Chasing Moon

9

East Wing
Maidservants' Quarters

"You won't believe this!"

Everyone turned their heads towards the door and saw a panting Sabrina, cheeks flushed. Then, without a second glance, all the other servants returned to their own businesses, causing Sabrina's cheeks to turn a few shades redder.

"What is it, Sabrina?" a young servant named Melissa asked. She was new, having barely half a year of experience serving the Craw pack. But she would learn soon enough, just like the others, that all Sabrina would ever bring into the Maidservants' Quarters was gossips that were never proven true, a babbling mouth that everyone had long lost their interest in.

"Yes, what utter nonsense have you brought us this time?" Maya roared from the other side of the quarters, earning a few chuckles from the others. She was a veteran, having served the pack since she was about ten till now when she's slowly approaching her seventies.

Sabrina puffed out her chests and raised her chin, crossing her arms above one another.

"This is not gossip—this is what I've witnessed when I was on my way to change her Lady's bedlinen!"

Now that caught everyone's attention.

"Her Lady? Surely you didn't see her and the rogue up to something, did you?" Celia, the once personal handmaiden of the Alpha's daughter gasped. She had been around her since she was eight until the recent years when the Lady herself had ordered the dismissal of every single servant placed under her. Even though she knew she shouldn't, Celia had still miss accompanying the Lady and kept her ears out for news about her previous mistress.

"That's disgusting!" Sabrina spat, unable to contain her disgust for the rogue. Since young, it had been drilled into her head that rogues were distasteful beings of their kind—weak without a family and savage in their nature. In the forty years of her life, she had stayed away from those lowly creatures and now, one of them was actually part of her pack. The mere thought of that sent a churning feeling down the pit of her stomach, bile threatening to rise up her throat.

Melissa gave a gentle nudge to Sabrina's arm, urging her to go on.

"Well, as I was saying, I walked to her Lady's quarters to change her bedlinen but the doorway was blocked. You will not believe what I saw! It was horrific, offensive, and—!"

"For the love of Craw, Sabrina! Just tell us what you saw!" Maya cried, her voice loud and strong as it echoed throughout the room. Her patience for Sabrina was running thin and whatever Sabrina saw better be enough to calm her seething rage.

"Well," Sabrina cleared her throat, shocked by Maya's outburst, "right in front of her Lady's room were crashed potted plants that covered most of the hallway."

The maidservants groaned.

"And their basils!" Sabrina quickly added, her voice turned a few pitches higher.

The room turned silent.

"What?" Sabrina demanded, confused. She had expected more 'Ooh's and 'Ahh's from the crowd.

"And what's your take on this, Sabrina?" Maya asked, breaking the silence.

"Actually, I personally think that this had got to do with the rogue—the one who had recently become one of our pack members. Talk about a horror story! How could anyone stay calm about her Lady's acceptance towards the rogue's request of joining the pack! Of course someone would pull something like that to show their disapproval! Heck, I myself would even—"

"You sure about that?" Maya asked, cutting in.

"Wh...what?" Sabrina stammered.

"Twenty or more years of being with the Craw pack and you're sure that you would commit an act of vandalism to show your disapproval?"

"Actually, I—"

"Towards the Alpha's daughter who, by default, has the highest authority here since the Alpha's disappearance. You're sure that you would show your objection to her first decision for the pack?"

"Well, the fact is—"

"And, with basil plants?"

Sabrina stood silent.

"Because I personally think that whoever who did what you saw was either seeking for death itself, or have a hatred so strong that he, or she, is not afraid of death once committing an act of treason. So I don't think, that any of us should be opening our mouths and blabbing this away to anyone else, especially when neither of us wishes to be suspects of being a vandal, am I right?"

When everyone stayed silent, Maya stood.

"Am I right?" she asked again, her voice boomed.

"Yes," the reply came in vehement unison. The corner of Maya's lips raised.

"Get on with business," she called finally and everyone hurried along with whatever they were doing before Sabrina's entrance.

Melissa approached Maya soon after.

"What do you want, young lass," Maya snapped in annoyance. She hadn't bothered learning Melissa's name.

"Um, hi, I'm Melissa, and uh, I'm new, and—"

"Come back when you're done stuttering," the old maidservant said as she began to walk out of the quarters.

"Wait! I just wish to know more about the basil plants!" Melissa called out, catching up to Maya.

Maya halted.

"And their significance..." she continued as the pair of cool blue eyes stared at her.

"Well, little one, I guess I do have some time for a little story," Maya said after a long pause. Placing one of her hands onto Melissa's back, she guided the young maid out of the room, and led her into the corridors, beginning the story as the two of them walked in the empty hallways of the East Wing.

// double update!!

hope you're happy 

because I had to slap myself awake to write these two chapters before you come knocking at my door with a chainsaw :'D

avocados,
Jia Yue