~ANYA’S POV~
Standing near the base of the throne steps was a handsome prince, dressed in a sharp, tailored silver suit, watching the scene with quiet interest.
Opposite the prince, seated comfortably on an elegant velvet accent chair, was the vicious woman from the cell. She was wearing a sleek tailored emerald green designer dress. The moment I walked in, she crossed her legs and her eyes narrowed with pure, venomous hatred.
“Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this?" the woman snapped, her shrill voice echoing in the vast room. “Why is this filthy village rat still breathing in our palace? She should be locked away for life!"
My blood ran cold. I instinctively shrank back, terrified of this cruel, elegant woman who had tormented me earlier in the holding cell.
“Enough, Seraphina," King Alistair commanded. His voice was deep and rough, but it held such absolute authority that the woman immediately closed her mouth, though her eyes still burned holes into my skin.
I quickly dropped to my knees on the polished marble floor and bowed my head as low as I could.
The massive room went dead silent. I was terrified.
“Stand up," King Alistair ordered, his piercing icy blue eyes locking into me.
I slowly stood up, keeping my eyes fixed on the floor, doing my best to ignore Lady Seraphina's deadly glare.
“Captain Julian told me everything," the king said, his commanding presence filling the space. “He told me how your father gave you away as collateral, how your family traded your life to save their own necks.”
I bit my bruised lip to stop myself from crying. “They are not my real family, Your Majesty. I am an orphan. But they showed me mercy by taking me in, and I will always be grateful for that."
Lady Seraphina let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Pathetic,” she muttered.
The king's brow furrowed as he studied me. The handsome prince just tilted his head, watching me closely. The king watched my face for a long time. Even standing at a distance, that rich scent of cedarwood and winter air reached me, making my heart pound with nervous fear.
“I know you did not try to assassinate me," the king finally said. “If you wanted me dead, you would have left me to bleed out in the woods."
I looked up in pure shock, my eyes finally meeting his cold blue stare. He believes me!
“Because of that, I will not order your death," the king continued. His voice was strict, leaving no room for argument. “I will let you live. In fact, I will give you two choices."
"Choices, Your Majesty?” I asked quietly.
"Yes,” the King said, leaning forward on the throne. "The first choice: I will give you a large sum of money, and my guards will drive you back to your village, back to your family.”
My stomach dropped. Go back to Silas and Martha? The fact that they feel threatened by Captain Julian's words means they will kill me.
“And choice number two?" I asked.
The king's icy blue eyes seemed to flash as the light from the chandeliers hit them. His gaze held mine. My heart lurched, but I refused to look away. “Choice number two," he said. "You can stay here at the palace, and start working as a maid. If you want.”
He looked at me, waiting. The throne hall was quiet. Every eye in the hall settled on me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a noblewoman gripping the armrests of her chair, her eyes intentionally staying on me. I looked away from her.
I did not even have to think about it. Go back to being beaten and sleeping in the freezing, drafty barn? I could not do it. I did not see a future for me in that village.
I remembered Clara's wicked lies. The wicked smiles on their faces when the guards took me. I would rather scrub marble floors in the palace, than ever go back to those monsters.
I took a deep breath, looked up at the king and spoke.
“I choose the palace, Your Majesty. I will stay."
When I said those words, the huge throne room became silent. The noblewoman scoffed loudly. She looked at me from head to toe with pure disgust.
"Why would you choose the palace, you dirty thing?” Lady Seraphina spat, her beautifully contoured face twisting with anger. “You do not belong here.”
"Seraphina,” the king said sharply. His deep powerful voice cut through the quiet room like a knife. He looked at Lady Seraphina with a strict, final warning in his cold blue eyes. "Watch your words."
Lady Seraphina froze. She didn't push any longer. She forced a fake, sweet smile on her face and looked back at me. Her tone changed trying to sound reasonable, but her eyes were still burning with hate.
“I mean… why would you do that?” Lady Seraphina rephrased her question. "Won't it be better to go back home? The King will compensate you greatly. You could be rich in your little village.”
I shook my head, desperately looking at the king. “I do not want to," I said, making sure my voice was steady. “I do not want to go back to that family. I want to save money and go to school.”
The room fell silent again, I could feel the king gaze on me. I did not dare to look up into his handsome face. But even while staring at the marble floor, I could feel those icy blue eyes gazing intently at me. Finally, he nodded once and ordered one of the guards to escort me to the maids’ quarters.
******
My new working life in the royal estate started that exact day. I handled the hard labor very easily. Polishing marble floors and laundering clothes in the high-tech utility rooms was a million times better than working for free and beaten in that barn. But I quickly learned that the palace was full of its own hidden dangers.
The biggest danger to me was Lady Seraphina. She despised seeing me. Whenever I was cleaning the main halls with other maids, she would walk right toward me in her designer heels, and roll her eyes. She would pull her expensive silk dresses close to her legs, acting as if just standing near me would infect her with dirt.
“Get out of my sight, you little rat," she whispered to me one morning as I was wiping down the grand glass staircase. “You think you are special because the king favors you? You are nothing but trash."
After that day, I tried my best to avoid her. I memorized all the hidden back hallways and service elevators used by the staff. If I heard the sharp, loud clicking of her stilettos echoing down a corridor, I would quickly duck into a supply closet or turn the other way. I just wanted to do my job in peace.
Luckily, I did not have to face palace life alone. I had Maya – the maid who had helped me figure out the shower on my first day.
Maya had worked at the palace for five years. She was the same age as me, beautiful with rich, warm brown skin and thick, curly black hair that she always tied up in a neat, professional bun. She had big, brown eyes that always looked happy.
After the first day in the bathroom, Maya took me under her wing.
I remembered my first official shift. I was standing in a huge, confusing hallway, struggling to carry a tall stack of heavy white towels. I was completely lost and sure that a security guard was about to yell at me.
Then Maya walked over with a warm smile. She took half the towels from my aching arms and promised to help me find my way around. Over the next few weeks, she taught me everything about the royal household. We became very close.
