Chapter 1 - The Welcoming Party.

She ran across the halls with glee and stupid abandon as Sal chased her and sweared at her.

He always hated it when she took his sword but she couldn't help it. Sal had more love for the sword more than he loved himself. He had deemed it his lucky sword ever since he sparred with Tommen and won gloriously. Ever since then he had earned more victories only when he used the sword. She thought it was ridiculous that he thought the sword to be his lucky charm.

"Summer!! I swear when I get you you'd be sorry!!!" he shouted. 

"I'll like to see you try!" She replied as she ducked ungracefully as a servant carrying a tray of hot towels curses loudly. 

"Watch it Summer!!" she shouted back. 

"Sorry Emily!" She shouted back as she swerved into a corner sharply and came to a sudden halt. 

Lady Lucia was glaring at her with bright vivid blue eyes. She was wearing a bright pink dress and her face was slowly turning to the shade of her dress.

Astra was next to her snickering. Summer scowled at her and she just smirked. She bowed slowly to Lady Lucia. She was the Lady of the house after all. The wife of the General.

"Summer. Would you make yourself useful and ask the cook if dinner is ready?" 

"Yes Lady Lucia." She reply as she curtsied and the Lady dismissed her. 

She turned sharply to leave when she cleared her throat. 

"And please, make yourself scarce tonight. There will be a lot of nobility that will be in attendance today." she said as she raised her head and left with Astra smiling smugly. 

She turned to look for Sal but she was guessing he must have disappeared when he heard Lady Lucia's voice. 

"Ah! I win!" Sal crooned as he snatched his sword from her hand from behind. 

"Only because I was distracted. Did you hear Lady Lucia? She doesn't want us to attend Maven's welcoming party." 

Sal shrugged. "I'll be there. You won't. Beside you don't even like parties." 

Summer rolled her eyes. 

"That is not the point. It's Maven's welcoming party. I haven't seen him in a year. How dare her tell me not to attend?" 

Sal looked at her with a knowing look. 

"Well, she is his mother and the lady of the house. I'll pass a note to your lover boy for you" Sal mocked as he ruffled her hair. 

"Don't do that" she snapped as she smacked his hands away. 

A smile played on his lips and she scowled at him. He kept on smiling anyways as he ruffled her hair again. 

"I think it's time for you to go down to the kitchens. You were given an errand." Sal warned and she grumbled and went down the hall. 

"I am available if you want to send the note!" Sal shouter out and she rolled her eyes again. 

Never again would she give Sal a note to pass to Maven. Last time she did, he had read it to all the other guards and they all laughed about it at the end of their shifts. 

The kitchens was hot and steamy with the Cook practically breathing down on everyone's neck. She maneuvered around the busy worktables and she neared the Cook who was busy basting a turkey.

"Lady Lucia wanted me to ask how it's going!!" She shouted over the noise of the kitchen. 

"Heavens! I'm swamped. Half the kitchen staff here don't even know what they're doing! They haven't had an event as big as this since lady Astra's eighteenth birthday party. But it's coming along. We'll be ready by dinner time!" he said as he fanned himself with his hat.

His eyes were still on the large turkey. 

"Well okay. Do you need an extra hand? I am happy to help" She nodded enthusiastically and the Cook snorted. 

"Last time I needed your help, half the dumplings I made was gone. I'll be damned if I have you in my kitchen again. Out!" Cook shouted but not in an angry way. He still had a weary smile on his face. 

She complied as she walked out of the kitchen watching the other servants peel potatoes, knead dough and ice the giant cream cake on the worktable. 

She skipped out of the kitchens with a piece of bread in her hand that she had managed to snag from a worktable and she was half way across the hall when she got pulled into a closet. 

She was about to punch the person in his face when she realized who it was. 

It was Maven and he was back from service.

"Maven!!" she shouted and he quickly covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming in delight.

"Keep it down!!! I'm not supposed to be back till sunset" he whispered and grinned wildly. His rough hands caressed her smooth face lovingly and he smiled at her.

"I've missed you" she said and before she knew it his lips cover her and she pulled him closer to her. 

She ran her hands into his dark hair and Maven's hands gripped her waist and travelled further down to her backside. As he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his torso, they heard a few voices and quickly untangled themselves from each other laughing softly. 

"You look different" she murmured as she noticed that his hair was several inches shorter and he had grown a small beard. 

"And you look even prettier than you did before. How is that possible?" he asked as he ran a finger down her cheek. 

"I missed you so much. I thought I was going to die when you left. You never wrote back? Why? I sent you so many letters" she asked angrily as she slowly put distance between them. 

"I'm sorry. Really I am. I couldn't risk them being intercepted by my mother. You know how she is" he explained as he drew her in for another kiss. She didn't resist him this time. 

"How was it?" She asked when they finally broke away. His face contorted into a frown. 

"It was worse than I imagined. The plague, the death, everything has gone worse. We managed to slip some of our men into Everus's border. The plague, it's everywhere, nowhere is safe and the two kings are so full of themselves that they don't seem to notice what is going on." he whispered and her eyes widened.

