Mina stared up at the castle as she approached, feeling particularly small next to its massive stone walls and its pointed towers that pierced through the fabric of the sky. Blue and gold flags bearing the royal insignia fluttered in the wind, standing tall and proud between the guard along the outer walls. She had always viewed the castle from afar, but now that she was up close, she could see the moss and vines that sprouted from the gaps between the stones and the burgundy painted rooftops that were faded by the sun. One would think the castle would be in better condition considering how heavily the king taxed the people. Upon entering the main courtyard, she was struck by just how empty it appeared. Though the sun shone brightly that day, she felt a chill run through her, prompting her to wrap her arms around herself.

Mina was riding on a cart with Lith and a handful of other girls, all vying for some kind of job at the palace. Mina did her best to clean up her appearance as much as possible, scrubbing her hands and face clean and braiding part of her hair to keep it out of her eyes, but she failed to straighten out the frown that still creased her face. That was something that never really returned to the way it was. Even when she managed to feel the smallest tinge of joy inside, nothing was ever enough to bring a true smile to her face. Getting off the cart, she and the others were guided to one of the few servants' quarters and told to wait their turn to speak with the head maid. Casting furtive glances at the other girls, it was obviously that they all were trying their best to hide just how poor they all were. Their faces were scrubbed clean but gaunt with hunger and exhaustion. Everyone wore plain dresses, most likely made of repurposed material, and many were mended with patches. One girl's dress was obviously too big for her, and whenever she hitched up her skirt to walk, it revealed her muddy and battered work boots underneath. One girl was no older than twelve.

A few hours passed, and finally, it was down to the final few. Lith went ahead of Mina, striding in with perfect posture and a confident smile plastered on her face. Mina, in response, slouched more in her seat, her eyes staring daggers at her rival until the door shut behind her. Subconsciously, Mina's hands drifted to the ends of her hair, twisting the strands between her fingers. Her hair used to be much longer, but because of a nervous habit that often resulted in her pulling parts of it out, she had cut it short in an attempt to resist the urge. It didn't completely solve the problem, but it helped somewhat. Hoping to busy her hands with something else, she fiddled with her fingers, picking out the leftover dirt from under her nails as she waited.

To her surprise, the door reopened not too long after, Lith stomping out in a huff. Making eye contact with her, she saw the other girl's eyebrows pinched together in an expression of annoyance but also of confusion. Standing up, Mina made her way over to the door, her hand shuddering as she touched the handle. Stepping inside, she was met by an older woman dressed in a long black dress. She had graying black hair tied up in a neat bun, brown almond shaped eyes, and skin so fair that one could seemingly almost see her bones underneath.

"Sit down," the lady ordered, and Mina promptly obeyed. "My name is Jia Kwan."

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," Mina replied, her voice coming out softer than expected.

"Name?"

"Mina Carpenter."

"Age?"

"Twenty-six."

"Where do you come from?"

"The town of Calama on the south side of the kingdom."

"Have you lived in Cordia your whole life?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Previous employment?"

"Carpentry with my father when I was younger and," she breath caught in her throat for a moment. "A tea house, more recently."

Jia looked up, their dark eyes meeting. "Which one?"

She swallowed. "Madame Hailen's."

Jia raised an eyebrow, obviously familiar with the name. Mina knew what she was assuming, but she didn't protest because that was half true already. She didn't want to explain herself further than she had to.

"How did you hear about this position?"

"My friends Samira and Erik work here, and they told me about it."

"I know Samira works in the cooking department, but who's Erik?"

"He's one of the guards."

Jia nodded, writing a few notes down before continuing on. "Tell me, why do you want this job?"

A million thoughts flew through her mind at the speed of light, but the only thing that stayed still long enough for her to actually consider it was her earlier conversation with Reva. Playing off Jia's apparent presumptions about her, she began, "I want to start anew and leave my past work behind me. This is a place where I can feel safe but also get some basic necessities through more honest and...tasteful work." She considered mentioning something about her supposed loyalty to the crown, but she knew she wouldn't be able to force the words out with it coming out strained. "It's just hard for a girl like me to survive out there alone."

Jia nodded slowly, taking Mina's explanation much better than she expected. "I won't lie, it's still a hard life here. You won't have to worry about ruffians like those on the outside, but I'm sure you know what kinds of people many of the nobles are, based on experience." Mina nodded.

"Luckily," Jia continued. "only the king and prince are around here regularly, and often you don't even see them if you're not assigned to them personally."

"That's...good to know," she exhaled, faking a sigh of relief. "Who actually ends up working for them personally?"

Jia paused to give her a look, which instantly made her blood run cold. She cursed at herself for even asking.

"People who've been here for a while or those they request themselves," Jia stated simply. "So nothing you have to worry about."

"Oh, that's good."

The frown remained on Jia's face, making Mina shift uncomfortably in her seat. "If you get assigned to one of the lower units, would you still want to work here? Our staff is very limited, so it will involve more work than you may be used to."

"What kinds of tasks would I be assigned to?"

"Mainly cleaning. Things out of the way and where you won't be seen by the higher ups."

"Perfect for me. I'm used to cleaning anyway."

"You're hired then."

Her words took a moment to fully register. Mina was in the middle of mindlessly nodding when it finally hit her and she gaped, not believing what she was hearing. "I am?"

"All your clothes will be provided, so you don't need to bring any of your own." Jia continued on, rising to her feet.

Mina sputtered, tripping over her own toes as she stood up and followed Jia out of the room. "Do I start right now?"

