The matron's eyes narrowed the moment she noticed Vanella's absence.
"Where is she?" Halvra demanded, her voice sharp enough to cut stone.
"Still in the western wing," Liora replied, uneasy. "I… I thought she was finishing the linens, Matron."
Halvra's lips curved into a thin, venomous line. "Still? That is impossible. She was gone when I checked the corridor. And the King…" Her tone shifted, calculating. "If she stumbled into him… then we have a problem."
Liora's stomach twisted. "I don't think she meant any harm. She's careful—"
"Careful?" Halvra's laugh was cold, low. "Careful is for those who are weak. This one is bold. Too bold. I will see to it she learns her place."
By the time Vanella returned hours later, the halls buzzed with whispers. Servants noticed, but no one dared speak aloud. Halvra waited, leaning against a column, arms crossed, every detail radiating disapproval and accusation.
"You've been gone far too long," she said, voice dripping faux innocence. "And you—" she gestured at Vanella's still-haggard appearance—"must think yourself clever to disappear into the King's private halls. Do you know how dangerous such… audacity can be?"
Vanella held her head high, eyes level with the matron's. "I was assigned, Matron. I followed the task."
Halvra's lips thinned. "Assigned? By whom? That is… unusual." Her mind worked fast, already plotting. Perhaps she tried to seduce him. Perhaps she dares to gain favor beyond her station.
"no," Liora said nervously. "She—she just—"
"You just what?" Halvra snapped, turning on her. "Speak only when spoken to!"
Liora flinched, and Halvra's smile widened. Perfect. She would escalate this. She would make Vanella's life unbearable, piece by piece, without anyone suspecting her intentions.
And so she began.
Linen duties increased to backbreaking workloads.
Floors that were already spotless needed re-scrubbing multiple times.
Vanella was sent to corners of the palace rarely visited, to clean, organize, and scrub under Halvra's constant observation.
But Halvra did more than punish. She whispered rumors to other maids:
"Did you hear? She lingered in the forbidden wing… with the King himself. Think what that might mean."
Most servants became jealous of the new slave girl. Some shivered. Liora, glancing at Vanella, felt a pang of guilt and fear.
Vanella said nothing. Her rage coiled inside her like a hidden spring. She counted every chore, every step, every command. Every humiliation. And every moment, she waited.
Halvra was patient. And Vanella would be patient too.
Because patience, she knew, was survival.