"I thought magic flourishes in Everus, can't they use that to solve the plague? I mean, I know it's banned here but Everus?" Maven shrugged. 

"You must have not been listening in history class. Everus has been experiencing dwindling numbers in it's magic schools, they say magic is dying because our lands are cursed. But it you ask me, they're faring much better than us."

He was right, Summer never took history seriously, in fact it was one of the subjects that she detested. 

"Enough about war and silly plagues. I want you so badly. I missed you so much" Maven begged with a need Summer could feel through the folds of her dress as he pressed her into him. She wanted him too, but she wanted him the right way. 

"When will you tell your family about us? When will they know?" Summer eagerly asked while Maven's hand racked her body and started unbuttoning her dress. She pushed him back slowly and repeated her question. 

"Soon. Soon. I promise you." he said.

A loud knock on the closet door stops them from going further. She and Maven stared at each other wide eyed and terrified, they had kept their relationship secret for a long time and they hoped to keep it secret for as long as possible till he was the right time to tell Maven's parents. 

"Are you guys done in there? You really have to learn to be more discreet" Sal said and Summer heaved a sigh of relief.

She adjusted herself and opened the closet door slightly.

Sal was standing rigid watching them both with chocolate brown eyes and a stoic expression. 

"Nice to see you again Maven." 

"Nice to be back." Maven replied as he looked around to see if they weren't being watched. 

"Not a word about this Sal. Nobody knows I've arrived yet" he added as he gave Summer a small smile and disappeared into the shadows. 

Sal watched him leave quietly. 

"Well then, I'll be on my way" she said as she nervously smoothed the folds of her dress and turn to walk away. 

"Not so fast." Sal called out and she stopped and turn. 

Sal's face held something that closely resembled pity and Summer hated it. 

"You know he's just using you right? You know it will never work out between you too" Sal murmured softly and she shrugged.

"It's going to work out. He's going to tell his parents about us." She said fiercely. 

Sal rolled his dark eyes. 

"Don't tell me you actually believe that crap that he tells you? Seriously anyone with two eyes and a brain can see that" 

Her cheeks flared in anger, why does he care? 

"It's none of your business Sal! I don't care what you think about him but he loves me. He loves me and I love him too. And if his parents say no we might as well elope." 

She turned around and left angrily. Not before looking into Sal's eyes, he looked like he was sorry for her and his eyes held another emotion that she couldn't place. 

Summer still managed to sneak herself into Maven's party. Lady Lucia had told her to make herself scarce and she didn't, she attended anyways as a servant dressed in a plain servant's uniform as she stood close to the walls and watched the Wells family welcome their guests. 

Lady Lucia looked resplendent in purple silk. Her pale hair piled atop her head in a labyrinth of curls and pins. Sir Jonathan stood rigid next to her. He was wearing his usual military garb and his expression was bored as always. Astra was standing next to her mother smiling sweetly. 

She knew that she was anything but that. The girl was the devil's spawn. Her golden hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her hair even glitters like it must have been brushed with gold dust.

She was wearing a blue that looked like the colour of midnight embroidered with gold. And her neckline was low enough to show the bust of her cleavage. 

Maven was the only one she saw and truly cares about. He was standing next to his father. Beaming proudly as he received hugs and air kisses. The celebrated soldier finally back from service. 

His dark brown hair was slinked back and his blue eyes looks bright under the lights of the ballroom. She know he was happy to be home. 

Summer wished she could be near him, watching him and taking him all in, but it was impossible. 

She was General Jonathan Wells's ward. And nothing more. His wards were in a position a little higher than servants but not as high enough to be considered nobility. He had picked her up from her village after she was the sole survivor of a raid. She remembered him asking for her name. About her parents, who they were. 

Ever since she lost her Aunt Kuya to the raid when shr was eight. She had lived in General Wells's home. She also wasn't his only ward. Apparently the General was fond of taking in orphaned children and taking care of them. Lady Lucia hated it. And she made sure she put a stop to it, after Wilson. 

Wilson had been a ward just like her, Tommen, Sal and Suri. They arrived closely at the same time. Wilson arrived last. But they were all still friends. 

Growing up, somewhere at the age of ten, Wilson had gotten into a fight with Maven. It had started out like an harmless kid fight, with Sal and Tommen goading the boys on. And it had ended in horror. Wilson had somehow managed to stab Maven's arm with a scrap of metal he found on the floor. She could still remember the scene clearly. 

Maven's arm was flowing with blood and the horrified nanny had called Lady Lucia. 

Lady Lucia had them all whipped except her son of course. But Wilson got the worst of it. They were sent to bed early on an empty stomach. Although the Cook slipped them some food later on. 

The next morning Wilson was gone. 

And the General never brought an orphan into the house again. 

She watched hopelessly again as Maven smiled and mingled with the crowd, failing to notice her dressed in a servant's garb and hiding in the shadows.

Finally when he noticed her, he scratched his ear and shr scratched back eagerly. It was their code. Their secret code that meant that they would see each other later.