Chapter 133 - Familiar Settings

I clamped my hands as I glanced up at the towering wall. 

The palace seemed darker than usual, more ominous than I last remembered. I flinched as the girl in front of me walked forward and entered through the large palace doors, and I trembled at the thought that my turn would be next. I gulped and looked down at my plain dress which I had put together from part of Zoie's maid skirt which she had lent to me before, and one of the blouses Reynard had brought me. I topped the look off with a wide brimmed hat under which my swept up hair- which had now become a strange mixture of lilac and fading black- seemed almost unnoticeable. 

"Nervous?" asked the guard in front of me as he held onto a long, pointy looking spear with the Klaern family emblem at the head of the blade, the one which looked like a fierce lion. 

I nodded, ducking my head. 

"Don't worry, the appraisers aren't very picky when it comes to choosing maids, since the general work is very simple. I don't doubt that you'll get through, or in fact anyone here. Anyways, my name is Richt."

I looked up at the guard who smiled warmly at me, and it made me wonder why he was being so frank. He had honey-blonde hair and a youthful face which was deeply accented by a set of warm, brown eyes. I noticed he had a lot of moles on his face, but I dare say that his bandaged cheek was much more noticeable. 

"What happened to your…" I vaguely pointed at his face and he bent his eyebrows in confusion. "The bandage, I mean."

"Ahh!" He laughed then. "I'm really clumsy, you see, so I accidentally scraped the side of my face with my spear. It was a big ordeal to go through the whole disinfecting procedure and it might leave a scar according to the doctor, but just thinking about it makes me excited. I've always wanted a scar."

I smiled and ducked my head back down. "Good for you. Are you new, too?"

He chuckled. "Could you tell? Yes, I came in just a month ago when they started recruiting."

I frowned in thought. "Does the palace hire guards often?"

Richt shook his head. "I don't think so. Though there's been word going around that a fresh batch of kitchen staff will be selected in about a week if somebody you know is interested. The pay's not good though, and the hours are worse."

I smiled. "Thank you for the information; I'll keep that in mind."

Just then a maid pushed open the door and looked at the next person in line, which was me. 

"Follow me," she said haughtily, as if she had better things to do.

I curtsied slightly at the kind guard and walked inside. The familiar smell of the palace enveloped me almost instantly, and I was hit with a wave of distinct memories. My feet felt so natural on the long red carpet stretched before us as I followed the maid to wherever she was taking me. I gazed dreamily at the high ceilings set with chandeliers made of crystals and delicate glass, and rich satin curtains that drooped over tall glass windows. Paintings of notable men and women hung all around, encased in golden frames and yet more glass.

Soon, we stopped at a large door which I did not recognize, and before any one of us could knock, a girl who I realized as the one who had standing before me in the line earlier bursted out, her face streaked with tears. She gave both of us one look and broke down again before running away.

"What was that?" I whispered to myself, but it seemed that the haughty maid heard because she turned around and smirked.

"What?" She laughed. "She got rejected. It's not all fun and games if that's what you came here thinking. Now get in there."

I frowned as the nameless maid nudged me and eventually I headed inside. It was most unpolite to leave my judges waiting.

The room consisted of a long table near the farthest wall, and a large patterned carpet stretched out before me. I looked around and noticed that the room was lined with motionless guards who eyed me with wariness. I gulped and began walking forward to where the long table was led out, so that I could greet the appraisers. 

"Greetings, child," said a sharp voice, belonging to a woman. 

I curtsied at the prompt, but remained silent.

"Rise," said the lady, so I did. I glanced at the person who sat at the head of the table, a woman I didn't recognize. She had sharp black hair which was tied at the back of her hair, and she was dressed in a formal uniform. On either side sat an assistant, one of which I recognized to be my previous maid, Martha. 

A wave of sorrow enveloped me as I gazed at the woman who I once believed to be my very mother-figure, but I had to look away in haste since I feared being recognized. 

My only goal today was to get hired, I reminded myself. 

"So!" began the appraiser. "Your name is…" She glanced down at a piece of parchment in her hand. "...Ashli Rivers?" I nodded. "Lovely. I am Mayeth Valtris and I'll be doing a formal assessment of your capabilities today, and whether they suit the palace standard. What kind of task are you most proficient in?"

