needed to be fast before the royal came back, it would be disastrous if any of us were found still in the room.

I stopped by the maid's small room where the maids usually gathered to see who I was to assist since it was already dark outside.

My head ached, and I felt my legs begging to give out, to rest. But I didn't; I couldn't. I need to get my work done before nine pm, unless I won't be getting any food for the night.

I took my brush, along with five other maids, and we started sweeping the ballroom. I took in a few deep breaths, placing a hand at the back of my neck to ease the stiffness I felt.

Taking in another deep breath, I inhaled and exhaled, relaxing a little while carrying on working.

By the time we were finally done cleaning the ballroom, it was already 8:30 pm. We hurried out of the hall back to the kitchen, where our dinner was laid.

Like breakfast in the morning, we were served cold, tasteless porridge. We all gathered around, taking an old, rusted bowl given to us as we lined up to have the head maid serve us our dinner. We walked out of the kitchen to a small lounge room where we had the maids gathered to eat.

Taking a seat on the ground at the far end of the room, away from the others, I slowly drank my soup. "Who do you think will be taken to the King's Palace tomorrow?" A soft voice whispered a few seats from me to her friend beside her.

I instantly recognised the two, Roselani and Saoirse. They weren't the kind of people any of the maids would want to associate with or trust, as they wouldn't think twice to betray you.

"I, personally, wouldn't mind being sent to the King's Palace," Saoirse said, a smirk on her face as if she had everything all planned out.

"Are you crazy? Why would you want to do that?" Roselani whispered, looking at her friend like she had lost her mind.

I sat in the dim room, pretending not to be listening to their conversation while taking another bite of the horrible porridge.

"I intend to get the attention of the king," Saoirse said again in a cocky tone filled with confidence. "With the king by my side, no one would ever look down on me."

"I don't know if that's going to work, Saoirse. This could go so wrong in numerous ways. You know what the rumour says about him, Saoirse. He shows no mercy." Roselani's voice quivered at the end of her words.

Even I knew Saoirse's plan was downright idiotic. Who in their right mind throws themselves at a psychotic, crazy bastard? It was like asking for a death wish on a silver platter.

I stopped listening to their conversation, drinking the soup in time before the head maid came to dismiss us for the night. I dropped the bowl as the door swung open, and Madam Perrine stood there with her usual scorn on her face.

"Don't forget to do your dishes and be in your room before ten. Is that clear?" She asked in an authoritative voice.

"Yes, Madam Perrine." She scorned at us one last time, walking out of the room as I stood up with the rest of the maids.

We walked back to the kitchen, doing our dishes and putting the bowls back in the worn-out rack, and made our way to our respective rooms. I looked around the room that always managed to give me warmth, getting rid of my clothes until I was completely naked.

We were given few clothes, and most of them were maid uniforms. This was one of the reasons why I started sleeping naked. Making sure to bolt the door locked, as I didn't want anyone coming in, I walked over to the bowl of water and washed my face.

Puffing out a breath, I climbed into the hard rock bed and drifted off to sleep.

My eyes scanned the hall, watching the other maids race into the hall. We didn't have to wait long when we heard the familiar footsteps of the head maid walking into the hall, but she wasn't alone. She walked in with two massive men and a lady. The three of them stood behind her while her eyes peered around the room.

Taking her time, she carefully inspected each and every one of us, occasionally nodding her head, and the lady behind her would jot down something on a piece of paper without any of them uttering a word.

That was one of their gifts; they were able to communicate through their minds. You might be wondering how I knew this. It was all thanks to Tatiana. I had no clue how she was able to know so much about them, but she did. It was like she was watching every move of theirs.

I kept my head down like the rest of the maids. You could smell the tension in the air since none of the beasts were saying anything.

"Heads up," Madam Perrine ordered, and we complied, lifting our heads up. " Like I told you yesterday, there will be a routine change done today." She starts, her cold eyes scanning us as she paces up and down. In front of us, both hands are put at her back.

" Some of you would remain working here, going back to your old jobs. While the lucky few would be sent to the King's Palace."

