The hours flew by. Class with Head Maid Greta wasn't as grueling as I thought it'd be. It was actually quite a breeze, and I hadn't even realized it was 6 PM until Greta glanced towards the clock on the wall and dismissed me. Now, I'm trekking down the torch-lit halls, searching for the landmarks I'd marked when coming here. A silver vase. A tapestry with two embroidered snakes. A golden trinket. I can't help but feel proud of myself when I turn a corner into a familiar corridor of black-painted doors. It'll certainly be good to memorize my way around here.

I find door 52B and push it open. Inside, I see Macy tugging on her boots, dressed in what I can only assume is the maid's uniform. It's much different from what the maids wore in our estate. Instead of a black skirt and a white petticoat, this uniform only requires black dress pants. The shirt is a black blouse with the silver Gahndor sigil embroidered on the breast. As soon as she sees me, she stands and rushes over, no longer seeming to care for the fact that her laces are untied.

"How was it? Did Greta go over everything?"

I give her a slow nod. "Yeah, she taught me... a lot. I think I have the important aspects down, at least."

Macy squeals and grabs my hands. "That's great! I'm sure you'll make a wonderful maid. I wouldn't be surprised if they promote you to a higher position. Did you know that higher positions can choose what they want to do? I know I would work in the gardens if I could."

I smile at her. That wouldn't be so bad. At least then I wouldn't be waiting at someone's feet for orders; I could tend flowers instead.

And then I realize that this girl just made me have a positive view on maid work for the first time since I'd become one. It's enough to convince me I could definitely get used to Macy's company.

Macy drops my hands and casts a backwards glance towards the window, where the sun sinks below the horizon. "It's six... so the opening ceremony would be over by now. The First Feast is starting soon, though. Greta told you the arrangement, yes?"

I nod. Right before I'd left, Greta had pulled me aside and told me my first task would be to serve at the First Feast, where the ladies of the Queenstrial would dine with the royal family. In the meantime, Macy would prepare the room for the girl we'd been assigned to.

Still, I can't help but dread it. Though I had managed to miss the Opening ceremony—something I had taken great comfort in—I would now have to serve the girls that would have been my competitors, had Mother not pulled me out of the competition. I just knew a smirking Althea would be waiting for me at the table.

I exhale a sigh. It's not like I have a choice. So, I plaster a wide smile on my face and trot over to my bed, where an outfit similar to Macy's is spread upon the sheets.

"Do you know who we're assigned to yet?"

"Yes," Macy answers. "Gertrude Cliffgard. I can't wait!"

I pause as I reach for the blouse. I've met the Cliffgards before. Our family dined with them on many occasions, with their three sons and eldest daughter, Gertrude. I'd never spoken to Gertrude personally, but with the way she glared at my sisters and ignored her own parents when they asked her questions, it was obvious manners weren't her top priority.

Still, I wasn't about to be a killjoy and tell Macy that. Besides, the last time we'd met with the Cliffgards was three years ago. Maybe Gertrude has turned a new leaf.

That is a heavy maybe.

"Oh, how interesting," is my short response. With deft fingers, I undress myself and slip into the uniform. It's uncomfortably tight around my rear, and the shirt's material feels like sandpaper against my skin. Still, I try to ignore the discomfort as I pull on the black leather boots and tie the laces into a firm knot.

Soon, both Macy and I are ready to depart. Her brown skin retains a gold aura in the light of the window, almost as though she's glowing.

"The Dining Room is on the first floor. Just keep heading east, and you'll get there eventually. If you get lost, ask someone for directions. No one expects you to know the entire layout of the palace yet. Hell, even I still get lost sometimes."

I smile at Macy. "I'll try my best." I pause. "I wish I could come with you, though. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about all this."

Though I won't call her a friend yet, she is certainly an ally, and for the little amount of time I've been in this palace, Macy has been the only one predominantly by my side. She's made the palace seem a little less big, a little less daunting. Without her, I'd feel lost.

She gives me a sad smile. "I know. I want the same thing, but don't sweat it. You'll be fine."

"Thanks," I tell her. With that, we open the door and step into the corridor. Macy goes left. I go right.

