Chapter 11
1044 Words
Rashi’s POV
"I have finished the scullery and the main corridors, Madam," I reported while wiping my damp hands on my apron.
Madam Lysca looked up from her inventory list and nodded sharply. "Did you scrub the grout in the west wing pantry?"
"Yes, Madam, I used the small brush just like you asked," I confirmed.
"And the corners in the dining hall?" she pressed. "I don't want spots when the Alpha eats breakfast."
"Sparkling clean, Madam," I assured her.
“Good! Impressive of you, Rashi,” she responded. “But….”
Before she could assign me another task, the door swung open and Luna Saira swept into the room. She was dressed in a dark riding coat, and her presence sucked the oxygen out of the room.
“Good morning, my lady,” Madam Lysca and I greeted in unison.
"Ehmm… I am going out to the Beta's estate for cards," she announced without looking at us. "My chamber is a disaster, and I want it spotless by the time I return."
She turned her cold eyes toward me. "You… Rashi, get it done."
My stomach dropped. "Yes, my lady."
Not me again, not anything to do with the Luna. I had tried to avoid her since yesterday’s incident, and now she clearly wanted to set a trap for me.
"Make sure you get under the bed," she sneered. "I know how you lazy servants like to cut corners."
"Right away, Luna," Madam Lysca interjected, stepping in front of me. "Rashi, go now."
I hurried out of the room, keeping my head down until I reached her chamber. As I entered the Luna's chamber, it felt like walking into a lion's den. The room was a complete mess, she had garments everywhere and makeup littered on the vanity. This clearly wasn't an easy task.
"Just clean," I told myself. "Clean and get out."
I moved quickly, beginning with dusting the heavy velvet curtains and wiping down the vanity. I polished the mirror, arranged the garments, and set the makeup in order. My wolf paced inside me, agitated and growling, but I pushed her down. I couldn't afford a mistake.
I dropped to my knees to check under the bed, ensuring no dust bunnies remained. It was clean. I stood up, relieved that I had survived another task without an incident.
"Okay, I’m done," I whispered.
I turned to leave, walking briskly toward the door. As I passed the vanity, I didn't notice the loose fabric of my dress catch on the handle of the bottom drawer. As I took a step forward, the fabric pulled tight, and something fell to the ground.
The sound was like an explosion in the quiet room. I turned around in horror. A crystal decanter, filled with an amber liquid, lay shattered on the floor. It wasn't just broken, it was destroyed. The liquid seeped into the expensive rug, creating a dark, spreading stain.
"No," I gasped, dropping to my knees. "No, no, no."
I tried to scoop up the shards with my bare hands, ignoring the glass cutting into my skin. This must be expensive, she would kill me. She wouldn't just whip me this time, she would hang me from the castle walls.
"I have to fix this," I panicked, but there was no fixing it.
I scrambled up and ran out of the room. I sprinted down the hallway, gasping for air, and burst into the servants' quarters, finding Madam Lysca folding linens.
"Madam!" I cried out.
She looked up, alarmed by my tone. "What is it? What did you do?"
"I... the vanity... it just fell," I stammered, shaking. "The crystal bottle… it’s broken."
“Calm down Rashi, What crystal bottle?”
“A shiny perfume bottle, that was on the Vanity.”
Madam Lysca’s face went pale. "The imported perfume?"
"I didn't mean to!" I sobbed. "My dress caught and..."
Suddenly, the distinct sound of carriage wheels crunching on gravel echoed from the courtyard below.
"She is back," Lysca whispered, glancing at me. "She must have forgotten something."
My heart sank to my stomach. This was it, this had to be the end...I was certainly going to die today.
"Save me," I begged, grabbing Lysca’s arm. "Please, Madam. She will kill me. She... she does things to me..."
I tried to explain the abuse, the s****l humiliation, but the words choked me. I couldn't say it.
"She will chop off your head," Lysca stated flatly. "She will not hesitate this time."
The sound of the royal doors opening downstairs drifted up to us, and just like that, her footsteps began to sound louder as she ascended.
"You cannot be here," Lysca decided, grabbing my shoulders. "You have to disappear."
"Where do I go?" I asked, looking around the room as if a hiding spot would materialize.
"The Lower District," Lysca ordered, pulling a heavy cloak from her personal chest and throwing it over me. "Go to the Blue Lantern House and ask for Melyn."
"Melyn?" I repeated, pulling the hood up.
"Tell her Lysca sent you and that you need to hide for the night," she instructed, pushing me toward the back servant's exit. "Do whatever she tells you, Rashi. Do not argue with her. I will send for you when the waters are calm."
"Thank you," I breathed.
"Make sure the guards don’t see you!" she hissed. "And don't look back."
I didn't wait. I pushed open the narrow door and slipped into the sunny fields.
“Lysca!” I heard the Luna scream like a lunatic. The guards by the gate and every other servant rushed into the castle. That was the perfect opportunity.
I ran faster than my feet had ever carried me. Maybe I could just return to my world, perhaps this was my perfect escape route. I finally came to a stop and pulled the amulet from beneath my dress.
“Take me back, take me back, please!” I screamed.
It emitted a shiny light before dimming again. I didn't give up, I repeated the words again. This time, the amulet made my wolf take over completely. I shifted, losing control of my body as my wolf surged away from the castle, moving further and further away.
- Writer