Lucky few!

She can't be serious, right?

How is being sent to the King's Palace an act of luck or any form of privilege? It was a death sentence to us humans because only a few make it past the first day before they end up being killed or killed themselves.

So how could she stand there spitting those words in our face, like we should be grateful and grovel at their feet?

Yet again, here I was screaming inwardly. My hand formed a fist behind my back and my jaw clenched.

I looked back towards the head maid and found her glancing at me. Her eyes stayed on me for some time, and I was sure I had ceased breathing.

I could feel my palm being too sweaty, and I unclutched it, resisting the urge to rub it on my dress.

She snapped her gaze away from me, looking back to the centre of the room, and she cleared her throat, preparing to speak again.

"We are yet to decide who will be going and who is to stay, but hopefully the decision will be made before the end of the day." There was a small pause. " Carry on with your work, and you will be called back when it's time for the announcement to be made. You are all dismissed."

Just as she had come into the room, she left with the three beasts trailing behind her. The moment they were out of sight, there was another outbreak of conversion among the maids, and just like yesterday, I was left alone by myself.

I stood there rooted in my spot, watching as the rest of the maids communicated with each other, expressing their fear of being chosen as a maid in the King's Palace.

Deciding it was best to have breakfast and start the day's work instead of pondering about where I would be assigned to or not.

There were up to a thousand human maids in the palace in general, so the chance of me getting picked would be 0.0001 per cent.

I have been here since Bath, and I never got picked, so I doubt I would now.

The kitchen, like the hall room, was filled with chatter. The maids made guesses among themselves about who was likely to get selected and who wasn't.

Like usual, I stayed out of it, not joining in their chatter while devouring the bread and tea given to us. Breakfast went by faster, so I carried on with my task for the day, not bothered about the routine. I am confident I won't get selected.

I was tasked with helping out in the kitchen for the day, which meant I was in charge of doing the dishes. I did the dishes while those in charge of cooking prepared food for the royal, consisting mostly of meat.

By the time I was done washing the plates, the cooks began making lunch, yet the talk about the King's Palace still carried on.

" I don't think I would mind being taken to the King's Palace." One of the maids says, cutting the vegetables. " Carrie's cousin's friend's sister was assigned to the King's Palace. Two years ago, and she won't stop gushing to Carrie about how handsome the king was; he had not only his kind but also the female humans swooning after him, trying to get him to notice them."

" I would be quiet if I were you." The maid beside her says, nudging her shoulders. She points towards Saoirse, who was clearly listening in on their conversation. Her lips pursed down in a frown, a dead glare sent to the maid who had been talking.

I rolled my eyes, looking at how dramatic and equally stupid she was being right now. It was obvious she was making a claim on the devil king when she wasn't even certain if she would get selected or not.

Not that I mind. At least if she does get chosen, then we wouldn't have to worry about seeing her again.

" What appears to be amusing, Micaela?" Saoirse's cold tone brought me out of my thoughts. I didn't realise my lips were raised in a smirk, with the rest of the maids staring at me.

" No.....nothing." I stuttered out, keeping my head down.

That was who I was, a coward. I couldn't stand up to myself, except to rant about it in my head.

" Thought so," she scoffed, sending the maid one last glare before storming out of the kitchen.

"Ugh.... Do I hate her?" One of the maids says, looking at the door. " Who does she think she is? I think she needs a reality check to know she is just a human and nothing more."

" You know she sleeps with them willingly, having some guards wrapped around her fingers." Another voiced out, siding with the first maid.

" I think it's best we all get back to work instead of discussing what Saoirse does and doesn't do." An elderly maid says, butting in on the conversation. " You do know we have a deadline to meet."

Her words put an end to the conversation, with the rest of the maids carrying on with their work.

When we were done with our respective works, we were called back into the hall where Madam Perrine was going to give us the final decision about the routine change.

We stayed in lines, waiting for her to come into the hall for the second time that day. Like in the morning, we didn't have to wait long before she walked with the same trio trailing behind her.

