Part 4

When Celina reached the kitchen, she noticed Beth waiting for her. The woman stood by the french window, dressed in a long pale blue gown, white gloves pulled to the wrists and an apron. Her grey hair was pulled in a tight bun, and she had a stern expression on her face. Something about the way she kept quiet for the first few seconds, merely narrowing her eyes at Celina made her shiver. 

"You must be Celina! Welcome."

"Yes. Thank you"

"I'm Beth, the housekeeper, and I'm here to direct you to your room and inform you of what you're expected to do for this job. Any questions so far?"

The young maid timidly shook her head at the woman. Beth asked her to follow as she lead her into the palace and down a hall, stopping suddenly in front of a door, nearly causing Celina to run into her. 

"This is your room that you will be staying in, and this section of the Palace is the servants quarters. Don't worry; there's only four of us. Two maids and Alfred the driver I assume you have met already."

Only four of them? Celina thought with a befuddled mind. How can such a large estate be managed by so little of them? From the looks of it, the Prince could easily afford more of them. He sure bought her from her parents. 

Beth interrupted her thoughts. "You have a bathroom through that door, and you have a walk-in closet there. Your uniform is in these drawers here. Any questions?"

Celina did have something to ask. A lot of them. "What are my daily duties?"

The atmosphere of the Palace prickled her skin with goosebumps. Instead of answering her question, Beth showed her around the quarters, which were big and would take Celina a few days to learn his way around. There were several rooms to remember, such as the long hall of bedrooms, a large kitchen, a dining room, a large living room with several couches and flat-screen television, a meeting room, more communal bathrooms, a storage room, and a store-like room that held anything that they would need, so they wouldn't need to leave the Palace. 

After that they found themselves in the meeting room, settling on the either side of the oak table to discuss the job.

"So, Celina for the position you will be working from nine in the morning till nine in the evening, which I believe sounds a lot but we are short-staffed." Beth shrugged. "You will be on call at all times between these hours. And you must wear the uniform during your morning shift; however, in the evening, you can wear casual clothing. Behaviour, attitude, and clothing must always be acceptable. If expectations are not met, the Prince will be furious, and you will be called for intervention."

She just nodded her head along to the rules and regulations, taking in the information quickly. Although the thought of intervention, being alone with the Prince made her toes curl. 

Beth took a deep breath, folding her hands together and placing them on the table. "Now, you will be assisting and cleaning Prince Javier's quarters only, which can be tricky depending on the Prince's schedule. He doesn't usually like people in his room while he is there, but you'll have to work that out with the Prince himself. You are not to go up after your duty time unless you are called upon."

"Do you have any questions?"

"When do I start?" Celina nervously giggled. The thought of going around and cleaning the Princes room aroused something in her. She felt like she could start hyperventilating any time now.

Beth didn't smile at all. Not even a twitch in her lips. What was wrong with her? The housekeeper only leaned forward. "Another thing your mother sent your luggage this morning. Its already placed in your room so you can start unpacking."

"You can start today."

With that she was gone, leaving Celina all alone in the meeting room. How nice! 

***

 After tucking her suitcases away and crying for another hour because her mother packed her books, Celina decided that she'd get something to eat. Her stomach growled with hunger, and she padded towards the kitchen. Upon entering the fully furnished kitchen she realised its empty.

Celina decided to have a sneak peek in the cabinets hoping to find something easy to make. There were your usual kitchen appliances like pots, pans, baking equipment neatly stacked in the cabinets that didn't interest her all that much.

In the corner, she also noticed some advanced machines read about in the books but never had the chance to operate. Their family could barely afford the pressure cooker. 

A door abruptly opened behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she gawked at a woman entering the kitchen. She had the same uniform Beth asked Celina to wear. As she turned to lean against the counter, she was met with piercing dark brown eyes and brunette hair tied back. 

"Looking for something? I can help you out if you want."

"Yes, please."

Celina already loved this woman, and she didn't even know her name yet. She had a fantastic thick accent. Probably Irish. Hopefully, this brunette haired woman could be Celina's friend in the Palace. The thought made her stomach flutter. 

She couldn't help but let a smile take over her face as the woman mimicked a butler with an arm held over her midriff and a handheld flat in the air. Within a few seconds, she presented all the necessary ingredients needed to whip a healthy meal. It was magic watching her glide in the kitchen so effortlessly. 

"It's my only skill. Working around the kitchen" It positively made Celina light up at the friendly approach. She already felt comfortable in the presence of this stranger. It was astonishing to her.

Rarely did Celina made new friends, shy and reserved in her way. The only reason Laura and Nina stuck around as they have been friends since they learned to walk. Also, because they lived closer to each other and often took long walks to the library. Thinking about them bought a bittersweet smile on her face. She hoped that they would never forget about her and will write to her. 

"I will show you an easy way to do this" The woman smiled. "Put this in a microwave."

She pointed at the same strange machine. Oh, so it's called a microwave. Celina stood back and watched how all the vegetables were chopped finely and thrown in a bowl. Some noddles and water were added to it before popping into the microwave. As the foot was being prepared, the eighteen-year-old turned around to introduce herself. 

"Hello I'm Celina"

The grin on the woman's face impossibly widened at the formality. "I know who you are. Beth already told us about you. I am Flora." 

Celina breathed, awkwardly scratching the back

of her neck. "Oh. That's a beautiful name." 

"Thank you. Now tell me how did you get here?"

***

"Your Highness, I have your dinner," Celina croaked, standing on the other side of the door. She couldn't believe that Beth got her to work on the very first day. As if that wasn't enough, she had to carry the dinner to the Prince all by herself. 

The silence stretched for a few seconds, making her squirm and look around. There was no sound from the other side which made her think she should try again, louder.

"Enter" 

The single word was enough to make her fluster, the rough voice sending chills down her spine. 

As soon as the door was opened, it's closed again, and the Prince crowded her against the door. He took the platter from her before she could drop it. Celina tried her hardest not to make a noise, and in her stunned state, it wasn't difficult. Her stomach clenched as he wordlessly grabbed the apple and leaned closer before taking a big bite.

It's a power move, plain as day, but just because she knew about it didn't stop it from being effective. 

Celina shuddered as he held his gaze. The Prince abruptly walked away and carried the food on his dining table. A sigh escaped her lips. 

She made the detrimental mistake of assuming she would be permitted to leave now and twisted the knob slowly behind her back. Alas just as she opened it, the door was slammed shut once more, and this time her front was pressed against it, the ostentatious knob digging into her right side.

"Did I dismiss you, Celina?" The Prince hissed in her ear, his cold breathing hitting the shell. 

"No, your highness," She whimpered with the fear clogging his throat. 

"Then, I'm curious, Celina, what exactly were you about to do?" The way he said her name was sickening.

"I w-was about to leave; I was mi-mistaken thinking... I'm sorry I was so foolish, please forgive me, your highness" She begged, her voice choked up and tears burning in her eyes. 

"On one condition" The Prince took a step back, instantly she missed the warmth as he turned her around to face him.

***