The Squabble at Breakfast

Seira looked at the clock in the quarter. The hand shows that it was just 5:30 in the morning.

"Seira, let's go" Bella called, stopping in the middle of the room together with Lana.

"Okay, wait up" She fastened the tie of the apron on her back and hurriedly walked to the two women.

They stepped outside the room with the other servants with only one destination at this time—in the kitchen to have breakfast. At exactly 5:45, they need to be in the kitchen and have a quick breakfast before work duties. The days passed by quickly and it was already one week after she was forcefully brought as a servant in the palace. In her one week of staying in the palace, she became friends with Bella, Lana, and Almira who she didn't think she would be friends with. At first, she finds Almira a person who enjoys solitude by herself and somewhat weird as the woman doesn't talk to anyone. But to her surprise, Almira sat beside her, always and talked to her a lot until she got along with her character. But she seldom talks to Bella and Lana although the four of them were always together. The almighty prince she was supposed to be serving never made an appearance in that span of time which she was thankful for. And every morning, she spent her free time helping the servants who were assigned in the garden. Her days were the same, taking meals at the set time, cleaning the whole room which only takes her now three hours, and waiting.

"Good morning Mr. Orsova" they cheered in chorus to the man holding a ladle; standing in the room with his eyebrows furrowed early in the morning.

Mr. Orsova was the Head chef and managed the kitchen. The old man was always wearing a bad-tempered expression on his face. One time someone asks a question to him, the old man responds in an ironic manner using his annoyed tone. He was said to be the original cook who was assigned to the prince but Martin said that he was busy preparing the foods for the celebration.

"What's good in the morning huh? Stop your pleasantries and eat already for us to start, can you?" Mr. Orsova turned his back to them and faced the stove.

"It's not like we like to greet him," said the woman behind her.

"Let's go" Lana mouthed; pulling her in the door on the far side corner of the kitchen.

Two long tables with prepared bowls of soup, a piece of bread, and water were already set in the long table. There is no other furniture or decorations aside from tables and chairs. It was a plain room like their quarters.

The three of them sit on their usual spot, on the left side of the room. Once she was seated, someone pulled out the chair and sat behind her. She glanced at Almira and smiled. The woman always sits next to her.

Seira looked at the hot piping soup in the bowl. As usual, she can count the solid ingredients in the soup and it doesn't exceed five. The bread was also small and hard to eat. She takes a spoonful of the soup. It was their everyday meal every breakfast —soup, and bread. It has the same taste and amount— only half of their bowls.

"I feel like my back will break from the never-ending mopping of the floor of the palace grounds," a young woman said at their table.

"You said it, I can't even get a break because Ms. Elena was always watching and roaming. I swear that woman is very annoying"

"Even in our post, gosh I really hate her"

Seira ignored the conversation and continued eating her soup. Ms. Elena is a senior servant but acts as their supervisor in place of Ms. Cora who disappeared after the first day. The middle-aged woman always checks up on the servants and orders them around.

"If there was someone who was too laidback on her work, it's Seira, I'm sure she didn't hear any nasty words from that fugly woman"

Seira looked at the woman sitting at the far end of the table who was looking at her with raised eyebrows; smirking—Holly. She brushes aside the obvious ridicule of the woman and scoops out soup. The woman always had her eyebrows raised at her in a mean way. Always.

"The prince was still not coming home so she was probably doing nothing and just enjoying the view of the prince's room" Holly voice out covertly; looking at the women behind her.

Seira grips the spoon tightly. There was no use justifying herself to like them. It will only make the issue bigger as it is. With a sigh, she bites on a piece of bread.

"What a lucky bitch" someone retorted.

She loudly put the spoon on the table and stood up. The chair made a harsh grating sound. Forget being patient, this woman crossed the line for that word. She was not lucky in any aspect. "What did—"

"If you're that jealous, ask Ms. Cora to make you replace her position, which I was sure will never happen" Bella cut in; looking down at her bowl of soup.

The two tables became quiet all of a sudden.

Seira glanced at Bella who was now drinking water. She slowly gets back on her seat and drinks her glass of water.

The clock in the room rang, breaking the tension in the atmosphere of the room. The women stood up simultaneously, picking the trays of food and trudges to the door. It was already 6:00 in the morning.

Seira got up on her seat together with Lana, Almira, and Bella. The four of them walked towards the door.

"What do you mean by that, Bella?" Holly suddenly asked.

"It's exactly what you're thinking" Bella replied, nonchalantly, pulling Seira's hand.

Once they put down their trays on one of the counters in the kitchen, they stepped outside the room right away.

The four of them turned on the same hallway.

"What is the problem with that woman, seriously?" Lana stood on her right while Bella was on her left. She was sure that Almira was on her back. That woman always stood in the back when Bella and Lana were with her even though she always asked her to walk beside her. She tried so many times to make the three talk but it was no use. They will repeatedly tell her secretly that they didn't like each other's vibes and they will try some other time. That's all.

"There are people like that all the time. Feeling jealous of someone and saying random things without any knowledge" Bella replied, finally moving on a different hallway.

"Thank you for earlier Bella"

"That's what friends are for right? If and only if we're friends. I am not the only one thinking that right?"

"We're not friends" Lana step in, putting her shoulders around Seira, tugging Almira who was surprised "The four of us were best friends"

"Even me?" Almira pointed at herself.

"Yup, Ms. Voiceless Girl. You're always with Seira, so let's give this friendship a try and please talk" Lana said, laughing.

The three of them laughed in the hallway while Almira pouted.

"I gotta go, see you later"

"Me too"

Bella and Lana waved at them before walking on different hallways. Bella is assigned to the East Wing of the palace while Lana was in the laundry. Almira on the other hand was in the garden.

Before she could say something aloud, Almira pulled out her hands. The large and wide flower field came into view. She didn't know that they had already reached the garden where she spent her time before the clock hit 8 o'clock.