"Heads up." She commands. " The decision has been made concerning the routine change. Prior to my announcement earlier today, a selected few have been chosen to work in the King's, while some of you get a new task given to you."

"The list would be placed on the table over there." She points to a small table at the side of the entrance of the hall. " You are expected to check where you have been assigned to and be prepared the next morning. That's all for today." The head maid gave us one distasteful look and then left the hall with her entourage following behind her as the female among them placed a paper on the table, walking out.

We all moved in line to the table, checking out the list. I kept my focus on the table, my heart beating faster with each step I took.

I sighed when it got to my turn, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. I never knew I would be this scared to check my name on the list.

Slowly I peeled my eyes open, looking down at the list. My finger traced down the name, and I gulped when I got to mine.

Micaela Whitlock.

I traced my name, moving my finger to the right side.

The King's Palace.

No,

Please, no.

This can't be real.

I can't be assigned to the King's Palace; this was all a dream. A bad dream.

I could feel my heart beating rapidly along with the panic that sat at the back of my throat.

"Can you move out of the way so that the rest of us can check the list? Instead of standing there being dramatic." Saoirse, venomous voice, spat behind me.

I didn't get the time to move out of the way since the queen bee thought it was funny to push me aside, catching me off guard. Losing my footing, I fell flat down on the floor, my butt hitting the floor hard.

A loud groan escaped my lips. I stayed seated on the floor, trying to ease the pain, knowing for sure that it would bruise.

After managing to lift my body up a little, a loud shriek filled the room, and I was pushed back down with more force than before.

My teeth clenched tightly together, holding back a groan. I felt a figure tower over me, causing me to lift my head up, coming face to face with Saoirse's pissed-off face.

" I don't get it. Why would they pick you when clearly I'm a better fit than you? Why, why, why......." She screamed, straight in my face.

" Do you think I wanted to get picked?" I whispered, looking at her dead in the face. " I prefer enduring whatever tutelage given to me here rather than being on the other side of the palace."

She scoffed, folding her hands to her chest. " I guess you won't be pleased. I guess it's best to say your last prayer. There is no way you are going to make it through the day." She smirked cockily. " Good luck, not."

Saoirse rolled her eyes, walking out of the hall with Roselani following behind her.

The other maids passed by me; some gave me a cold smirk while others held pity.

I got up from the floor and dragged my legs out of the hall, down the stairs, going back to my room.

There was no way I would have any appetite to eat – not after the list. I walked to the bed, lying on it without getting out of my uniform.

My body was cooped up like a foetus, my hands hugged my body, and I lay there thinking about what my fate might be.

Numbness filled my body; my mind refused to work. I didn't know if it was due to confusion, fear, denial, or the three put together.

Saoirse was right; there was no way I could last a day.

I was going to die.

I guess my time was up; maybe it won't be such a bad idea. Now, I can finally join my family and Tatiana in paradise, if there was one.

It was the next morning, and everyone expected to be at the King's Palace, standing at the entrance of the second palace, waiting for the guards in charge of taking us over there.

We set out to the other palace, which took about half an hour since we had to walk over there.

On getting there, we all had to write our names down, including our age and gender. Then we were directed to the slaves' quarters.

A few minutes later, an elderly-looking woman, clearly one of them, walked into the quarter, standing in front of us.

" Alright, listen up. I am Madam Despina, the head maid for this palace." She spoke fiercely and filled with confidence.

" From this moment on, you all belong to the king. Forget about your old lives; you lived an hour ago. Forget about whoever was your master. Know that you belong to the king and queen. Your only purpose here is to serve and please your master or the days of your lives."

" You all are privileged to serve such great masters as His Majesty, King Orpheus Selinofoto."

There it was again.

That word.

Why do they keep telling us that?

It was obvious how well they loved and respected their king; they didn't have to force us humans to like them. Not after everything they had done and were still doing to my kind.

They were monsters.

Nothing was going to change my thoughts about them.

