King Bryan…..
As I descended the grand staircase, the morning bustle of the household had already begun. Servants moved swiftly, their faces downcast as they went about their tasks. The atmosphere was tense, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was brewing just beneath the surface. I needed to stay alert.
I made my way to the kitchen, hoping to start the day quietly. The kitchen was usually a safe haven, where I could gather my thoughts before facing whatever the day might throw at me. But as soon as I stepped inside, I felt the tension in the air. The staff avoided eye contact, whispering among themselves as they worked. I caught snippets of their conversation-something about Simon, a guest arriving today, and preparations that needed to be made.
My heart sank. A guest? Today? That could mean anything, but in this household, it rarely meant something good.
I quickly grabbed a piece of bread and a small cup of tea, trying to keep my head down as I ate. The last thing I needed was to draw attention to myself, especially with so much going on. But my mind kept racing, trying to figure out who this guest could be and what it might mean for me. Could it be a potential buyer? Or maybe someone coming to reinforce Simon’s control over the household? Either way, I knew I needed to be ready.
As I was finishing my breakfast, I noticed Veronica enter the kitchen. Her presence was like a cold wind, silencing the chatter and making the servants move even faster. She glanced around, her eyes narrowing as she spotted me. I quickly looked down, focusing on my tea, but I could feel her gaze lingering on me.
“Ashley,” she called out, her voice sharp and commanding.
I froze, my heart racing. There was no use in pretending I hadn’t heard her. Slowly, I turned to face her, keeping my expression neutral. “Yes, Lady Veronica?”
“Come with me,” she ordered, not waiting for a response as she turned and left the kitchen. I hurried after her, trying to ignore the anxious glances from the staff.
Veronica led me through the winding halls of the mansion, her steps brisk and purposeful. I followed silently, my mind racing with questions. Where was she taking me? What did she want? I had no choice but to find out.
We finally stopped in front of one of the smaller, less-used parlors. Veronica opened the door and gestured for me to enter. I stepped inside, the heavy scent of incense filling the room. The curtains were drawn, casting the space in dim, muted light. At first, I didn’t see anyone else, but then a figure emerged from the shadows.
“Ah, Ashley. So glad you could join us.”
The voice sent a chill down my spine. It was the royal seer. He was standing near the fireplace, his back to me as he adjusted something on the mantel. When he turned to face me, his expression was unreadable, a mask of calm that did nothing to ease my nerves.
Veronica closed the door behind me, leaving me alone with him. The tension in the room was palpable, and I could feel the walls closing in around me.
“I hear you’ve been making quite a stir lately,” the royal seer said, his tone almost conversational, but with an edge that set me on high alert. “Care to explain yourself?”
I swallowed hard, choosing my words carefully. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble, royal seer sir. I’ve been trying to stay out of the way and follow the rules.”
He raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Really? Because from what I’ve heard, you’ve been doing quite the opposite.”
My heart pounded in my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm. I couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason why I was scared but there was something about his tone that just demanded so much fear in me “I’m sorry if it seems that way. I’m just… trying to survive.”
His eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I thought he might lash out at me. But then his expression softened, and he let out a sigh. “Surviving is one thing, Ashley. But you need to understand the consequences of your actions. This isn’t a game. Every move you make has repercussions.”
“I understand,” I said, nodding quickly. “I’ll do better, I promise.”
For a moment, this man just stared at me, as if weighing my words. Then, he nodded, seemingly satisfied. “Good. You’ll have a chance to prove that today.”
I felt a flicker of hope. “What do you mean?”
“There’s someone arriving today-an important guest. You’ll be assisting with the preparations and attending to their needs while they’re here. Consider this your opportunity to show both his highnesses that you can be trusted.”
My stomach twisted at the thought, but I forced myself to nod. “Of course, sir. I won’t let the kings and everyone else down”
He gave me a small, almost approving smile before turning back to the mantel. “We’ll see.”
With that, I was dismissed, and I quickly left the room, feeling a mix of relief and dread. I had a job to do, and I couldn’t afford to fail. As I made my way back to my bedroom to begin preparing for the guest’s arrival, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this day would be a turning point-one way or another.
I had promised Lucas I would stay out of trouble, but with Veronica watching my every move and the mysterious guest allegedly on the way, I knew it would be harder than ever. Still, I had no choice. I had to keep moving forward, one step at a time, and hope that somewhere along the way, I would find a way out of this nightmare.
I got back into the room and was about to give myself a little pep talk in front of the mirror when a loud knock came on the door.
“Who is it?”
“Ashely, His Highness Simon has requested that you come down right now; the guest we have been expecting has arrived.” As soon as I heard this, the calmness I had managed to gather with so much difficulty instantly eluded me. The atmosphere suddenly became tense again, and I gulped nervously.
