One Year

Trouble (3)

By the time all four of them looked up in surprise, they noticed Steward Mo, Nurse Nancy and Nurse Mi standing behind Prince Ryu.

"Princess--" Anya cried out. What she planned and what happened did not go according to plan. Siri had taken control of the situation and turned everything upside down.

"I do not need servants who are too lazy to do their jobs. I do not need servants who do not listen to orders and those who do not obey me." Siri said as she stared coldly at them. "I do not need scheming servants who are so against me that they plan to harm me and mine."

Anya's heart dropped along with the other three maids, tears flow down their eyes as they stare down in guilt.

"Just because I don't correct every small mistake, does not mean I do not know what is going on in my own courtyard, Maid Anya." Siri said. "I know about the missing food in the kitchen. The firewood not getting chopped. The unweeded gardens. I know about the extra times you all take to rest your tired feet and hands. I know everything. I didn't say or do anything because I know working here as a servant is hard. So what if food goes missing in the kitchen, it's just food. So what if you don't do a chore one afternoon. As long as it gets done the next day, how can I complain? So what if you take an extra break time once in a while in your busy day to rest your tired hand and feet. You worked hard the whole day, you deserve a break. But to purposefully put shards of glass on to the pathway and hurt my maids or me, that I cannot turn my eyes and my head way from."

The four of them froze in surprise. They all thought that the actions they made were not noticed by the Princess. They thought that by not doing their work until the next day, by taking extra breaks, by eating more food, they were defying the Princess. But to have all their misdeeds be known and brushed off meant that she was being tolerant and magnanimous towards them.

The four of them made a big mistake and now they have to pay the price for their scheming.

"Steward Mo. I want them removed from my courtyard." Siri said as she turned towards the group of people who began to congregate behind Ryu. "Do what you will with them. They are no longer allowed to work within my courtyard."

All four of them shivered in fear. They knew Steward Mo would definitely punish them, possibly kill them for their transgression.

"Who ever you choose to work in my courtyard, make sure they are trained properly and not like these four maids." Siri said to him. "If there are more trouble from maids and servants, maybe it is the management that needs changing?"

Steward Mo's eyes turned hard. For Princess Siri to suggest that management needed changing, she meant that Steward Mo should be replaced if Steward Mo didn't have a tight hand over the hiring, training and managing the maids and servants. Her message to him was loud and clear to everyone there.

"This servant will ensure that the new maids and servant will do their duties correctly and efficiently. There will be no more problems for Princess Siri." Steward Mo promised.

The four crying maids cried louder for their Princess to forgive them and let them go. Seeing that Siri just walked away and didn't even look back, they then turned to their Master to see if he would forgive them.

"Prince Ryu!" Anya weeped out loudly and pitifully. "Please forgive us! We did not mean to hurt Maid Rose."

Ryu's cold hard eyes that watched Siri walk away and disappear before his eyes swung to look at the four girls kneeling in front of him. He did think it was peculiar that the shards of glass on the pathway were evenly spread out only at this small section.

Should the vase have broken, all of its contents would have spilled and those who were watching him would know what was inside. And all of Siri's hard work would have been for nothing.

"Steward Mo." Ryu said sternly. "Remove those who have taken advantage of Princess Siri's kindness to over look their laziness. Those who take more that what I am giving, make sure to cut off their hands for stealing. For those who rested when they were suppose to be working, 30 lashes. For those who did not do what they were assigned to do, 40 lashes. And in the end, I don't want to see any one of them working here again. Do you understand?"