A Place Beneath Them
1555 Words
The morning had barely begun when Elena learned that life inside Adrian's estate would not be easy.
The moment breakfast ended, the lady of the house summoned her.
Elena stood before her with her hands folded nervously in front of her.
Adrian's mother sat near the great stone fireplace, dressed in an elegant dark gown. Her posture was straight, her expression cold.
She looked Elena over as though she were examining something she had purchased from a merchant.
“You.”
Elena lowered her head.
“Yes, my lady.”
“Your first task is the dining hall.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“You will clean every part of it. The table, the floor, the silverware, the fireplace.”
Elena nodded.
“And when you finish, you will help the other servants prepare the evening meal.”
“Yes, my lady.”
The woman's eyes narrowed.
“You answer quickly.”
Elena became nervous.
“Forgive me.”
A faint, humorless smile touched the woman's lips.
“You will learn when to speak and when to remain silent.”
Elena immediately lowered her gaze.
“Yes, my lady.”
“Good.”
She stood.
“And one more thing.”
Elena waited.
“You are not to address my son unless he speaks to you first.”
Elena's heart skipped.
“Yes, my lady.”
“You are not to enter his chambers.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“You are not to wander through the castle.”
Elena nodded.
“And you are never to forget what you are.”
Elena's fingers tightened.
“A servant,” she whispered.
The woman's expression hardened.
“A slave.”
The word struck Elena harder than she expected.
“Yes, my lady.”
“Now go.”
Elena turned and left.
The dining hall took hours to clean.
The room was enormous, with a long wooden table large enough to seat dozens of people.
Elena scrubbed the floor until her knees ached.
She polished silver cups and plates until her fingers hurt.
She carried ashes from the fireplace.
She dusted shelves.
She cleaned everything exactly as she had been ordered.
She tried not to think about home.
She tried not to think about Noah.
She tried not to think about how easily her parents had handed her over.
But every now and then, her thoughts returned to them.
Do they even wonder where I am?
She quickly pushed the thought away.
“Careful.”
Elena startled.
A servant stood beside her.
She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed the woman approach.
“The silver,” the servant said. “Lady Eveline doesn't tolerate mistakes.”
“Lady Eveline?”
“Lord Adrian's mother.”
Elena nodded.
She carefully polished the silver again.
“Thank you.”
The woman glanced toward the doorway before lowering her voice.
“Do not let her frighten you.”
Elena looked at her.
“She already does.”
The woman gave a small, sympathetic smile.
“She frightens most people.”
Before Elena could ask anything else, footsteps echoed from the corridor.
The servant immediately straightened.
Elena lowered her head.
Adrian entered the hall.
He wasn't dressed in the dark clothing he'd worn the previous night.
Today, he wore a black tunic embroidered with subtle silver patterns, a long cloak falling over his shoulders, and a sword hanging at his side.
He looked every bit like the noble he was.
His crimson eyes moved around the room.
Then settled on Elena.
She immediately looked down.
Adrian noticed.
Of course he did.
“You've been working since morning?”
Elena nodded.
“Yes, my lord.”
He walked closer.
“How many times has my mother ordered you to clean this room?”
“Three.”
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“Three?”
Elena nodded.
“She said it wasn't clean enough.”
A small smile appeared on his face.
“That sounds like her.”
Elena kept polishing the silver.
Adrian watched her for a moment.
“You're afraid to look at me.”
Elena's hand stopped.
She didn't know what answer he wanted.
“I…”
She swallowed.
“Yes.”
Adrian leaned against the edge of the table.
“At least you're honest.”
Elena glanced at him for half a second before lowering her eyes again.
He smiled.
“Don't worry. I haven't decided to bite you yet.”
Elena's eyes widened.
Adrian's smile grew.
“You should see your face.”
She realized he was teasing her.
Her cheeks warmed.
“I wasn't scared.”
“You were.”
“I wasn't.”
“You're a terrible liar.”
Elena looked away.
Adrian chuckled.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
He shook his head.
