**Gina's POV**
The first place I was assigned was to the kitchen. My task was to wash the raw food items before they were cooked. It was all very simple, yet it felt like my work had no ending. The more I washed, the more there was more to be washed. I had done this for a very long time before my wolf said:
*_Let me put you out of your misery_*
*_What do you mean? Couldn't you have spoken sooner?_*
I berated her, but it seemed like she had been having fun all this time watching me labour in vain.
*_I figured you would have been smart enough to realise that your tasks here are to be done in your mind._*
The tone of her voice in my mind was sarcastic.
She was right, of course. Given my initial experience coming here, I should have realised that sooner.
I closed my eyes and, indeed, I saw the work I was to do. It was a lot but it had an end. By the time I opened my eyes, I had nothing left to wash. I waited for the cook to place another basket of vegetables before me, but there was none. I smiled to myself, looked around and saw the weariness that marked every other person's face. It was like they were working till no end. I understood now why Derek had said ‘rest your souls’ instead of sleep.
I spied the lady Aegan had sucked earlier. Gradually, her flesh was returning to her, but her eyes were empty. She was alive, but I had a feeling she was now dead; that there was no hope of a return for her. My heart ached for her and for the rest of us down here. I wanted to tell the rest how to stop the endless labour, but Raven stopped me.
*_why?_*
I asked her. It was not nice to see others just working when I knew how to stop their vain labour.
*_You will expose yourself to danger and that does not do you any good_* Came her response.
It broke my heart that I could do nothing to help them, but Raven was right. If I put myself in danger, there was no way I could be of help to my twins.
“You? You're done. What is your name?” Sir Derek peeked into the kitchen and saw that I was doing nothing. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at me.
“Marilyn,” I wondered what was next now. What would he want from me at this point? I couldn't be in trouble, right?
“Come here,” he motioned for me to follow him. I wanted to resist, but I feared what he would do to me if I did so.
“So you have your mind still, eh?” he asked me with a sardonic smile.
“My mind?” I was not sure what that meant. Was I meant not to have it? What normal person wouldn't have their mind… Then it occurred to me that the villages I had to pass through to get to the palace had been designed to make me lose my mind. I looked back at the others; they had lost their minds trying to get here.
“You will serve in the court then. You have no business here,” he said. I could not tell if this was a good thing or bad thing, but at least I believed if I were to serve in the court, I could garner information about the rituals that are to be performed here. Perhaps, something about my twins will come up.
“The Prince's court?” I inquired as I followed Sir Derek.
“You will serve Prince Aegan in the Prince's court,” he clarified.
“What am I to do?” I asked him, not sure what the role of a maid in such a setting would be.
“You will stand there and listen and watch and do whatever Prince Aegan asks of you, understand?” he asked, and I nodded my response in the affirmative.
I followed him across many rooms and long corridors and past a garden of roses that had more thorns than flowers. I continued to follow him until we reached a very large hall, a throne room unlike any that I had ever seen. In splendor, it surpassed every throne room I had ever been to by far. It was surreal, the entire place was glistening with precious stones and the people there were very fine indeed. One would not imagine that the ruler of the underworld would have such a magnificent place as his throne room.
No one seemed to notice when we entered. Court was in session and the king continued to deliberate with his princes and ministers unperturbed by our entrance.
I have to describe the King of Hades. He was a large man, a very large one. He was also very muscular, looking like you would expect a warrior to be. I did not doubt that he fought many battles as this was the underworld. He had to fight and keep fighting to keep his throne and head.
“Lucian, I want you to marry the daughter of the Evil Ocean. The Evil Ocean will make a great ally,” said the man who sat on the throne. My attention, however, had left the king and settled on Lucian.
Lucian.
He was handsome. I had never seen any man who was as handsome as Lucian. His complexion was a pale white that could somehow be mistaken for water; his brows were well-defined, they were a string of fine strokes stoked together. His eyes were the colour of water; not blue like a calm sea or gray like the riotous ocean, but simply clear. His ears looked like something out of a fairy tale. They stood long and in an upward fashion.
“Stop staring,” Sir Derek's voice broke me out of my reverie, but it was not enough to tear my eyes away from Lucian.
“Yes, Father. Of course, there is still the issue of my mate, whom I must consummate with before I can be joined with my bride.”