The Thorn in My Shed-Chapter 27: Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing, Be Nothing
Dishes clanked together as the servants cleared Lord Evans’ dinner. He had already retired to his study, leaving the leftovers to fall to room temperature, abandoned on their fine china.
Despite having sat there for some time as he ate, it looked like Lord Evans had hardly made a dent in what had been served to him.
The servants smiled and giggled as they stared at the quantity of leftovers.
"Roasted Duck from Motegora! I’ve heard their ducks are the plumpest and juiciest on the continent~" One male whispered excitedly as he lifted the plate which still had one and a half ducks on it.
"What are these vegetables? They smell delicious! I’ve never seen anything like them!" The new maid exclaimed. Her eyes lit up at the sight of them.
She’d just been hired the day prior and had started her work at the Evans Estate earlier that day.
"Those are Windpipe Root from Sarude. They’re near impossible to get because they’re found deep in the Jade Mines but they’re Lord Evans’ favorite!" Another woman said with a huge smile on her face.
"Windpipe Root? I’ve never even heard of it. How does he get them if they are so impossible to get?"
"Lord Evans is the most powerful man in Sola. Underneath the King that is. He’s respected and powerful and super rich too! If he can’t get his hand on it, who can?"
The woman had a smug look on her face as she explained, almost as if she were praising herself instead of their employer.
The new maid smiled as they carried the plates to the servant’s quarters.
"Ever since I was a little girl I would walk past the Evans Estate and dream of coming inside. I never gave much thought to just how much he would’ve been capable of, nor that he’d have his hands on such rare things. I guess that was just so far out from what I was able to dream up."
The other servants started to laugh; the corners of their mouths reached from ear to ear.
"That’s not all. Lord Evans won’t touch food from the previous day so everything he’s left, we all get to eat. This is our dinner too! Once you get a taste of the Lord Evans palette you’ll never go back!"
They laughed and nodded in agreement as they began to set the table with their wooden dishes and copper silverware.
"One of the perks of living at the Evans Estate is that even as a servant we get to eat high quality and exotic foods that other servants wouldn’t even dare to salivate over."
’What a great atmosphere this is. Everyone is so happy, we are treated like royalty, and I think we’ll all get along! I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to be here!’ She thought as she piled her plate with vegetables, pieces of meat and buns.
Her cheeks were starting to hurt from the huge grin that was plastered on her face and she found herself having to wiggle her mouth to soothe the ache.
She smoothed her skirt and sat down in the wooden seat and waited for everyone else to finish piling their plates.
Finally, it was time to dig in. She swallowed the saliva that had flooded her mouth as she waited and plopped her first bite into her mouth.
Flavor exploded on her tastebuds. They were right! This duck from Motegora WAS the juiciest! And the WindPipe Root?! It was had a light, flaky crunch and practically melted in her mouth. It was sweet without being overpowering and offset the mild spice of the sauce it was coated in.
As she was getting lost in the delectable meal, she heard the distant scream of a woman.
The hair on the back of her neck stood up straight. It was a scream unlike any she had ever heard before.
She looked around to gauge everyone’s reactions, but no one even flinched. There was no reaction at all, nothing. They just continued to eat their meal completely unbothered.
Had her mind made it up? Maybe she had gotten too lost in the mouth watering flavors?
But.....it sounded so real. Her arms were still covered in goosebumps.
Her eyebrows were furrowed so hard she was starting to get a headache rooted at the bridge of her nose.
She hesitated, but she knew it would bother her if she just let it slide.
"Did any of you hear that? I heard a woman scream. Or...at least...I think it was a woman. Tell me you heard it. You had to have, right? .....Didn’t you?"
The energy in the room suddenly shifted, and everyone stared down at their plates. Should they answer or pretend like she was crazy so they could continue enjoying their meal without guilt?
Just then, the woman’s scream echoed through the air again.
The maid jumped up. Her chair scraped against the floor before falling over with a ’THUNK!’
"There it is again! You heard it didn’t you?!"
The man next to her grabbed her arm and tugged on it while the woman on the other side of her stood up and fixed her chair.
"Sit down! It’s normal! Nothing to be bothered about. Let’s just enjoy our meal together. How are you liking working here so far?"
She stared at them with a look of astoundment.
"That’s normal?! What do you mean normal?! That’s so scary!"
"Shh! Shhh!" They all began to shush her. Some held their index fingers up to their lips while others held their hands up and pressed them downwards over and over again to indicate for her to keep her volume down.
"Be quiet! You hear nothing!" The man next to her hissed as he yanked her down, forcing her to sit back in her seat.
"What do you mean ’hear nothing’?! Of course I hear something! How can you ignore that! She needs our help! We have to find that woman!"
She went to stand again but was yanked back down by the two servants sitting next to her, each one grabbing one of her arms.
"Pretend you don’t hear anything. That’s just the wind. The house is settling. It’s a bird squawking outside. Whatever you have to tell yourself, do it. We have to ignore things like this, otherwise you’ll end up like her and the maid whose spot you filled."
As she was sitting there losing her appetite, another maid was elsewhere in Viraaz fulfilling her own duties.
She bit her lip and played with the end of her blonde hair as she entered Arlon’s chambers. Her uniform was tight, her bosom was pushed up and peeking out over the neckline but she didn’t mind it at all.
His bedroom was massive with a bed complete with drapes, dressers, armoires and a large couch that sat in front of a brick fireplace.
Its color scheme was dark purple and gold which made it look all the more luxurious.
"Your majesty, you’ve called for me?"
Arlon was sitting on the couch, reading a book. His emerald green silk robe was half open, revealing his toned muscular chest and abs.
Arlon looked up at her and flashed a welcoming grin.
He allowed his book to close around his thumb and held it in the air and to the side.
"Ah, you’ve arrived so quickly. I am impressed by your timeliness. Tell me, my good girl, did you send my letter?"
The beautiful blonde maid smiled as a light pink colored her cheeks. She entered further into the room and stood before him where she curtsied.
As she lowered herself, he could get a clearer view of her chest, which his eyes remained locked onto. Until she rose again that is.
"Your letter has been sent. I saw to it myself. Does that please you, Your Highness?"
She shot him a flirtatious grin as she caught her lower lip between her teeth again.
Arlon looked her up and down. A mischievous look glinted in his eye as he set his book down to the side.
He nodded as his eyebrow twitched upward for a split second. He cleared his throat as he nodded his head upward with approval.
"It pleases me very much so my darling girl. I think you deserve a reward. What do you think about taking the rest of the night off?" His words were laced with suggestion.
Arlon leaned back against the couch, spreading his arms across its back. His robe fell open a bit more, revealing more of his abs.
The maid licked her lips as her eyes trailed down his chest, to his stomach.....lower.....and lower...and.....two things were very clear.
Number One – He was wearing absolutely nothing under that robe.
And Number Two – What was under it, was her reward. Ready and practically pointing right at her.
"Your Highness, I’ve had such a long, hard day~" She breathed out her words, "I would love to take the reward you’re offering me~"
