Chapter 9


    Abbie and I were escorted to areas where we were supposed to work. The woman whose job I took did


    not look happy as rice opened the doors to the King’s quarters. I groaned as I looked back down at


    the stairs I had just walked up. It would s**k because I knew I was expected to cart cleaning supplies up


    to this floor every day.


    “Are youing?” rice asked. I nodded and chased after her down the long wide corridor.


    “Did he exin why? Did I do something wrong? I just don’t understand why he would move me to the


    kitchens; I can’t even cook,” shrieked the woman whose name was Ester.


    I thought she was around the King’s age, but I wasn’t exactly sure how old the King was since Lycans


    were immortal. But he appeared to be in histe twenties or early thirties. Ester clearly was unhappy


    about being transferred to the kitchens and still refused to leave even after rice had dismissed her


    multiple times. Her maid’s outfit was a little too tight, showing off every curve of her body, her long tan


    legs on disy under the shortened dress.


    “Ester, it is out of my hands; the King specifically asked for Ivy to be ced in his quarters and asked for


    you to be removed. Take it up with the King if you don’t like the decision,” rice snapped at her.


    “What the f**k does he see in her anyway. What are you like, twelve?” She shrieked before she shoved a


    broom at me and made me take a step back. Her green eyes red at me before she tossed her blonde


    curly hair over her shoulder and looked me up and down with disgust with a sneer stered on her face.


    “Ester leave, or I will have you escorted by the guards,” rice warned her.


    “This is bullcrap, and you know it. Oh well, the King will get bored with his new ything anyway,” she


    said. She shoved past me and stalked off down the corridor to the stairs. I watched her leave and was


    shocked at her tantrum.


    “Nevermind her, she has always been obsessed with the King, he let her in his bed once, and now she


    thinks she owns him. She will get over it. The King has been looking for a recement maid since,”


    rice says while she ushered me to keep up.


    “Now, this entire floor needs to be kept clean and tidy at all times; the King likes things in a specific way.


    So pay attention to detail. Everything must be ced exactly where it was. So if dusting, make sure you


    remember what and where you moved things. The King also likes his meals at certain times. If he is not


    here, you wait a bit and then return it to the kitchens if he does not arrive after twenty minutes.”


    This entire floor was his quarters; there were at least five rooms that I could see off this corridor. It would


    be like cleaning the whole orphanage by myself.


    “Does the king spend much time in his quarters?” I asked nervously, wondering how much time he would


    be here.


    “Not usually; he is mostly tending to meetings or in his office downstairs.”


    “Now, this door you must never go in this room, understood? The girl before Ester broke that rule, and


    she- never mind what happened to her. But you must never go in unless he asks,” she says. Ok, one


    less room to clean, I thought to myself.


    “Now, this is the King’s bedroom; everything must be kept in order, and the linens change daily. Each


    morning at sunrise, you are to open the drapes and let the light in. Usually, seven am is when he likes to


    get up. The bathroom is through there; make sure everything is stocked and fresh. The King has a love


    for reading, so make sure the books remain in order unless they are on the bedside table; if they are, do


    not touch them.”


    How was I supposed to know what order they go in? I couldn’t read. Abbie and I weren’t allowed that


    luxury and even reading to the kids back home. We would just look at the pictures and interpret how we


    thought the story would go.Têxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I nodded, praying he puts his own books back because these bookshelves I could tell were going to be a


    nightmare. There are hundreds of books on them and nothing indicating a specific order for them to be


    ced in.


    There was a chaise sitting beside the shelves next to argemp, and I guessed that was where he


    spent most of his time reading.


    I looked around the room. A huge bed sat in the middle of the room, a bathroom off the side. Huge heavy


    maroon drapes covered the windows making the room darker. There was also a dresser with a mirror


    and two bedside tables. It appeared the only personal touches were his books except for one picture,


    which sat on the bedside table of a woman and the King. His arms wrapped around her shoulders. He


    looked younger in the photo. The woman wasughing, and I wondered where she was and who she


    was to him.


    “Now, I will show you where the king has ced you if you’ll follow me,” rice said as she walked out. I


    chased after her when she stopped at the door directly across from the King’s and opened it up to a


    small room. It had a single bed, a bedside table, and amp, but that was it. It would feel weird not


    sharing a bed with Abbie. However, the room’s close proximity to the King’s made me nervous.


    “He wants me to stay up here; I thought I would be able to stay with Abbie?” I asked.


    “The king asked for you to remain in his quarters; this is the only other room up here on this floor, so yes,


    you will stay in here.”


    “Can’t I stay with the other maids and Abbie?” I pleaded. rice smiled sadly and ced her hand on


    my shoulder. She gave it a gentle squeeze.


    “I know you’re scared, but he is a good king. As long as you stick to your work and keep your head


    down, you will be fine. You would have to do something terrible for him to punish you. As I said, he is a


    good King. Just stay out of his way and try to go unoticed. Don’t linger; he likes his privacy and unless he


    speaks to you, remain quiet. Easy,” rice advised, and my heart beats like a drum in my chest. I nod


    and look at the room. I was used to being with Abbie. The thought of being trapped with the King terrified


    me, and staying here meant less time I would have with her.


    “Now, I need to get to work; all linens are kept in theundry room. Ester has done most of his room


    already. You only have the study down there to do and bring him his dinner tonight at six pm, so don’t be


    late, trye down just before, the cooks will have it waiting, just ce it on his table in his room. The


    maid’s bathroom is downstairs to use. Make sure you bring your dress down every night with the King’s


    laundry and grab a fresh one off the shelf. I will have some pajamas sent up for you and toiletries to keep


    in your room. You must always remain tidy and-” she nced down at my ts.


    “I will have some new shoes sent up for you too, so make sure you sweep and mop the entire floor; you


    remember where to fill your buckets?” I sighed but nodded my head.


    “One of the guards will send up some stuff for you to keep in your room. Once the King has finished


    dinner,e down to the kitchens with his tes so you can also eat. One of the guards will bring you


    lunch; breakfast is at six am, giving you plenty of time to wake the King at seven am,” rice told me,


    and I tried to remember everything she said to me by making a mental list and repeating it over and over.