Gina's POV.
Lady Nydia had finally summoned me. I stood in her room staring right back at her with the same intensity in which she gazed upon me.
“You’ve changed,” she remarked when she finally spoke. What did that mean? Was I fatter?
“I hardly think so,” came my response. I was no different from when I had come here, even the paleness of my skin remained and my frightfully lean body did not improve with my increased diet.
“You can even talk back to me now, I wonder what gave you the guts to do so,” she said with spite in her tone. It was then I noticed the frown lines on her face. She had not called me here to comment on how different I looked since she had left the palace six weeks ago but rather she wanted to comment on my attitude and it was clear she did not like what she saw.
It did not matter, I did not care.
“You must think that hanging out with Edvin makes you so important,” she said. She was beginning to sound very scary and if voices could hurt someone, she would have clawed me with that voice of hers.
“My lady, I do not ascribe any importance to myself,” I said as I bowed my head. As much as I did not like her, she still held power over me in this pack. Alpha Dagen had instructed me to serve her.
“Why did you deem it fit to tarnish my good name, huh?” Nydia quipped.
“Tarnish your name? My lady with all due respect you are mistaken. I would never do such,” I said to her.
“But you did, when you began to call yourself Luna of this pack you subjected me to the other woman,” the tone of her voice was angry and I feared that she would hit me.
“I apologise, my lady. I didn’t mean to do so,” came my humble response.
“What did you mean then by being seen with Edvin if not to flaunt your status,” she was not only angry but sounded very bitter.
“I apologise once again my lady,” was all I could say even though I did not think I had erred at all.
“Well, your apologies mean nothing. You will make up for it by working in the servant’s quarters for a week. You will be in charge of cleaning up after the servants,” she intended to humiliate me but what she did not know was that I was used to this sort of thing as I had been subjected to such my entire life.
“Yes, my lady,” I said.
“Leave. LEAVE.”
“My lady?” quipped Diane when I had left Lady Nydia’s presence.
“Huh?” was all I managed as I did not want the tears I held in my eyes to fall.
“What happened?” she asked, her voice heavy with concern.
“The servants’ quarters are not so dirty, are they?” I asked, trying to make my situation sound cheery.
“Oh! My lady! It’s the worst. We are overworked and barely have time enough to clean up,” came her response but when she saw the expression on my face she understood at once why I had asked.
“Lady Nydia did not really ask you to…”
I nodded, not allowing her to complete her statement.
“My lady, I will help you…” she started to say but I shook my head.
“She may change who attends me if you do that. Do not worry, a week will soon be over,” I assured her with a smile.
“Ah! Diane, you must return the novel I borrowed two days ago to the library. Do you think you can lend a book to me at the library? There’s one I really want to read, the title is The Virgin’s Sacrifice,” I said excitedly. Even though I had taken to horseback riding I had not left my passion for reading books and still continued to do so.
“I will try my best,” she said and I smiled.
After I had eaten breakfast I changed my apparel to be better suited with my new task. When I was done I twirled and asked Diane, “What do you say? How do I look?”
“What do you mean? You look just the same, my lady,” she answered. The time of her voice told me she could not comprehend why I was so laid back about what was happening.
“Just the same? No, Diane,” I said, staring at my reflection in the mirror, “I look like a pretty maid whose master has fallen helplessly for her.”
“You read too many books, my lady,” she said, shaking her head at me.
“Dearest Diane, I am filled with dread. So you think the lady of the house will find out about my affair with the master? Oh my! What shall I do?” I said, taking the form of one of the many fictional characters I had read. Diane laughed deeply in spite of herself.
“Lady Nydia may really kill you. I have seen her tear apart countless maids that thought they could seduce Alpha Dagen,” said Diane.
“That is what makes this love story all the more pitiful. My dearest Lord, I fear for his life. The lady of the house is just so… she’s just so… Diane, if I die, at least you’ll know who did it,” I said, still staying in character. Diane was laughing so hard now that tears began to drop from her eyes. Her laughter filled me with warmth. I did not mind anything so long as the people who cared about me were happy.
“My lady, you should take up theatre. You will be great at it,” she had not stopped laughing and it made me wonder if my act had been that funny.
“Indeed, I will. I can become anything on a stage. That is not a bad idea, you know,” I said. If Alpha Dagen was insistent on taking my life, I could escape and make a living off entertaining people.
But as we spoke and laughed, I saw a shadow pass by.