19 Chapter 19 (1/2)
The past three days have all passed relatively the same. I woke up and left the room before Garret woke up, I brought breakfast to Azeel's room, figured a way to get away from him, worked on cleaning, worked in the reception room for the other important guests. I basically did everything from a pinks job to an oranges job including the greens job.
Usually really late at night I got dinner, went back to the bedroom, and changed then fell asleep. Garret usually got back in the room hours after me, long after I am asleep. He wrote down his schedule for the next day and put it on the desk for me to see, to make sure I knew where to find him if I needed to. Neither of us saw much of the other and we hadn't talked since I had walked out.
Colton had come up to me several times, either to hiss a threat try or try and get information, but someone always passed by just in time. The night before the day of the ball, I all but crawled up to the bedroom. Today had been long. Azeel had done everything in his power to make my day go hard, I was given about a hundred different tasks, and I had just barley missed a dagger that came flying at my head by one of the guards who missed the target he was throwing at.
I was literally asleep before my head even touched the pillow. When I woke up, I heard the door click shut. I heard footsteps come towards the bed and then the bed dipped. A hand pushed some hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear. Garret's hand. ”You look like you had a long day.” He said more to the walls than anything else. I pretended to still be asleep. He was quiet for a second before I felt the bed move, next thing I knew, the back of my shirt was lifted and inch. ”What the hell happened here?”
I silently cursed. I had forgotten about that bruise I had acquired. Azeel had gotten mad at one of his brothers and hadn't realized I was behind him, so when he turned to storm off, he plowed into me and I was shoved back into a table. It took all my effort to keep from jumping up and trying to hide it. I felt a thumb brush over the bruise, a feather light touch, but it still sent a small wave of pain through my lower back. The pain was instantly replaced with healing. Inside almost felt a smile appear in my face at how caring he was.
”Who gave you that?” He asked. ”Xalem, a guard, Azeel? I swear if it was Azeel I will kill him.” I listened as he continued to vent all his anger out. Then I heard as he walked to the desk and started writing. Finally, he grabbed his clothes out of the dresser and went into the bathroom. That was all I knew before I fell back asleep.
When I woke up, the bottom of the sun was still touching the horizon. I blinked a couple of times, and looked around. The same room, the same place, and the same jobs I had to attend to. I let out a small yawn, then quickly covered my mouth, looking down at Garret. He looked absolutely exhausted. I shook me head and thought, ”He needs all the rest he can get, especially with Colton on the loose.” He rolled over and I tensed up, thinking he was going to wake up. Instead, he just seemed to fall into a deeper sleep. I truly felt bad for him. He seemed to have to work harder than me, and I was always exhausted at the end of the day.
I got changed, stuck Garret's schedule into the waist band of my bottoms. Then I practically ran to the kitchen. When I got there, a red was already giving off orders. I happened to get dish duty, and by the time I was through with the dishes, I had to face Azeel. I carried his tray up to his room with some random guard following me with about a hundred feet between us. ”Because a hundred feet is totally not to far away if I need him to get to my side quick.” I think bitterly.
When I get to Azeel's door, I balance the tray on one arm as I knock. It takes a few minutes for me to get an answer, but when I do Azeel is standing in the doorway in nothing but a towel. ”What do you want?” He asks looking straight out, then he looks down and sees me. ”Oh, it's you.” I nod, ”Umm...I will wait out here while you get changed.” He shook his head, ”No just go set the tray down.” I nod a scoot past him. I hear the door close behind me as I set the tray down. I turn to say something to Azeel, but just barley have enough time to turn away as he lets his towel drop and starts putting on his clothes.
”You know, a little warning next time wouldn't kill you.” I immediately bite my tongue. ”Jaycie, don't mess this up. You just have to last a few more hours.” He walks up behind me. ”Why would I do that. It is so funny to see you blush.” I quickly step away. ”Just hurry up and eat. I am very busy, and I have a lot of preparations for tonight.” He smirked at me. ”Okay.” He sat down and started eating while I looked at the clock. I had two hours until I was due back in the kitchen.
When I looked back at Azeel he was staring at me. ”So, back to yesterdays question.” I sighed. Everyday he had been asking a question, just like he had that first morning. If I didn't answer, something got spilled that I had to clean up. I sunk into a chair across from him. ”Prince, I had a late-night last night and I woke up really early this morning. Please lay off the games for today.” His smirk just widened as he stared at me. ”What was the question? Oh yes. Why are you so secretive about your personal life and your past?”
I just leaned back in my chair. ”I just am.” He looked at his tray and picked up a dish that had chopped fruit with a red syrup like sauce on top. He held it above the white rug that had been put up here yesterday when I couldn't get the huge brown stain out of the old one. He leaned against the arm of the chair and pooped one of the pieces of fruit in his mouth. ”So, I will ask you again? Why are your so secretive?” I immediately jumped out of the chair, standing right at the edge of the rug.
