The smell of blood filled the air of the bedroom. I felt the warmth seeping through my socks before I looked down to see that the crimson warm liquid had permeated the thin walls of my maid's shoes.
In the long, oppressive silence, her face was still smeared with the gore and her long nails dripped red. I was so terrified and shocked by the scene that I couldn't even tremble.
“Now," the Luna Queen tilted her head slightly toward me, “Is that enough to convince you to marry the prince?"
***
“It's definitely a peace treaty by marriage!"
“That's why we were asked to dry clean this. Princess Iris is meeting Hoarfrost's Prince August tonight for the first time. She needs to charm him!" Connie, the longest-tenured maid amongst us, and the unofficial gossip queen exclaimed, holding up Princess Iris' golden evening gown.
“So, what does that mean for us maids?" Chelsea, a recent hire at the palace, asked in a timid voice.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, I thought.
As the princess' personal attendant, I also knew she hadn't been here for the day, likely enjoying her last hours as a single woman. But, I wouldn't tell the gossip queen that.
“Duh, that means we get to see Hoarfrost's hunky, charming Prince August!" Connie seemed to be lost in a daydream. “They say his five-o-clock shadow is swoon-worthy. And oh, his tenderness. They always mention he knows how to treat a woman right."
In my mind, I sighed. Like, first off, who is 'they?' Honestly, does she have a rumor fairy that travels around the kingdom who tells her this nonsense?
“They said he was gentle and kind, and he even gives allowance to the servants if they do their job right," Emma, a newer maid added. “Amber, what do you think?"
I whispered, “Shhh, you know the rules! Royal affairs don't concern us. Now, let's get back to work." I grabbed the princess' dress away from Connie to finish dry cleaning it. Connie grimaced but relentlessly continued with her diatribe.
“What rules?" she rolled her eyes, “Servants should only be seen, not heard? Come on that's unfair bullsh*t…" Connie shook her head.
I knew Connie wouldn't leave me alone until I gave her an answer. “Connie, he's from our enemy pack–"
“Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss blabbermouth spewing sh*t out of her trap!" And, as I forewarned, the head maid, Miss Verla, entered the laundry room, her eyes locked on me.
I exhaled a long, worried sigh. The last time Connie blabbed her mouth off like this, Miss Verla deprived us all of having dinner for a week and whipped us to our flesh. This time… it would only be worse…
“Give me that dress, you b*tch! How dare someone as low-bred as you touch Princess Iris' gown," the head maid spat at me.
Miss Verla, short, stocky, with a dangling triple chin like a rooster, pounded her way towards me.
She had been targeting me ever since I'd been promoted as the princess' personal assistant, the highest honor of servitude here at the palace. Since then, the abuse has gotten worse.
Our head maid's lips wriggled in tyranny as she raised her fist, packed tightly, ready to strike. “You think you're miss perfect, don't you? Your perfect record, your promotion, taking the position with Princess Iris that should've been mine!"
Thwack.
Blood trickled down my neckline as Miss Verla's coarse hands struck the underside of my throat and cheek, searing the flesh off of my neck with her bristly knuckles and metal ring. My cheek was less damaged but still scratched.
She knocked all the air out of me and I couldn't breathe. I grabbed my torn skin, but the laundry detergent that had previously soaked my hands burned the wound, a feeling even worse than if salt had made its way into the incision.
“Now, take this to the princess, you worthless wench!" Miss Verla tossed the golden evening gown into my chest, her eyes boring through my skull. “And, if you get one drop of blood or residue on it, I'll make sure to carve a hole through those pitiful eyes of yours. Now, GO!!"
“Don't go anywhere," a smooth, elegant voice forewarned. It was familiar to me but not at the same time. It was foreboding, but not harsh like Miss Verla.
Before I could even wrack my brain for who it was, the Luna Queen, yes, THE Luna Queen waltzed into the laundry room with her personal attendant.
The queen was perfectly groomed, her makeup lines drawn on flawlessly as if they were tattooed. Platinum blonde hair, tied up in an intricate bun, crowned her head. Her cheekbones were arched, and her emerald eyes were like pearls.
I'd never seen our queen up close before, but she was every bit as austere as I would've imagined.
Everyone in the room silenced as her footsteps neared us, but I was the closest, a mere few inches away from her.
“Everyone. Follow me. Now," she commanded briskly.
Emma, Chelsea, Connie, and I all shot a quick glance at each other wondering what was going on. A bead of sweat trickled down my chin as I felt the air in the room thicken.
“Yes girls, follow the queen. I'm sure she'll love punishing the batch of you for your gossip," Miss Verla sneered as she addressed us.
However, the queen was disgusted by the head maid's outburst and demanded coolly, “You're coming too."
Miss Verla's pupils dilated wondering what possibly she could have done wrong.
I already knew: don't speak to the royals unless spoken to.
We were all ushered to the princess' bedroom. As the princess' personal attendant, I'd been there at least a thousand times, but today was truly a situation like no other.
The attendant lined us up in a row–Emma, Chelsea, Connie, and I–in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, however, the head maid was left standing in front of us.
Miss Verla taunted us with a sly grin that clearly was unnerving the Luna Queen.
Then, Queen Regina asked flatly, “Tell me what you know."
I suddenly dropped to my knees and the other girls followed suit. Nobody wanted to talk and as the queen's fire-red stiletto came into view, I spoke. “There's a peace treaty tonight with Hoarfrost. Prince August will be in attendance."
The queen countered, “So, that's ALL you know?"
