Rosalind’s POV.
The next day was unique as no one in the kitchen apart from Somei met my gaze. Umi and Gladheart were no longer in their corner. In fact, I couldn’t see them at all.
Somei took me to the section that dealt with deliveries at the edge of the kitchen.
“You will work under Mia and Theresa from now on.”
I think those were the only words Somei said to me that entire day. Come to think of it, the entire kitchen was more silent than usual. Was it because of what Prince Cillian had done the day before?
I smiled brightly at the new workers.
“Good day, I’m supposed to work under you.”
They ignored me then suddenly a tray was shoved in my hand.
“Guard quarters, room twelve.”
“What?”
It turns out it was a location. My new job was easy. Mia and Theresa would get trays together and once they were done with that, I was called to make the delivery.
That was how the day went. I delivered so much food that my legs hurt. My partners didn’t speak to me as I did all this. I also had to make it back in time because Somei was now watching me carefully.
To ensure I wasn’t being harrowed. Probably.
I went to the location I had been given to drop off food and retrieve plates.
On my back from one, I overheard my new partners whispering softly at each other and I hesitated before entering.
Maybe I shouldn’t have because what they said felt extremely hurtful.
“She is so shameless.” One said. “How can she come back in here after all the drama she created yesterday?”
“Hush Mia, the walls have ears now,” Theresa said, her voice lower than Mia’s but no less judgemental. “Heaven knows her relationship with the prince to make him come all the way to the kitchens by himself.”
Mia scoffed, shifting her feet.
“Isn’t it obvious? Did you see the way he looked at her and held her? She is definitely fucking him.”
Ouch. How could they just talk about me like this? My life had literally been in danger yesterday. They didn’t know the amount of courage it had taken to put on my white uniform to come to the kitchens today and even smile at them like nothing had happened.
Theresa didn’t seem to agree with her assessment.
“But this is Prince Cillian, I didn’t think he was that sort of person.”
Mia tsked as though that statement was inherently stupid.
“He is a prince. He can take what he wants. But she is the problem. She is just a nobody from the districts yet she got Umi and Gladheart beaten so severely that Umi might not be able to work for weeks. How will their families survive in that time?”
What?
I hadn’t thought about where my old partners were. I thought maybe they had been reassigned to another workstation not that they had been punished so severely.
Was this the power of being friends with a prince? That all insults to your person would be treated like assaults on the royal personage.
Mia was still speaking bitterly.
“If she knew she wanted to spread her legs for the money, she shouldn’t have come to work here in the kitchens with us. She should have joined a pleasure house.”
I had heard enough. I pushed open the door and dropped the dirty dishes in the sink.
When Mia handed me the next tray, she seemed more subdued and there was a shadow of fear in her eyes that I had overheard everything.
“North Palace, West wing, second room. It has a gold plated doorknob.”
I didn’t respond to her silent query. Let her worry. It might have been vengeful of me to do that but her words had hurt me.
I wouldn’t tell Prince Cillian. After hearing what had happened to Umi and Gladheart, I didn’t know if I could ever share anything with him without being scared that he would blow it out of proportion.
Naturally, I had no idea where the west wing was.
I was getting a hang of places in the palace now. But I had only been assigned to deliver food in the lower quarters, not the higher ones meant for royalty and their dignitaries. And this was my first time going to the Northern side of the palace.
Killian’s side. Hopefully, I wouldn’t bump into him.
I asked a maid carrying laundry that seemed to know where she was headed.
“Please where is the west wing?”
She blinked at me. “In the West.”
I internally screamed. “And where is that?”
“To the left of the North.”
Then she walked away. I tried to stop two other people only to get colder responses and glances. So I decided to navigate it myself. At least there were no hounds here. Ha.
I finally found what had to be it. There was a row of closed doors and there was a gold-plated handle.
This must be it.
As I pushed open the door, I wondered if it was real gold. One could never know in the palace where everything was rare and gleaming.
The room I entered was surprisingly opulent with a bed larger than even Prince Cillian’s with black coverings and almost everything in the room was black and gold themed from the curtains to the drawers.
Those were Killian’s colours but this was his side of the palace so it was normal for his colours to be everywhere.
I set down the tray and was about to leave when I heard his voice.
“What are you doing here?”
I turned slowly and nearly shut my eyes in mortification. It was Prince Killian and he was wearing only a towel on his lower half, his hair was wet as though he was just coming out of the shower.
I was struck once more by the insane resemblance between the two princes but the more time I interacted with them, the easier I could tell the difference between them.
Prince Killian was about an inch taller than Cillian and broader as though he spent almost all his time fighting or working out or both. And the aura they gave off was the biggest clue.
Prince Cillian gave off a soft yet intense and protective aura that made me feel like he had known me all my life while Prince Killian gave off a sarcastic, mean, dangerous aura that seemed to draw me in as much as it repelled me.
I tried and failed to remove my eyes from his broad chest, his wet nipples and his literally dripping abs.
His voice snapped me out of my haze of desire.
“Tired of my brother so soon?”
I looked up to see a smirk on his face. My face felt hot and I looked away. Did I have no concept of restraint? I couldn’t be attracted to Prince Killian.
“I apologize Prince Killian. I came to the wrong room. I”
My words left me as Prince Killian moved closer to me, our eyes never leaving each other.
I didn’t move -I couldn’t move- as he wound his fingers through my hair then he pushed me onto the bed and pushed my skirts up.
His face was inches from mine and my body felt like liquid beneath him.
“Maybe I should see what is so special about you myself.”
His hand came between my thighs and I snapped back to myself. I pushed against his rock-solid body with my ineffective fists.
His hand left my thigh and he easily caught both of my hands and pushed them up above my head before holding them in place with one hand leaving the other free to touch me.
I struggled against his grip.
“Prince Killian, please don’t do this. I don’t”
My words died in a moan as he stroked me.
“My, my,” He seemed surprised. “You are drenched.”
His hand holding my wrists above my head tightened. I bit my lower lip fighting against the pleasure of his touch. I didn’t want this so why was I spreading my legs for him?
Why was I staring at his lips inches away?
“You are enjoying this.” He taunted me as he slipped a finger inside me. “You want me to touch you.”
“No, I don’t.” I was breathless, my eyes falling shut enslaved to my unwanted desires.
He laughed and the sound sent chills up my spine. “You say one thing and you mean the other.”
He added another finger and I bit my lip so hard that I tasted blood.
“Don’t worry. I know how to take care of needy whores like you.”
His last words brought me out of my head and I pushed him away and rolled out from under him. I had let him touch me because of the attraction that I couldn’t explain that I felt for him but he would only see me as a whore.
Someone who was only after their wealth and whatnot.
He didn’t attempt to drag me back to the bed. He just watched me with that knowing glance and that towel so damn low that it was a potential hazard.
I glared at him holding on to my anger tightly so that I wouldn’t feel the desire.
“I am not interested in anything you have to offer. I have work to do.”
I turned away but his next words stopped me cold on my tracks.
“You have been resilient but you need to know that asking my brother for help won’t help you at all. I will make sure that you suffer.”
Finally, everything clicked together. The reason everyone was acting so cold and why Umi and Gladheart had changed so suddenly.
I turned to face the man that had almost gotten me killed yesterday but had nearly fingered me to an orgasm seconds ago.
“You planned all of that?”
“Of course, I did, little thief.” Prince Killian smiled. “And this is just the beginning. No one can save you from me. Not even Cillian.”