I dressed up slowly, my fingers barely moving as I tried to tie the uniform properly. The fabric itched against my skin, and even though the maids helped me, it was clear they didn’t want to. They didn’t say a word, not even a sigh, but I could feel the hate in their silence. Their touches were rough, impatient. Like they wanted to get away from me as fast as they could.
When the dress was finally on, Matilda gave me a long, judging look before turning sharply on her heel. "Follow me," she said flatly.
I didn’t say anything. I just followed. My legs felt heavy, and my head was still aching, but I had no choice. The corridor stretched ahead, quiet and cold. No sunlight came through the tall windows. The stone walls seemed to echo every step I took.
Matilda led me down a narrow hallway, past several doors, and finally stopped at one. She pushed it open and stepped aside. "This is where you’ll be staying," she said.
I peeked inside. The room was small and bare, with a single bed against the wall, a thin blanket, and nothing else. No window. No mirror. Just stone walls and silence.
"You’ll be staying with the other kitchen maids," she added without emotion. "You should feel lucky you even get a bed."
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. It wasn’t much, but I had expected worse.
Before I could step fully inside, she turned and started walking again. "Let’s go. You have work to do."
We walked farther down the hallway until we reached a heavy wooden door. She pushed it open, and the warmth hit me immediately. The kitchen was busy, maids rushing back and forth, pots clanging, and firewood crackling under big iron stoves. The smell of food filled the air. But the moment we walked in, everything slowed down. Eyes turned to me. Some narrowed. Others rolled.
"This is the new one," Matilda announced. "Lisa. She’s to help with the servants’ meals."
One of the older kitchen maids, a woman with a face lined from years of heat and scolding, looked me up and down. "She looks weak," she said. "Will she even last a day?"
Matilda didn’t answer. She just gave me one last look and walked away.
The older maid stepped forward. "I’m Nora. You listen to me, and maybe you won’t get burned. Got it?"
"Yes," I said quickly.
She pointed to a big wooden counter covered in vegetables. "You’ll be in charge of preparing meals for the servants. Chop these, sort the grains, and boil the water. Move fast, or you’ll delay everyone."
I nodded and stepped up. My hands still shook a little as I picked up the knife, but I focused. I had done this before. Not in a palace, but back home. Before everything changed.
The kitchen was loud, hot, and tense. No one spoke to me. They worked around me like I didn’t exist. And when they did speak, it was only to bark orders or give glares.
I peeled, chopped, stirred. The knife slipped once, nicking my finger. I sucked in a breath and kept going.
After what felt like hours, pots were filled, trays were lined, and steam filled the air. Nora came by, checked everything, and gave a short nod.
"Not bad," she muttered. "You didn’t ruin it."
I took that as the best praise I’d get.
The food was carried out to the servant halls, but I stayed behind to clean up. My back ached. My legs trembled.
By the time I was done, my hands were red and raw. The other maids were gone, taking their short breaks or handling other duties.
I sat on a small stool in the corner, just for a moment, breathing in the scent of spices and warm bread. It reminded me of home, of my father’s small kitchen, of simpler days when life was just about keeping him company, not surviving punishment.
But those days were gone.
I was in the palace now.
And I had to survive.
I leaned back a little, letting the heat from the stoves warm my tired body. My fingers stung, and my arms ached from chopping, stirring, lifting, and scrubbing. I looked down at them, cracked and sore, and wondered how long I could keep this up.
No one offered help. No one offered a kind word. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
I was the mate of the alphas, and still treated worse than a servant.
A fly buzzed around the fruit bowl nearby, and I swatted at it lazily. My stomach growled, but I dared not eat anything. The rules were clear. I was to cook, serve, and stay quiet.
"Don’t touch what’s not yours," Matilda had warned earlier. "Even a single bite could be seen as stealing."
So I sat there, swallowing the hunger along with the pain.
I missed my father. I wondered if he was looking for me, if he was eating properly, if his cough had gotten worse. I wanted to see him again. To hear his voice. Just once.
The heavy kitchen door creaked open and I quickly sat up, wiping my hands on my apron, pretending to be busy. Then I heard footsteps, soft, quick, hesitant.
I looked up, expecting another maid or maybe Matilda.
He stepped into the kitchen, his face tight with worry, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on me. "Lisa!" he whispered, rushing toward me. "What are you doing here? Why are you not in the clinic?"
I blinked at him, unsure how to answer. My body was still aching, and I knew I looked a mess. "They said I had to work... that I had rested enough." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺
Milo’s jaw clenched. "You’re still weak. You passed out this morning. You haven’t even healed fully. This isn’t right."
I gave a small shake of my head. "I didn’t have a choice. It’s an order from the Alphas,"
He looked around, making sure no one else was nearby, then leaned in. "Let me see what I can do. Maybe I can talk to someone. Get you more rest. You’re not going to last ."
I reached out, gently touching his arm. "Thank you, Milo. Really. But please... I don’t want you to get punished because of me,"