40

"She isn't my lord, she was captured, an Aeradonian," Azrael Interrupted, and I wondered if it wasn't against their law.

"I see, then I best remain quiet, take her to the head maid, she will assign her to something, at least make yourself useful," his demeanor changed completely towards me when he was told that I was Aeradonians.

"Has my brother arrived yet?" He asked.

"No my lord, he'll be here tonight," Azrael responded.

" Which means I am too early, do tell my father that I came around but I left to attend to something, I shall return tonight for my brother's feast, " he walked after speaking and I stared at him in awe, there was something about him that seemed different but I wasn't sure what it was.

"Follow me!" Azrael grabbed my arm and pushed me forward, I tried to struggle to free myself but his grip on me was unbelievably tight.

"I told you to behave yourself if you want to be treated like a normal person!" He yelled at me and pulled me towards a chamber.

As he took me away, I didn't take my eyes off that scroll, there was nothing I wanted more than to know its contents.

"I've gotten someone for you Vera, she is all yours," he threw me to the ground before a huge lady and walked away after baiting an eye at me.

"So what is your name," she asked in a harsh voice that made me cringe hard.

"Sage, my mistress," I retorted. I couldn't believe I was under the authority of another head maid who wasn't Samantha and I hoped she wasn't going to make my life miserable but I was wrong.

"Follow me," she instructed me and walked towards what seemed like an exit to the back of the palace. When we got out there I saw the lion statue the king had said that his daughter was trapped in.

"Now listen," She called me to attention.

"These are the dishes to be used tonight, all other maids are busy and wouldn't have time to wash them, I want you to start, and I'll call upon another maid to join you before," she explained to me and I sighed in frustration since I got to Tersian after that long journey, I hadn't gotten a single chance to rest, it had been one work a to another.

"Yes mistress," I said to her and turned to draw water from the well.

As she left to call another maid, my attention was drawn toward that statue again. Intrigued by the tale I heard about it, I walked towards it.

I had no expectations but I wanted to touch it so badly and I was certain that something was going to happen when I did.

I looked at the lion and for some reason, the well-sculptured eyes which were made of clay appeared to be real. I was gripped by fear and I took a few steps backward.

I looked at it again and it was back to normal but I was already too afraid to go near it, so I was about to return to the dishes when Vera called me from behind.

"What do you think you are doing young lady, don't you know that no one is allowed to touch or go near that statue aside from the king, oh let me guess, you are new here, so it's simple, only do as I tell you and stay away from that statue," she raised her voice at me and it made me more curious about that statue and the story I heard about it.

"Yes, I apologize, mistress," I bowed my head apologetically.

"Now get back to the dishes and hurry up with it, both of you!" She ordered and I started with the dishes before she left.

The maid she had brought to assist me was quiet, she didn't say a word to me and didn't reply even when I said hello to her, I wondered why but I learned to mind my business.

The plates were so many, and I tried to imagine how many guests they were expecting at that feast, it was truly going to be a night to remember with the way I saw things.

We finished the plates without saying a word to each other and proceeded to set the table, although I didn't do anything because they had a specific pattern of arrangements that I knew nothing about.

I watched them work and only did what I was instructed to, I kept glancing at the window and the statue, I didn't know why I was attracted to it but I believed that I was going to know soon enough.

My eyes suddenly trail off to the hallway and I saw the same knight who was given the scroll to burn, but he hadn't burnt it yet, he still held it in his hand.

I made sure that no maid saw me, so I walked away from the arena and followed the knight behind. At that point, I had no plan in mind but I followed.

I saw him stop before a chamber and I hid behind a pillar and watched him with keen interest. He handed the scroll over to a knight who gave him another scroll that looked exactly like the one he was given.

"What is going on?" I asked myself.

Once their deed was done, the knights who I followed walked away, while the one that was given the original scroll went into the chamber with it.

I increased my pace and tried to catch up with the knight, he picked up one of the torches that illuminated the hallway and walked towards the exit.

I stayed behind and watched from the door. Azrael was there alongside other knights and I watched them set the scroll on fire, those knights were fooled but I wasn't, the original scroll was hidden and I thought of a way to get my hands on it.