As much as I hated to admit it, Prince Clavis was partially right. There was a part of me that was enjoying the challenges this new job presented. It was mentally stimulating. I was figuring out how to be a demure little maid, while maintaining just enough spunk and sass to assert myself without crossing the line into disobedience. At the same time, I was meeting an interesting cast of characters in the form of the princes, all with their individual quirks. Prince Chevalier, the most feared of the princes, was certainly deserving of his reputation, but somehow, I had found my way into his good graces. And although I still didn't always know what to expect from him, at least he was slightly more predictable than Prince Clavis.
Prince Chevalier had given me no orders, but he clearly liked his routine, and he seemed pleased with how yesterday morning had gone. So, at eight o'clock, I put in his breakfast order and headed to his room, as I had the day before. At nine o'clock, I opened his drapes and woke him up, and then I headed to the kitchens for his breakfast. I had my hands full with the breakfast tray on the way back to his room when I saw another prince coming down the hall toward me. I hadn't met this one yet. He was incredibly handsome, with silver hair and striking crimson eyes, but he looked like he'd just crawled out of bed. He wore white boots, lacing all the way up to the knees, dark gray pants, a white shirt, a light blue vest and dark blue tie, and a long white jacket. His shirt was untucked, his top button was loose, and his tie was barely hanging on. The jacket had an inner lining of light blue, and he wore it casually resting on his shoulders, sleeves dangling empty and limp by his sides. He wore a sword on his right hip, not the left, as all the other princes so far seemed to do. I would have thought he would put in more of an effort to look presentable before exiting his room.
"You're the new maid, Ivetta, right?" he asked, stopping in front of me. His voice was smooth as butter, and he gave me a seductive smile.
"Yes, your highness," I said, racking my brain to try to figure out which prince he was. Clearly, I should have done my homework before taking this job.
"I'm Nokto. When you're done with King Highness' room, perhaps you could see to mine?"
Now alarm bells were ringing in my head. Prince Nokto was a playboy like Prince Jin, but he operated through seduction instead of a friendly, disarming charm. I had no doubt that Prince Clavis was behind this apparent chance meeting, but I couldn't very well refuse Prince Nokto's request.
"Of course, your highness."
"Good. Don't be long," he said with a sly grin.
It was really a shame that I'd spent so much time cleaning in Prince Chevalier's room a couple of days ago, I reflected. I had finished tidying up by the time he was done with breakfast yesterday, and that would probably be the case again today. And then I had to go to Prince Nokto's room.
"Do you have anything you need me to do after this, your highness?" I asked as Prince Chevalier emerged from the bathroom.
"Do you really enjoy being tormented so much?" His icy blue eyes appraised me. "Or perhaps you're hoping to get out of something Noisy has lined up for you?"
He didn't miss much.
"Just trying to be helpful, your highness," I said lightly.
The corner of his lip curved up just slightly. "In that case, there is something you can do for me - when you're done with Noisy's chore. I'll be in my office."
Darn it.
"Yes, your highness."
I didn't actually know how to get to Prince Nokto's room. Should I ask Prince Chevalier, or should I just wait and ask another servant? I debated back and forth as he finished his breakfast, and then he stood to leave as I stepped out of the bathroom. He took one look at my face and stopped, an irritated expression on his face.
"Ask your question," he said, mildly annoyed.
I really needed to work on my mask.
"Prince Chevalier, how do I get to Prince Nokto's room?"
His expression didn't change at all. "What business do you have with that Clown?"
Prince Nokto was Clown. Noted in my mental compilation of Prince Chevalier's nicknames.
"He asked me to clean his room, your highness," I explained, picking up the dirty dishes.
"Drinks with Number One and Noisy last night, a tryst with the Clown this morning. My, you are a busy little dove," he sneered.
I sighed, irritated. "Please stop making such comments, Prince Chevalier."
He walked back over to me and spun me around to face him, catching my chin firmly so I couldn't look away. "You didn't manage Noisy too well, did you?" he asked, smirking.
