The late afternoon sunlight filtered through the stained glass of the royal audience chamber, spilling fragmented colors across the marble floor. Elara kept her head bowed as she poured tea into the Queen's porcelain cup, her movements smooth enough to pass unnoticed—except nothing about her seemed to go unnoticed anymore.
The Queen's voice, soft yet edged with iron, broke the silence.
"Viscount Renard spoke highly of the efficiency in his wing these past weeks. Said a certain maid has kept his household in order without fuss or flaw."
Elara stilled, her hand hovering just above the tray. She knew better than to answer unless addressed directly, but the glance the Queen slid her way was enough to send heat into her cheeks.
"You carry yourself differently now," the Queen continued. "Not like the others. Not even like before."
Lady Serina, seated beside the Queen, offered a faint smile that did not reach her eyes.
"Perhaps she has simply learned to mimic her betters."
The Queen ignored the jab, sipping her tea. But Elara felt Serina's gaze lingering—sharp, assessing, almost… calculating.
---
That evening, as she crossed the east courtyard with a tray of correspondence, she heard the distinct sound of armored boots. She turned the corner to find Crown Prince Kael himself striding toward her, flanked by a single guard.
He was not supposed to be here at this hour.
"Stop," he ordered, and she obeyed instantly, bowing.
When she dared to glance up, his eyes were narrowed—not in anger, but in thought.
"You were the one who assisted the Duke of Meroven last week."
"Yes, Your Highness," she replied, keeping her voice even.
His gaze lingered, as though searching for something in her expression. "I've been told you were quick to act… resourceful. That's not common among your kind of station."
Her fingers tightened around the tray. "I only did what was necessary."
A faint sound—perhaps amusement—escaped him. "Necessary? That word can excuse both great loyalty and dangerous ambition."
He stepped closer, his height casting her in shadow.
"Tell me, Elara… which one are you?"
She held his gaze longer than a maid should, though her heart thudded in her ears. "Whichever one you believe I should be, Your Highness."
Something flickered in his expression, something sharp and unreadable. Then he turned away.
"Keep yourself from unnecessary attention," he said over his shoulder. "The palace has a way of swallowing those who rise too quickly."
She remained frozen until the echo of his footsteps faded.
---
Later, in the servant's corridor, Elara found Lady Mirren leaning against a window arch, the late sun catching in her pale hair. It was unusual to see her here—far from the noble salons and court gatherings she frequented.
"My, my," Mirren began, voice smooth as silk. "You've been the topic of more than one conversation lately."
Elara paused mid-step. "I'm not sure what you mean, my lady."
"Oh, don't play modest." Mirren's lips curved, though it was hard to tell if it was in amusement or calculation. "The Crown Prince asks about you—once—and suddenly every pair of eyes in the palace is trying to decide what makes you so… interesting."
Elara's stomach tightened. "His Highness simply—"
"Simply noticed you," Mirren interrupted lightly, with a flutter of her hand. "But when the Crown Prince notices someone, dear, it's never simple. You'll find that the rest of us are far too curious for our own good."
She stepped closer, her perfume wrapping around Elara like a net.
"If you're wise, you'll let them see only what you want them to see. Otherwise, they'll invent their own stories about you—and trust me, their stories rarely end kindly."
Elara hesitated. " Why warn me?"
"Because," Serina said, turning toward the door, "I'd rather destroy you myself than let someone else take the pleasure."
With a final, knowing glance, Mirren drifted away, skirts swaying in the corridor's hush.
---
That night, as Elara lay awake, the pieces began to connect. The Queen's eyes, Kael's words, Merin's warning—she was no longer the faceless Maid D. She was becoming… something.
And in the palace, something was always a threat.