"Yes. Why, do you have somewhere else you need to be?"

She shook her head. "No, no, I'm sorry. It's just so sudden and I wasn't expecting it."

Jia said nothing in reply, continuing to walk briskly down the halls. Mina did her best to focus on what she was saying, but her head spun with a whirlwind of thoughts and her heart beat loudly in her ears. She felt as if she was about to faint or throw up or both, but she couldn't understand why. Getting the job was supposed to make her feel better–this is what she wanted after all, right? So why did she feel sick to her stomach? She shook her head, running her hands through her hair. It was just because everything was so sudden and overwhelming as she had said. She just needed to calm down and think straight and it all would be fine. Looking up, she noticed Jia had stopped, opening a door to reveal a dimly lit room with a handful of chests.

"You won't quite start work today, but let me just explain the basics to you. The color of the dress you wear indicates the department you work in. Black attire like me is for those in charge and those assigned to the prince or king. Blue is for the servers or attendants for visitors and guests. Brown is for the cooking staff, and grey is for cleaning maids such as yourself." she pointed to a stack of chests in the right corner of the room. "Find one that fits and an apron to go with it. If your current outfit needs washing, come back here to get another one. Understood?"

Half of Jia's words flew over Mina's head, but she nodded and did as she was told. Sliding on her new uniform, she expected it to feel more comfortable than her old dress, but in actuality, it felt stiff and rough against her skin. It was a little tight on her, but she preferred that to having baggy sleeves and heavy skirts that would only hinder her movement. Once she was dressed, Jia continued to lead her through the hallways, listing off the various tasks she would be assigned to from sweeping the floors, to dusting the furniture, to doing the laundry. Opening another door, Jia led her down a tighter passageway that opened up into a meager space stuffed to the brim with cots, the plain conditions a stark contrast from the gilded halls and rooms she had just passed by.

"This is where you and the other girls sleep," Jia explained. "Yours is over there next to your partner."

"Partner?"

"Sophie!" Jia hollered, grasping the attention of a small girl with wispy blonde hair and soft blue eyes who immediately got up and made her way over to them. She looked a few years younger than Mina, but the most striking feature about her was a scar that stretched diagonally across her mouth. She offered Mina a smile, but the jagged slash made her lips turn out in unnatural ways. Mina did her best not to stare, but it was hard to ignore. Was this the kind of treatment to expect while working here?

"Sophie, this is your partner, Mina. You will stay together whenever you do your tasks."

Sophie nodded, dipping into a curtsy. "Pleased to meet you, Mina."

"Tomorrow morning, give Mina a quick tour of the castle before you start working."

"Yes, Miss Jia."

Jia turned back to Mina. "Any questions?"

She had a little less than a million, but her head was too full of thoughts to actually acknowledge any answers, so she opted to just shake her head.

"Just keep to your work and keep your head down. Do not speak to any royals unless specifically spoken to, understand?"

She nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

At that, Jia bid them good night before leaving them. Looking around the room, Mina noticed many pairs of eyes staring at her, a mix of curious and judgmental expressions, while many others seemed to not notice nor care that she was there. As Jia had explained, they all wore one of the four maid classification colors with grey being the most prevalent. Sophie was dressed in grey too, that is, before she stripped it off, leaving her in just her underwear.

"No need to be embarrassed," she chirped, folding up her dress and sliding it under her cot. "It's just us ladies allowed in here. Jia made sure of it."

Mina stayed where she was, still trying to take in everything that just happened. Noticing her partner staring off into the distance as if in a daze, Sophie leaned over, waving a hand in Mina's face.

"Hello? What sorta troll hole did you crawl out of, huh?"

Mina blinked, her eyebrows furrowing at the comment. "The hell is that supposed to mean?"

Sophie shrugged, settling into a cross-legged position on her cot. "You look lost. Or like you're not supposed to be here."

Mina scoffed. "How would you know? I could say the same about you."

"But that would be untrue. I've been here for ages, but you just got here. I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be."

"Well, so am I," Mina asserted. "I got the job, didn't I?"

"Mm, yes, but many people get in who aren't supposed to."

She paused. "What do you mean by that?"

Sophie's eyes darted side to side, a mischievous glint in her gaze. "You're not...a traitor, are you?" she whispered.

Mina didn't know how to respond to that. "A traitor to what?"

"Why, the crown, of course."

Mina couldn't tell if she was teasing or not. Frankly, Sophie seemed a little too unhinged for her liking. "Of course not. And if I was, why would I tell you?"

Sophie giggled. "Very true. I must reassess my interrogation approach next time." Mina just stared blankly at her, prompting Sophie to giggle again. "I like you. We're going to have a blast together." Pulling the sheets over her legs, she flopped down onto her cot. "Good night, Mina. I can't wait for tomorrow now!"

Mina didn't respond, instead opting to look around as all the other girls prepared for bed. She took a seat on her cot but didn't take off her dress like the others. She was too restless to sleep anyway. Eyeing the door, she knew she had to find a way to sneak out somehow in order to inform the other rebels about her whereabouts and eventual progress. They probably could piece together what happened from the fact she didn't return that night, but she still felt in need of guidance about her next course of action. The last thing she wanted was to ruin this perfect opportunity. After waiting until she was certain most of the others were sound asleep, she tiptoed between the cots and over to the door. Pulling gently on the handle, she was surprised when it didn't budge. She pulled a little harder, and still the door remained tightly shut. She stifled a groan of frustration forming in her throat. What was she supposed to do now?