I kept my face passive, looking at the new head maid, Madam Despina, as she spoke; this time it was about a rule we were meant to follow.

" I'm sure you are all aware of what would happen to you if any of the rules are broken. With no doubts, the punishment will be severe; you would wish for nothing but death. So think twice before breaking any." She says sternly, watching every one of us. Her face held no emotions.

" Number one, remember to keep your head down always. More importantly, in front of the king. Only raise your heads up when asked to. Number two, don't even think about escaping, ever. You won't get that far. Number three, there should be no act of disobedience or resistance against your master. These are the three major rules to survive here; do not forget them."

" The rest will be taken care of by Elvire; she is in charge after me. She is the one to meet if any issue you wish to discuss arises. Follow the guards, and they will take you to her." She looked around the room. " That's all for now."

We stayed in line, following the guards out into a corridor. We walked down the stairs, stopping in an open hall with a lady no more than five years older than me.

I couldn't help admiring how beautiful she looked; even with the maid gown, she stood with grace.

I give it to them; they do have great skins. Every female beast I have ever come across all have this glow in them.

" Okay everyone, listen up. There won't be much time to list out the remainder of the rules, so they would be pasted on the wall of the hallway for you all to go through." The lady spoke, her voice sounding so adorable. " You get the rest of the day off, giving you a chance to mingle with other maids and get your footing on how it works here. Make no mistake, you won't be getting any more free days after today."

Of course, we were nothing but slaves to them.

" You will each get your task before the end of the day. Your uniforms are already placed in your respective rooms. That's all; you are free to pick a room."

My room, just like the other palace, was small and plain with a tiny window by the side of the wall. But still, I had my space, which was more than enough.

I walked over to where my uniforms were placed. They looked more decent and in better shape than my previous one.

There wasn't anything too unique to see in the room as I decided to take a bit of rest. I climbed onto the bed, slowly closing my eyes. It was long after that I fell asleep.

When i came through again it was by a loud bang on my door, causing me to jump to my feet. I tidied up my hair and dress before opening the door to see the rest of the maids standing by their doors with their heads down.

I followed suit, not asking a question as I kept my head down.

"Heads up." Elvire said, standing by the far end of the hall, with her hands clapped to the back.

" I hope you guys had time to go through the rest of the list." She says, scanning through the hall. " Without wasting any more time, I'm going to call out your name, as well as your task. Is that clear?"

" Yes, ma'am?" We all chorused together.

" Good, let's get right into it." She unfolds the paper in her hands. " Bailey Norman." A young lady, not less than twenty-five, raised her hand. " Kitchen duties."

" Josiane Stuart." Just like the first lady, a petite girl my age raised her hand. " Garden duties."

I stopped paying attention to the list of names being called until I heard my name, and my head shot up.

" Micaela Whitlock"

I raised my hand, trying my best not to shake even though I was falling miserably.

" Personal servant to King Orpheus Selinofoto."

" What......" I whispered, a look of horror on my face.

" You are to serve the king as a personal servant." Elvire says, giving me a pointed glare.

I stood frozen, my hands clenched tightly to my clothes as Elvire carried on with the names like she hadn't just assigned me to death herself.

" I suggest you get as much rest as possible today because tomorrow you resume back to work. From 5am in the morning to 9pm. Remember, tardiness won't be allowed; you will be punished if you are even a second late." Elvire's warning rang through the hall.

She gave us one last look before leaving the hall. As she left, the hall was filled with silence. I could feel eyes on me, the glance of sympathy being thrown my way from both old and new maids.

The maids cleared out of the hall, going back to their respective rooms. I, on the other hand, remained rooted in my spot.

Numbness filled me up; my mind and body refused to cooperate with me. I swore I could hear my heart beating fast; I'm surprised it was still intact.

Struggling to move my legs, going back to my room. I fell to the bed; a lone tear fell from my eye.

I guess I will be seeing my family soon.

♤♤♤♤

The sound of banging on my door was what woke me up again the next morning. Getting out of bed, I cringed when my feet touched the cold floor. I opened the door, spotting a petite girl tasked to work at the garden. She had a smile on her face, sticking her hand out for me to take as she introduced herself.

