The Consort

Chapter 4: First Day

"You nervous?" Gwen asks, mouth overflowing with grits.

I shrug, not giving her a verbal answer. From the second I woke up she has been following me around giving me shit and making me nervous for today. Constantly saying things like 'bet you you won't last the day' and 'I'll trade you my bunk if you come back tonight with all your teeth intact'.

At one point she tried getting the other servants to join in, but thankfully they weren't interested.

I slide my shoes out from under my bed before turning and flopping down on the mattress. Leaning forward, I slip them on and tie the laces.

"Those are the shoes you're wearing?" Gwen speaks up again, disgust evident in her voice.

"They're my nicest pair." I answer calmly, not wanting to provoke her further.

I threw away my worn pair before leaving King Richard's kingdom, knowing that I wouldn't get away with wearing them here. Deep down I know it was the right decision, but my pinched toes tell me otherwise.

Ideally I would put in a request for a new pair, but I already know that Gwen is in charge of servant orders and there's no way she would approve it. Given her current attitude, she'll probably enjoy watching me hobble around with blistered feet.

Gwen continues watching me as I slip on my shoes and tie up the laces.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you something!" She suddenly says, throwing her hands up in the air in mock surprise.

I snap my head up, eyes narrowing at her. She has a shocked expression on her face, but I can tell it's fake by the glee shining in her eyes.

"Your work starts earlier than the other servants. You need to be at the King's chambers in-uh" Gwen looks at her wrist, pretending to be checking a watch. "five minutes ago."

My blood runs cold.

"Are you serious?" I ask, my voice coming out a quiet whisper.

Why wouldn't she tell me that I needed to be there earlier than everybody else? I don't know what I ever did to her to cause her to act so coldly towards me. It's like I have a giant stamp on my forehead that reads "fuck with me".

Gwen nods. "Mhmm- you should really get a move on."

I snap into motion, jumping off the bed and rushing towards the exit of the women's chambers. I haven't had time to eat any food or make myself presentable, but hopefully no Beasts will notice and I can quickly tidy myself up when alone in the King's chambers. I rip open the door, ignoring the sound of Gwen's laughter behind me, and rush out of the servant's quarters towards the main halls.

I don't know where the King's chambers are, but assuming that this castle is built similarly to King Richard's, then it will be on the top floor. I continue rushing down the hallway, keeping my eyes peeled for a staircase that I can go up.

As I near a corner I hear some loud laughter, and immediately slow my pace and move closer to the wall, dropping my head towards the ground to show my submission.

Taking a deep breath, I round the corner and see a couple of female Beasts up ahead. Both are tall and elegantly dressed, adorned with jewels. They look to be a mother and daughter, but aren't accompanied by a guard, meaning that they likely aren't royalty.

"If he accepts your proposal you'll definitely need to redecorate." The elder woman laughs.

They approach me quickly, and I make sure to keep my steps even and face blank, making myself as invisible as possible.