“Nothing.”
He pushed himself away from the table.
“Carry on.”
Elena watched him leave.
She didn't understand him.
One moment he seemed intimidating enough to make the entire household fall silent.
The next, he was teasing her as if they were old acquaintances.
She wasn't sure which side of him frightened her more.
By sunset, Elena's hands were sore.
She was carrying a basket of folded cloth through the corridor when she heard laughter.
She stopped.
A little girl came running around the corner.
“Wait!”
Elena quickly stepped aside.
The girl nearly crashed into her.
“I'm sorry!”
Elena caught the basket before it fell.
The girl looked up at her.
It was Lily.
Adrian's seven-year-old sister.
“You're Elena!”
Elena nodded.
“Yes.”
Lily smiled.
“You remembered my name.”
“Yes.”
Lily looked at the basket.
“Are you still working?”
“Yes.”
“That's all you do?”
Elena glanced toward the corridor.
“I was told to.”
Lily frowned.
“That sounds boring.”
Elena almost smiled.
“It is.”
Lily giggled.
Then she reached into the pocket of her little dress and pulled out something.
A small red apple.
She held it toward Elena.
“Here.”
Elena stared.
“For me?”
Lily nodded.
“You haven't eaten much.”
Elena hesitated.
“If your mother sees—”
“She won't.”
Elena looked at the apple.
She hadn't realized how hungry she was until then.
“Thank you.”
She took it carefully.
Lily smiled.
“You're welcome.”
Then a voice came from behind them.
“Lily.”
The girl's smile disappeared.
Elena immediately turned.
Lady Eveline stood at the end of the corridor.
Her gaze fell on the apple in Elena's hand.
Then on Lily.
“What are you doing?”
Lily lowered her head.
“I gave Elena an apple.”
Eveline's expression hardened.
“You did what?”
“She was hungry.”
“Elena is a slave. She will eat when she is given permission.”
Lily frowned.
“But—”
“No.”
The single word silenced her.
Eveline looked at Elena.
“Give it back.”
Elena froze.
She looked at the apple.
Then slowly held it out.
Lily's face fell.
But before Eveline could take it, another voice spoke.
“She can keep it.”
Everyone turned.
Adrian stood several steps away.
Elena's heart jumped.
Eveline's expression changed.
“Adrian.”
He approached calmly.
His gaze moved from his mother to the apple.
“It's an apple, Mother.”
“She needs to understand her position.”
“She does.”
Adrian looked at Elena.
“She looks terrified enough.”
Elena quickly lowered her eyes.
Eveline's jaw tightened.
“This is not your concern.”
Adrian smiled faintly.
“Unfortunately, she is now my responsibility.”
His mother stared at him.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Eveline turned toward Lily.
“Come with me.”
Lily reluctantly followed.
Before leaving, she looked back at Elena.
Elena gave her a small smile.
Then the two disappeared down the corridor.
Adrian remained.
Elena stood awkwardly.
“You can eat it.”
She looked up.
“My lord?”
“The apple.”
She nodded.
“Thank you.”
Adrian looked at her for a moment.
Then he smiled.
“You're welcome.”
He began walking away.
After a few steps, he stopped.
“You know…”
Elena looked at him.
“You don't have to look like you're waiting for me to kill you every time I enter a room.”
Her cheeks warmed.
“I can't help it.”
“I know.”
He smiled.
“That is what makes it amusing.”
Elena stared at him.
He walked away before she could respond.
She looked down at the apple in her hand.
For some reason, she found herself smiling.
Only slightly.
Only for a moment.
Then she remembered who Adrian was.
A vampire.
Her master.
Someone she knew almost nothing about.
The smile disappeared.
She took a small bite of the apple.
It was sweet.
But as Elena walked back toward the servants' quarters, she couldn't stop thinking about Adrian's words.
My responsibility.
She didn't know whether that was something to be grateful for…
or something to fear.
And she certainly didn't know why the most dangerous creature she had ever met seemed strangely determined to make her feel less afraid of him.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD