BLOOD AND Lightening

Chapter 5

"This was all your fault!"

The maiden with the most tears shouted at Nimai who only rolled her eyes, they were locked in a storage room.

Nimai wasn't disturbed about that, it wasn't the first time for her, it oddly comforted her, and felt like home, her late father made sure of that, her memories of the storage room weren't really good ones but she have become so synonymous to it, it now comforted her.

In the palace, every servant has a rank, and hers is in the lowest class level, every one of them has a noble court lady assigned above them, and apparently, the news of their fight caught the attention of their madam, they have been locked up all night awaiting their punishment...

It was dawn, the early morning sun began illuminating the room slowly and all of them except Nimai standing on their toes peaking from the tiny window, Nimai's mind was occupied with a different thing, a new day meant she has become a maid at the east palace. A little punishment is not something to bother her.

Just then a guard appeared and the storage room was unlocked from the outside.

"Come out!" The guard commanded seeing how reluctant they were to go out first, seeing how angry the guard looked they proceeded to move till Nimai finally emerged, just then their noble court lady appeared, not a single smile on her face, she had the look of an evil step mother who is ready to strike without mercy, they all went on their kneels on seeing her, all except Nimai, she wouldn't kneel for nothing especially when she doesn't feel sorry.

"Amaya, I need no fortune teller to tell me you are the ring bearer of this fight" lady Betty said directly to Nimai.

Nimai already excepted to be blamed, she wasn't a bit surprised

"In as much as Amaya is a beautiful name, I do not bear the name which is not mine, I am Nimai, the witch girl" she said mockly while looking straight at the noble lady who chuckled at her stubbornness

"Your sharp tongue wouldn't be of help my dear"

"That I know of, it would have been a wise move to get on my knees and plead but it would certainly be fruitless, that we both know"

The other maidens weren't quiet, they weren't speaking but they did put on there best performance, crying and pleading while putting the blame on Nimai, she stood her ground looking at them, she wasn't ready to explain herself nor was she scared of her supposed punishment, a glitter of hope came when she saw madam Odede enter the room with two maidens trailing behind, everybody including lady Betty lowered their back in greeting to her.

"I have come to pick up one of my girl" Odede said making eye contact with Nimai

"Ooh there must have been a mistake, these are all my girls, and am about to punish them for constantly fighting" lady Betty responded with a forced smile

"Mistake is something I rarely do noble court lady,"

Odede said with a pleasant smile looking at Betty, the tension between the two ladies wasn't left unnoticed, Odede speaks with her body and eloquence, she carries her body confidently and smiles as she speaks with grace, she could be mistaken as one of the royals because of her etiquette's and mannerism, even the wrinkles in her face added to her beauty as she smiles, her green eyes glowing as she smiles, the story of how she was the dream woman of every bachelor during her prime days still very relevant, while indeed Lady Betty is a beautiful woman if only she wasn't known for her wickedness, her beauty also made a statement but so did her wickedness to maidens under her.

"From today onwards Nimai has been promoted to a maid servant in the east palace" Odede announced

The grasp from the other maidens weren't a quiet one, they had both their mouths and eyes opened widely,

"East palace?" Ophelia one of the maidens questioned

"Yes she is, and now under my care"Odede proudly said with a smile

"I would want to release her, trust me I want to but she has to answer to her punishment"

Nimai's proud smile turned sour at hearing lady Betty's remark

"Oh sure go ahead and block a royal order"

Lady Betty's face paled up and tensed at the remark, she immediately smiled and gave a go ahead, she was clearly not happy about the situation so did the other maidens, they had their noise stick out at Nimai who only glared hardly at them, she was happy to be leaving them after one full moon of torture from them, the rumors wouldn't die down, she knows but she would fight back with force, she smiled happily following Odede and the two maidens out of the west coast of the castle...