As I walk, I follow Macy's instructions and head to the east side of the palace. My head pounds as I walk, my stomach knotting with anxiety as I think about what awaits me. To distract myself, I try to recall my lesson with Greta, of all the things she taught me. Contrary to my initial beliefs, Macy and Greta had been right; my life as a noble had helped with knowledge of the content. According to Greta, we'd gone through the syllabus twice as fast as normal. She'd also put it down to my intelligence, but I don't think I'm that smart. I just have a good memory.

I know I'm heading for the right place when the volume of palace folk roaming the halls steadily increases. Maids bustle about as guards rush around. I follow them, and eventually, I pass down a final staircase into a lobby. Two large double doors have been thrown open across from me, and I know I'm at the right location when I have the quiet warble of excited chatter drift from the room.

Walking across the dark-tiled lobby, I take a deep breath, taking a moment to adjust my blouse. Then, I walk into the dining room, with my shoulders back and my head held high.

The dining room is gorgeous. Tapestries of gold and silver line the cobblestone walls. Bracket torches flicker between them, and a dome-shaped skylight in the ceiling reveals the orange-painted skies above. Guards stand at attention along the walls, with long broadswords with black hilts secured at their sides. Rows upon rows of long, dark ash-wood tables and benches line the forefront of the room, but they are all empty. The only occupied one is the table at the front, the one the maids linger around, waiting for instruction.

My heart stutters for several reasons. For one, the royal family is sitting right there. Like... RIGHT THERE, sitting in black high-backed chairs padded in dark purple velvet. My eyes quickly drink them up. They are just like how the legends described them. King Galen, with golden eyes and jet-black hair. Queen Selene, dainty and graceful, with rich brown hair and ice blue eyes.

And Prince Kohl. His appearance shocks me the most. I don't expect him to look so pale, his skin stark like snow against the dark fabric of his clothes. His hair is dark like his father's, though it has a dark, almost navy tint in the torchlight. And his eyes...

Pure gold, just like his father's. A true Gahndor. No other wolf has golden eyes.

And then there's the less pleasant reason why my heart stammered. Gathered around the long table the royals sit at are the girls of the Queenstrials. Envy rips through me, so hard and violent that I almost stagger back. They all wear gorgeous dresses, dresses that not even a noble could get their hands on if they tried. Silk, satin, and sequins of every colour light up the overwise dark table, adorned with elaborate hairstyles and makeup to match. The fact that I should be among them, that I should also be wearing a gorgeous dress and feeling pretty...

I swallow. This is going to be harder than I thought.

Slowly, I make my way towards the center table. As I do, I scan the walls for familiar faces. I recognize a few of the guards and maids as people I passed when I came here, but nothing else. That's until I spy a mop of golden curls and piercing green eyes. Alex flashes me a grin, which is starkly contrasted with the dour-looking faces of the guards at his sides. My cheeks flame as I smile back, and I quickly look away. What the hell is up with me today?

As I approach the table, I steal one more glance towards the table. My eyes immediately go to Althea, and that poisonous envy shoots through me again. She is wearing a red silk dress, one that accentuates her curves and gives her skin a certain glow. Her hair has been braided around the front of her head, making it look as though she is wearing a crown of her own. Golden pendants hang down from her ears and neck, matching the tone of her skin perfectly.

Our eyes meet. She smirks at me, a smirk that says more than words ever could. You are inferior to me.

I look away. My chest aches. I really don't need Althea rubbing her victory in my face, not right now.

I manage to catch Jade's gaze as I pass by the table as well. Unlike Althea, there is no contempt in her eyes. She looks concerned, almost sorry. I don't want her to feel sorry, though. She looks so beautiful in her green dress. It matches her eyes.

As I take my place along the back wall with the other maids, standing so I have a clear view of everyone at the table, I let my imagination run a little. I can almost imagine myself in a pale magenta dress, rich with purple sequins and trails of red silk. I imagine myself sitting among them, with my hair and makeup done, all to look pretty for the prince.

My eyes slide back to Kohl. Up close, I can see more details. Like the subtle frown on his face as he surveys the girls, as though he is displeased with his selection. And the black shirt he wears is overlaid with a grey vest and onyx pauldrons. I also spy a small silver chain around his neck, its pendant looking unnervingly like another wolf's fang.

