"Next time that crazy Hulk man gives you a task that would make you crush your bone, leave it to me to handle him. I got a black belt in taekwondo."
That was Christina's words whenever I'm having a breakdown from one of Harry Hulk's endless workloads. It was who she was, my fighter, my friend, always there having my back.
Her dark brown eyes had always looked at me with so much love, it made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have such a friend. She had never looked at me with such disdain, such malice, such coldness.
"Oh no, she has seen us," Matilda fiddled in fright.
Indeed she has, and her eyes had narrowed, taking me in. As the guards dragged the maiden away, I had just become her next target.
"You have to bow your head," Matilda whispered shakily, tugging at my dress.
Now this is the problem with modern girls. We take self-worth and independence right to the bone, and just like the encounter with the King, I had completely forgotten where I was. All that nagged in my head was this concubine having the face of my best friend.
Shit. She moved.
"You there!"
I quickly bowed my head, but it was too late. She had seen me, and now she was coming for me.
"Dammit."
She walked elegantly in her gold lace corset, shoulders squared and chest puffed. Surrounding her were maidens scrutinizing, struggling to keep up with her fast pace. I promised myself to bow, in fact I did, but I peeked up again.
"Do maids no longer bow?"
Her voice boomed into the night and I stiffened, my hands curling into fists at my side. Of course she did not recognize me. Just as Harry Hulk wasn't the King, Lady Tyra wasn't Christina. Yet my heart clenched so painfully it almost stole my breath.
"I… I…"
Lady Tyra paused in front of me, eyes narrowing deep into mine. Her mouth curved into a sneer.
"Forgive me, Chris—my lady—"
"I did not ask for your forgiveness," she cut in sharply, taking a step closer. "I asked you a question."
My eyes wavered between hers and the maidens surrounding her. It was so hard to look at her this close and not run to her. Her face was too much like Christi's.
"Forgive her, my lady. She is new and doesn't know her way around yet."
Matilda's voice trembled in a rush, as though she wanted to be far away from her.
I caused that. When she had tugged at my dress, I had remained. Because no matter who Lady Tyra was, she still looked so much like Christi, and I didn't know how to take that.
Lady Tyra's eyes, despite bored was filled with confidence. Perhaps the King had already told her he would marry her.
"That explains the stare," Lady Tyra hummed. "Teach her manners."
"Yes, my lady."
Matilda nodded, still bowing her head. She tugged at my dress again, but I couldn't look away. I wanted to murmur Christi, but she huffed and stormed off, her maidens following closely behind.
When the hallway turned eerie quiet, Matilda finally raised her head, eyes wide as she stared down the path Lady Tyra had taken, then whipped her gaze toward me.
"We were lucky she did not unleash her wrath."
I nodded, barely looking at her. My glassy eyes stayed glued to the empty hallway. I couldn't even manage to form words.
"Are you okay?" Matilda nudged me.
"I need sleep." A sigh escaped my lips. I would have loved to tell her more, but I was still trying to process this.
What's going on? Did I offend someone at the office? Did someone throw me in here to punish me? I thought I lived a good life, working hard and being there for family and friends, so why was I trapped here?
"Let us return, before a guard sees us."
At Matilda's voice, I quickly followed behind her.
When we reached the quarters, Matilda bade me good night with a smile on her face, then handed me the sack before entering her room.
I entered my new room and paused at the door, taking in the single lamp perched on the side opposite the small bed. My feet dragged toward it and I sat down, placing the sack on the bedside table.
With a sigh, I climbed onto the bed and stared at the wooden door with its buckled handle. Why her? Why Christina?
Christina's face followed me into this room, but instead of the energetic, smiling face I knew, it was cold and cruel.
I pressed my palm over my eyes, my chest heaving up and down. The reality of today began to press on me, and cold tears streamed down my face. I don't want to be here. I don't want to be in a world where I have to hate my best friend.
Damn, I need to find my phone and call her, hear her laughter. I need to tell her to help me get out of this nightmare.
My shoulders shook and the quiet tears turned into sobs, not loud enough to wake the night. With my mouth pressed shut, I sobbed and sobbed until I fell into a deep sleep.
What awakened me was the harsh stream of light on my face and a fully blinking pair of eyes in my view.
