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Maris bowed low. “My name is Maris Era, your highness.”?

“She needs a job,” Kayden simply said.?

“A job, huh?” Rionach raised her right eyebrow at Kayden. Maris noted the discouragement in her voice. “What can you do, girl?”

“Just about anything,” Maris said, keeping her voice low and her gaze downturned.

Maris felt soft fingertips on her chin, tilting her face upward. The queen’s dark gaze lingered over her face. The scrutiny was there, making her extremely uncomfortable. An awkward smile spread out over Maris’s lips, hoping that the sincere display of emotions would be enough to calm the queen’s examination.

It didn’t.

A ghost of a caress brushed over the birthmark on her cheek. Then the queen’s thumb rubbed carefully over her face.

“Where did you meet?” Rionach asked Maris.

“I, uh… Well—”

“We met a long time ago at one of the Patrons Festival at Ophelia Plaza. We danced at the square,” Kayden lied.

Did they? Maris wouldn’t know. She did dance that day, but she wasn’t sure she did so with Kayden. Though she would’ve remembered his hair… She would’ve remembered a lot of things from that time if it hadn’t been overshadowed by something else.

“My queen,” Kayden grinned that charming smile that had made Maris quiver moments ago. This time, she didn’t feel a thing, as if the charm of that smile was aimed at someone else. “You’ve said a couple of times that you needed extra help. Why not a Sealian amongst your servitude? It would look great for others to see how both kingdoms are starting to work as one?”

Rionach’s upper lip twitched. Her face washed with an inner turmoil Maris couldn’t quite pinpoint. The queen’s hand moved away, forming a fist by her side.

“Did you talk to Valda?” Rionach asked Kayden.

“Not at all.” His smile never wavered; if anything, it widened.

Maris shifted her weight from one foot to the other, anxious at the awkwardness and silence between the two royals. Then out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Melvian walking up down the hall.

“Ah! One of your girls can show her around, if, of course, you accept her working here.” Kayden chuckled, his hand moving to touch Maris’s lower back.

Her anxiousness disappeared.

As Melvian walked closer, Rionach turned and stopped her with a faint wave of her hand, her eyes never leaving Maris. “Can you take her and show her the servants’ quarters?”?

Maris eyes widened as did Melvian’s.

“Of course, Your Highness,” Melvian said, curtseying.

Maris let out a sigh of relief while Rionach placed her hand over her shoulder. “Go with Melvian. She will show you around and give you a change of clothes. You do not mind starting right away, right?”?

“No, ma’am! Not at all.” Maris gave her the most honest smile she could muster.?

“Good. I like hard working people. I would like to see you helping the others around to clean the throne room.”?

“All right!” Maris turned and almost hugged Kayden. Almost. She bowed her head low and grabbed her things before nodding at Melvian and following her out of the throne room.?

***

As soon as Melvian closed the door, she released a high-pitched squeal and wrapped her arms around Maris, squeezing her. Maris dropped her belongings and hugged her best friend back. “You are in! You are actually in!” Melvian exclaimed before turning to the mess inside the room. “Please excuse the chaos,” Melvian said as she gathered some dirty clothes and threw them to her side of the room. “It’s been a while since I had a roommate. The last one was an older woman. She retired not so long ago.”?

Maris wasn’t paying attention to Melvian as she looked from the ceiling to the walls. The room was not big, but it wasn’t small either. It was far larger than where she’d slept yesterday. There were two small beds on opposite walls. Between the two, there was a small desk, probably used for writing letters or reading. On Melvian’s side, she already had a stack of books waiting for her. Right at the foot of the bed, a trunk closed off with a lock.

Maris moved closer to look at the titles of the books. They were all about medicine and healing, home remedies, medicinal plants, first response medical treatment. Then on the last board, there were romance novels. She chuckled at some of the titles.

“I don’t remember you being into this.”?