Chapter 14 Pretty Cages - Amelia’s POV
I couldn't stop touching things. The smooth marble countertop in the small kitchen. The plush carpet that swallowed my feet. The velvet curtains that hung beside windows taller than any I'd ever seen. My fingers traced these surfaces like they might dissolve at any moment, proving this all to be some elaborate hallucination. A prison dressed up like paradise was still a prison—at least that's what Kaela kept insisting in my head as I wandered through rooms bigger than the entire servants' quarters I'd left behind.
'Don't get comfortable,' she warned, her mental voice a low growl. 'Pretty cages are still cages.'
"I know," I whispered aloud, running my hand along a bookshelf lined with leather-bound volumes. "But at least we can breathe here."
The silver burns on my back throbbed with each movement, a reminder of what we'd escaped. I winced as I stretched to examine a small crystal figurine of a wolf, the pain shooting from shoulder to hip.
A sharp knock at the door made me jump, the figurine nearly slipping from my fingers. I set it down with trembling hands, my heart hammering against my ribs.
'It's okay,' Kaela said, her earlier suspicion giving way to reluctant reassurance. 'If they wanted to hurt us, they wouldn't knock.'
I crossed to the door, each step careful and measured. The handle felt cool against my palm as I turned it, bracing myself for whatever waited on the other side.
A young woman stood there, perhaps a year or two younger than me, with honey-blonde hair pulled back in a messy bun. She balanced a covered cart laden with silver-domed plates, her smile bright and unguarded.
"Good afternoon," she said cheerfully. "I've brought lunch for you. May I come in?"
I stepped back automatically, making space for her to enter. She wheeled the cart into the sitting area, positioning it beside a small coffee table with practiced ease.
"His Majesty asked the kitchens to prepare you a selection," she explained, removing the domes to reveal an array of dishes—a steaming bowl of soup, several small plates of colorful foods I couldn't identify, fresh bread, and what looked like cake. "He said to include light options that would be easy on your stomach, but also some heartier choices if you're feeling up to it."
I hovered awkwardly, uncertain of the protocol. Was I supposed to thank her and wait for her to leave? Offer her something? At the Frozen Mountain, servants weren't supposed to engage with anyone unless spoken to first.
"Thank you," I said finally. "That's very kind."
She smiled again, seemingly unbothered by my awkwardness. "Is there anything else you need, ma'am?"
The "ma'am" caught me off guard, sending a jolt of discomfort through me. "What's your name?" I asked impulsively.
"Mira," she replied, looking momentarily surprised by the question. "Mira Bennett."
"Please, call me Amelia," I said, the words rushing out before I could think better of them. "Not ma'am. I'm not... I'm just Amelia."
Mira's expression softened. "Alright, Amelia." She pronounced my name carefully, as if testing how it felt. "Though some of the other staff might still use formal address, especially in public."
I nodded, still trying to process the strangeness of a castle servant looking me directly in the eye, speaking to me as if I were a real person rather than a piece of furniture.
"Do you..." I hesitated, unsure if the question was appropriate. "Do you like working here?"
'What are you doing?' Kaela hissed in my mind. 'Don't get involved.'
Mira straightened a plate on the cart, considering the question. "I do," she said finally. "The pay is good. We're well looked after. His Majesty has strict rules about how staff are treated." She tilted her head, studying me. "Not what you expected to hear?"
I shook my head, unable to hide my surprise. "At the Frozen Mountain, servants were..." I trailed off, unsure how to describe the constant fear, the beatings, the meagre food, all without sounding like I was complaining.
"I've heard," Mira said quietly, her expression darkening briefly. "Things are different here. We work hard, but we're respected. We have our own quarters, decent food, time off." She smiled again, the shadow passing. "Anyway, enjoy your food, Amelia. You look like you could use it."
I thanked her again, still unsettled by the easy way she spoke to me. Mira bowed slightly as she prepared to leave, which sent another wave of discomfort through me.
"Please don't," I said hastily. "The bowing. It's... I'm not used to it."
Mira straightened, looking momentarily confused before understanding dawned in her eyes. "Of course. Sorry about that—habit." She gestured to the cart. "Just leave your plates there when you're done. I'll come back for them later."
After she left, I approached the food cautiously, eyeing the spread like it might be a trap. The rich aromas made my mouth water, but years of conditioning had taught me to be suspicious of unexpected generosity.
'It's not poisoned,' Kaela said with exasperation. 'He wouldn't go through all this trouble just to kill us with lunch.'