I pushed his hand away, blushing. "Prince Chevalier-"
He put his arm around my waist and pulled me up against him. "And you are foolish enough to think you can handle a Clown?"
I pushed him away firmly. "Don't do that!" Anger made my cheeks flush even more.
He laughed scornfully and turned back to the door. "Three doors down on the left. Make sure you behave," he said as he left.
I glared at the closed door, fuming. How dare he treat me like that? Clearly, the rumor mill was very active here in the palace. I had only to smile at somebody, and the stories would start flying about how I fell into bed with him. But I needed to calm down. I needed to put the mask back on and stop letting Prince Chevalier get to me. It took several deep breaths, but eventually my hands stopped shaking enough for me to safely pick up the tray of dirty dishes and head for the door. I had to drop them off at the kitchens, and probably pick up some clean bedding on the way to Prince Nokto's room. I was determined to be fully under control by the time I got there.
My reluctant knock at Prince Nokto's door was met by the man himself. "I'm so glad you came," he said, smiling seductively and drawing me in with a light touch on my arm.
I looked around the room with dismay. It was probably as beautiful as Prince Chevalier's, but it was hard to tell because of the mess. The bed was unmade and looked as though it had been through a tornado, and clothes were all over the floor. I had been hoping to be able to get in and out of here quickly, but it was not to be.
"Sorry for the mess," Prince Nokto said, his breath hot on the back of my neck. "I had an…eventful night."
I stepped away from him quickly, refusing to look at him. "It's alright, your highness. I came prepared." I set the stack of bedding on the sky-blue-cushioned bench at the foot of the bed. "This may take me a while, and I believe Prince Chevalier wants to see you in his office, but I'm sure I can have everything tidy by lunchtime." I was betting he wouldn't take a hint, but I knew he was part of Prince Chevalier's faction, and it felt safe to assume that Prince Chevalier had work for him to do.
"You're not trying to get rid of me, are you?" he asked, feigning injury. "I've heard so much about you from my older brothers, and I thought we could take this time to get to know each other better." He was leaning against the wall next to me as I got to work stripping the bed.
"There really isn't much to know, Prince Nokto," I replied casually, as if I weren't fully aware of the hidden implication behind his words. "I'm just a maid." I carried the bundle of dirty deep blue bedding to the door, but just as my free hand touched the doorknob, Prince Nokto's hand landed on the door to hold it firmly shut.
"You don't give yourself enough credit," he breathed from behind me, his other hand taking my shoulder and turning me to face him. "I think there's much more hidden beneath the surface." His crimson eyes captured mine, smoldering and intense, and he traced a finger along my cheek and down to my chin. I had to admit, he was good at what he did. It was difficult to ignore the way he confused my feelings. But I thought of Prince Chevalier's fingers on my chin, and the anger started to rise all over again.
"Prince Nokto, while I find your attention flattering, I really have a lot of work to do," I said, dropping the bedding and brushing his hand away. He was making Prince Jin look like a saint. If he kept this up the entire time I was working, I was going to have a very hard time. I just hoped he wouldn't get even pushier.
He chuckled as I started making the bed. "Such a shy little dove. Perhaps you're new to the world of romance?" I must have blushed, because I didn't say anything and I didn't stop working, but he saw something that encouraged him. "Ah, so that's it. No wonder you turned my older brothers down. You need someone with a gentle touch to help you open up."
There was going to be a point when I would have to directly reject him, regardless of the consequences, and that point was fast approaching.
I turned from the freshly made bed and he stepped directly in front of me. "You do good work," he said, putting his hands on my shoulders and sliding them down my arms and around my waist in one smooth, fluid movement. Before I could react, I was pressed up against him with nowhere to go except those crimson eyes burning in front of me. "You deserve a reward." His voice was soft and sultry, his face far too close for comfort. But when I looked up at him, I saw Prince Chevalier's mocking, icy blue eyes and his degrading smirk.
"Enough!" I pushed him away, glaring at him angrily. "I am a maid, not a prostitute, and I have better things to do than to play your little game."
His crimson eyes widened with momentary surprise, but he recovered quickly and started to laugh. I stared at him, confused - what about any of this did he think was so funny? He looked me over with a smirk.
