The Human Girl's Mate

Chapter three: Life in the castle

'So, you are a servant here in the castle?' I ask the short chubby man the commander called Elberth. 'Yes, when I turned eighteen and was assessed, the elves decided I wouldn't be any good at farming, let alone as a warrior. I thought they'd send me back to the plains, but instead the royals asked for me to come here. There is another male servant here in the castle, he's quite old, I never knew he was here until I came, we handle the things you guys can't, like the extra heavy lifting and dealing with the rowdy warriors and the visitors.' Elberth tells me more about his role and what life in the castle is like, he shows me to a small with a single bed, a cabinet stuck to the wall and a double wardrobe with two drawers, over the bed there is a small window I kneel on the bed to peak out of it and I am surprised to see a beautiful garden, with tall willow trees creating curtains with their long branches and leaves, the grass is covered in small white daisies and I can tell beyond the trees there are a myriad of flowers, their scent travels towards my window with the evening breeze and I am suddenly grateful to the Commander for asking Elberth to give me my own room. I notice Elberth looking at me and I realize he is still holding my bag, I feel so rude. ' Please just drop my bag next to the wardrobe I will unpack in a bit. It's a lovely room, thank you Elberth.' He looks like he is about to speak when a small mousy girl enters the room. 'Whoa, so it is true, he really did bring a girl straight here. I'm Sara, nice to meet you...' She extends her hand and I take it and shake, her hands are calloused, I suppose from working hard. 'Hi Sara, I'm Serena, nice to meet you too.'  After a few minutes of chatting about the weather and the castle, Sara and Elberth leave me to unpack and get accustomed to my new room, but soon  I feel like a fish in a bowl as the other women keep walking by and peaking inside. I feel weird, like I cheated somehow, by already being here. After the sky has turned dark, I feel my stomach rumble and I remember I haven't actually eaten since before leaving home, I leave my room and venture to the kitchen, still unsure of how to act as no one has actually shown me around or told me what to do. I walk past some open doors and hear whispers behind me, some are just talking about their day and what awaits them tomorrow, but one conversation stops me 'Did you meet her? I wonder why he brought her here instead of the farms?' I try my hardest to hold my breath, I can't believe I'm eavesdropping like some sort of spy. 'I don't know Mary, all I heard was that he had walked into the kitchen with a girl and then next thing you know Elberth is taking her to the best room in the quarters. She must be special.' I'm relieved they don't seem to be bad mouthing me, so I carry on looking for food once they start talking about their day. I finally enter the kitchen and a tall woman is standing by the wood oven. She is wearing a long black dress and her long blonde hair is tied in a low bun. 'Excuse me? Hi I'm Serena, I'm new. I haven't been told or shown anything but I was wondering if I could have some food?' Upon hearing me she turns with a wide smile 'Oh you poor dear, here, sit I will get you something to eat, is a sandwich ok? Chicken and lettuce?'

 I am so grateful for her kindness tears form in my eyes, she reminds me of my mother. 'Oh don't cry dear, I'm the cook, but you can call me Miss Susan. I have been at the castle for thirty years and I must say, I've never heard of the queen specifically requesting a servant. You must be very special my dear.' She places a plate with the sandwich in front of me and i scoff between bites, 'So everyone keeps telling me, but I am jut plan old me. I was not the smartest in my class at all. I don't understand why the Queen chose  me but that's all the Commander told me.' She sits opposite me and passes me a glass of water.I gulp it down while she looks at me with a suspicious look. 'The Commander collected you from your home? He didn't just meet you here? How strange.' She looks down at her lap and shrugs, 'He must've had his reasons' she says. 

'Miss Susan, how well do you know the commander?' I have been dying to ask someone, anyone about that damn elf! I just can't get him out of my head. He woke something up in me, that's for sure. I have been around men all my life, my best friend is a man, Adam is by normal standards a handsome boy, with his dark brown eyes and sandy blonde hair, he is tall but not as tall as the elf, and muscular, but again not as muscular as the commander, I don't think anyone I have ever seen has as much muscle as that elf. 

'The Commander? Is that what he told you to call him?' I nod, but actually, I never asked him his name. Stupid stupid stupid girl! I should have asked him his name. There might be  another commander around, although, I suppose there can't be that many elves with black hair around. 

'Girl, are you that simple? He's not.' She's about to tell me something when Elberth walks in and stops her. ' Miss Susan. Miss Serena, the Queen has requested that you take her her breakfast in the morning. I will meet you here just after dawn to show you around so you know where to go. Don't be late.' He stands at the other end of the table, I look at miss Susan but she won't meet my gaze, I guess our chat will have to wait for another day. I stand and take my empty plate to the sink, I have a feeling I am not wanted around here right now. 'Good night Miss Susan, thank you for the meal. Mr Elberth, Good night.' They both nod at me and miss Susan gives me an encouraging smile. I turn and leave and as soon as I walk away I can hear their angry whispers, sounds like Elberth isn't happy with miss Susan, I have a dreadful feeling it's my fault she is getting whisper shouted at. I head back to my room and lay in bed, the moonlight is streaming in through my open window, it's such a quiet night I don't even shut it. I keep replaying my day over and over in my head. The Commanders fingers under my chin, his hands enveloping mine in the carriage, his remorse when he realized he had frightened me. I hope he is one of those Commanders who live in the castle, because I definitely need to see him again, even if it's just to ask him his name. 

