Rise of A Queen: Aster's Story

Chapter 10

Aster and the Elder were led to a small room filled with comfortable lounge chairs. There was a small table in the center, and a servant brought in a tray of drinks and snacks. She took the seat in the center of the room, and the Elder took one in the far back corner. When the door shut Aster turned to him, "What was that woman's name, I don't believe I heard it." "It's Hera, your Highness. She has been overseeing the Harem for many years." Aster took a drink off of the tray, "Come, get a drink and a snack before we begin. Tell me, is she good to the staff? Are they comfortable with her?" The Elder took a drink from the tray and popped a tiny pastry into his mouth. "Yes, she may appear stern, but her staff is very important to her. She oversees each one's training. She is also the one to make sure they all have what they need. She runs the facility as a whole, including the servants and security. If someone were to mistreat one of the staff, she would be the one to handle the matter." Aster nodded her head, "Is anyone else trained to take over her position if she decided to retire or became ill?" The Elder thought about it for a while, "I am not sure, your Highness." Aster sipped her wine, "I will find out. Thank you."

They sat quietly for a few more minutes before Hera entered the room. "Your Highness, are you ready to begin?" "Yes, thank you. I would like to talk to you first. I understand that you have been in charge here for quite some time. How long exactly?" Hera smiled with pride, "I have been running the harem for fifty years." Aster returned her smile. "That is wonderful. Tell me, is there anything you need or want to help you with your duties." Hera blinked hard several times, "Well, as a matter of fact, there are a few things that I would like to address." Aster nodded, "Good, schedule a time to come see me with my assistant Jase, we can talk about things and see what we can get accomplished. I understand we have a lot to get through today, so I don't want to take up too much time, and I'm sure you will need to get things organized to bring with you. Thank you for such devoted service to the Royal Harem." Hera bounce on her toes, and she looked a little less stern. She gave a small bow, "Thank you, my Queen. Now we have several staff members to meet with you for their exit interviews. I have brought their files and will send them in one at a time. They will all be leaving on good terms, and they have given several years of service." Aster set her drink down and took the stack of files. "Very good. You may begin."

The first person to enter was a tall slender blond woman named Abana. She was very calm and relaxed as she entered the room and gave a graceful bow at the hip. "Good evening my Queen, I am Abana, and I am pleased to be meeting with you for my exit interview." Aster motioned to the seat across from her, "Good evening to you too. Please take a seat and tell me why you want to leave." Abana sat on the edge of her seat, "I have been employed at the Royal Harem for 5 years while I worked my way through school to become a chef. Now that I am done, I would like to work in the business district at one of the large restaurants. Eventually, with enough experience, I would love to work in the Royal kitchen. I know Queen Lyra organizes beautiful events, and I would like the opportunity to be a part of that." Aster was impressed by her excitement for her career and confidence in speaking with her. "Is there anything you would like to share or think I should know before you leave?" Abana shook her head, "I don't have anything bad to say about my time here. We are very well trained before we are allowed to see clients, so we know what to expect and can change our minds before we are ever officially working." Aster nodded in understanding, "Thank you for your time here. I hope to see you working in our kitchens very soon." Aster made a mental note to follow up on Abana later. She wanted Lyra to check her out and see if she was interested in hiring her. Even with little experience, her enthusiasm and joy in her work would go a long way.

After ten more exit interviews, Aster was ready for a break. It was getting late, and she wanted very much to get in her bed. "Hera, I need a short break before you introduce me to the staff." Hera bowed her head, "If it will make it easier, we can set up a place in the main room for you to sit and we can bring them in to see you in groups. You can always tour the facility later." Aster hummed, "You know, that's a great idea. I will come back later this week, and you can give me a tour of the rooms, and I will select the replacements. Would it be possible for you to narrow down the applicants and send me the files in advance, preferably electronically? Then I will let you know which ones I want to meet with." Hera nodded, 'Of course your Highness. I have a group that has just finished training, so I will send you their files first so you can comb through them and give the final approval on their contract"

Aster raised her eyebrows, "King Cassiel was still very active in the Royal Harem?" Hera held back a laugh, "No. However, he did like to keep it well staffed for visitors who have access." Aster followed the woman into the main room as she gave orders for the seating to be moved to accommodate the flow of people. "Can you send me the list of people who have been granted access?" Hera directed her to sit, "Of course, I will send it to you tonight." Aster sat on a large purple velvet chair and waited for Hera to start sending people in. There was no way she would know enough about these people to make a real decision, but she wanted to make a show of support. A group of about 20 people filled the room, "Good afternoon, I am so pleased to meet with you tonight. I understand there are a lot of staff members here in the Harem. If you have anything you need to discuss with me, please send a message to my assistant Jase so we can schedule a time to talk. I appreciate your work here." Hera then named each person in order and gave a brief description of their skills, preferences, or specialty. This continued through several more groups, and Aster was getting exhausted.

They were almost done when Aster's attention was drawn to a pair of men in the center of the group. They were twins with long brown hair that hung down the middle of their backs. They were shirtless and wearing brown pants. She gave her speech and Here began naming the staff members. Aster sucked in a breath when the pair looked at her with their startling gray eyes. They were exquisite, and she was curious. "Valor and Victor are twins. They take clients separately and together..." Hera continued down the list of staff and then began to dismiss them. "Wait, Valor and Victor, would you two stay please." They bowed in unison. "How would the two of you feel about working exclusively for your Queen?" The twins looked at each other, and Victor gave a slight nod. Valor was the one who spoke, "We would gladly accept Your Highness." Aster was pleased to hear that, "Tell me about yourselves. Why did you choose to work in the Royal Harem? Do you have families?" Working in the harem did not necessarily prohibit them from having wives or girlfriends, their contract specified when they had to work and when their days off were scheduled.

This time Victor was the one to answer, "We are working to pay off our family's debt. Our father became very ill, and he owed a lot of money before he passed away. We support our mother and three little sisters. Right now that is all the family we have." Aster smiled, "How long do you plan to work for the harem?" "Victor answered again, "We signed a 3-year contract, and have only been working for about six months. After that, we will reevaluate and decide if we would sign another contract." Aster sipped her drink, swirling the ice around in her glass. She wasn't sure she would visit the harem, but they grabbed her attention. "I'm not sure I will have time to come here often. How would you feel about that?" Valor was the one who spoke up, "If we are hired as an exclusive for the Queen, we are paid to be present, even if we don't spend any time with you on that day. We are patient and will not miss seeing other clients." Aster liked his answer, "Very well. When you leave here, take your things to my wing. I do not know when I will be back, but until then, feel free to rearrange it to your liking.

The pair gave a bow, "Thank you my Queen" Valor said before they left the room. Here was pleased that she had started to fill her wing with staff. Those lucky enough to be hired exclusively by the monarch would have very nice benefits, more so than the regular staff. Those two deserved the luxury. Their life had not been easy, and they worked very hard to take care of their family. "We have a little more to go, do you want to continue my Queen?" Aster sighed, "Yes, let's go on. I am getting very tired, and would like to get home." Hera brought in several more groups before announcing that they were through. As they were leaving Aster had a thought, "What happened to King Cassiel's exclusives?" Hera paused, "He has not visited in several years now. He only had a few exclusives. They were given the option to do an exit interview or stay as regular staff. They all chose to stay and were in the groups you met today." Aster made her way to the door, eager to get some sleep, "Very good. I will see you later this week to do the interviews."