ARIA
"I—I was just…”
"Oh, save it," she scoffed. "You’re lucky I found you before the head maid or Lady Maren did.”
Before I knew it, she yanked me through a doorway and shoved me into a bustling kitchen. The scent of food, spices, and onions filled the air, curling into my nose. Something was burning.
I grimaced. The place was even more chaotic—pots clanged, and servants rushed around in a frenzy.
“I swear to the goddess, Xena, if that food burns, that will be your dinner for ten weeks!” a deep voice thundered.
I shuddered. Ten weeks? My gaze snapped to the source of the threat.
Fucking hell.
A plump woman with a grease-stained apron stood in the middle of it all, barking orders. Her sleeves were rolled up, her thick arms covered in flour and sweat, and her hair was tied up