I wake before dawn the next day, I would love to have a shower but I have a feeling there would be a very long line and I don't want to be late, so I grab my pale green dress and put it on, I braid my hair and roll it into a high bun, I grab my black flat shoes and put them on, I am ready for a tour of the castle. Do commanders of the legions of elves eat with the royals or the servants? Surely being a warrior he wouldn't be close to the royals but a Commander is usually very respected so it is possible he would be with the royals. I wonder why the Queen chose me? I am glad Elberth will not be with me when I meet her, because I am definitely asking her why me? I walk out of my room and already there is a slight hubbub of voices and laughter, it feels like these girls really are close to each other, I spot Sara and wave at her, she waves back a motions for me to come to her, I oblige and walk around a group of girls who are huddled close whispering. 'What's that all about?' I ask her pointing at the girls. 'Oh don't worry, it's Missy's birthday next Saturday and they are planning something for her. Probably a visit to the plains and a few gifts. But anyway, how was your first night away from home?' I tell her about my food quest and that Elberth wasn't happy about Miss Susan speaking to me and she tells me to not worry, 'Elberth is a worry wort. He thinks we are too comfortable.'  I can't help but giggle, Sara tells me more about her and her duties, she is twenty, has been at the castle for two years and early this year she was assigned as the princesses' maid, she tells me princess Ellania is kind and very sweet, and even though she is over two hundred years old she is exactly like us, seems like elves may live longer than us but develop at around the same pace, at two hundred years old, the princess is still a young adult. Sara tells me about castle life, while we have a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast. While we chat and laugh some of the other girls joins us, I meet Missy, Ella and Tillie, Sara's closest friends here at the castle. I tell them about my parents and a bit about Adam. Missy comes from the red forest plains, a different elf territory. Ella, Tillie and Sara are all from the the White Wood forest territory. 

Elberth arrives right on time, at dawns first light, he guides me through the castle slowly, making sure to explain which rooms I am allowed in or not, we pass a few guards and I keep looking around for him, but I don't see him anywhere. 

Elberth explains what my duties are as the princes' maid. According to him, the prince has ever wanted any humans near him, but for some reason the Queen decided he need me. He shows me the royal rooms, where the Queen will be waiting for me and the princes' room, although I am not allow in before I meet him, so for now I am to serve the Queen. 

After almost an hour of walking around I feel like I have learnt nothing useful. I know where to meet the queen, and where the prince sleeps but that's about it. I spent most of the tour looking for him! Damned elf. One day, I have known him one day and already I can't help but crave his company.

I follow Elberth back to the kitchen and Miss Susan shows me how to arrange the Queens meal on her silver tray. The Queen enjoys a simple breakfast of freshly cut fruit, orange juice and  almond muffins. I arrange it just like I was told, even placing a single white rose next to her juice, Missy tells me they are the queens favourite, and I want to make a good impression.

I carefully walk with the tray balanced on both hands, up the grand wooden stairs, down the long corridors to the Queens room, I place the tray on the chair that sits next to her door and knock softly. 'Come in'. 

I walk in with her food and I stop, the Queen is breath taking, she is tall and graceful, standing in a long dark blue dress, brushing her long white hair. Her eyes are the bluest I have ever seen, the colour is cold but her expression is warm and gentle, she smiles at me, and I am touched my her warmth, I imagined a Queen as powerful as her would be cruel or at least look her age. No way is this woman nearly two thousand years old. 

'You must be Serena. Welcome to the Blue Forest Castle. I am the Queen as you may have guessed. Please place the tray at that table and sit with me, we must talk.' I dry swallow, I'm so nervous my hands are trembling so much I've split some of her juice, she notices this and giggles. ' I'd like to have some juice left to drink Serena.' She can't stop giggling at me and it puts me at ease. I finally calm down and sit with her, she starts to eat and I wait patiently for her to speak. She sits for a while, just looking at me, observing me, like she is measuring my character just by my looks. Finally she speaks, 'Serena, I imagine you have some questions for me, but first, I need to ask you something. The Commander who brought you here yesterday, what is he to you?' I sit there gawping like a fish at her question, what is he to me? He is a stranger who took me away from my family, shouted at me and scared me, and held my hands softly and apologized with sweetness, a stranger who guaranteed I would have the best room in the castle and apparently the best job. 'I don't know what you mean my Queen. He is a stranger, I don't even know his name.' I tell her embarrassed. ' But he is not just a stranger to you is he?! Tell me Serena, do you crave him? Do you wish you could be by his side right now? Do you want his lips on  yours?' Her questions are making me nervous again, I feel my face heating up and judging by the smile on her face, she knows the answer to all her questions is yes. Yes I want him, I have never been intimate with a man, at most I have kissed two boys, and even then they were kick pecks on the lips. But this elf, he makes me want to do things that I don't even know exist. The Queen laughs out loud this time and I feel my face get even redder and redder. ' I am going to assume by your face you do crave him, do you know why you crave him child? He is your fated mate.' 

I hear her voice echoing inside my head, mate, mate mate... I feel my body go limb and with a thud, I faint at the queens feet.