Royal Plaything

Caitlin gave Lilia a little black dress, complete with a white frilly apron and black, gleaming shoes. It was the uniform of castle servants and Caitlin had it prepared for Lilia.

”I can keep you in the castle if you
e not working as well. ” Caitlin explained with a hint of regret in her voice.

She had to watch over her niece but she also couldn give up on her job in the castle because then they would both suffer.

Lilia nodded severely, a serious expression on her face. She was prepared to work for a living, she didn want to burden anyone with her existence.

”Here, let me help you with the bows of your apron. ” Caitlin offered, sounding almost kind.

Lilia turned around to let her aunt help her. Her hair was less messy when it was cut short, it was just beneath her ears now and for someone who has never cut her hair before, the difference was staggering.

But it was also marking her new beginning, she had to learn to carry her own weight from now on.

”Come with me, I work in the kitchens so whenever you
e hungry, come find me. ” Caitlin explained, leading the way out of her chambers.

They walked down dreary stone hallways for a while then through an arch that led to a brighter and more beautiful part of the castle.

”That was the Servants Quarters. ” Caitlin explained further to her niece, pointing at the place they just left.

”Youll eventually figure out the castle for yourself, the places you
e not supposed to be in won be open to you. ” She continued, leading the way through a now bustling hallway.

This one was carpeted and lighted candle chandeliers hung down the middle. Uniformed servants hurried up and down the hallway, all seeming very busy.

”I shouldn need to tell you though that you shouldn go anywhere without being sent. ” Caitlin leaned closer to say, her tone serious.

Lilia absorbed everything that was said to her, she wanted very much to be a good girl that wouldn bring trouble to her aunt so she helped everything that was told to her very close to her heart.

There was a room beside the kitchens that was furnished with long dingy tables and chairs, it was the space provided for servants to have their meals.

”Wait here for me. ” Caitlin directed, directing her niece to sit on one of the tables.

The servants mess hall was mostly empty because the time for lunch was past. There were three meals served to the servants daily and Caitlin could only sneak some food for Lilia because she worked in the kitchens herself and was a high-ranking cook, having worked in the castle for many years.

Lilia sat as was directed, huddling herself to look smaller on the bench she was seated on.

She hadn seen any other person her age, all the other servants were all grown-ups. She hoped she wouldn get her aunt in trouble by being here.

She wasn seated very long though when three boys around her age came in through one of the two large doors. They seemed to catch sight of her at about the same time that she noticed them.

Lilia was startled by this, it was the first time she was seeing other children in the castle. It made her heart feel lighter because now she knew for certain that she wouldn get her aunt in trouble,

Their loud conversation instantly faded to whispered hushes and Lilia was certain that they were talking about her because they kept on sneaking glances in her direction.

She paid no mind to them however, her aunt told her to wait for her and she planned to do just that.

A few moments later, Caitlin came hurrying back with a bowl of mutton broth and a large loaf of bread, she also brought some apples.

Lilias mouth watered, it was the first good meal she would be having in quite a while. Taking a mouthful of steaming the broth was enough to make her almost smile, good food gave life indeed.

”Come find me when you
e done with your meal. ” Caitlin said, unable to help puffing her chest at the sight of her niece wolfing down the food.

She had been burdened with Lilia ever since the tragic death of her younger brother and his wife in an unfortunate accident.

Caitlin had no time for people who weren willing to fight to live, she liked people with spines and she had been internally lamenting over having to take care of a child when she refused to marry for that very reason.

But Lilia was acting wiser than her years, it made her think that perhaps raising her niece might not be so bad after all.

A drop of darkness tainted her happy thoughts. While it wasn against the rules to keep Lilia with her, especially as she was also working as a servant in the castle, Caitlin worried that the servants who were on bad terms with her would try to take it out on her innocent niece.

She had never been a fan favorite amongst the servants, Caitlin wasn dense, she knew this but she was also prepared to fight her own battles. It would be unfair to put that big of a burden on Lilias shoulders but she had no choice.

”Also, Lilia? ” She added in a soft voice. ”If anyone gives you a task to do, could you please do it without question? ”

Lilia was caught off guard by this, she stopped halfway through biting into a green apple. She was prepared to do whatever was required of her but she could also tell that there was more to this because her aunt had never sounded like this while giving her rules.

”Yes, aunt Caitlin. ” She accepted politely.

Caitlin hesitated, she wished she could say more, give a reason even. For the first time, she wished she was more of an ass-kisser because it would have made Lilias life in the castle much easier.

But she couldn change the past no matter how much goodwill she held in her heart so instead, she patted Lilias head and swept off in the direction of the kitchens.