The three guards stiffened at once and bowed slightly. “High Stewardess, Lady Dorothy,” they greeted curtly, their voices carrying the weight of respect laced with caution.
‘High Stewardess?’ Althea realized then. ‘So she’s the one in charge of keeping order in the North Palace.’
But as her gaze locked with the older woman’s sharp eyes, the venom in the latter’s thoughts made her gulp.
‘How dare this woman strut around like she owns the place! Shameless traitor’s daughter. You should be rotting in the dungeon right now! The only reason you’re breathing is because you’re the Alpha King’s fated mate. I pray the Alpha King gets tired of you soon. You deserve death, and even that wouldn’t be enough for what your father did to Princess Riella and his cousins!’
Althea straightened her back and met Dorothy’s eyes without flinching. The woman’s hatred was sharp, but Althea forced a small, polite smile.
“Greetings, High Stewardess, Lady Dorothy,” she said softly, bowing along with Melva as the guards greeted her.
Lady Dorothy looked about the same age as the Queen Mother. Her features were gentler, but her strict expression made her seem just as intimidating.
“Why are you letting the traitor’s daughter out?” she demanded, glaring at the guards.
Rudy stepped forward quickly. “My Lady, the Alpha King has allowed her to walk within the North Palace, as long as we remain with her.”
Dorothy gave a cold laugh, her eyes narrowing at Althea. “Don’t fool yourself. You’re nothing but the Alpha King’s toy. Enjoy this while it lasts—your head will roll soon enough.”
Her words were sharper and more cutting than the Queen Mother’s insults.
Althea took a steady breath and tried not to let her hands shake. “I’m sorry if my presence troubles you, My Lady,” she said carefully. “That was never my intention.”
But as she looked at Dorothy, she caught a deeper thought behind her words.
‘The Queen Mother entrusted me to handle her. I must not fail.’
Althea’s stomach sank. The Queen Mother wanted her life in the palace to be nothing but misery. It seemed she would have more enemies to face in the palace than she had first thought.
“You’re not here as a guest,” Dorothy hissed, her eyes sharp with disdain. “Your only purpose is to warm the Alpha King’s bed. And while His Majesty is away, you will work like everyone else instead of wandering around as if you belong.”
Althea bowed her head slightly, keeping her voice calm. “I understand, Lady Dorothy. Please, tell me what you would like me to do.”
“For a start, go and clean the stables,” Dorothy snapped.
Melva gasped. “But... the Alpha King—does he even know about this?”
Before she could say more, Althea lightly touched her arm, stopping her. She lifted her chin, her tone steady but respectful. “I’ll do it. Please, show us the way. It’s my first time leaving the bedchamber, and I don’t know my way around yet.”
Dorothy gave a sharp sniff, then turned on her heel. Without another glance at them, she began walking ahead, tossing cold instructions over her shoulder as if they were commands to servants.
Althea followed quietly. She had nothing else to do all day anyway—better to work than sit in the bedchamber, waiting for Gavriel to come and claim her body.
After piling task after task on her, Lady Dorothy finally left. Almost every chore in the palace had been shoved onto Althea’s shoulders. The three guards remained nearby, but they kept their distance, giving her and Melva some space.
“Why didn’t she just say all the servants would be gone and you’d have to cover for them?” Melva scoffed, folding her arms.
She glanced at the darkening sky and wrinkled her nose. “Seriously, it’ll be night soon. You’ll smell like horse dung when the Alpha King arrives.”
Althea only smiled faintly and got to work, her hands moving without complaint. Melva huffed and rushed to her side. “I’ll do it. Please, just stand back, My Lady.”
“It’s fine, Melva,” Althea said gently, shaking her head. “I need this. It’s better than wasting away in that room. Besides, it feels like exercise. I need to build my strength too.” She gave a small laugh. “I’ve done worse back in the pack, remember?”
Melva’s face twisted with frustration, but she said nothing. It was true—back at the pack,
Althea had been forced to scrub chambers and wash filthy pots whenever her father wasn’t there to protect her.
“You never complain,” Melva muttered at last. “That’s why they always take advantage of you.”
Althea paused, her voice dropping to a softer tone. “But that’s how I survived,” she said with a weak hum. “If I fought back, I’d only become a bigger target. They would’ve found any excuse to get rid of me.”
Before nightfall, the two of them finally finished cleaning the stables. Melva let out a hum of relief. “Now let’s get you washed up, My Lady.”
Althea nodded with a tired but amused smile, wiping the sweat from her forehead. The three guards fell into step behind them as they walked back toward the palace.
After a moment of silence, Althea turned curiously to one of the guards. “Tell me, Trudis... has Lady Dorothy been serving here long?”
“Yes,” Trudis replied at once. “She’s been here since before the Alpha King was born. The Queen Dowager trusts her above all others. In fact, Lady Dorothy was also His Majesty’s nanny when he was a child.”
They continued down the courtyard hallway when suddenly, a servant ahead of them stumbled, then collapsed to the floor with a sharp thud.
Althea’s eyes widened. Without hesitation, she rushed forward and knelt beside the woman.
“Are you alright?” she asked, touching the servant’s clammy hand. The girl’s breathing was shallow, her face pale with sweat.
Instinctively, Althea pressed her palm lightly over the woman’s chest, letting her energy stir as she tried to ease the faint tremors running through the servant’s body.
But before she could focus, a sharp voice cut through the air.
“Stop right there!” Dorothy’s tone was cold and biting, echoing down the hallway. She strode forward, eyes blazing. “What do you think you’re doing, traitor’s daughter? Poisoning her to hide your own schemes?”