In the Eastern part of the white palace, a room furnished in Royal blue and trinkets that could buy a small village filled the interior. Secluded by an ever-expansive Gardenia garden, methodically shaped with clean-cut walls that make up the Queen’s pastime of meticulous mazes.
Queen Meredith usually would take her tea on the balcony to watch manservants and women alike get lost in her maze. But on this morning, a solemn air could be felt as a little maid with ivory skin knelt before the Queen. Pounding her head repeatedly into the tilted floor.
“Your Majesty,” the little maid crouched on all fours not daring to lift her eyes. “This servant has done wrong!” she beseeched but her cries fell on deaf ears.
A line of well-behaved maids paid no attention to the little woman’s plight. A few had pity in their eye while the rest looked on in scorn. The little maid had indeed a fair face but with her uniform unkept and bed-tossed hair, no one needed to state the obvious of her wrongdoing. The little maid was flushed in embarrassment as she felt her teeth grind.
Meredith although not made up still was a sight to behold. The passage of time was kind to her but the Palace added unnecessary years to her expression. Her long wheat blond hair laid on her shoulder as a stout woman in a formal grey dress made her way into the Queen’s sitting room. Carefully holding a silver tray with a steaming pot. The old maid’s crinkled face made it difficult to guess if she was grumpy or not.
Madame Julie has been Queen Meredith's longtime wet nurse, who loyally followed the Queen into the palace when she was but a Crown Princess. The thin metallic focal lenses rested upon Madame Julie’s hooked nose.
The maids who quietly stood by now pretended as if they were dead. In the Queen’s palace, it was Queen Meredith who passed down the judgment but it was Madame Julie who delivered the punishment. Pity extinguished in the eyes of the few maids as their attention was now drawn to the intricate patterns of the pearl tiles that laid under their feet.
“My son is liberal in nature.” Meredith’s languid tone chilled all in the room. “But he is not uncouth in manners.”
“This servant did wrong!” The little maid shook wildly as she banged her head against the hard floor. But the Queen no longer spoke as it was Madame Julie who stepped forward. Throwing a white powder bag at the maid’s knees causing a puff of red smoke to puff out. The little maid continued to shake as she buried her head, ashamed.
“Do you know what this is?” Madame Julie’s voice landed and the little maid flinched in the process. Her eyes watered but remained silent. Madame Julie smirked at how quickly one can beg for their tiny life in one moment and pretend to be deaf in the next. “SONIA!” Madame Julie snapped.
A maid from beginning to end who held no mirth in her eyes stepped out of line, squaring her shoulders. Her dark brown hair slicked back into a proper bun that hung low at the nape of her neck. “It’s called red ginseng. It is an aphrodisiac procured from the Far East.” The little maid was shocked.
Sonia had been the little maid's only friend when she entered the palace and even shared a room together. Their friendly feelings were nearing their ten-year mark.
“S-Sonia.” The little maid stuttered but could not finish when a plump hand rang across her cheek.
“Your evil intentions are exposed.” Madame Julie gnashed her teeth. “YOU STILL DO NOT WANT TO ADMIT IT!” She screamed.
Wide-eyed, filled with absolute terror the little maid glanced around for someone to aid her, but no one stepped forward at her behest. Not even a peep could be heard. Tinged with embarrassment the little maid wrung her apron as she stared into Madame Julie’s cold beady eyes.
“I LOVE Prince Alexander!” The little maid confessed. “With all my heart!” She cried, drops of tears spilling out of her eyes. Giving the scene no longer a pitiful atmosphere but rather a pathetic one.
"I truly love him." The little maid crawled forward only to be kicked back by Madame Julie's heavy boot.
“How can lowly people like us dare to have such feelings.” Sonia kneeled on the floor prostrating herself to the Queen. “Bethenny is dull of mind, Please Your Majesty, Quell your anger.”
The little maid’s hazy eyes filled with gratefulness watching her only friend be reduced to such a state for her. Little Bethenny bent her head once more. “Quell your anger, Your Majesty.” She mimicked as her voice shook.
The line of maids watched the play in front of them and could not help but feel sympathetic toward Bethenny for her inability to see through double-sided words.
Sonia’s words were nice to hear, but it was not a reprieve on Bethenny's behalf. As a matter of fact, Sonia’s words could be interpreted as Bethenny, although knowing her position still decided to seduce Prince Alexander.
“The laundry maids said you have not bled for two months?” Meredith’s light tone broke the stiff atmosphere but her inquiry plunged the room into a cold chill.
Bethenny lifted her head up as she placed a hand on her stomach. A light smile flitted across the little maid’s lips as her eyes swirled with joy.
“We can not have a pregnant woman kneel on the cold floor.” Queen Meredith flicked her finger. A few strong laundry maids went forward grabbing Bethenny by the arm, roughly seating her in a seat across from the Queen. Meredith poured a cup of tea as she watched Bethenny caressing her stomach.
