Chapter 66: Gather the servants (1)
Rafael stopped a little over an arm’s length from Annalise and Aria, careful not to step on the rocks he saw Annalise collecting in the river. "There is not to be any fighting," he said, looking at Aria since she had tugged on the basket Annalise was holding.
He didn’t know why they were feuding, and he didn’t care about the reason, but seeing that this same maid had come to him last night, this needed to be dealt with.
"Pick up the rocks," Rafael said, still looking at Aria. She caused them to fall, so she needed to pick them up.
Aria glanced at Annalise, who had turned her head to look out the windows again. Annalise made a big speech a moment ago, but now she could not look at Rafael. It was hard not to think there was something between them. "We were not fighting," she said, so Rafael would not think she was causing trouble.
Aria desperately needed to get past what she did last night. Rafael was the last person she wanted, seeing her at odds with Annalise.
"She thinks I have been flirting with you to be your mother’s maid and serve the duke," Annalise revealed, causing a loud gasp from Aria. Since Aria did not believe her, it was best she heard how ridiculous her assumption was from Rafael.
"Y-You," Aria stuttered, wondering if Annalise had lost her mind to be bringing this up to Rafael. She was already in hot water for the things she said last night.
"I said there was nothing, but she does not believe me," Annalise continued. It was a bit insulting for anyone to say that she wanted Rafael when there were so many better men at home. Then there was her little issue. ’Where is Thomas when I need him?’
Thoma would lose his mind hearing someone say she was flirting with Rafael or something more, and he would kill them for her. It was a rule to never mix with the men and women from the Castro kingdom. It was seen as a betrayal to be with the people who were killing your own.