The Crown Trials [The Crown Saga I]

The Iridis Mansion

Brown, unruly strands of hair fought valiantly to escape my slender fingers. I mentally cursed the wild locks in spite.

Time was slipping away faster than I could catch up. Soon, there would be nothing more to take.

"Willow!"

Mom's voice cut through the walls of our crumbling house like the howl of a wild frost-beast.

I gulped tensely. We were late.

"I'll personally make sure that you'll be assigned purple notes for a week if you're not here in two minutes!"

Rushed by the ticking clock, I despondently admitted defeat against the untamed waves framing my lean face.

A regular braid would have to do. I would have to rely solely on sinless performance to make a good first impression on my new employer.

I'd been looking forward to this day for almost ten years — the day Mom would finally let me join her as a maid in the Iridis Mansion.

Koa had been working in the Mines since he'd turned thirteen to support his family. I'd always envied him, but only boys and Iridis were allowed to work in the Mines.

I could cook and sew. It had added a few extra pennies to our wallets, but the real jobs where I could make real money to support my family demanded that we reached a certain age.

I reached that age a month ago, and today would be my first day.

Quickly glancing in the broken mirror, I wiped the smear of persistent dirt from my sun-kissed cheeks before I exited the bathroom.

"Sorry," I said, storming toward the front door while buttoning the rest of my new dress. "I wanted to—"

"There's no time for excuses," she said, throwing my shoes within my reach. "Put on your shoes, and grab a warm jacket. These early mornings have become cold."

I nodded, but I was so excited my hands wouldn't stop shaking.

Mom sighed, upset when I lost hold of the shoelace for the third time.

"You need to pull yourself together, Willow," Mom said and tied my shoes when I couldn't do the job properly. "We can't have you making too many mistakes out there, okay?"

Her cold hand cupped my cheek, raising goosebumps across my face and shoulders. I smiled when she looked into my green eyes, but her lips never curled accordingly.

She knew how excited and proud I was to finally work beside her. We'd talked about it for weeks, so I couldn't fathom why her reddened eyes glistened with so much sorrow.

"Is there something you're not telling me, Mom?" I asked, my smile wavering apprehensively.

She peeked across her bony shoulder to the kitchen where Tristan and Dad were preparing for the long day.

"It's nothing, Honey," she said, sighing as she pulled me to my feet and urged me toward the exit. "Let's go."

***

The frigid morning air stung my cheeks like needles.

I pulled my jacket past my lips to hide the blue tint that became more apparent with the dropping temperatures of my skin.

The stars were slowly being chased away by the nautical twilight as the still-hidden sun cast its faint, rosy hues on the low horizon.

The walk from our house to the mansion would be long. I'd walked it once before, long ago, when I was still a child.

I'd matured into a woman since then. My family could now rely on me too, so bringing food to the table would hopefully never be an issue again.