Janelle
The morning sun felt harsh against my face as I walked toward the head maid's office. My leg still ached, but I couldn't hide in my room forever. The other servants needed to see that their whispers hadn't broken me, even if they almost had.
"Janelle," Mrs. Crawford, the head maid, looked up from her ledger with stern eyes. "You're back to work today?"
"Yes, ma'am." I straightened my shoulders. "I'm ready."
She studied me for a long moment. "Good. The physician says light duties only for another week." She flipped through her papers. "You'll be assigned to the upper floors. Dusting, organizing, fresh linens for the guest chambers."
My heart sank. The upper floors. That meant working near the royal family's private quarters. Near Adrian's chambers.
"Ma'am, perhaps I could help in the kitchens instead.."
"The upper floors need attention," she cut me off. "Besides, it's quieter there. Less... gossip."
