Chapter 11

The maids' hall is buzzing with an odd noise. Girls jump excitedly in and out of each other's rooms while giggling and chatting. This isn't the only place in the kingdom where I've seen this vibe, though. This morning, I even detected a similar buzz in the air at breakfast. 

I guess I can understand why. Today is the opening round of the tournament and the first day of my first week as a maid. Feeling rejuvenated from my morning shower, I walk along the hallways wrapped in a white towel and can't help but let my thoughts wander. I've focused more on Jade and Althea throughout the training sessions than I have on Gertrude. Even though I support Jade, I have no doubt that Althea will easily defeat any opponent in her match. Throughout history, Althea has outperformed Jade in strength and heart of heart. The smile she shot me the next day informed me nothing had changed at all, contrary to my hopes that perhaps her standing up to Gertrude had signaled a change in her heart. 

I locate my room and open the door. As Macy puts on cosmetics, she stands in front of her dresser and looks into the mirror. She looks at me and gives me a smile, which I return. These last few days have seen Macy and I becoming really close, albeit that's probably partly due to Gertrude getting more difficult to manage. It feels like a horrible circumstance is drawing us closer together, and I'm happy about it. Without Macy on my side, I'm not sure I could tolerate Gertrude. 

"I laid your uniform out on your bed," she continues. I say, "Thank you," and proceed to arrange my clothes neatly on my bed. I find myself glancing at Macy's left leg as I pull on my uniform; it's covered by her black slacks and raised a little above the ground. Although I'm itching to see what Macy's leg looks like, I haven't seen it yet. Her limp seems to follow specific patterns, such as getting worse in the winter or after a long day at work. 

I turn to face Macy, who gives me a small smile while she finishes putting on her makeup. When the early light comes through, her black skin sparkles, the window, her dark curls too.

I feel like I've grown to know Macy well enough to try, even though I know it's not my place to ask. I would even go so far as to call her my... buddy, friend. What a weird term to call a person. Apart from maybe Sarah, I don't think I've ever had a true friend before. But then, it wasn't like that at all.

So I inquire, "What happened to your leg, Macy? Why do you have a limp?" before I lose my nerve.

Macy's face remains covered in makeup. Before I realize I've asked the wrong question, Macy turns to face me with a dejected smile. 

She puts down her beauty brushes and hobbles over to me, getting to within a few feet of me. "I was wondering when you were going to ask that." "It's... a long story. But I've had it for years now, so I'm used to it. Want to see it?" 

I pause, then give a nod. For some reason, this feels personal, like Macy is only willing to share this with me. She smiles solemnly and pulls on her pajamas to show what's below.

I have to bite my lip to keep from gasping. Even though I've seen my share of broken bones and disfigured bodies, I've never seen someone with such a serious damage.

Her leg resembles a tree's gnarled trunk. It feels like someone just... grabbed her knee and ankle. bent. It bends in multiple places, the flesh rough and the skin blemished with light scars. There's a spot on her shin where the skin appears to be very thin, almost like the bone is protruding. Thankfully, her foot is only slightly off-center. I guess my expression of shock is visible because Macy giggles. "I know. It's bad, isn't it?" "No... no!" I shake my head, and Macy simply laughs once more. It's just, I— I'm sorry. 

Stop worrying. "I promise you that this isn't the worst response I've received. What happened?" I inquire. 

"It's a long story," Macy says, letting the pant drop and revealing her leg once more. I was a resident of Blunia once. She gestures with her hands, "You know, the land ruled by Lunous. Anyway. In the past, I worked as a maid for the Lunous family. To put it mildly, the family is quite... dishonest.