"It is your first task. You have to be on time."
Matilda. Damn, it's Matilda and not Director Jones at Hulk's Company, tugging me when I'm slacking.
"No," I whispered, shaking my head and clenching my dress. "No, I can't be here. I have to go back. I don't belong here."
Matilda sighed, her hands resting on her hips. In her eyes, I saw pity, but I don't want pity. I want to go back.
"I know you must be scared since it's your first day, but serving the King is a privilege. No one has served as his personal maid before."
She doesn't understand. I don't have a problem with serving him, just not as a maid.
Slowly, I dropped my feet to the cold ground and stiffened. Why is this world so cold?
"What do I do as a maid?"
Matilda tilted her head, deep in thought. "Well, one cannot tell the duty of the King's personal maid. He shall assign you whatever task he wants."
I nodded. My shoulders slumped, my head aching badly. I was tired of thinking too much, tired of questioning everything. Maybe I should give up on going back. This was no dream. I was doomed here.
"Here." Matilda walked toward the table and lifted a mug made of silver tin. Steam curled out of it, and I wondered what it was.
"It's tea." She placed the warm cup in my hands. "It will help you relax."
"Thank you." I didn't even ask before gulping the tea. It wasn't too hot and tasted of peppermint, so I guessed it was mint tea.
"Herbal tea is good for the nerves." She sat beside me, still smiling.
I nodded and finished it all. She took the cup from my hand.
It did help calm my nerves.
"Here."
She pushed a bucket of water toward me, a white linen draped over it.
"Water for bathing."
Huh. When she meant bath, was this it?
I raised a brow at her. Surely she didn't think a modern girl would scrub herself with wet linen and call that bathing.
"This is how we bathe." She nodded at my skeptical gaze. "We bathe in the lake about thrice a week if we are fortunate."
"Hell na." I shook my head, crossing my arms. "I need a proper bath before starting this work."
"Hell…?" She blinked. "Na?"
"It's hell na," I grinned at her ackward stare, did I forget that I'm not longer in my world?
"Hell na," she repeated, eyes wide with awe. "Is that a good word?"
"Hell na." I laughed at my repetition. "It's a non agreeable word. Feel free to use it since no one knows it around here."
She nodded, murmuring the words to herself.
"Seriously." My shoulders slumped as I stared at the water. "I seriously have to bathe with this?"
She nodded, then stood. "I shall come back when you are done."
She gave me a brief nod before heading out.
"Damn." I kicked the bucket, completely forgetting it was made of iron. Pain shot through me and I flinched. "Ahh."
A few moments later, I had scrubbed as much as I could, even though it was nowhere near a proper bath. Matilda stood at my door, urging me forward.
I followed her, hands roaming over my clothes and maiden hat, adjusting them.
"Do not draw attention. Always lower your head."
I frowned. Won't my neck crack if I lower it too much?
"Lady Tyra and the royal family do not forgive easily."
At the mention of Tyra, a sharp pain hit my chest, how do I survive this place when my best friend, the one I talk to all the time, becomes someone I can't talk to.
We walked through hallways and corridors. This morning, the castle stood alive. Maids dusting and cleaning, guards stormed the yard, and beautiful ladies, whom I assumed were concubines or members of the royal family, walked past in fine laced gowns and gloves.
Matilda led me up stairs curved like a snake until we reached a hallway lined with stained windows, sunlight draping through them. It stood mostly empty, save for a few guards moving about.
Matilda stopped at a double door at the end of the hallway and pointed toward it. As she spoke, I could only marvel at the drawings carved into the wood, intricate and beautiful, nothing like the boring doors back home. Damn, if not for technology, I would have lived here. Oh, you are here now, Isabel.
"This is the King's room. You are assigned to clean."
Right. Clean the King's room.
Huh.
My eyes widened. Clea…n his room? What did I know about dusting sheets and cleaning floors?
"I shall leave you to your duty," Matilda said. She squeezed my hand before turning and walking away.
I stood there, facing the door, wondering if he was one of those lazy kings who still snored on his bed at this hour. Oh heavens, he better not be.
No. I should not be here
I do not want to be here.
Yet my palm met the cold metal knob, and I turned it despite myself. My heart pounded hard against my chest as I pushed the door open and stepped inside my doom.