Chapter 26 Set up
Lyra's POV.
Lord Kael laughed after he heard what Seraphina had said.
“You want to what?” He asked but that wasn't a question, he was just being sarcastic.
Seraphina didn't respond and the smile on her face also didn't fade.
“Here, sit,” she said, drawing out a chair for me and even that little gesture surprised everyone.
Mom laughed so loudly and clapped her hands at the same time.
“Oh, my! Seraphina, you are so sweet!” She said, “You are truly fit to be our future Luna when I'm no longer keeping that post occupied”
“Now I'm starting to imagine you ruling the pack beside the alpha heir and Lyra beside you like a beta is usually beside the Alpha” she continued.
The alpha also laughed. “That sounds great, Aurelia”
Mother bowed slightly to the alpha as a response.
“What's your take on what she said, Elias?” Seraphina turned to Elias regarding what my mother had said.
“It doesn't sound bad.” His face turned to me immediately after he spoke.
“I'm losing my appetite already,” Kael's calm voice said but that calm voice made silence reverberate through the whole room.
“Are we eating breakfast?” He paused, his face moving around everyone. “Or will we be eating your petty talks instead?”
That sounded rude but the alpha and the rest of the people at the breakfast table didn't say anything.
“Right, let's eat," the alpha finally said.
Everyone dug their cutleries into their meal and ate. I was still so surprised when Seraphina added her steak to my plate.
The meal ended and when we took refreshments, the alpha spoke.
“You look good together,” he said. “You should both stick together”
“Come together to take a walk with me by evening,” he added.
Seraphina and I bowed in understanding. I could see the smile on her face.
She had been excluded from taking the walk yesterday but this morning she was told to come take a walk with the alpha like a reinstallation.
Was that why she was doing this? So she could be favored along with me.
I didn't want to ask because I didn't want to anger her. A part of me was starting to like this part of her and didn't want her to change.
For the first time, I thought deeply about the elevation my mother used to talk about.
Maybe this was a chance to become more than a maid like she had said.
I had never given the elevation much thought, I had never thought I'd be able to live outside the picture of being a maid who had been looked down on.
But dressing up like this, sitting together with important people while they treat me like that's where I belonged, I was starting to consider it.
The mealtime ended like always and I walked out together with Seraphina.
“Everyone liked that dress on you” she said. She was walking ahead of me and she wasn't looking at me as she talked.
“You should take it if you like it,” she said.
It surprised me but it didn't show on my face as she had already done a lot this morning.
I stood still and only watched as she walked. Her escorts were forced to also pause behind me.
After Seraphina took a few steps, she realized that she wasn't being followed.
She stopped and turned. She raised her brows and her eyes darted between mine.
“What's wrong?” She asked.
I couldn't take it any longer. I needed to ask.
“Why exactly are you doing this, my lady?” I asked.
Her face creased like she didn't understand what I was talking about but I knew she did.
“You are being nice to me, you gave me your clothes to wear and now asking if I want it” I explained in case she didn't really understand. “Why are you doing all this?”
She smiled. She walked closer to me, her steps getting picked slowly and elegantly.
“It's just simple,” she said, flailing her arms. “You are going to be my sister-in-law and I'm only giving you the treatment you deserve”
“Let's go. I'll run late to supervise the maids’ works” she said.
I bowed slightly and followed behind her without a word when she resumed walking.
Soon, we got to where the maids were doing joint laundry.
They were all washing and laughing. Some played with the water while some talked and did nothing.
The headmaid, Gina, was also present. She was seated quite far away from the maids.
She was relaxing, enjoying the air and scenery with her eyes closed. She had two of the maids holding fans over her head and keeping her refreshed.
Seraphina scoffed.
A maid was the first to notice her and she tapped the person beside her. Like that, every one noticed and they all went silent, standing upright like students who were being made to give a report to their teacher.
The headmaid was also informed and she came rushing.
She was surprised to see me behind Seraphina, dressed like that.
I'm sure she must have heard about it from the maids she was close with, she must have just chosen not to believe it.
Seraphina's voice which cut through my thoughts returned me to the room.
“What's supposed to be happening here?” She asked the headmaid.
Her voice was stern and her eyes stared at her in a way that was capable of killing.
“Washing, my lady” she said while keeping her head bowed. “Then what is happening here?” She asked.
“That's exactly what I'm making them do, my lady,” the handmaid defended.
The moment she stopped speaking, Seraphina took a step closer to her and landed a slap on her face.
The slap got her tumbling to the ground. I gasped and so did other maids.
My throat was beginning to tighten. This was who she truly is.
Not the Seraphina who granted me a bath in her room, gave me a dress and talked nicely to me.
That was a lie and this that was happening at the moment was the truth.