Volume 6

A few moments later, she decided to leave after thanking Lichelle for taking the time to discuss the incident with her. Lichelle smiled and waved goodbye as the woman walked out the door. On her way back to her post, she suddenly heard a smashing sound echoing in the hallway.

Smashes!

She heard another smash.

Smashes!

And she heard it again.

The sound must have come from the queen, she knew. She looked at her watch and it showed 12 in the afternoon. 'It's lunch time.' She thought. She ran quickly to the dining room when she heard and stopped when a scene of destruction met her. The dining table had been overturned and all the dishes were strewn across the floor. She looked around quickly, trying to find the source of the chaos. She spotted the queen standing next to the overturned table. Her face was contorted in anger and disappointment. With her fists clenched, the queen shouted, "Is this what you call food?!" as she surveyed the destruction.

Everyone was silent as they watched the queen's outburst. The cook, who had prepared the meal, was trembling in fear. She slowly scanned the room, her gaze intensified with fury as she raised her voice again, demanding to know, "What kind of chef serves such abysmal fare?" No one dared to respond. All eyes were locked on the cook, fear radiating from her as tears cascaded down his cheeks. He bowed his head in shame, unable to meet the queen's gaze.

"This will not be tolerated," the queen declared, her voice reverberating through the chamber. Her glare swept across the room, her displeasure palpable. "This is unacceptable. I demand exquisite cuisine, not chaos!" She flipped the table with her strength. The room fell silent in shock. The queen's powerful presence filled the chamber. Then, she slowly turned her head to the chef as she raised her hand. The chef shook with fear, expecting the unforeseen. However, the queen merely said, "You know what happens if you fail to achieve the order, right?"

The chef's face was drowned in colour. He knew what would happen if her servants did not follow her orders: Death. He nodded his head tremulously. He was aware of the consequences of defying her command. With a deep breath, he bowed his head and said, "Yes, Your Majesty." The queen smirked. The chef shuddered as the queen turned to leave. He felt a chill run down his spine as he watched her walk away. He knew there was no turning back now.

"I feel like I'm missing something." She whispered.

Everyone looked at the queen as they quivered, dreading what was to come. "I'm thirsty." Her voice was cold. The queen's eyes glowed green and her lips curled into a sinister smirk. Suddenly, she grabbed one of the maids and bit her neck as she drank her blood. The maid screamed in terror as the queen consumed her, her cries echoing throughout the room. Everyone was filled with fear. "Thank you for the drink, love." She said softly. The queen dropped the maid's lifeless body and licked her lips. She then let out an evil laugh as she looked around the room, her eyes glinting with satisfaction. Everyone watched, too frightened to move.

"Y-Your majesty..." Dakota, the bravest among them, stammered. The queen raised her eyebrow, amused. "What is it?" She asked, her voice dripping with malice. Dakota faltered, her courage failing her as she felt the queen's icy gaze upon her. "Speak." She commanded coldly. "Nothing, your majesty." Dakota managed to force out, bowing her head in respect. The queen studied Dakota for a moment before responding, her voice carrying a note of finality. "Before you leave, burn her." Then, she walked away, her regal gown sweeping behind her.

Dakota turned around and watched the maids and servants rush in to tidy the room. She sighed and started to collect the shattered pieces of plates and glasses from the floor, taking care not to cut her hands. Taking a deep breath, Dakota lifted her head and turned to face the shocked and frightened faces of the poor lifeless woman, silently reminding them of their duty to keep the Queen's chambers in order. She quickly finished the task before calling one of the guards.

The man entered the room and was shocked to see a dead body lying on the ground with fresh blood dripping from her neck. "M-Miss Dakota, what the hell happened?" one of the guards, George, whispered to her as he looked around the room for any clues. "I don't know. I came in here to find her like this," she said, gesturing at the body. Eventually, she knew what had happened but chose not to tell him. She added, "Please take her somewhere else, far away from here and burn her. Don't let anyone see you." He nodded, understanding what she meant and quickly gathered the body in his arms.

"Do it quickly and quietly," she urged in a hushed tone.

He nodded once again and swiftly left the room without looking back as Dakota watched in silence. She turned around and sighed, rubbing her forehead. 'It is time to ask Shavon to find a replacement maid.' She exited the kitchen and walked to the staff room. When she arrived at the front door, she heard noises inside the room. She leaned her head closer to the door, listening to their conversation.

"What?!"

"Why did the queen murder her?!"

"I don't know why the queen murdered her. She called her out and suddenly killed her right in front of us."

"The chef nearly died by the queen but thank goodness she gave him a second chance to live."

Dakota sighed when she heard them talking about the queen behind her back. She gently knocked on the door and opened it. Everyone became quiet when Dakota entered the room. "If you have something to say about her," Dakota continued, "you should speak to her directly, and with respect." Her voice was cold and her gaze was steady. The room was silent. Then, she turned to a white-haired girl standing in front of her and said. "Shavon, come with me. There's something I want to tell you." She turned around and left the room.

Shavon nodded and followed Dakota out of the room. They walked in silence until they reached the hall, where she finally spoke. "Shavon, I have something important to tell you." Dakota stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Shavon. She could tell by Dakota's eyes this was serious. "What is it, Miss Dakota?" she asked. "I want you to write a letter of resignation for Floryn and send it to her family."

She paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "Make sure the news about her is told once you arrive at her house." Shavon nodded. Dakota stared intently at Shavon, ensuring she understood the severity of the task. "This isn't going to be easy," she said, "but I need you to handle it with care. All I ask is that you write the letter and deliver it to Floryn's family, then find a suitable replacement as soon as possible." Shavon nodded again, acknowledging her understanding. Taking a deep breath, Shavon set off on her mission.