They traveled back to Seraphina's wing in silence, the moonlight their only light, the wheels in her mind turning with calculated precision. How to extract information from Susan and Eve without raising suspicion? Playing the innocent might evoke protective instincts, but asking too many questions could betray her lack of preparedness. She needed to return to her roots, to channel the cold, commanding presence of her own mother.
Seraphina recalled her mother, a formidable figure who commanded respect from all who served under her. Flowers and gifts often adorned her path, tokens of admiration intertwined with fear. It was manipulation, subtle yet potent. Same game, different rules, the words ingrained in her.
The first step was gathering information. She needed to prepare the staff for change, and already rumors swirled about the morning's events, her altered demeanor, and the impending shift in power.
"Your Grace," Eve's voice snapped her back to the present. The maids opened the doors, and Seraphina stepped through, her mind already mapping out her next moves.
"Eve, can you light the crystals, and Susan, help me into something more comfortable," Seraphina instructed, a faint glimmer of excitement dancing in her eyes as she headed towards her bedroom, already untangling the gems from her hair. Susan moved ahead of her, while Eve whispered incantations, gradually illuminating the room with a soft glow.
"Your Grace," Susan responded promptly, retrieving a freshly pressed satin nightgown adorned with delicate lace embroidery.
"And a robe, please," Seraphina added, deftly untying the corseted bows of her dress. As Susan rummaged for the robe, Seraphina slipped into the closet, shedding her attire. Her reflection in the mirror captured her attention, and for a fleeting moment, she couldn't help but marvel at the flawless complexion she now possessed. Her old body bore the marks of forgotten battles, scars etched into her skin, a testament to her past. She found herself reminiscing about her previous appearance, the familiarity of her black hair and green eyes, now replaced by a new visage. In her youth she always wished she was someone else, a friend, co-worker; their lives seemed much more mundane and carefree; now she was worrying about the potential betrayals of servants and her own royalty status. “Susan, you never answered me earlier... About the amount of staff hired?”
"Apologies, your Grace. In each castle, there are approximately seventy-five servants, although this number can fluctuate slightly depending on the preferences of the household head," Susan began. "Then, of course, there are the kitchen staff, comprising about ten members, including the head cook. Some of them also assist with tasks on the farm when they're not busy in the kitchen. As for the gardeners, we initially had a team of twelve, but they resigned not long after..." She trailed off momentarily as Seraphina slipped on the nightgown, her expression pensive.
"Please, Susan, speak honestly," Seraphina encouraged, her gaze steady. Susan took a deep breath, nodding.
"They resigned after learning that your punishment was lifted," Susan confirmed, her words tinged with a hint of disgust. Probably due to the Princess’s proclivity to anger. "Additionally, there are the guards—both the queen's guard and the tulip guard—totaling around fifty personnel. Then, we have messengers, courtiers, and various other staff members, adding up to approximately twenty-five more. However, we've experienced a significant loss of staff, with some departing for other castles and a lack of new hires..."
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"So in total, if we were fully staffed, 172. What is the current count?" Seraphina's voice held a note of concern as she awaited Susan's response.
"125, your Grace," Susan replied, her head bowed respectfully. Seraphina clicked her tongue in disappointment.
"The staff that left were due to being fired or asking to transfer," Susan added, providing further context. “And it seems we’ve been unable to hire for quite some time.”
"Find the names of the staff members who quit or left on their own accord," Seraphina instructed, her tone firm. With a decisive nod, she turned on her heel, prompting Susan to follow suit as they made their way back into the sitting area.
"Yes, your Grace," Susan affirmed. As they reentered the sitting area, the crystals cast a mesmerizing glow, casting intricate patterns of light against the rich hues of the room's furnishings. Seraphina couldn't help but be momentarily captivated by the sight, the ambiance reminiscent of a luxurious hotel stay in Marrakech—a memory from a past life that momentarily flickered through her mind.
"Also, I want you to keep your eye out for those who aren’t doing their jobs," Seraphina continued, her voice regaining its assertiveness. "They seem to have grown accustomed to not working. By a week's time, that should be corrected."
“Yes your Grace,” Susan nodded. Eve appeared beside her sister as Seraphina sat at one of the desks and adjusted the placement of a large bouquet towards the side.
“Throw away all these gaudy bouquets, and take a handful of servants to the library. I want you to lead on cleaning it out. I also want you to schedule a meeting with that red haired boy from the kitchen, tell him I want him to make me breakfast.” Eve bowed and Seraphina looked out the window beyond the roiling hills. A large mountain sat stark against the idyllic hilly landscape.
“We’ll take our leave then.” Susan and Eve said in tandem causing Seraphina to realize again her lack of societal rules.
“Yes, please have a goodnight and see you tomorrow.” She waved and they silently exited through a side door behind a curtain. She watched for a second and surveyed the room again.
“Damn it,” hissed through her teeth. The frustration and emotions of the day finally released through her clenched jaw. She wanted a drink, she needed alcohol; however, the lack of faith in the food didn’t make her prospects of finding something remotely good appealing. Somehow everything seemed backwards, she could feel the role she had to play but every choice defied her moral obligations to just being a better human. She pressed her hands into her temples trying to beat back the hunger headache. The empanada was a faded memory and she truly dreaded having to use the chamber pot. Slowly her shoulder sank and her head hit the table. She looked to the right and the stack of letters glinted in the faded light.
She debated for a second but moved to the stack. Within seconds she sorted them out by name. Altogether there were five stacks, one stack from the king, a few from a man named Lucien Fenier, a handful from Darcy Chastain and Bruno Chastain, and the last two looked like miscellaneous notes from different businesses. She immediately opened one of the two letters from the king.
Dear Seraphina my sweetest,
I understand you might not understand my stance on imprisoning you. However, ordering the investigation and harassment of Lord Verdanzia had put me in a delicate situation. Your lack of proof for treason only solidified my stance of your brash and unbecoming nature as a Princess of Valeria. I think it is best for you to stay there for six months at most. Remember my sweetest, I love you.
Your Father King Aldrich
270 EV
Punishment unlocked, You’ve gotten a deeper understanding of Princess Seraphina. Memory complete 2%.
The words flashed across Seraphina’s eyes much like the screen in the Death realm. Only this time it was a video player screen this time with a timestamp of 280 EV attempt five. She hesitated for a brief second before looking around. Beyond the screen silence greeted her. She tucked herself against a corner of the wall and turned the volume down low hitting play.