Lorden Thinsen watched as the small servant boy scurried away with curtains and vases in his hands. “What a strange kid. So thin and weak. I didn't know Julian hired such small servants.” Thinsen thought back to the other day. “Didn't he send away all the Alishens servants the other day. The only one that should be left is…”
Lorden Thinsen’s eyes widened with surprise and he ran up to Julian's office. He threw open the door with a shout. “Julian! Your wife is having an affair with a weakling servant boy!” He said. Julian glared at him from behind his papers. “What the hell, Thinsen. Why are you here?” Thinsen closed the door and rushed to Julian's side. It was true that he had snuck into his friend's house without permission, but that wasn't important.
“Julian I was just in the warehouse! A little servant boy was there fetching materials for the Alishen! He was very cute and small, perfect for that beast of a woman to devour! I just know she is having an affair!” Julian couldn't care less. He didn't care about things that didn't directly affect him.
“I have proof. You sent away all her servants, yes?”
“I did…”
“And no other servants in the house are allowed to answer to the Alishen, right?”
“Of course.”
“And her only remaining servant is the girl she brought from her old home?”
“Ah, yes,” he answered, still reading his paper.
“I can guarantee I saw a young boy, about 18. But the Alishen doesn't have any male servants!”
“Okay, you've convinced me. She's having an affair. Now convince me of why I should care.” Julian put down his paper and stared into Thinsens eyes.
“An affair could greatly damage your reputation,” Thinsen said, thumping the desk.
There was a pause, where both of the men were staring at each other. Julian looked at the clock and then stood. “Okay, It's my break, lets go. I’ll send that servant boy out, as long as it makes my cherished friend happy.” He sarcastically rolled his eyes.
Thinsen grinned and followed behind Julian like a happy puppy. They moved at a fast pace down to the third hallway, Angelique’s hallway. Julian had remembered it well, he designed it. Windows with broken seams so cold air came in. Infestations were not allowed to be removed by servants, the hall smelled musty and damp at all times, and mold grew on the walls. Julian didn't like it, of course, but it brought him a pleasure to see Angelique suffer in that dump.
They entered the hallway from the staircase and stopped in their tracks. Julian was dumbfounded. He didn't remember the last time he had been in there, but the servants he added to spy on her only said its condition had worsened. It had only been a day since he sent those servants off. Now, the hall had a shine to it, not a speck on every corner. The curtains were new, and to the far end of the hall, a small boy in a butler uniform was hanging up the last curtain, atop an extremely tall ladder.
“There’s the young man, Julian, on the ladder.” Thinsen began to walk closer to the boy, and Julian followed, trying to glance at the boy's face. “Ehem.” He coughed to get the boy's attention. When the small face whipped around to them, Julian immediately recognized it, despite it having dust on the cheeks. The ‘boy’ was in such a shock at seeing Julian he tumbled off the ladder with a shout, landing on his back.
“Oh, my word! Is he dead.” Thinsen gasped, covering his mouth. ‘I only wanted him to be sent away, not break his spine!’ Suddenly, the boy groaned and Minnielle ran out of the kitchen. “My Lady! Oh my word!” she shrieked, kneeling beside the boy.
Julian sighed and shook his head. “Sadly, she is fine,” he said, glaring down at the boy as Minnielle lifted him up.
“She!?” Thinsen was looking back and forth between the two. “Wait, did you say, Lady!?” He gasped. “That's your wife!” Thinsen’s mouth fell open as he continued to look between the two, and Minnielle lifted Angelique, swinging her arms around her.
“Yes, Thinsen. That's Alishen Angelique. You must not have realized since you've never seen her before.” Julian said, turning away from the limping woman to analyze the clean hall. Thinsen was too busy looking at the limping girl to even think. He had expected her to be some dark, pale witch. Instead, she was just a small, pretty girl. Thinsen looked back at Julian. “How did you know she would be alright, you were so calm,” he said, running up beside him to a window.
“I once threw her into a wall,” Julian said, rubbing his finger on the window to check for dust. He found none. Now, Thinsen felt really confused. He had heard that the Alishen was a cruel, greedy woman who lived in a dingy place and made everyone suffer. Now, after seeing her, she just seemed like a wild girl minding her own business, with bones of steel and a servent who greatly cared for her. “Will she be alright, seriously,” Thinsen said.
“Why do you care so much for a wretched monster anyway,” Julian answered. He swiftly turned and entered Angelique's room where Minnielle was laying her down. Julian walked up beside her and glared down. “Why are you dressed like that, have some respect,” he growled.
Angelique shot a glare back at him. “After we made our deal I thought you would stop bugging me.” she spat. Thinsen watched eagerly as they battled. “Did I ever give you permission to clean your own hall?” he said.
“No, but you never said I couldn't do it!”
“Well, you can't.”
“I already did, what do you want me to do, tear it down?”
“Maybe we should revisit that contract and add a few amendments.”
“Speaking of the contract. Why did you add more poison to my ingredients! You really are a coward of a man. I bet you got scared cause I got wise!” she laughed, wincing at the pain in her back.
“How dare you talk back to me, you disgusting woman!” he shouted, clutching his fist.
“Y’know what Julian, go, grab the contract, let's make new amendments! I want to change it so we never interfere in each other's lives again! My word!” she countered. It was true she had lost her temper. But she didn't mind, everything she said made sense, and wouldn't affect her.
