Chapter ElevenMaelisMy legs felt as though they were glued to the floor, I couldn’t move, and the same applied to my brain, it couldn’t come up with any way to escape the impending danger and chaos that would be caused by the brothers if they were to see me, standing there as one of the new recruited maid.I looked around, my eyes desperately searched for a way out, but I couldn’t find anything, I couldn’t think of a way out of this mess.I kept my head bent, maybe hiding my face could save me, but that wasn’t possible, anyone who knows me well would recognize me even if my face was hidden. The scar on the side of my face and neck would expose me.“Keep walking!” One of the guards leading us to our rooms yelled out.I looked up, and that was when I realized that the other maids had gone far beyond me. I picked up my legs and rushed to join them, finding a way to move myself in between them just so I wouldn’t be recognized.“Stop and greet the princes.” Another guard ordered, and we
Chapter TwelveUlricStanding there and waiting for my father, the Alpha King, to come in felt like forever. I already knew what my fate was, but I wanted to strongly believe that he would make the right judgment this time.He was always quick to make judgments and would even listen to my brothers over me. I was like the child he never wanted, but it was still confusing why he was acting that way. Until we were thirteen, my father was all over my brothers and me, treating us equally, without any preferential treatment for anyone.Though the other people around us treated me just the same way I was being treated now, my father and brothers were different. I always thought if I had their support and love, I wouldn’t care about how the palace maids or their mothers treated me. All of a sudden, the people from whom I gained my strength changed towards me. They were the shoulder I could lean on when I had any problems or was maltreated by any of their mothers or palace maids, but they move
Chapter ThirteenMaelisI watched as the three brothers walked out of the throne room, leaving us with the alpha king.What I had just witnessed was a display of power and wisdom. I initially thought the alpha king was being biased when Prince Ulric was dragged away, but I never expected him to do the same with Prince Valko. Even Prince Valko was as surprised as the rest of us.When they were both taken away, I wondered what the alpha king was going to do next. How did he intend to uncover the truth if he wasn’t going to hear from both sides? Were they being interrogated wherever they were taken?I was still pondering when the alpha king ordered Kael to step forward and explain what happened because he was the only witness. The alpha king emphasized the importance of Kael telling the truth and not being biased.Kael stood silent for a few minutes, likely debating whether to tell the truth or align with someone. From what I had observed since meeting them, if he were to side with anyon
Chapter FourteenMaelisJuggling school and working as a palace maid was way harder than I expected. I thought it would be a piece of cake, but it turned out to be like a broken part of a rock: hard and tiring.We were woken up by the loud blaring of the morning sound over the speakers installed in every room. We rushed up to go to work, and people who couldn’t get up with that sound were disciplined by the guards. I knew it: nothing would go unpunished in this castle, and I had to be extra careful.We were put into groups for work that morning. Some were sent to the kitchen, some to clean the royal halls, including the dining room, and others to the royal farm. I was lucky to be sent to the kitchen where we didn’t do much work, but none of us were allowed to leave once we stepped in. The chief cook said we might go out and come back with germs that could harm the royal family. If only he knew what we used to do in the kitchen back at home.Due to the drastic measures, restrictions, a
Chapter FifteenUlricIf I could have things go my way, I would shut down every single person who said those abusive words to her. I felt a pang of pain when I saw the hurt in her eyes and the disappointment when no one stood up for her.I wished there was something I could do, but I was helpless. I couldn’t do anything to ruin what I had been planning for years. I almost made a big mistake the day before by hitting Valko, but my father was in the right mood to make the right judgment. If it had been one of his bad days, he would have made me pay for hitting Valko and assumed that he was right.It was a narrow escape for me, and I didn’t want to do anything to ruin all I had been working on for years. I had to comport myself and always be on the alpha’s good side. I had to do that for myself and for my mom, who had so much trust in me.There was the engagement with Lucia and the desperation I saw on my mom’s face to make sure the tie was sealed. She wanted me to get mated first, and i
Chapter SixteenUlricIt had only been a day since I saw her, yet it felt like I had known her for years. It was as if the mate bond and attraction towards her had been there all along, only now making itself known. Was this what the mate bond felt like, or was it something else? Everything left me confused. I wasn’t sure how to define what I was feeling.I had experienced the mate bond before. I felt it the first time I met Maelis at the pageant, and it didn’t feel pre-existing; it felt like finding a missing piece of myself, one I had longed for. But now, the feeling towards this new girl was just the same as that for Maelis. It felt like I had been waiting for her for years, as if I was meeting Maelis again.These thoughts became too much for me. I really couldn’t figure out what exactly I was supposed to do. The situation I was in was more difficult than expected. I had to decide whether to be with Lucia or keep waiting for Maelis. And then there was the new girl again. I had to m
Chapter SeventeenMaelisThe rest of the week was spent trying hard to stay away from the brothers. It wasn’t as easy as I thought, but I did all I could to make that happen, thanks to the head maid who still saw me as someone unworthy to serve the royal family. I would have been seen by them if I had been chosen to serve them.It was the weekend, and the head maid had already informed us that the weekend always started with the farm, then serving the royal family, and then doing the washing. Every single task was demanding, but like Alisha said, if we could impress the head maid and the royals, we could be given a higher position, and there was nothing I wanted more than the position of a royal physician. I had to do everything I could to make that happen, even if it meant doing things I didn’t want to do and going out of my way to do them. I had to get that position and show my father that I had a future. I wouldn’t be the slave they said I would be for my entire life.“The head mai
Chapter EighteenMaelisI desperately wanted to disappear at that moment. I wished I could find a way to wipe her memory so it would seem like she never saw me and I could go on my own. I looked around, wondering where I could go to escape the impending chaos, but her grip on my hand was so firm that the reality sank in immediately—there was no way out, and I had been caught by her.What do I do? How do I explain myself? What do I say to her? Multiple thoughts troubled my mind, but I didn’t have an answer to any of them. Nothing was clear, no ideas were forthcoming. It seemed like I had hit a dead end. I looked up to meet her gaze, which held a mixture of surprise, confusion, and mockery. I immediately withdrew my gaze and looked down again. Maybe she wasn’t sure it was me yet? Maybe she felt she was mistaken? What if she still didn’t know I was the one?All these thoughts raced through my mind, and I kept my head down, hoping she would let me be or become confused and leave.The trut