By the way, food has always been a salvation for me in nervous situations. It’s amazing how I haven’t turned into a suckling pig yet from the amount of food consumed. Good heredity is the reason.

There was a separate room in the kitchen where the servants dined. And at this time, it was so busy with the number of people. Everyone chatted tirelessly, laughed and rattled cutlery together. This is not at all like boring and dreary royal dinners. It was as if life was boiling here.

In an attempt to find a place to sit down, I noticed a very familiar red top of the head in the crowd and called her, smiling radiantly. Jen immediately jumped up from her seat and ran to meet me, hugging me tightly. Her hugs were capable of breaking a couple of my ribs every time.

- Thea, baby, I haven’t seen you for a few days. Where did you go? – she moved away a little, but still kept her hands on my shoulders.

- There was a lot of work. - I shrugged slightly.

What else could I do? I couldn’t say that I was almost killed by a wolf, but the magic potion cured me in a matter of hours. And about the fact that I spent some time in the king’s bedroom I had to be silent at all, as if I was the deadest dead man. I’d rather let she think I was busy with work.

- A hard worker. Well, let’s go to lunch soon. We still have seats at the table. - and she dragged me by the hand to her desk.

The tables were long and ten people, both men and women, could easily be cleaned behind them. Everyone was chatting animatedly, but as soon as Jen and I approached, the conversations died down and I was warmly greeted, inviting me to take a seat. The atmosphere was very friendly.

I began to catch myself thinking that this castle is full of compromises. There were always good people and sorts of bad people – such a golden mean. Although maybe it was the same in other kingdoms? I didn’t know, I had nothing to compare with.

A plate immediately appeared in front of me, filled to the brim with some strange soup. The color was not too impressive, even rather repulsive, but the smell was divine. So even if I have to eat with my eyes closed, I will do it. And taking a spoon, I scooped up a thick liquid with it, in which pieces of vegetables and greens were visible.

Next to me sat a thick-built young guy who handed me a carelessly broken piece of rye bread and showed by his actions that this very bread should be dipped in soup. It was unusual for me, since etiquette did not allow this. But where am I now and where is the etiquette?

I thanked him and repeated his example, dipping the bread into the liquid, and then took a bite of it, savoring it with bliss. It’s just paradise, insanely delicious, the bread slowly melted in my mouth, leaving a potato aftertaste. And I attacked the plate with an appetite that I didn’t notice how soon the whole plate was empty.

Jen said that she had been busy as a bee for the last two days and she greeted the arrival of Princess Giselle with a sour face. At the table, many sympathized with her, although everyone had a hand in making the castle shine and smell during her visit. Indignation was felt in many, but it was better than trying to live without work and decent pay, begging here and there.

I agreed with them on that. Although I used to live beautifully and did not deny myself anything, now I was grateful to the king for a roof over my head, tolerable food and salvation from the marquis.

Sometimes I would replay the options of my life in my head, if I hadn’t had a meeting with Raphael. Can the abduction be called a meeting?

There were few options, or rather only three.

In the first option, I could flatten out like a dead weight under the castle windows. In the second, I would have managed to escape, and I would have started wandering around the world. But where would I go? How would I live without means of livelihood? And where is the probability that my father wouldn’t have turned everything upside down and found me in the end.

Well, the third option is the saddest, as for me, this is a forced marriage with this vile Marquis Stonberg. We would have moved to his estate, and he would have dishonored me on our wedding night, and then completely made me a couple of children for further education.

And so I would have lived my youth in misery, not knowing true love and freedom, with children from a man who would cause me nausea. Ugh, I don’t even want to imagine, it’s disgusting.

So of all the options, the place where I am now is far from the worst. Yes, there are definitely disadvantages, but I’ve even gotten used to it somehow. And from time to time I remember Mrs. Rose’s words.

While I was sipping apple juice, kindly poured to me by Jenin, many at our table had already had lunch and scattered about their business, leaving my friend and me alone. Jen sat closer to me to make it easier to chat.

- You`re look a sad today. What happened? - she looked at me worriedly, straightening a lock of hair that had escaped from under my cap.

- Nothing special, just a little lapping with the team, the usual thing, I guess. - I shrugged, sipping some more juice.

- Lapping? With whom?

- I don’t remember, like one of them was called Clarinсe. - I bit my lip, trying to remember the name of the laundry girl.

- Clarice - Jen growled, showing her teeth in displeasure.

- Yes, yes, it seems so. She was with another maid, and we didn’t get along a bit when we met.

- I think the other girl was Scarlett. They are like two boots, always walking in pairs. Disgusting couple of nasty bitchy gossips. – Jen was not shy in her expressions.

- Do you know them well?

- Not really. I was moved to them after you. As a result, the three of us are trying to get along together and not kill each other. I thought I told you that? – Jen thought a little.

– You know, be careful with them, you shouldn’t expect anything good from them. All they do is mess up. I can put them in their place quickly, but you... are not sure. - She sighed grimly.

- So what happened between you? – my friend asked again.

- It seems that someone has spread a rumor around the castle that I allegedly have an affair with the king. – I lowered my head, slightly tilting to the side, and said very quietly so that only she could hear.

- Come on? Is it true? - her expression was unreadable.

I remembered our conversation on the first day, how Jenin praised the king, how she was fascinated by him. And now I didn’t want to say that there was some kind of attempt at a fleeting connection between me and him. I was afraid that she would be hurt, afraid of losing our friendship that had just begun.

But while I was silent and thinking what to say, Jen broke into a welcoming smile and put her arm around my shoulders again, prompting me to come out of the trance.

- Girlfriend, you don’t have to tell me anything, your reddened cheeks have already given you away. - she rested her head on my shoulder.

- what? No, I don’t... - but she didn’t let me finish, putting her index finger to my lips.

- You’re too cute not to fall in love with you. And the king is a sucker for beautiful women. It is rumored that no lady can resist him, whether unmarried or even married. And he is happy to try to bestow his mercy on everyone. Well, you get it. - her voice was slightly melancholic.

- I thought you liked him? - I asked, not wasting a moment.

- Pfft, he is definitely very hot and sexy. I can talk about him day and night long, but... I kind of have a relationship with Oliver, our stable boy.

It was so unusual to see her embarrassed. But I was just unconditionally shocked. Who would have thought?

- This is very unexpected, Jen. Why didn’t you tell me?

- Well, you didn’t ask me. - she giggled again.

We sat for a while longer, and she told me about how they met Oliver at the very beginning, when they both just got a job. As it turned out, at first they did not like each other at all, but over time they got used to it and became more than just acquaintances and friends. In general, under the mild intoxication of alcohol, both suddenly realized that being together is not so bad.

- By the way, about the king. Do not fall into the whirlpool with your head, otherwise you will cry bitterly later. - she gently stroked my cheek. - This castle has already seen a lot of broken hearts.

For some reason, at this moment of our solitude, I realized so clearly that with Jen, it was insanely easy and good for me. She’s like the older sister I’ve never had, except for stepsisters Xana and Madeleine.

But we never had any relations with them at all, except that they liked to bully me and complain to my father about me for any reason.

Jenin was different – so warm and caring, and as it turned out, I can trust her even with such secrets without causing condemnation on her part.