I glanced at Martha who stared poker-faced at me. 

"Cleaning, madam."

Beatrice raised a sharp eyebrow. "Rowyn!" she called to a nearby guard. "Bring us a cup from the trophy room." She stared straight at my face. "And make sure it's very filthy."

The guard bowed and left the room at once. Soon, he returned with a large, golden trophy cup in his hand, one which would look even bigger in my small palms.

"Good," said Madam Valtris. "Give it to the child."

The guard adhered to her command and thrusted the cup at me. It was heavier than I had expected, which made me stagger under its weight.

"Stand straight!" the woman bellowed. "Now, tell me how you would proceed to polish a cup of this sort, made of pure gold and embellished with gems of the most precious kinds?"

She couldn't be serious. I'd never polished a trophy in my life! How was I supposed to know? I'd never even held a real trophy before, except for the cheap, plastic sort Jieum won at a school competition.

"What are you waiting for?" Madame Valtris barked sharply. 

My hands trembled in her presence. "I-I-I…"

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you even aware of the responsibilities that come with the post you're mindlessly applying for, or are you just desperate to get a job?"

I pursed my lips.

"Well?" she prompted. "I don't like it when I don't get an immediate response to my question."

"I'm not mindlessly applying," I said hesitantly. "But truth be told, madam, I've never cleaned a trophy in my life. I believe cleaning windows and dusting the floor will be much more suitable for me."

There was a pause. "Miss Rivers," said she, staring me down in a way which made me quiver in my spot, "you disappoint me." I gripped the trophy cup in my hand and ducked my face in unexplainable embarrassment. "You are an absolute failure of a woman. You were asked to do one thing, to clean and polish a simple cup, yet you failed to do so. There's no place for incapable children like you at the palace."

For some reason, I suddenly understood why the girl had rushed out in tears earlier. It was obvious once one was against this brute of a woman.

Madame Valtris clicked her tongue at me and was about to lash out once again when Martha spoke up.

"I think that's enough, Mayeth, give it a rest. She is but a child." I looked up and Martha was studying me with a light frown in her expression, though it seemed more as if she was thinking about something rather than disapproving of me. "I'm sure the girl is adept at tasks other than simply polishing cups."

"Oh?" said Madam Valtris, cocking an eyebrow. "Well, how do you work that out?"

Martha sighed. "Must you be so unkind, Mayeth?" Madam Valtris remained tight-lipped. "If we keep rejecting every applicant, none of this would be worth it. Say, whatwasyourname…" Martha turned her eyes to me. "Ah, Ashli. Dear, can you sweep under the carpets and wipe down window sills?" I nodded slowly; Martha smiled. "Great, then you can start tomorrow. I hope that's fine, Mayeth? She seems to hold promise…"

It was a while before Martha managed to convince Madam Valtris to hire me, but I sure was glad I was sent out after no more than a few last words of instruction.

"You may collect your uniform from me when you arrive tomorrow; I'll have it steamed. Please find your way outside and will you kindly ask the person next in line to come meet us?"

Once I was out of the room, I realized how stuffy it had been in there. I took a deep sigh of relief and took my time walking back to the palace entrance where the line had dwindled to only the last few applicants.

"Did you make it?" said a voice behind me while I asked the person next in line to go on ahead, and I turned around to see the kind guard Richt looking at me in anticipation.

I gave a sorrowful sigh. "I'm afraid…" I muttered, and Richt grimaced. "I'm afraid I may have secured the job."

It took a minute for Richt to understand and then he laughed.

"You scared me!" he exclaimed. "But what are you afraid of?"

I shrugged. "Working for the emperor is a bit…"

"He's a nice guy." I looked up and saw that Richt was serious. "At least I think he is. I've only ever seen him once in person but he never gave me reason to believe he was a fearful man."

I sighed and patted Richt on the shoulder. "Thank you for the encouragement." But he knew not of what the Emperor kept behind a veil of ignorance, and I wish he never would, too. It was a most horrible thing the man did, and now he must grovel at my feet till someone finishes him. 

I hummed a merry tune all the way out the palace where I took Reynard's hand. We two made our way back to the little inn so I could catch some rest before preparing for what was to come by and by.

Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.