We all nodded our heads. But then, the head maid decided to chime in spontaneously, “your Majesty, the girl there, Amber, started spewing rumors about your daughter and how she wasn't beautiful enough—"
That was ridiculous! She was trying to get me killed!
My heart began thumping and as my throat constricted, the Luna Queen summoned her attendant, outfitted in an all-black head-to-toe pantsuit, forward.
“She deserves at least two hundred whips, your Majesty!" Miss Verla continued, her eyes smiling devilishly as she saw me shaking on the ground.
My heart sank at her words. I knew I was about to be hit by the queen's attendant.
Miss Verla had a girl whipped one hundred and fifty times once. The unlucky maid passed out at eighty and died at one hundred and twenty. Yet, Miss Verla had the punishment continued. By the time it was done, no one could even recognize the girl's body…
Next thing I knew, the queen took a few steps toward a plush armchair, her deep, scarlet gown swaying a whirlwind of air around as she walked. She took a seat and elegantly crossed her legs eagerly anticipating my beating like it was a spectacle.
I caught a glimpse of Miss Verla, who licked her lips as she stood across from me. Surely ready to watch me get beaten to a pulp.
Her attendant turned around and commanded the head maid, “Apologize to the girl. Now."
My eyes widened, and I couldn't believe what I heard.
Apologize to me for what? Because of the cuts on my face and neck? Did the queen see Miss Verla punch me in the laundry room? How long had the queen been overhearing the gossip session?
Miss Verla's vicious gaze darted to me, and she protested, “Your Majesty... there must be some misunderstanding…"
Her words were cut short mid-sentence as the queen lifted her gaze at Miss Verla, who dared not argue further, whimpering a pathetic apology that could barely be heard, “I'm sorry, Amber."
The queen narrowed her eyes and turned sideways, nodding to her attendant, who approached Miss Verla and smacked her skull with brass knuckles.
Upon witnessing the terrifying scene, the other young girls gasped while I tried my best to level my breathing and calm my pounding heart.
The head maid's eye was dislodged from her socket, and her jaw clearly broken. She coughed up blood until each consecutive blow left her in a nearly comatose state.
“Pathetic," the queen muttered, her eyes not even looking at Miss Verla who was now motionless on the marble floor. “Get her out of my sight."
The queen's assistant grabbed the collar of the head maid's pantsuit blazer, yanked her out of the room, and shut the door behind them.
No time was wasted before the queen began her discourse. “Amber, is it? What were you really discussing earlier?" Her face softened as she took a step forward.
She saw the look of fear in my eyes from what just happened with the head maid. She added, “Don't worry, speak comfortably."
“I was…" I couldn't throw Connie and the other girls under the bus for spreading rumors on the royal matters. Sweat pooled around my forehead as I tried to think of a good excuse. I surely didn't want to take the blame for something I tried to stop, especially seeing what just happened to the head maid.
“I was concerned. I hadn't seen the princess today." That was slightly true, although I wasn't concerned. Princess Iris never treated me particularly well. In fact, she reminded me of a younger version of her mother. I continued, “We were worried about the peace treaty tonight if she didn't show up." Luckily I managed not to stutter.
“A very astute young lady you are," the Luna Queen commended. “Girls, wouldn't you agree?" She glared at the other maids whose faces seemed annoyed that I had received compliments from the queen. However, they rapidly nodded their heads.
The queen then smiled, “Very well. Let's get down to business. As you can see, the princess isn't here. And, I'm sure you've heard by now, we have a treaty dinner in two hours, so there's no time to waste." She cackled an uncanny laugh, but suddenly her lips caught themselves having too much fun and her icy expression returned.
“Which one of you would like to take the princess' place?" the queen offered, a smile plastered across her face.
In unison, Emma, Connie, and Chelsea gasped, presumably the thought of living their fantasy, being a princess, and having a chance to meet Prince August. They looked at each other incredulously for a few moments.
I tried to give them hints to keep them quiet, but it didn't work.
“Your Majesty, is this only a one-night affair?" Emma greedily questioned, her pupils wide with glee.
The first rule of serving the royals: don't ask questions.
To my surprise, the Luna Queen was not vexed by the question, and she offered an intriguing answer. “No. In fact, the person who takes the princess' place will get to marry the prince of Hoarfrost as part of the agreement."
All three girls turned their heads toward each other and their eyes widened. Even their teeth showed as they smiled from ear to ear.
Connie was the first to stand, then Chelsea, quickly followed by Emma. Queen Regina exclaimed, “Excellent," but her expression hardened as she witnessed me still kneeling on the ground. She cajoled, “What's wrong, Amber, never dreamed of being a princess?"
In my peripherals I could see her gaze hovering on my forehead, waiting for me to fall in line with the other two.
“I..." my voice was stammering as the moment was becoming too tense. I couldn't. I had my younger sister Lily to watch out for and I couldn't leave her behind, but surely the queen wouldn't care.
I had to try something else first. “I could never fill the shoes of your daughter, your Majesty. I'm simply a maid and that's the only life I've known. your Majesty, please excuse me, but I'm not suited for the role."
I trailed off, and a tense silence loitered in the room. Suddenly, a fire-red stiletto came into view, followed by another, which nearly matched the color of her dress.
Queen Regina had approached and placed her pointer finger under my chin and motioned me to stand up. This time, her skin was percolating with heat, and the iciness from before subsided.
“And, what if I'm not asking?" She leaned closer and tilted my chin delicately. The grin she had froze in place as she waited for me to speak.
