Bk2: Chapter Four (15)

While they talked and made plans, Lizzy walked away to their cabin to pack their belongings. As she opened the door to the cabin, she froze. Before her, was her Nether head servant. The girl bowed at Lizzy and froze in place, waiting to be let back up.

"Why are you here?" Lizzy asked, forcing herself to calm down and move towards the bed. She sat and looked right at the servant who had turned following Lizzy's movements while still in the bowing position.

"This slave is here to ask if you need anything of us, my lady. We are always around to do your bidding," the maid said.

"Rise; what is your name?" Lizzy asked.

"Bestow this slave a name, my lady," she said and Lizzy paused.

"Why?"

"His lordship had given us to your ladyship, so all our old identities have been left behind,"

"Us?" Lizzy asked and right at that moment, the other four appeared in the small cabin and Lizzy immediately felt suffocated.

"My lady," they bowed and said. At the sound of their loud voices in unison, Lizzy suddenly remembered what bothered her. Why were they here? What if someone saw? She could not begin to explain to her lady why these people were here and why she who was just a humble maid had gotten servants of her own. She suddenly had a headache.

"You two at the back, you are Doh and Re. The two in front, you are Mi and Fa. You may leave," she said and the four vanished. Only then did Lizzy feel as though air had returned to her lungs. The head maid still stood before her. Hearing Lizzy pant slightly, the maid knelt immediately.

"Please punish this slave. We crowded your ladyship without care for your health. I have sinned, please punish me," she bowed her head and said.

"Enough. Get up," Lizzy said and the maid did as told, "You are now called Sol. How did you find me?"

"We belong to your Ladyship, where ever you go, we must follow to serve and protect your Ladyship," Sol said.

"Protect me; from what?" Lizzy asked.

"I am not sure if I should say," Sol said.

"What? Spit it out!"

"My lady, you are favoured by his lordship, the empress will surely not let you have a good time," Sol said.

"Empress? Favoured? What are you talking about?" Lizzy could feel herself start to panic.

"Since His Lordship brought you back, he gave you a courtyard right next to his. It was said that you stayed in his chambers while your courtyard was being cleaned the entire night. His lordship took you to receive an important guest instead of Her Majesty and let you sit in her chair," Sol explained. Lizzy started to pant for air at that moment, making Sol to panic.

"My lady!" she called as she saw Lizzy bend to catch her breath. She made to approach, but Lizzy raised her hand to stop her.

"Stop… I'm fine.," she said between breaths. She did not understand when this kind of fear had set root in her heart to burst at this moment. She looked up after a while of trying to calm down to see Sol handing her a cup of water. Where the water and cup came from, she did not ask. She only received it and took it under her veil and gulped it down.

"You once said that I am a concubine, whose?" Lizzy asked even though she knew the answer, her voice slightly shaking.

"His Lordship, Emperor of the Nether World," Sol answered blankly. Lizzy understood her look. They were both confused. One knew she was a concubine, the other knew nothing about it. None knew how she became one.

"Tell me, what am I called?" Lizzy asked.

"Esteemed Noble Concubine Lan, below two above all," she said and Lizzy froze. She had thought that as long as her real name was unknown she could escape this when they returned back him but now she had doubts if she could escape this.

"Will Her Majesty really kill me?" she asked.

"I heard that she was even more angry that His Lordship gave us to you to protect and sent a servant to invite you to come greet her, but you have already left, so.,"

"Are you special? Can you fight?" Lizzy asked and Sol nodded.

"We are the personal fighting force his lordship created for his empress,"

"Then why are you here?" she asked suspiciously. Sol understood the caution in her eyes so she immediately explained.

"My lady, his lordship created us during the free reign, before her majesty became empress. We were always a dowry for his majesty's bride, but he never handed us over," At her words, Lizzy's heart sunk to her stomach. Isn't that just placing a target on her back? This queen will surely try to kill her by this action of the Nether Lord alone.

"As long as you return to the Nether palace, she will have to look for an excuse to do so. But while you are out here..," Sol started to say.

"I am never going there. I go there once in a while; this is enough,"

"I meant with your physical body, my lady, not your soul body," Sol said and Lizzy froze.

"What?" she basically screamed.

"Lizzy?" Lizzy heard her ladyship call and immediately waved Sol away. Sol disappeared just as Helen walked in.