I was sceptical of it before, but looking at Prince Kohl now, those rumours Macy mentioned seem more plausible. With his closed-off expression and cold gaze, I definitely wouldn't be surprised if he'd been cursed. I haven't met very cruel people, but the ones I had always had that same look about them – the one he has now. I can't imagine him smiling at the altar with any of these girls, and I find myself considering that maybe he really can't feel any love. After all, it would make sense, seeing as Gahndors don't mate.

Then again, I can't talk. I haven't mated to anyone, either, despite my sisters already finding theirs. Jade's was a wealthy man from the city, whom she hasn't rejected, but I doubt she will marry. Althea's, surprisingly, was a poor boy from the outskirts of one of the wolf cities. Apparently, she'd passed by him on an expedition with our mother. For a few months after that, the boy had come to the doorstep of our estate, begging to meet Althea. Althea wanted none of it. For her standards, he was too poor, too plain. It came as no surprise when she rejected the poor bastard, and not in a subtle way. She did it in public, right in front of his friends and family. She was laughing about it after, laughing at how naïve the boy was, to think he could ever have a chance with her.

I look towards Althea, who is chatting to the Lunous girl beside her. Maybe she's cursed with cruelty, too.

Eventually, silver platters of aromatic foods find their way to the table, and I and several other maids find ourselves dishing out portions. I don't make eye contact with any of my sisters as I do it, and my cheeks are burning again by the time I find my way back to the wall.

As they eat, I take my time to scan the competition. I pick out the Nirnsich girl as the prettiest of the lot, and realize it's why Althea was making conversation with her. She's also sniffed her out as her greatest rival, and I suppose she must be the type to follow 'keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.'

As I continue to scan the faces, however, it occurs to me just how different everyone is. It's obvious to see who came from what bloodline; who are sisters and who are not.

In Raelia, there are six noble bloodlines. Agnarys, the House of Fire; Nirnsich, the House of Water; Cliffgard, the House of Steel; Ounsli, the House of Earth; Lunous, the House of Moon; and Fragor, the House of Storm.

Then there's the Gahndor line. They have enhanced everything.

As the dinner progresses, I wait for Prince Kohl to stand and address the table, seeing as he hasn't already. I can sense that others are waiting as well. The man, however, remains firm in his seat, even as he finishes his meal and impatiently gestures for a maid to take his plates away.

His indifference irritates me. It's just custom to stand and address the table when you are the host, but maybe Gahndors do not have such manners. After all, the king doesn't seem to be fussed about his son's lack of address. The queen whispers a few rapid words to him, but he just waves her off and says something back. She bites her lip and returns her gaze to the girls, and I swear her eyes look apologetic. To my surprise, Prince Kohl taps her on the shoulder and says something else, and I am shocked to see a smile pass over his face. It is brief, one obviously reversed for only the eyes of his mother, but I can't help but notice the way it lit up his face. For a moment, he didn't look like a cruel, dark prince. For just a moment, he looked normal. Nice, even.

Then he stands. All the girls at the table straighten, buzzing with anticipation, as Kohl rounds the table and walks to their side. I watch the girls' faces fall, one by one, as he passes them. He's nearing Althea, and I see her face light up with a smug expression—an expression that falls when he stops behind the Lunous girl sitting beside her. He leans down beside her ear and whispers something to her, and though I can't hear, I can tell from Althea's sour look that it isn't good.

The Lunous girl gives him a seductive look. He offers his hand, and she takes it as she stands. Together, they walk down the length of the Dining Room towards the exit, under the scrutiny of at least a hundred pairs of eyes. I cut a glance towards the table. As expected, all the girls wear similar expressions, ranging from jealousy to disappointment to outright dejection.

Once again, I am briefly thankful that I am not competing in the Queenstrials. Prince Kohl has known them for all but twenty minutes, and decided to bring the prettiest one to bed. Though I know that my intent to compete was never to win the man's heart, but lord, I can't believe I would have been expected to compete for such a shallow, uninteresting man.

The rest of the dinner passes with a somber note. Once the king and queen dismiss themselves, the girls do as well, and before long, it is just us maids cleaning up the table. Once we're done, a higher-level maid dismisses us, and I head back to the halls. Now, I would just need to find Gertrude's room and hopefully meet Macy there.

I release a big sigh as I make it to the foot of the grand staircase. I have a long night ahead of me.