Chapter 42: Gossip Amongst Maids
Meanwhile, earlier.
In the dimly lit maid quarters, a dozen women sat huddled together in the modest room, the soft glow of candlelight casting long shadows on the stone walls. The fire in the hearth crackled softly, but it wasn’t the warmth of the flames that kept them there—it was the gossip.
"She’s not like the others, you know," one of the younger maids whispered, her voice carrying a conspiratorial edge. "The new princess, Salviana. She doesn’t act like royalty. I saw her in the market today, laughing like any common girl."
"Laughing?" another maid, older and more skeptical, raised an eyebrow. "What could she have to laugh about? Married off to that demon of a prince? There’s nothing funny about it."
Emma, the strict but quiet one, sat in the corner, listening but not partaking. Her eyes were sharp, but she kept her lips pressed tightly together. She was the kind who never indulged in loose talk, but her silence spoke volumes to the others—she knew more than she let on.
Priscilla, the hateful one who often pretended to be sweet, leaned in closer, her tone sugary but with a venomous undertone. "Oh, but she’s a sight, isn’t she? Walking around like she’s better than the rest of us just because she’s pretty. I heard Prince Alaric didn’t even want her in the first place."
"Really?" one of the maids asked, her voice full of curiosity. "But I saw them together. He looked... attentive. Not like how the rumors say he usually is."
"That’s just for show," Priscilla said, a sly smile on her face. "You know how it is with royals. Always pretending."
The others nodded in agreement, but one of the maids, a younger girl named Clara, couldn’t help but speak up. "I don’t know. She seemed kind when I helped with her bath. She thanked me, even smiled. Royals don’t usually do that."