Birthday Party (1)

The candles lit the Duke Wynter family's dining room with a warm and soft glow, the polished silver and porcelain dishes placed at the table shone with a golden hue.

All the servants and maids moved quietly, their footsteps barely audible when they walked around the room, as they served the Duke's family dinner. 

The fragrant aroma of roasted meats and freshly baked bread filled the room.

Duchess Victoria Wynter sat on the right-head of the table, beside the Duke. Her golden hair was neatly tied in a bun, her delicate feature wrapped in a luxurious and elegant gown.

Her gaze softening as she talked gently to her only daughter, Aurora Wynter.

"Rory, dear," she said with a melodic voice, "your birthday is just a month away. What theme would you like for your birthday party?"

Rory's eyes sparkled and she replied, "Mother, I have always wanted a fairy garden party! Imagine—twinkling lights, flower crowns, and wings that will flutter around in your beautiful garden!"

The Duchess smiled warmly. She knew her daughter well enough to know she will desire a grand and lavish party

"That's sound wonderful. Your mother's gardens are perfect for this. You can choose whichever you like." the duke chimed in. He also well aware of her daughter's tendency to demand the very best. After all, this was the same girl who had once insisted on a live peacock for her eighth birthday party.

"Shall we invite the fairies for your party as well?" Julian, Rory's older brother teased. He leaned forward and resting his elbows on the table. His smirk widened as he saw her sister's reaction. 

Rory's face immediately turned into a frown; her lips pursed in annoyance. She shot him a glare.

She crossed her arms over her chest and snapped with a slight rising voice.

"Julian, it is my birthday! Can't you be serious for just a moment?"

Julian chuckled. He was used to her dramatics, and he knew exactly how to push her buttons.

"Julian, let your sister do whatever she wants for her birthday. It's her special day after all." Their father intervened and gave his son a pointed look, the one that clearly said, 'Don't ruin this for her.'

Julian shrugged, leaning back in his chair with a grin. He knew better than to argue with his father, especially when it came to Rory's whims.

The Duchess nodded slightly with calm expression to Julian and took a sip of her wine.

"Alright now, we will continue to discuss about the details. Cake, dance, entertainment, and the guest lists." She was mentally cataloging everything that needed to be done to ensure her daughter's vision would come true.

Rory was so happy and could hardly stay still in her seat. "Can we...can we also have a fairy cake and edible flowers? And a magical show? Pleeeease?" she begged with her wide green eyes to her mother. She clasped her hands together again and her lower lip jutting out in a pout. She knew this expression would work on her parents. It always did.

"Of course!" Julian chimed in with a wide and mischievous grin. "I will arrange some tricky magic show for you." His tone of voice was playful but there was a playful glint in his eyes.

Rory narrowed her eyes at him with suspicion.

"Tricky magic?" she replied with both excitement and skepticism. "I hope you're really going to make it happen!" She leaned forward and dare her bother not to dissapointed her.

Julian just laughed, clearly enjoying her reaction.

Duke Wynter chuckled.

"This is going to be a splendid party! Don't worry about the budget, Rory, you can make the party glamorous with that fairy theme. Your mother will handle the decorations and your outfits. I will arrange the musicians. And Julian, you can help with the magicians. Rory, you also can assist with guest invitations."

Julian and the Duchess agreed and nodded their heads simultaneously.

However, Rory jumped up from her seat, unable to contain her joy. "Yayyy! Thank you, everyone! This is going to be the best birthday ever!" she exclaimed and jumped around the dining table.

She clapped her hands together and made her family smiled to see her behavior.

"Hmm... who should I invite? Lady Shepira, of course, Lady Tania..." she murmured to herself, already lost in her thoughts as she finished her dessert.

They loved this girl, even though they knew she was, in many ways, a spoiled brat. But she was their spoiled brat, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

***

One day before the birthday party, all the maids and servants were very busy. Maids scurried from room to room, clearing the dining table, scrubbing windows until they gleamed, and male servants tending to the garden with care.

The butler with his brow furrowed, carefully checking the guest list to ensure no name was missed.

Emma, the head maid, stood in the center of the foyer, inspecting every maids.

"Alice, finish polishing the silverware! Mary, make sure the porcelains are safely stored!" she barked with a loud voice.

The maids were all well experienced and they worked with a calculated and precision. Also very efficient.

Tomorrow would be the duke's daughter's birthday party—a grand celebration for the family, but for the staffs and maid, it meant endless hours of labor.

The chefs worked tirelessly to prepare the grand feast. The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air.

And among the clatter of pots and pans, Madame Cook's orders resounded like thunders. "Don't overmix the dough! Gentle hands, lad!" she roared.

One kitchen maid leaned toward another and whispered, "Lucky us. We are slaving away while they will be stuffing their faces with cakes."

Her friend rolled her eyes and nodded.

It was not a secret among the staffs and maid that Lady Rory was an unpleasant young lady. She demanded so much and her temper was unpredictable.

***

At night, the maids were gathered in the servant's quarters, exhausted.

Emma complimented them with a smile that was rarely shown in her face. "Well done, everyone. Tomorrow will be more busy."

"Busy?" one maid scoffed. "More like chaotic. Lady Rory will probably throw a fit over her gifts. How fun for us."

The others exchanged knowing looks.

Last year, she thrown a vase because her dress wasn't the exact shade of blue she had wanted. And the year before that, she berated a maid for folding her napkin incorrectly. The maids learned the hard way to face her tantrums.

Emma sighed. "Let's just hope she's in a good mood tomorrow. For all our sakes."

The maids nodded. For them, tomorrow would be chaos.