-Karen-"Tell me about yourself, Karen," Conor said, scooting the chair closer to the bed. I gave him an edgy glance as he gave me an expectant look.What? "There's nothing to tell." I shot back flatly. "I'm a servant. End of story." I mean…"Nope! You have to do better than that," he retorted quickly. "Come on. Really! I'm curious about you. Tell me anything."I watched him for a moment, and he watched me with a smirk. What do I say? "Well… I, uh. I'm a Mage, and I have a flower garden," I said plainly. He nodded for me to continue. “That's it. Really." I don't know what he is looking for in this."There has to be more than that," he said, frowning at me. “Who is Karen? What's your favorite color? Do you have any hobbies? Do you have a favorite food? What is your family like?" he asked rapidly. Who is Karen?—She's a servant with a garden like I just told you.Being put on the spot like this made me feel uneasy. "Well, uh- My favorite color is purple. And I have the garden that I have
-Karen-I waited a few more minutes and got up slowly. I crossed the short distance from the bed to the small window and watched as the sun dipped behind the ocean, allowing darkness to cloak the sky. I could see Taurameras high above the town, and the stars started to dot the darkened heavens. I love the light of Taurameras at night. Its soft light is so beautiful! The city was eerily dark below the palace. It left me with a relatively empty feeling as I thought about the many people who must have died in the attacks. I shook my head as the sadness continued to eat at me.'I could just throw you to the soldiers. They would love to get a piece of you…' The words echoed in my head as my throat became tight with emotion. And that is precisely why I don't expect to have a happy ending. I could hear yelling down the hall but ignored it while I cried silently by the window. I wrapped my arms around myself as I stared out into the darkness. He is just like Lewis, but he was more than okay w
-Karen-The next day, I awoke to the smell of porridge entering the servant's room. Sleepily, I sat up and rubbed my face through a yawn. Conor and Bart were carrying things, and instinctively, I got up to help. "Oh no, Karen. Go lay back down," Bart said firmly while he set up a foldable table."Go," Conor said just as firmly to me."I'm a servant- I'm supposed to help." I retorted flatly. I tried to help take the tray from Conor, but he raised it high over my head. "It shouldn't matter if I'm sick or not-""It matters. Now, change into your dress while we step outside." Conor said in a commanding tone. I frowned at him while he set the tray down. Why does it matter?! "Go on. I want to make sure it fits you correctly."I rolled my eyes while he snickered under his breath. I'm going to hurt him. He is making me mad! Bossing me around and not letting me help- I trudged over to the night table as the door shut, leaving me alone. "Such a bossy bastard," I grumbled as I changed into the s
-Karen-"Your first task is to get well. In order to do that, you need to eat. Seriously, I have no problem having you tied up and force-fed," Conor said softly. “What do you want to eat? I know you don't like me here, so in order for me to go away, you're going to have to eat.""The Porridge is fine," I replied quickly, reaching for the bowl. He grabbed my hand and shook his head."It's too old. Pick something else," he said with a grin. "Are you in the mood for turkey and cucumber again?""But the." I tried to reach for the porridge as he lifted it out of my reach. "It's perfectly fine!" I snapped angrily.He chuckled at me. "You're pretty cute when you get angry." Conor stood up before I could do anything. He walked over to the door and whistled a different noise. I heard someone run down the hall to him. "Please go to the kitchen and bring me a plate of turkey, peeled cucumber, and some cheese. Also, a small glass of water." Conor turned around to face me, shutting the door behind
-Karen-Bart stopped me and made me sit on the bed. He and Conor took the dishes out while I was useless on the bed. They came back an hour later with a giant metal bucket. Before I could even ask, a towel was laid down, and the bucket was on top. Several servants added twenty pitchers of hot water to the bucket. A bath in this room? Another servant set a full pitcher on the table and several bottles down. This is unnecessary. I just need a rag and half a pitcher of cool water.Conor was handed three towels, and then the servants and Bart left the room. He turned back to me. "I'm not sure when you last had a bath, but I think you should have one. It might help you relax and unwind." He placed the towels on the table and walked over to me. "I'm going to leave you alone for a couple of hours so you can wash up, and then I'll return. I hope it makes you feel a bit better."He was almost to the door when I quickly stood up. "Prince Conor." He stopped and gave me a dirty look. "Thank you..
-Karen-When I woke up, Conor was gone, but a small stack of presents was sitting in the chair waiting for me. There was also a note: 'Morning. Bart should arrive soon. I will be away for part of the day addressing this issue. Remember, flowers don't weep; they bloom beautifully in the sunlight.' I felt my cheeks tinge at the note. Does he think… I'm a flower? There was a knock on the door. Before I could get up to answer it, the door opened. Two male servants were bringing in a piece of furniture. Bart followed them in with a tray of food. "Morning Karen. Are you feeling alright?" He asked gently. "Conor said you shivered almost all night… Is there anything I can do for you?"I took the tray from him and saw pancakes with blackberry preserves. My mouth watered as I inhaled the wonderful aroma. "What is that thing?" I asked him, pointing at the new piece of furniture."It's called an armoire. It will store your dresses and gowns so they don't get wrinkled." He explained as I dug into
-Karen-I walked back to the bed as he mirrored me. We sat down on the bed together and started chuckling out of nowhere. "Tell me more about yourself," he said softly in my ear."Like what? You know more about me in this short time than most people know about me in general," I mumbled, twirling my hair around my finger. I want to keep it that way, if possible.I felt him lean close to me and brush a lock of hair behind my ear, which set me on edge. "Do you like to read?" he whispered in my ear. I nodded, wondering why he would ask. “I have a book I think you might enjoy.""What is it about?" I asked him curiously. "Most servants can't read. I usually read for them.""It's a book of short stories. Most are fairy tales- Half-fish people want to be full people. A princess trying to beat her pre-destined fate. Children who are abandoned in the woods try to find their way home. There are several stories within the book.""Sounds interesting," I replied, watching Bart rejoin us. I got up q
-Karen-"Look at you, giving orders…" he replied through an exhale. “I don't feel well." I dipped the rag and wrung out half the water, making sure to cool off his scalp, too. “That feels good. Thank you." I didn't reply, but I smirked at him. He caught my hand as I went to sponge his face off. "I like that dress on you… Is that new?"I snickered as I switched the rag to my free hand. "Yes… My kind Master gave it to me even though I think he's too generous." I dipped the rag as he let go of my hand. I unbuttoned his shirt enough to start cooling him down more. I placed the cloth on his chest and fanned it with my hand.He gasped at the temperature change. "That feels good."Bart returned with two bottles of water and a small sprig of mint. I set one bottle on the table as they watched me crush the mint as best I could. I opened the bottle, stuffed it in the mint, and shook it for about five minutes. After it was mixed enough, I helped Conor drink it. He made a face at the taste that m