"Clavis was right. You are a handful." He turned and walked back to the door. "There's quite a bit more to you than you let on," he said with a wink, and then he was gone.
I stood still for a moment, my fists balled at my sides and trembling with anger, but he didn't return. "Breathe, Ivetta," I whispered to myself, and gradually the tension faded. He had been playing with me, just like Prince Chevalier, and apparently I had passed some sort of sick test. Deplorable as the whole event had been, he was gone now, and his room really was a mess. A few more deep breaths, and I was able to get back to work.
It really was a lovely room, underneath it all. There was plenty of lighting from a chandelier above and a single large window stretching from floor to ceiling beside the bed. The bed was more ornate than Prince Chevalier's - not surprising, given the amount of use it probably got. The tall headboard was padded with deep blue cushioning, as was the slightly lower footboard. On the opposite side of the window, in the corner, I found a white lounge chair underneath a pile of clothes, and a small table next to it bore a tea set - dirty, of course. On the other side of the chair, along the adjoining wall, stood a tall pale blue bureau and display case combined. The lower half consisted of drawers - many half open - and the top half had three shelves behind three glass doors. There were a few books on the shelves and some pottery, but the display case was largely empty. A large light blue rug covered most of the floor - after I uncovered it, of course.
The bathroom was also a mess. I won't describe it - I have tried to block it from my memory. Suffice it to say that the transformation was amazing when I was finished.
It was almost noon when I finally knocked on Prince Chevalier's office door. I was wearing my good little maid mask again, and I intended to keep it on until the day was done. But then Prince Nokto opened the door to test my resolve. His attire was still as messy as ever.
"Hello again," he said with that sly grin.
I resisted the urge to slap him and smiled instead. "I finished in your room, your highness. I hope everything is to your liking."
"I'm sure it is." His crimson eyes locked on mine, but he stood aside so I could enter. "King Highness, the maid you requested is here."
Prince Chevalier sat at his desk, quill poised above blank parchment. His cold blue eyes watched Prince Nokto and I dispassionately. "You are dismissed, Clown."
"Thank you, King Highness," Prince Nokto said with a bow. As he slipped past me, his fingers grazed my arm and he leaned in to whisper in my ear, "Another time, little dove."
I hope I didn't blush. I was working really hard to maintain the mask.
The door closed behind me and I stood still and silent, waiting for Prince Chevalier to speak. He sat back in his chair, turning the full force of his icy glare on me, and smiled. "That was remarkably clever of you, sending the Clown here."
I looked at him, confused. There was nothing subtle or veiled about it - that was an actual compliment. It suddenly occurred to me that he may have riled me up on purpose before sending me to Prince Nokto's room. He wasn't concerned about me, was he?
"Prince Nokto was interfering with my work, your highness," I explained quietly, careful not to let my thoughts show.
"I'm sure." He looked back down at the parchment on his desk. "After lunch, return here."
"Yes, your highness."
His quill was already in motion when I left.
I tried to lose myself in a book in the roomy alcove, but my mind was still racing from the morning's events. Why was I getting so much attention from the princes? It's not like I was the only good-looking maid in the palace. Maybe it was just because I was a new face, a new toy for them to play with. Surely things would settle down after the initial curiosity wore off, right? I just hoped my reputation wouldn't be permanently tarnished by then. I wasn't doing anything wrong, but the truth rarely made for a juicy story. And, as I knew all too well, rumors and misperceptions could follow me around for a very long time.
I barely read more than two pages the entire hour.
When I opened the library door to leave, I ran right into a silver-haired man with crimson eyes. My heart dropped into my stomach and I stepped back quickly, but this was not Prince Nokto. Physically, the appearance was remarkably similar, but this man's dress, carriage, and expression were all completely different. His boots were a dark blue, ending just below the knee, and his pants were black. He wore an elaborate jacket - mostly dark gray, with a light blue front and cuffs, long coattails, a white ruff of fur over the right hip, and a gold collar, lapel, and fastenings. Very little of his gray shirt was visible under the tightly buttoned jacket, but even the shirt was buttoned all the way up to his throat. He wore black gloves, similar to Prince Chevalier's, and he had a sword on his left hip.