" Hi, I'm Josiane. It's a pleasure to meet you."

" Hi, I'm..."

" Micaela, I know. Honestly, everyone does." Josiane winced, giving me a pitiful look. " You're the girl chosen as the king's personal maid."

Not knowing what to say, I opt to say nothing, not at all shocked by her information.

" It's best if you get ready. Lady Elvire will be here any moment from now." Josiane said, ushering me back in.

I closed the door, changing out of the clothes I had on into a freshly washed uniform. Washing my face with water by the side, I tied my hair into a ponytail and then quickly opened the door, following Josiane out of the servant quarters to the hall. We were first addressed by Madam Despina.

" Good morning, ladies, I see you are all cleaned up." Elvire says, giving us a pointed look.

Once again, she was looking flawless. Her hair matted to the back, her face radiant and glowing.

" Breakfast is at 6:00am, lunch is at 1:00pm and dinner is at 8:00pm. Miss any, and you will have to wait until the next time for a meal."

" For the maids working as personal servants, I expect you not to be seen or heard. Especially if you are the King's personal servant." She continued, giving me a look. When she said the latter. I could have sworn I saw her grit her teeth. " There would be no chit-chat among the maid during working hours. Work as fast as you can to meet the time frame, and if you successfully manage to execute your duties on time, you are expected to spend the rest of your time in your personal room until it's your meal time."

"Know that you will be punished according to your offence. Tardiness, death. Steal, death. Any form of disobedience and death. Remember, you are nothing more than a slave brought over here to serve the king."

" With that being said, I expect to have no reason to come down here to speak to any of you. You are all dismissed; follow the guard at the door, and he will lead you to the kitchen."

We all lined up, following the guys out of the hall to the kitchen where the other maids were. Walking over to the tray of food, picking a plate of porridge. I stood at the far end of the kitchen with Josiane beside me as we ate our breakfast.

" I wished they would serve us more decent food than this. How do they expect us to get the appropriate nutrition if the only thing they give us is porridge, stoned bread and an extremely disgusting tea?" Josiane whispers, looking down at the plate of porridge in her arms in absolute repulsion.

I nod, agreeing with her, focusing myself to swallow the tasteless porridge.

The both of us kept on eating when Elvire walked in, whispering something into the ear of the chief cook before walking out.

" Heavens, Elvire can be so superficial and fake." Josiane said out of the sudden, her face turned sour.

"Why...? I thought she looked friendly." I questioned, mystified at why she would say that.

" Come on, don't be fooled. She is anything but nice. The only reason Elvire is being nice." She says, using her fingers to emphasise the word 'nice'. " It is because she doesn't see any of us as a threat to her position as the King's personal whore."

" Wow, you must really hate her."

" I have worked here at the King's Palace since I was six. I had a best friend, Marie. She was the former maid to the king."

" What happened to her?" I asked, taking the last bite of my porridge.

" What do you think?" Josiane counters back. " Look, Micaela, I'm not trying to scare you. You work for the king now, which means that Elvire is going to have an eye on you. She might act all charming and friendly to you, but be careful; don't forget she is like them. A beast." The warning was evident in her voice.

A beast, I had no idea she wasn't human. The beast had a unique feature; mostly it was the colour of their eyes that gave them away, but Elvire looked more human. Deciding not to stick my nose into something that has nothing to do with me, I took the last bite of my porridge.

Nodding my head, I walked over to the sink to do my dishes, waving Josiane goodbye, then walked out of the kitchen with her words still ringing in my heart.

Like Elvire had suggested, it would be best if I worked as fast as I can, trying not to be seen nor heard.

After climbing the seventh staircase, my breath came so rapidly that I had to force myself to breathe slower through my mouth. I got to the King's quarter, which was a full hall with no one but him in it.

I guess it's true what they said about the king liking his privacy. Rumours flew about how the King hated being seen and how a few privileged people got to see what he really looks like.