“You just say that, but your words are empty. I know you’ll come crawling back to me! You’re obsessed with me!” he barked. Thinsen now saw Julian's face start to turn red with anger, or...embarrassment? Thinsen was so shocked at the sight. The man of stone was getting so emotional over his wife, who clearly didn't care an ounce about him. He looked to see Angelique, calmly scolding him with an unchanging expression. ‘It's like the roles have reversed.’
Angelique, after hearing what Julian said, fumed inside. “My word, you really are foolish.” she chuckled to herself. “Feelings change, Julian. I no longer have any feelings for you, or connections.” she gave him a warm smile, calming herself down. “I hope it makes you feel more at ease to know, I no longer love you. That's why I want to leave this place.”
Julian was still fuming while he and Thinsen walked away from the room. Thinsen’s feelings were mixed. To him, Angelique did not seem all that bad, maybe it was because she had fallen into the lake and almost died. Maybe she really had changed.
“Julian, maybe she has changed,” Thinsen whispered, nervous at Julian's furious appearance. “Don't lecture me on what you do not know. I know her best. She will never change. This is another one of her schemes to lure me into her grasp.”
Thinsen shook his head sadly and followed Julian back into his office. “Well, at least she wasn't having an affair.” Thinsen’s mind began to dim as he thought back to what Julian mentioned. He threw her into a wall. Thinsen shook his head sadly. It was too far. She may have been bad, but she wasn't a ragdoll. Looking up at Julian as he was cooling down from the fight, he became nervous for Angelique. ‘Of course, I may be wrong. But I should really look more into this. I’ll sneak back in tomorrow and speak with Angelique alone.’
Julian couldn't get the encounter with his wife off his mind. ‘How could she tell I put poison in her food, her servant didn't know. And if she knew there was poison in each of her ingredients has she just stopped eating.’ Julian got so frustrated he called for his butler. He ordered the butler to find a new maid and have her work for Angelique, and to have her report any actions taken by Angelique for extra pay. Along with that, Julian ordered him to give her the leftover ingredients they had in the warehouse, the worst of them. “I hope she starves to death. After All, she's such a picky person she wouldn't even think of eating such horrible food.” he chuckled to himself. Thinsen, watching this closely, shivered to himself.
Of course, their marriage wasn't something to interfere with but maybe he should bring some food for her when he visited tomorrow. Thinsen then left Julian's office and went back to his own home.
Julian was left alone in his office. The light of the sunset woke him from his work daze. The light was red and bright. It reminded him of Angelique's hair, and he paused, calmly thinking of each strand of hair on her head. ‘How confusing.’ he thought.
Lifting his head up from his work he let out a long sigh and shook his head with a scowl. “People like her just don't change.”
….
….
Angelique and Minnielle both finished their meal with a relieved sigh. “That was so delicious! Just a bit spicy!” Minnielle giggles, placing her plate in the sink. “Sorry about that, the way I made it was so it was extra spicy since I enjoy spicy foods.” Minielle turned to her after rinsing her hands. “Can you make that same food, but not spicy?” “Well, I’ve never made it not spicy, I’ll try,” she answered, focusing on what it would be, how it would taste. In her hand appeared an empty plate. “Well, I guess not,” Angelique said, extremely confused. ‘So I can't make the foods I haven't made before? I do miss making food with my hands, maybe if I cook more I can make new foods appear.’
A knock came from the kitchen door. “Minnielle, answer the door please,” Angelique asked, hiding the evidence of their meal. Minnielle opened the door to an elderly maid with a stern and taught face. “Greetings to Alishen Angelique. My name is Evendoss, I am your new servant. It is an honor to serve you.” the woman bowed. Minnielle and Angelique exchanged understanding glances. ‘We can't trust her.’ Angelique pulled a fake smile and said, “Please, stand. I am on my way to bed, actually.”
The maid did not move and instead continued her speech. “The Alishe has bestowed upon you a new month's supply of food, Alishen. Please, accept this.” The maid moved aside as servants and butlers came in with bundles of food, and stocked the shelves with haste. Angelique could tell from their smell, they were poor quality and close to expiring. She held back a disgusted expression and smiled back. “Yes, how kind the Alishe is.” She could feel the anger rise in her blood. ‘What an insult. He almost kills me multiple times and gives me a spy and gross food. Challenge accepted, a**hole.’ Angelique walked from the kitchen and into her room.
“Maid Evendoss, please excuse me and Minnielle, I will be taking a bath, privately. I only need Minnielle for this.” Angelique said sweetly, before shutting Minnielle and herself into the bedroom.
“What are we gonna do!” Minnielle whispered, tugging her hair nervously. “Will I never get to eat your magical food ever again!” tears filled her eyes as she gazed at Angelique. Angelique couldn't help but laugh. “You only care about food, you're a little pig. But you're right, I can't let them know about my magic.” Angelique walked over to the window and opened it, the night breeze was cold and clean. “That new maid is clearly a spy sent by Julian,” she said, lifting herself up and out of the window while Minnielle had her back turned. “So, ill chop the head of the snake off,” she said, her words almost blown away by the wind. Minnielle, hearing the woosh of Angelique's dress, spun around to see Angelique's foot leave the view of the window and she gasped.
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