"If I didn't know you dear, I would have thought you were the king's bed warmer"

Odede said with a frown, Nimai could read she wasn't happy but didn't know why, she should be happy for her, her only guardian and friend doesn't seem really happy about her achievements

"You are not happy for me?" Nimai asked with a sad voice

"Surely I should be happy for your promotion which take some a decade to achieve but I can't help but feel wary, I never recommend to anyone, not even my daughter to be close with the royals especially not the Emperor"

Odede inhaled deeply before continuing

"Of course, one should be awarded by the royals when deserved but what have you done to suddenly be promoted to the East palace, you are hardworking and full of ambition, even the blind can smell your zealous nature but have you asked yourself if truly you deserve this sudden upswing by the Emperor, you are hardworking and so is many other maidens who came before you, this new position you have found yourself might be a blessing by the heavens but with that comes a price, I knew from the start of the hatred your fellow maiden have towards you, it is about to triple, the rumors would go worst, I should be happy for you but am rather more worried about you my dear"

Nimai fell into deep thought while listening to Odede, everything said was true, she didn't really know why the Emperor suddenly promoted her and didn't think too much of it, it hit her hard knowing that some have to go for a decade to get to what was given to her on a platter of gold.

"I won't go easy on you because I took a liking to you, if the need for a punishment arrives I won't look at your face while carrying out my royal duties, my advice to you as an elder is to stay away from the royals, I have worked here for decades and I sure know it never ends well for the females, I know you are wise not to be close with the Emperor but know that this is coming from a place of goodwill, it never ends well child"

Odede finally smiles after speaking her mind, she looks fondly at Nimai and slowly held her hand,

" I want you to be happy"

She sounded so much like Eriene, Nimai's mother, Nimai smiled bitterly while nodding her head.

" I will leave now, the other maidens will join you, I hope you make friends this time, "Odede said leaving Nimai in the middle of the large room with several mattresses a lot richer than her previous room, four beautiful maidens with cheerful voices emerged chattering away without noticing the presence of Nimai, The blonde hair with blue eyes looked in her direction and they locked eyes

"Look it's the witch girl" she blurted out cheerfully to the others, Nimai frowned but then she noticed they weren't disgusted nor mad at her

"Hi, am Asteria, the youngest here" the blonde hair said cheerfully to her showcasing her beautiful teeth, the others smiled at her bubbly mannarism

"Am Amaya, the oldest" one said with a calm voice and beautiful smile

"Am Rebecca, the second oldest, are you really the witch girl?"

"Am Belle, the prettiest, you can call me princess, not in front of the royals though" she said in low tones while the others laughed

Nimai stood overwhelmed, she didn't know how to react, they stood waiting for her to respond while she just stood awkwardly

"What is your name, we only know you as Witch girl, you are very popular in the east palaces" Asteria asked excitedly

"My name is Nimai"

"Nimai? Never heard it before, its foreign, you are really pretty, no wonder they labeled you witch" Belle concluded

"Belle" Rebecca called out quietly

"I didn't lie, notice how they burn beautiful people claiming there were witches, that's why I have to keep a low profile"

Nimai chuckled at Belle's humor so did the others, Asteria calmly approached Nimai and dragged her to sit together with them on a little table provided for them for meal time, something they didn't have in her previous room, the girls seemed so sweet and friendly, they joked about her rumors and brought out the various stories they heard of her, Belle and Asteria strongly stood by their grounds that it was jealousy that made people make up lies about Nimai while Rebecca and Amaya we're more reserved and laughed most of the time.

Nimai being the type that didn't talk much did more listening and smiling, her heart was glad while her mind was trying to block her from being happy but she blocked every negative thought and let her guards down, the two youngest didn't leave her side, they filled her in on how the work goes on, the others chipped in once in a while, but of all of them she was already getting fond of Asteria who's blue eyes were captivating, she wouldn't let go of her hands too, Asteria had a child-like mannerism, her voice was the softest so was her laugh, some words used were specially explained to her too because apparently, she was too young to understand...