Chapter 8
" I don't think this two will survive here"
" Mum!" Reprimanded Manie.
The two girls gave each other a look of suprise as well as curiosity. They wanted to know why she would comment such a thing . Was the castle not a safe place for them? She was an older woman with more experience working in the castle than them , perhaps she has her reasons for saying such a thing.
" Why would you say that?" Asked Nalani
"Well I am not saying this in a sinister way but you girls seem like good girls. This castle is full of jealous people who have a lot of hatred in their hearts, these people will bury you alive here" she explained.
They have heard of castle politics. How servants sabotage each other in order to get the upper hand or a promotion. However they were not interested in getting ahead, especially not Nalani. The last thing on her mind was to work in the castle long-term. This was a short visit, until she gets what she wants.
" I am sure we can handle it" said Kellen
" They all say that my sweet girl. Anyway keep in mind what I said. Be careful and rely on each other. I wish you luck" said Manie's mother before she walked away.
' what sort of a castle was this?' thought Nalani.
" We should probably find Mrs Smith , she is the head of the female servants. She is the housekeeper while Mr Smith her husband is the butler. They have worked in the castle since they were kids" said Manie.
" Really?"
" Yes, there parents worked here. They met in this castle and fell in love. They married soon after"
" Wow! Maybe the castle isn't that bad"said a dreamy Kellen
" Perhaps not " concurred Nalani.
They passed through the group of people working outside who only stared at them. In fact as they passed near them, it was dead silent. They just openly stared at the two new women without shame. They walked through the back door, through a small corridor that led to the kitchen.
The kitchen was busting with activities. The sounds of cutting, crushing, mixing, boiling could be heard. It was very noisy , however that was expected as more than ten people were busy working .An older looking woman in her forties was talking to the people working. She spoke to one person after another probably giving instructions. She would stop , taste the food being cooked and give her opinion. Once she was finished with her rounds, she finally acknowledged the three visitors in her kitchen.
She approached them with a sweet smile on her face. Nalani couldn't tell whether she was friendly or she was just pretending to be.
" Manie it's nice to see you" she said in a sweet warm voice.
" It is nice to see you too Mrs. Smith"
" Who are these beautiful ladies with you, I have never seen them before?" She asked
" This is Nalani and Kellen" he pointed at them " they will be working in the castle. Sir Carl employed them"
" Oh that is interesting, Sir Carl has never employed anyone before"
" It was strange to me too but those were his orders. He requests that you assign them some chores and show them where they will be sleeping"
" Of course, any friend of Sir Carl is a friend of mine. Manie you can go back to the stables, I will see you during dinner"
Nalani felt panic seep in her body as she watched Manie leave. He was the only person they knew besides Sir Carl . She hoped that they could count on his help whenever they needed it.
" Don't panic, I can see it in your eyes" Mrs Smith addressed Nalani directly.
She smiled brightly at her and Nalani smiled back. It felt better seeing a friendly face in a strange place. She felt a sense of comfort when she looked at Mrs Smith.
" Follow me ladies" she instructed
The two girls followed Mrs Smith out of the kitchen, through the corridor but instead of going back the way they came, they went forward. From the kitchen the corridor was bigger with windows to bring in more natural light. Nalani peeked through one of the windows and she saw a large pond.
' Why do they need a pond in a castle?' she wondered
" We have a pond, we use to grow fish . The king loves fish" said Mrs Smith.
Nalani wondered if she could read minds. How did Mrs Smith know what she was thinking?
They walked straight until they found another corridor and branched to the right. They walked until they found a medium sized door on the right and another on the left.
" This is the ladies servants quarters and that is the men's servants quarters. Do not confuse them" she instructed.
She opened the door to reveal another corridor filled with doors.
" Due to privacy , only four women stay in a room. However since there are only two of you, you will share a room alone for now"
They walked further through the corridor until they stopped at a door written number ten. She opened the door wide and gestured for them to go in. The room was simple, two bunk beds on either sides of the room, a large table ,four chairs, a two door cabinet and a carpet. The carpet didn't look expensive but it made the room look more hospitable.
" This is your room, I know it isn't much but I hope you will be comfortable"
" This is more than enough Mrs Smith, we like it" said Kellen
" The bathrooms and toilets are straight down the corridor, you can't miss them. Unpack your things and look for me. You have to eat dinner and sleep early before you start working tomorrow"
" Have you decided on what type of work to give us?" Asked Nalani
" There isn't much to think about. Every new female servant does the same thing"
" Really?"
" Yes, it's the castle tradition. Both of you will be scrubbing the throne room" she beamed
" Both of us?"
" How big is this throne room?"
" Don't worry ,you will get to see it tomorrow. Unpack and rest abit before dinner. Dinner is served at six o'clock. Don't be late"
With that she left the two girls to get acquainted with there room. Immediately she closed the door the two girls looked at each other and smiled
" It doesn't sound so bad" commented Nalani
" Yea , I guess I was scared for nothing "
They started unpacking their bag and placing their clothes in the cabinet.
" It is nice that we are staying alone. I would have panicked if I had to stay with strangers"
" I know, fate is on our side. This might work out for us after all"
" How big do you think the throne room is?" Asked a puzzled Kellen
" Why ?"
" I don't know but the way Mrs Smith was smiling it must be big"
" How big can it be to be scrubbed by two women. It will be a piece of cake."
Once they finished packing ,they went looking for the bathroom and toilets. There were ten bathrooms and ten toilets . That must mean the servants were many. The castle was a big place, they would need a lot of servants. By the time they went looking for Mrs Smith, it was dinner time.
They followed the corridor to the kitchens but no one was there. It was empty and silent unlike when they visited last. Where was everyone?
" There you are" said Mrs Smith coming from a door they had not seen before.
" Where is everyone?" Asked Nalani.
" They are having dinner, follow me"
They rushed to Mrs Smith side and followed her through the door. They could hear people talking and laughter before they could see them. The room was lit by candles, a large rectangular table was in the middle of the room and chairs surrounded it. Chairs filled with people who were staring at them yet again.
There were at least fifty people here. Two other tables were on the far end at opposite sides also filled people. The staring was yet to stop and it made Nalani uncomfortable.
" I know you are all curious but stop staring please, you're making our guests feel uncomfortable" said Mrs Smith
She showed them where to sit and served them food. As they were eating, people stole glances at them every now and then. Kellen smiled at them sweetly but Nalani frowned. After everyone finished eating people started talking amongst themselves.
"Now that we are done eating , I want to introduce our newest addition. The tall one is Kellen and the shorter one is Nalani. You will get to interact with them as you do your jobs so don't crowd them or ask personal questions. Remember this is...."
" Place of work" everyone said at the same time before they burst out laughing.
The two girls joined in the laughter and engaged the rest in their conversations. They answered afew questions before everyone retired to bed. The two girls went to their room exhausted. They might have not worked today but they were tired from the journey and the anxiety they felt. They felt more relaxed now that they have met some of the people they will be working with.