“All right then, I’ll be there right now.” I didn’t receive any response from the person on the other side; all I heard instead were her retreating footsteps, so I rushed to catch up with her. Very quickly, I first looked at myself in the mirror and tried to prepare my mind for whatever was going to happen soon. Taking a deep breath, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror before speaking.
“You’ll do great! Everything will be fine, and you will not blow up the situation or cause any trouble,” I said to myself, taking one more deep breath before rushing to make my way downstairs on time.
When I finally got downstairs, I was lucky enough to have arrived at the exact moment the door was opened for the man to come in from the main entrance. The others all looked at me very angrily as soon as I got there, but I couldn’t care less about what was going on in their minds, which would most likely be about my very late arrival. They, however, obviously weren’t able to express it in words because the man had arrived, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for anyone to criticize me when he had just arrived.
Just as if they had all been practicing for this, each and every one of the maids curtsied at the same time as they chorused, “Greetings, Your Highness Bryan.” Although I wasn’t expecting the uniformity in something as simple as their greeting, I just had to follow along.
“Good morning, everyone! I trust we are all doing well,” he said, and we all just responded with a silent nod of the head. I still hadn’t grasped the concept, even though I had come to realize that it was one of the kings under the lycanthrope who had come to visit us here in the mansion. In terms of age, it was pretty clear that he was close to the age of being a father to both Simon and Lucas, so I could understand exactly why they both had so much respect for him despite being above him in terms of authority.
“Good morning, King Bryan,” Veronica greeted as she walked over to where he stood alongside his bodyguards. He looked at her for a few seconds, squinting his eyes as he tried to recall who she was. A knowing look of realization soon appeared on his face, and Veronica smiled in return.
“Oh yes, Veronica! King Norway’s daughter. How are you doing? I don’t know what you are doing here?”
“I’m doing much better now, thank you,” she responded, and he acknowledged her before moving on.
As soon as the whole greeting and welcoming process had come to an end, I quickly walked over to the King to get started with my work. I greeted His Highness just as everybody else had, and he surprisingly responded with a smile on his face. My job was to welcome him and host his time here, ensuring that everything he needed throughout his visit-no matter how long-would be well communicated to me while I did my best to ensure we got it all right.
As I escorted King Bryan through the mansion, I couldn’t help but notice the way everyone else seemed to keep their distance, even Simon and Lucas. It was clear that, despite their higher status, there was something about this man that commanded an unusual level of respect. His presence seemed to fill the room, and even the air felt heavier.
We finally arrived at the grand sitting room, where a lavish breakfast spread had been prepared. The table was set with fine china, silverware gleaming under the chandelier’s light. I gestured for him to take a seat at the head of the table, and he did so with a nod of acknowledgment. The other maids quickly moved to serve him, but I could see the tension in their movements.
“Thank you,” King Bryan said, his voice calm but carrying a weight that made everyone in the room straighten up. He glanced around the table before turning his attention back to me. “You must be new here,” he stated, more as a fact than a question.
“Yes, Your Highness,” I replied, bowing my head slightly. “I’ve only been here a short while.”
He nodded thoughtfully, taking a sip of his tea. “And how have you found your time here?”
“It’s been… a learning experience,” I answered carefully, trying to gauge his reaction. “Everyone has been very welcoming.”
He smiled, a rare sight that softened his otherwise stern features. “That’s good to hear. This household is known for its high standards, and I trust you’ll continue to meet them.”
“Of course, Your Highness,” I said, hoping my voice didn’t betray the nervous flutter in my chest.
As breakfast continued, Simon and Lucas entered the room, their expressions carefully neutral. They greeted King Bryan with the appropriate level of respect, but I definitely couldn’t sense any underlying tension between them. It was as if they were walking on eggshells, although wary of saying or doing anything that might displease him, but also standing their grounds very confidently
“King Simon, king Lucas,” King Bryan addressed them, his tone slightly more familiar, yet still retaining its commanding edge. “How have things been progressing with the arrangements for the upcoming council meeting?”
Simon, ever the diplomat, answered first. “Everything is on schedule, Bryan. We’ve ensured that all preparations meet the required standards.” he responded, looking King Bryan straight in the eye as he spoke
“Good,” King Bryan responded, but his eyes narrowed slightly as if weighing Simon’s words. “And what of the other matter? The one we discussed last time?”
Lucas, who had been silent until now, spoke up. “We’ve made progress, but there are still some challenges to overcome. However, we are confident that we can resolve them before the meeting.”
King Bryan nodded slowly, his gaze sharp. “See what you do. The council is not known for its patience, and this matter is of utmost importance.”