With a clink of the glass, Queen Meredith’s eyes dulled, calmly passing a light blue teacup to the little maid. The steam rolled out of the cup as an earthy smell filled Bethenny’s nose. The deep green tea swirled around two dissolving sugar cubes. Bethenny’s smile deepened as her hand covered her mouth, presenting a bashful face to the Queen.
“I was scared to tell Your Majesty at first.” Bethenny’s soft voice was as sweet as honey. “But, this child will be the Queen’s first grandchild.” She said looking down at her belly. The silence fell over the room as even Madame Julie was afraid to see the Queen’s expression.
Who did not know of the Queen’s disdain for Duke Gordon? King Edward’s first child and bastard. Queen Meredith’s blank expression turned ugly as a watched the little girl twirl a spoon in her teacup, the silverware clinking against the side.
“I am not looking for a position,” Bethenny quickly spoke. “I just want to remain by his Highness’ side.” A hue of crimson painted her face. Queen Meredith’s eyes followed Bethenny’s hand as she held the cup up to her lips, draining the tea in an instant.
Bethenny's face twisted as the tea was incredibly bitter, taking a sugar cube and popping it in her mouth.
Remaining silent, Meredith poured another cup for the little maid, pushing the bowl of sugar cubes toward Bethenny's hand.
Delighted, the little maid dropped four sugar cubes in her tea as she showcased a blinding smile that would disarm most. But who was Meredith? She was the Queen, she was not someone who would be moved by outward appearance alone.
Bethenny’s one-sided conversation drowned out the silence in the sitting room. All the maids watched, dumbfounded by the Queen’s actions.
Queen Meredith, the peak of nobility in Vicon was serving a mere maid.
A few of the maids in line cursed themselves for not getting pregnant with the prince’s baby. Even Sonia’s superior attitude waned as she watched the Queen serve Bethenny.
The little maid was unaware of the number of pointed stares she was receiving drained cup after cup.
The green tea was quite tart, the deep green color making it almost mesmerizing when the liquid swirled around her tea cup. The sugar cubes released a faint taste of honey that curbed the sharp flavor.
It was not until the last cup did the little maid feel her stomach tense causing her hand to still in front of her lips. The shiver in her fingers did not escape the Queen’s eye as Meredith openly looked down at the little servant.
A loud crash reverberated through the room as the light blue cup landed on the tile floor. Shards of porcelain scattered everywhere. The maids who were in their own thoughts jolted from the loud sound. Pulling their attention to Bethenny’s sorry figure, rolling around on the ground as the back of her uniform was covered in blood. The stench of iron filled the room as many of the maids fought the urge to cover their mouths and turn their eyes away. But they knew better than that.
Why were they all called to witness this punishment? The people who were in attendance were only the maids who serves the Prince’s palace. The crimson red mixed with the green tea turned the color into a murky brown.
Bethenny keeled over as the sharp prodding to her stomach was unrelenting. Her cries were not soft. Meredith’s eyebrow twitched by the raucous. It was Madame Julie who sensed her master’s discomfort.
The old woman snapped her fingers and a laundry maid stepped up to stuff a rag into Bethenny’s mouth to muffle the screams. The maids watched on as Bethenny’s body convulsed for ten minutes until she no longer moved from exhaustion.
Queen Meredith took a stand as her gaze ran through the faces of each maid, stopping at the maid called Sonia.
A well-informed maid, who knew the misdeeds of her roommate but did not say anything until the Queen herself came to push down the punishment. A clever maid, but the Prince’s palace had no need for clever maids just obedient ones.
Dropping to their knees, the maids bent their heads not daring to meet the Queen’s gaze as they heard her voice ring out.
“Put your ill intentions to rest.” Queen Meredith said. “This is the last time you will see my mercy.” With not another sound, the heavy clicking of Queen Meredith’s heels made their out leaving the state of the room in deathly silence.
Sonia shook, she felt as if each word was pointed at her. The smug expression she wore prior dissipated as she looked over at the unconscious Bethenny. Sonia did nothing but bury her head lower, shoving any thoughts she was having far away.
Madame Julie scoffed at the pitiful sight. “Take Bethenny back to her room and clean her up. There will be a carriage for her when night falls.” The two laundry maids nodded in accepting their tasks, shuffling the limp body out of the room.
Without hesitation, Madame Julie pulled taut on her uniform sticking her hooked nose in the air. “You should thank Queen Meredith for her forgiving nature. If not, It would not only be Bethenny thrown out on the street.” The old maid spat before leaving.
A servant's life was dependent on their master. For a maid who was thrown out of the palace, it was condemning Bethenny to a life of poverty. The only place that would be willing to take Bethenny would be the pleasure houses. The maids shook at Bethenny's unfortunate fate.
Sonia stared at the brown mixture as the need to vomit clawed at her throat. Not knowing the Queen was ruthless enough to kill her own grandchild in front of them.
It was a message.
A message saying that not even the potential of carrying the Prince’s child could not save their life. If taking away just the child was the Queen’s mercy, the next time an event like this happens, the Queen will not stop at taking away just one life.
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