All Kings favorite Human

Wicked

AGATHA'S POV

Lirith and I stand ready with soft, fluffy towels as my stepsisters emerge from the steaming basins full of warm water and aromatic herbs.They stand in elegant postures as we wrap the towels around their wet bodies and hair.

I grab a rug and wipe all the water that has spilled on the floor while Lirith massages fragrant oils into their skins.

Today a great feast has been prepared to welcome them to the mermaid kingdom, so they must look most ravishing.

Lady Margarth had assigned both Lirith and me to serve them, which I am grateful for since Lirith is quite kind and friendly.

Lirith opens the newly stocked royal closet and takes out several pearl-encrusted gowns and holds them up for the princesses to see. As the upcoming brides of the king, they are supposed to wear this lavish dresses decorated with precious pearls, a tradition in mermaid culture that I have come to understand.

Someone knocks on the door just as they both point at the dresses they would like to wear.

"That might be the servant sent to get us." Penelope gasps excitedly. "Hurry, let them in." She orders and I rush to open the door.

A female servant enters the room and bows. "My ladies, your presence is much awaited in the hall." She announces. The servant do not yet address them with royal titles, as they are not yet married to the king.

"Quickly help us dress," Aileen orders, and Lirith and I quickly gather the gowns they have chosen.They excitedly slips on the dresses with our help, then moves to the full length mirror on the wall and smile in exhilaration while staring at their reflections.

"You look most ravishing, my Ladies." Lirith compliments. She still hasn't worked under them enough to know the snakes they are.

"The first group of royals must have already entered the hall, my ladies." The servant urges and we all head out of the room. My stepsisters walks on the lead, looking eager to get to the banquet hall.

I have combed my hair and held it in a burn to make it's various colours less noticeable. The last thing I want is to get into trouble with King Atticus.

"You'll be expected to diligently serve the guests, wipe tables after they are done eating and keep your head bowed whenever one of the royals speaks to you." Lirith whispers as we follow.

"We'll also serve our Mistresses and tend to their every need. You should of course follow the orders of the other guests as well." she adds, and I nod, hoping I'll recall the countless rules pinned in our quarters.

The banquet hall is a spectacle of luxury, adorned with opulent furnishings and a long grand table graced by elegantly dressed royals.

In the gallery above, musicians play lively tunes on lutes, harps, and violins. Their music floating down into the hall, adding a joyful melody to the bustling feast below.

Every one of us including my stepsisters appear stupefied by the sheer opulence of the place.

Most of the palace servants are in their positions behind each royal, ready to attend to their needs.

Lady Margarth who I hadn't realized is in the hall approaches my stepsisters, bowing slightly. "My ladies, come, you will sit and eat with the king,"

Aileen and Penelope look greatly thrilled as they follow Lady Margarth toward the grand table, lavishly laid with an array of delectable seafood. Several royals at the table turns to stare.King Atticus gives me a brief stare before returning his attention back to my stepsisters.

Lady Margarth pulls out chairs for them beside him, and he welcomes them to sit by his side, kissing the back of their hands in an amorous manner. Aileen waves her hand fan seductively in return, welcoming his attention.

Lirith nudges me, and we take our places behind the princesses. I stand directly behind Penelope.

My stepsisters engages in pleasant conversations with the royals seated close by, enjoying the special attention they are being given.

I keep my head bowed, avoiding sneaking a look at king Atticus until one of the royal men speaks.

"Your Majesty, your brides are truly beautiful! I may just have to visit the human kingdom and find one for myself," He jokes, eliciting laughter from the other royals. King Atticus smiles.

Another governor turns to Aileen and Penelope, asking, "So, my dear ladies, are you enjoying your time in our magnificent kingdom so far?"

Penelope responds with a bright smile, "Oh, yes! We adore all the luxuries and riches you have here. It's so much more than we could ever dream of in the human kingdom." Her answer sounds materialistic but it draws no disapproval from the royals.

Just then, two servants enter the hall, carrying a tray laden with exquisite gold wine goblets. One, at the center, stands out from the rest, its intricate design and precious metals gleaming in the light. The servants make their way around the table, offering each royal a choice from the tray.

One by one, they select their goblets, but none picks the stunning one. Its probably meant for the king only.

When the tray reaches Penelope, she chooses a goblet with a delicate floral pattern. But when it comes to Aileen she takes her time before reaching for the magnificent goblet at the center.

Gasps fill the room, and even King Atticus raises an eyebrow in surprise. Murmurs break out among the gathered nobles but King Atticus silences them with a stern look.

Aileen, holds the goblet oblivious to the murmurs around her until king Atticus leans in close and whispers something in her ear, her eyes widen as she realizes her mistake. She nods sheepishly and reluctantly returns the goblet to the tray, her face a mask of embarrassment.

"Please forgive my brides." King Atticus says addressing the governors. "They're still adjusting to our ways," he reassures, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

As the banquet continues, my stepsisters use the opportunity to inquire about their upcoming wedding from king Atticus.

"Has arrangements been made for our wedding yet?" Penelope inquires in a sweet voice

"Yes, we set the grand ceremony only a fortnight away." King Atticus answers.

The smile on his face makes my mind reel with rage. Hope he enjoys knowing their true selves just as much. I should find the right moment to accept his rejection so that I stop feeling pain when they are celebrating.

"You can only imagine how excited we are for the ceremony. We'll write a letter to inform our father tonight." Aileen happily shares.

Noticing Penelope’s wine glass is almost empty, I decide to busy myself so that I cannot listen to their conversation. I carefully pick up the decanter and begin to pour the deep red wine into the goblet.

Suddenly, while laughing at something King Atticus has said, Penelope sharply moves her elbow, knocking the goblet off the table. The wine spills onto the pristine white tablecloth, and those seated closest to the incident let out gasps of shock.

I react quickly, grabbing a dry towel I try to catch the liquid before it can stain the tablecloth further but the liquid accidentally spills the onto Penelope's yellow gown.

Her face immediately flush with anger, as she stands up, her chair scraping against the marble floor. "You clumsy fool! Look what you've done to my dress!" she screeches her voice shrill with rage.

"It was you who knocked the goblet down in the first place!" I snap back without thinking.

The dining hall falls silent, all eyes turning to us.

"How dare you speak to me like that?" Penelope glares, looking ready to strike me.

"Penelope, sit," King Atticus commands.

Fuming, she obeys, and the king turns to me, his face stern. "You will go down on your knees and apologize to your mistress."

My heart races, shocked by his demand.

"Your Majesty, I... I am truly sorry for the spill. It was an accident, and I only reacted to what happened. I didn’t know. . ."

“Knowing the rules is part of your job." he replies, and the other royals nod in agreement.

"If I have to ask my guards to force you to, it will be another show of disobedience, just to be clear.” He adds.

My lips tremble as I look at royals at the table who are watching, their gazes lecherous, wholly different from the piteous glares of other servants. He is ordering me to kneel because he simply can, to make Penelope feel good.

My nails bite into my palms and Lilith whispers a quick “Do what he asks” into my ear.

They hold the power now. I will do what I have to do to survive this. I slowly lower myself to my knees. "I apologize, my lady," I say, my voice trembling. Why did my voice sound so pathetically small?

King Atticus looks unimpressed. “Louder. My queen didn’t hear you.”

I swallowed hard, my cheeks burning with humiliation. I hated him. “I’m sorry, my lady.”

“That’s better. You can get up.”

I stand, my face feeling hot when I meet first his gaze, then Penelope's, her eyes glowing bright with a victory smile on.

All I feel is hate, cold hate.