Camilla •

I have never, in my life, seen a room this overly extravagant. And when I say extravagant, I mean the droolworthy, illegal, extremely affluent kind. The kind you only dream in your wildest fantasies of luxury and comfort fit only for kings and queens of never heard before faraway kingdoms. 

Lavish tapestries, furniture, carpets, everything. Thick, rich burgundy curtains adorned the walls, with floor to ceiling glass windows overlooking the gardens of the castle. Divans of small to large sizes scattered in this entire floor with God-knows-who the owner is.

I mean, this is a royal chamber, that I know of. But the said royal occupying this place, that I do not know. Which brought me as to why I am here, doing this job, sweeping marbled floors, dusting invisible cobwebs over my head.

Before I get excited with all of these material things, I start my day of completing the tasks assigned to me by the head of maids in the palace.

Miss Amelia, as we all call her, is a kind  lady. She treats everyone fairly, even the mischievous ones. She is always caring and understanding, a mother I did not have. She is actually the reason why  I am here.

You see, 15 years ago, when I was 20 years old, she saw me in a farm working for a known good-for-nothing merchant in our little town of Halsburth. I was there because my father can't send me to school and my mother ran off with another man. I'm glad I have no siblings. They won't know life like I do.

From there Miss Amelia took me under her tutelage. She taught me everything I know of labor work, specifically in housekeeping and I have come to love it. My first job was in a breakfast inn, then in a hotel, after that in a seamstress' dress shop and here I am now, in the palace.

At first I refused to accept this job because I don't like crowds, and the royals are known of parties and such. I can get clumsy and overwhelmed with all the noise around me. But Miss Amelia is so dear to me I find it hard to refuse such a request from someone I consider my remaining family. She told me I'll be personally attending a royal's chamber because first, she trusts me to do an excellent job and second is she knows I'm quiet as a mouse so I won't be spilling any secrets, if there's anything I see I don't have the business seeing in the first place. And she promised me I'll be staying away from people in general, because I'll be serving only one person. Well, that got me.

I was rather immersed in my thoughts while dusting the mattress when a pair of arms banded around my waist, shocking me to the core, and the strong stench of hard liquor surrounded me. I felt nausea washing over me. I don't know what to do.

I stood still, very very still.