”Prince Azeel, please don't. It will take so long to get the red out. I don't have the time nor the energy to clean it.” He tilts the dish slightly, letting the sauce pool on the edge of the dish. ”All you have to do is answer me.” I clamped my teeth together. ”I have just always been this way.” He tsked. ”I tried to be fair.” The he tilted it and dropped the whole dish. I gave a small howl of outrage before running to the bathroom and getting a wet cloth.
When I got back to the rug, I shoved the fruit into the dish, scraping as much of the suace off the rug as I could. When I set the dish on the table, I noticed he was just eating, totally ignoring me. I scrubbed furiously. I could see the red turning into a dark pink, then a lighter on. The pink kept getting lighter and lighter until it was only a faint mark. I stood up and he had his tea in his hands, with his hands resting casually over the rug. ”Are you going to answer me?” He asked. he swirled his tea in as a silent threat. I had half a mind to kill him right here and now,
I let my hands ball up the flatten back out. ”Fine, I was always taught to keep my emotions to myself. To not let any other one other than anger out because bottling anger is the worst idea. I am so use to doing it, that I still do it.” Mostly the truth, I just didn't mention the fact that my assassin master was the one that taught me. He nodded. ”That wasn't that hard was it?” I spun around quickly, most likely about to do something I was about to regret, but I felt myself knock into the cup.
I felt anger simmering inside. It was rising, like steam in a tea kettle. Only question was how long until the steam started coming out. I just bent back down and started scrubbing again. He was quiet for a long time before I felt a hand on my chin, pulling it up. I was forced to stand, then look up to his face. ”Don't worry about the tea, okay?” I was scowling at him. ”Don't worry about it? I am sorry mister High and Mighty, but us lowly servants have to worry about it. It is out jobs. I have to clean it.” I shoved him away, then started to scrub the floors again. I felt him lift me up again. ”You lowly servants must listen to me.” He said. ”I am flat out telling you, don't clean that up.” I wanted to hit him. I wanted to kick him, I wanted to yell at him. Sad thing was, all of the above would get me in trouble. I felt my arms lock into place, so that they didn't throw a punch. He moved behind me and set his hands on my shoulder causing me to tense further than I already was. He started rubbing my shoulders, I was so confused I tried to pull away.
His hands held onto my shoulders, to keep me from leaving. ”Hey, just relax okay?” I could feel myself slightly shaking in fear at the fact that he was being so nice. After a couple of seconds I let myself relax. I had to admit, after how much stress I had been in over the past few days, it felt really good. He kept rubbing for a few minutes before he started speaking. ”You are so tense. You need to calm down.” I nodded subconsciously. I wasn't really paying attention. He spun me around, still massaging my shoulders. I completely forgot everything around me. I felt my head leaning against his chest. He waited a few more minutes before speaking again. ”So, Kiya. There is something I need to ask you?” ”What?” I asked. I could feel myself getting more tired by the second. ”Well, I have been thinking.” My head immediately went up. ”About what?”
He looked at me for a second before answering. ”Well, you don't seem to like it here, at all. Am I wrong.” I shake my head. ”Good, because I am bringing you to Navolin with me. I want a servant as good as you. And what better way to have that then have you, right?” I shake my head. ”No.” ”What? He asked. ”No. I don't want to go. Just no.” He looked confused. ”Why no?” I shake my head. ”No no no. I can't, I mean won't be your servant.” He looked angry at my response.
I immediately jump back up.” He took several steps towards me, his smile is predatory. I dogged him going to the tray. I put everything on it and pick it up walking towards the door. Before I get there, he pulls me back towards him. ”Oh, come one Kiya. Where are you off to? I am sure you can stay a while longer.” Out of reaction I kick up hitting him between his legs. He cried out backing up. ”I am sorry, but I have to go.” I leave the room and almost run to the kitchen. As soon as I set the tray down, I am given a chore. I have to bring the boxes of fruit into the kitchen from the cellar. I silently thank the person for giving me this chore. ”Anything you get out of having to be with Azeel.”
I slip out of my heels and start to bring the boxes up. After about fifteen of them, I am sweating and tired. The red nods to me, signaling I was done. ”Go out to the gardens. They need more help.” I nod and put my heels back on and head to the gardens. This is how the whole day goes. Every time I finish one task, I get another. By the time five comes around, it is finally time for the pinks to go to the room where we had out dresses drawn out. When I got there, I quickly jump into the shower that is down there. When I get out, I wrap up in a robe and walk into the main part of the room. Lilith and Janel are the only ones there. Both are in robes and seem to be freshly showered. ”Where are the rest of the pinks?” I ask.
Lilith smiles at me. ”They are all showering. You were the only one to remember about the shower down here.” I give her a small smile back. She is the only knew who knows who I am. All three of us sit on a bed. ”This week has been so stressful.” Janel complains. I nod. ”I was hoping my first week here would go smoother.” Lilith raised an eyebrow then looked over at Janel. I shake my head slightly while Janel inspected her nails. Lilith nodded and I gave her pleading eyes. She pursed her lips but looked away. Janel jumped into a random thought. ”Did you know that new guard, Ace I think, wait no, Ivy, uhh no.” She thinks for a second, ”Avi, that's the one, did you know he has his eyes on me?”