Shining Through Shadows

Rumors

Lydia

I guess luck must be on my side, because I haven’t been punished for the kitchen incident. Even better, Jena hadn’t mentioned it to the other girls and I was deeply grateful for that.

They were treating me like a friend, like a sister, and I couldn’t imagine staying in this unwelcoming house without them being my friends. Unwelcoming was a tad exaggerating, though, because the house was nice and warm, beautifully decorated even, but it lacked the feeling of being lived in.

While some rooms had been painted with colors on the walls to make them look more warm and inviting, it still felt the opposite. Unwelcoming.

Apart from us, the servants, did anyone even live here? Or was it just a made-up story to ensure that we worked hard to keep our master satisfied?

“I saw two men entering the Alpha’s floor this afternoon.” Suni whispered from where she was sitting, her nimble fingers working with a crochet hook so fast my eyes couldn’t follow. She was working on a pair of socks to wear while she slept. Being from the eastern province, she was probably used to a warmer climate than what she was currently living in.

“Who was it? Have they been here before?” Harper whispered back as she scooted to the edge of her seat, clearly excited about the news. The book she was reading had already been closed as she stared at Suni expectantly. I, too, couldn’t help but look at her to hear more about the visitors.

“How would I know? It was by pure accident.” Suni scoffed before returning to work on the pair of socks. The yarn she had chosen was dark gray, like the clouds always covering the sky up here in the north.

“Oh, come on! Don’t tell me you didn’t look at them!?” Reyna chuckled, earning a hush from Jena poking her head out from a bookshelf with a scowl on her face. Suni placed her hands in her lap, still grasping onto her piece of work, before letting out a loud sigh.

“They were handsome, okay? That’s all I noticed.” She admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. I couldn’t help but smile, wondering what the two men looked like.

“You’re supposed to keep your head down, not stare at the damned visitors.” Jena’s stern voice made me snap out of my daydream. I kept my gaze down, desperately trying to focus on the book on the table in front of me.

The letters jumped around on the pages, making it hard to focus, and I closed my eyes for a brief moment. I wasn’t an enthusiastic reader, having only learned the most basic skills before I was forced to put my efforts into work instead. Now, I was trying my best to get better, finally having the time to practice.

Once Jena left our table again, probably to look for another book, Suni smiled again.

“I think they were related…” She whispered, her brown eyes glancing towards the aisle of bookshelves. “They were tall, like very tall, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. Oh, and one of them had his hair in a bun!”

“That was a rather detailed description for someone who only saw them briefly…” Harper whispered with a chuckle, glancing back at Suni with her brows raised.

“Shut it.” Suni snapped, tossing an unused ball of yarn at her.

“I wonder who they are to be able to come and go as they please.” I wondered out loud, making the three of them stare at me.

“Uh, maybe they’ve come from the Citadel! Can you imagine?” Harper almost laughed, but remembered to stay quiet to prevent Jena from snapping at us again.

“You think the Citadel supports the Rogue Alpha?” Reyna finally spoke, her eyes wide. I glanced from Reyna back to Harper, waiting for her to answer. It seemed these girls knew a lot more about politics and alliances than I did.

“I don’t know,” Harper shrugged, closing the book she was reading. I did the same, knowing that I couldn’t concentrate on anything any longer. I was invested in this conversation. “It’s just a theory of mine… I mean, how would he even have the money to run this house? He’s got to have the money from somewhere…”

A frown appeared on my face as I sat there letting her words sink in.

“Stop making assumptions about something you know nothing about.” Reyna whispered, urging Harper to keep quiet.

“Are you defending him?” Harper inquired, narrowing her eyes at the girl sitting beside me.

“God, no! I’m just not willing to risk ending up in a dungeon…” She huffed, placing her project into her personal crafting box. Our time was nearly up. “I’ve come to terms with my life here as a servant. As long as I’m treated nicely, I have no complaints.”

All this banter between the girls left me with many questions. Where did the two men come from? Did they have an alliance with the Alpha? And how could he afford this massive house and, at the same time, provide for all his servants here in the vast North?

A roar, loud enough to c***k the windows reverberated through the house, making all of us freeze in our seats.

Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.