"Excuse me, your highness," I stammered as I stepped aside. His eyes held my gaze just for a moment, and then he looked away and walked past me without a word or a trace of emotion. I left quickly, reminding myself to put my mask back on.
Prince Licht and Prince Nokto were identical twins - identical in appearance, anyway. Their personalities couldn't be more different. While Prince Nokto had a reputation as a womanizer, Prince Licht distanced himself from everybody in general. He was a loner and led a very private life. Of all the princes, he was the one I knew the least about, and it didn't look like that would change anytime soon. I was perfectly fine with that. I'd had just about enough of these princes.
Prince Chevalier was still writing when I returned to his office. He didn't acknowledge me at all. I took that as a sign and set about tidying up as I saw necessary. We worked quietly at our different tasks for a few hours with no interruptions until he finally set his quill down and rose from his desk.
"Come," he said, heading for the door.
I followed him out, careful to stay beside but slightly behind him as we walked. He was heading for the library. I wondered if he'd eaten lunch. Maybe he was like me - grabbing a quick bite and then getting back to work. It wasn't like he needed to take a long break at midday, anyway. He would have the rest of the day off from this point on. I split away from him to head to the kitchens for his tea.
"We meet again," Theresa said, smiling as our paths crossed in the controlled chaos of the kitchens.
"So it seems. Do you need my help with anything?" I asked. I felt like I owed her for her help with the boxes.
"Not at the moment. I've got to say, I'm impressed you're still here. How do you do it?"
I smiled at her. She was as scared of Prince Chevalier as everybody else was. "It's like I told you, I need the job."
Prince Chevalier was already reading when I entered his library. I set his tea on the table next to him. "Do you need anything else, your highness?"
He looked up at me, his piercing gaze considering as he took a sip of tea. "You speak well, for a commoner. Did your mother teach you to talk this way?"
The question surprised me. "Yes, your highness. Proper language and etiquette are very important to her."
He took another sip. "And your father?"
"He passed away before I was born, your highness." Why this sudden interest in my background?
"I see." He set the teacup down, his lips curving up into that hint of a smile. "And that is why you are so sensitive to certain implications, correct?"
"My mother was not a prostitute, your highness," I said quietly. It was bad enough for my name to be dragged through the mud, but she didn't need to go through it all again, too.
"I didn't say she was."
I looked at those cold blue eyes, wondering what he wanted from me. "I did hear a lot of talk as a child, if that's what you're asking. I really don't want to discuss this any further, Prince Chevalier." My private life was none of his business, even if I had become his personal attendant.
He gave me an amused smirk. "You forget your place again."
I sighed. "I'm not ending the conversation, your highness, merely requesting we change the subject." Why did he have to make everything so frustrating? And why did he want to talk to me, anyway?
"You amuse me," he said, answering my unspoken question.
I frowned at him. "It's really unnerving when you do that, your highness."
He chuckled. "Naturally." His cold blue eyes finally left me and returned to his book. "You're dismissed."
It was a relief to get out of there. He seemed to like me now, but I couldn't forget who and what he was. After all, it was only yesterday that he and Prince Leon had argued about his purge. I'd heard bits and pieces of gossip in the kitchens about it. Prince Chevalier took a very offensive stance when it came to managing Rhodolite's relations with its neighbors. There was a new political faction on the rise in response to his actions, the anti-war faction, and while the group wasn't illegal, there were members who crossed the line into rebellion. Some of them had taken control of a fort and village near the border we shared with Obsidian, and Prince Chevalier had hit the area hard, stating the losses were justified to ensure our border was secure.
Yesterday, I had no problem seeing Prince Chevalier as the Brutal Beast. But today, it was hard to reconcile the two. The way he smiled and teased me did not line up with his threats and cold refusal to acknowledge the value of a human life. But then, maybe he was just playing a game, like Prince Clavis. And I didn't really need to make sense of it, anyway. I was only here to work, after all.