The servant making the beds paused again to bow his head.
“Is there any further work required within the bus, once you have finished your task?” I asked him.
“Not within the bus, Ma’am. There will be further supplies and luggage to be loaded in the coming days, but the storage compartments are accessed externally,” he replied.
“Good. I do not want my pet disturbed before I send for her. Finish your task promptly and leave.” I instructed.
“Yes, Ma’am. I’ll make sure the others know. No one will disturb the flower girl,” he assured.
I nodded in reply.Flower girl. The name was sweet, an innocent sign of respect. I desired for Percy to be respected, but I found the title jarring, I couldn’t quite decipher why it irked me. There was nothing inherently wrong with it. It was a traditional title for Flores witches in the north of the kingdom, a sign of appreciation for the work they once performed.
Fotis was eager for Percy’s help as a flower girl. I didn’t enjoy others seeking my pet’s assistance. She was mine. And mine alone.
The title was a role, an expectation, and I decided that was what I disliked. None should have expectations of my pet but me. Still, I would not stop the people from showing respect to Percy. Even if it was done so in a way that I found displeasing, if the people accepted Percy, accepted her as more than my pet, gave her title and status without my command, it would be easier for them to accept her role beside me. One day, my pet would also hold the title of my wife. I would avoid our wedding starting a rebellion.
I took in a breath of cold air as I exited the bus, refreshing my senses from being almost overwhelmed by the scent of Percy. I adored her. I could understand if she garnered the adoration of my people too.
I went to find Adamantia and Sasha. Walking through the halls towards their quarters I passed Elise.
“Good day, Ma’am. All preparations for your departure are going well and on schedule,” she stopped to inform me.
“Excellent,” I replied, and she bowed and began to continue on her way, when I noticed the servant that had been with my pet the night before down the corridor—Katrina.
“Elise,” I said as I turned around to catch the head servant before she was out of sight.
“Yes, Ma’am,” she asked as she turned back to me.
“The new girl, Katrina?” I said. Elise nodded her head. “I want her on the tour,” I instructed.
“If I may, Ma’am,” she began and paused. I nodded for her to continue, “While Katrina is new to the estate and there is,of course, a learning period, I am afraid that she does not show much promise. I believe she will be of mediocre service to yourself and Ardens,” she told me.
“Thank you for sharing your concerns, Elise. You do have discretion to hire and fire as you see fit within my estate. I only request that you bring such decisions before myself or Adamantia in my absence,” I reminded her.
“Yes, Ma’am, and I am truly grateful for your trust in my ability to manage the estate staffs and servants,” she replied humbly. “I would not wish to let the girl go. While I wouldn’t put her on your dinner service, she is good for scrubbing the many bathrooms. The grittier side of service seems to suit her better than the more sophisticated roles,” she explained.
I nodded, but took notice of Elise tone. “All tasks performed by the estate servants and staff are important. The cleaning of a toilet bowl is as valued as any other task,” I told her, hopeful that she would infer my stance on such matters. The servant class were below nobility, but I did not want divisions among the Ardens servants. Each of my servants must feel valued—it was how one bred loyalty from one generation to the next.
The Borealis servants were among the happiest in the kingdom. Father had commissioned a survey which confirmed this, a number of years ago. I remember his excitement at the findings. As a result of excellent living conditions and generous pay, our servants often stayed with us long past retirement—generations lived on the castle grounds. To be a Borealis servant was a role held with pride.
Servants could be so easily overlooked. To do so could have deadly consequences. They had access which, in the wrong hands would be dangerous. A servant could overhear a conversation and provide intelligence to your enemies, or poisonyour food, or manufacture a fatal accident. Similarly, loyal servants could warn you of trouble before it arose. The number of assassination attempt foiled by Borealis servants over the years had reached double figures.
Not that such loyalty was any help to my mother. Bitterness made me feel ill. They were not watching Vasilios, and too scared to speak out against the Queen’s family even if they did have suspicions. If it were not for Amelia, I would not have gathered the evidence necessary to prove the treachery—it was a financial trail leading from Vasilios to Lady Sana in the purchasing of Triton’s Trumpet seeds and Hades’ Delight that proved my suspicions. Lady Sana’s cooperation in the criminal investigation of Vasilios after his death filled in the missing details.
In my short time within Ardens Estate, I had observed that Ardens did not foster such loyalty. The servants were not particularly happy. I wanted to change this, for the benefit of myself and pet.
“Certainly, Ma’am, and each servant should pursue their individual talents,” she replied. “May I enquire as to what role you require Katrina to perform?” she asked.
“I simply want her there. She can be of assistance to the others if required. We have room enough for one more to travel.”
I would not inform Elise of my distrust of Katrina. She was nonchalant in the ease with which she lied to me when appearing with Percy the previous night. Percy’s anxious scent at her words coupled with the slightest of increase in Katrina’s heart rate, confirmed the lie. She had not simply found Percy by chance.
Percy had spoken to someone—someone who could have only been a servant—who had soured her mood and contaminatedher thoughts with doubts. Katrina was a slimy little thing. I did not like nor trust her.
Ordinarily, I would have her sent home—or better yet, I’d simply snap her neck—for having caused my little pet upset. Yet my intuition told me to wait. That there was something more than a nasty attitude at play. That she wanted something from Percy or myself. Percy’s behaviour the previous night struck me as manipulated. When Percy was upset with me, the source of her upset could always be uncovered—it was always solid. Yet she was unable to articulate what precisely had unnerved her, other than words from someone. Someone I believed to have chosen their words specifically to create such a response. Someone whom I suspected to be Katrina.
I wanted to keep her where I could watch her. At the very least, I wanted to keep her from having the freedom in my absence to poison the other servants of Ardens Estate. There was too little unity among them at present—one sour fruit could cause the lot to rot.
“Yes, Ma’am, I will inform her right away to begin packing,” Elise agreed, not attempting to question me further, and she turned to walk past me and in the direction towards the kitchen’s that Katrina had gone.
