I hate my life.

That was all Charmaline could think as she stared at the beautiful maiden before her. I have the worst fate.

At that thought, she never felt anything could feel more true. Before this brown haired lady walked into her life, she had it good. As good as it could get for a lowborn woman like herself, and when Saenar Baronius took notice of her, Charmaline thought her life couldn't get any better. She had the love of a prince, even though she lived as a handmaiden. But growing up on Herod Plains in a tiny farming village made her appreciate the little things, and a job such as this - so close to the royals - and the fact that her lover would one day rule the Nations was more than she ever wished for. For a time, she was truly happy. Nothing could go wrong.

That was, until Saenar told her that he was betrothed.

At first, she felt anger. It was deep, unusual, and short lived. Her instantaneous thought was that he lied to her. He played her. She was just a passing fancy until the one he really wanted came along. Charmaline didn't blame herself for having such horrible thoughts; he was the prince after all! To that very moment she couldn't understand what it was he saw in her, with such a normal face and such low birth.

Soon enough - almost as quickly as it came - the anger dissipated. Saenar had explained, with an extra dose of anger at the injustice, that he was sorry he hadn't told her before and that he didn't want to ruin what they had. He said he only found out about it a few months before he met her and, in no time, he had fallen so head over heels in love, he no longer withheld that information out of them not knowing each other well but out of fear that she would leave him. Charmaline felt sympathy for him then; to see him so angered, so sad that he was set to marry someone he didn't know when his heart belonged to another. She felt outraged for him.

Charmaline was too nice of a girl. She hated it about herself. Many times, it had given way for her to be stepped on and used, but all those encounters never gave her any backbone. So when she saw the woman who was set to marry her prince, the fuming rage that boiled inside her couldn't find a proper way out. She thought of poisoning the maiden, have her bedridden for days, but then her fingers had shook so much when she held the vial, it slipped from her fingers and the dangerous liquid seeped into the ground. Then she thought about having her 'accidentally' trip and hurt herself, preferably break a bone, but she couldn't even do that. No matter what horrible thing she thought of doing to her lover's fiancee, Charmaline had a nonviolent nature. She couldn't do anything in her power to stop her two year dalliance from ending.

It killed her.

It killed her even more when she actually spoke to the girl. She was blabbering on and on, trying but failing to cover the odd guilt she felt being in her presence. She knew the girl knew nothing about her and she feared her reaction when she did find out. To find out your betrothed had a lover wasn't bound to be a good feeling, speaking from experience. Yet, that odd guilt melted away when Lady Mynera spoke to her. She was funny, inquisitive, witty and she spoke to Charmaline like they were equals.

She hated the woman. She wanted to be her friend.

That was her final thought as she stared into Mynera's face. The shock came and went like a passing wind on her face, and it was the cool-headed maiden staring back at her. No matter what though, Charmaline couldn't get her jaw off the ground. Her mouth opened and closed, gaping as she stared at the girl she thought was finally out of her life. She knew she was alive, gossip about the king's obsession was the juiciest of them all. But not for one second did she think she would come back to the capital.

What happened to Saenar?

"Charmaline." Her voice was still silky smooth. It drove her mad. "What a pleasant surprise."

Was it? Charmaline couldn't be sure. She couldn't be certain what Lady Mynera really meant about anything. Did she hate her? Did she know?

"Y-yes, m'lady," Charmaline stuttered. Her eyes shifted away from the maiden's piercing green eyes. She was woman now, she realized. If for a second she thought Lady Mynera was mature before, the person she stared at now was seasoned. She no longer stared at the fifteen year old lady with only the problems of what dress to choose to the ball on her shoulders. Two years has passed and Lady Mynera Antarian was ... different.

"It seems the king has gone through extra length to make sure I'm comfortable." Lady Mynera smiled, walked gracefully to her bed to lay the dress down. Charmaline wondered where she had been all this time, what she had been doing. Whatever it was, she was never less of a lady.

It irked her to know that that was the only reason King Gavin didn't kill her on spot. In fact, he sought her out, telling her he would spare her life if she worked as Lady Mynera's handmaid when she returned to the capital. Charmaline wasn't fooled by 'kind' words. It was either be her handmaid or die. Hope that Saenar was still alive was the only reason she agreed.

"Yes, m'lady."

"Oh come now, Charmaline. Have you gone shy on me?" Lady Mynera's smile was bright, too bright. "'Tis good to see you again." The way her voice cracked at the end of her sentence had Charmaline looking up in alarm. Lady Mynera coughed and looked away.

"Are you becoming ill, m'lady?"

"No, no. I'm quite fine. Just very tired and all I want is to wash up and get some rest."

"Yes, m'lady."

Charmaline hurried up to her. Lady Mynera started walking towards the wash area and she followed like a trained dog behind her. She helped her out of her dress, held her hair up as she sank into the water. All this time, she struggled not to ask the one question stuck to her lips.

Lady Mynera made a sigh of contentment as she settled in the water. Charmaline set about washing her hair.

"How have you been, Charmaline?"

"W-well, m'lady, considering the happenings of late, I don't suppose anyone cane be okay at a time like this. The cityfolks are angry, terrified and miserable. The king is ruthless. His guards play with our lives as if they mean very little. It's all very horrible, if you think about it. Not saying you don't think, m'lady!" she added frightfully.

Lady Mynera chuckled but it faded into a sigh. "I suppose you're right, Charmaline. 'Tis very bad days, indeed. But I recall I asked how you were doing, not anyone else."

"I've been better, m'lady." Especially when Saenar was here. "My situation is more fortunate than others since I'm your handmaid, but I fear for my family in Dement."

"Have you gone to visit them?"

"I've tried, m'lady. But the king will not allow me to leave the capital. He sets a guard on me every time I go to the markets. Which is in shambles, by the way."

"I saw," Lady Mynera said on another sigh. "When passing through on my way to the castle, I saw how disastrous it looked. To think such magnificence was reduced to such a state."

"It's truly a sad sight, m'lady. Very hard times are upon us."

"No worries, Charmaline. Things will turn to the better soon."

Charmaline paused for a moment, in surprise, before continuing. "How do you know that, m'lady?"

Lady Mynera shrugged, closing her eyes. A slight smile was on her face. "Just a hunch, Charmaline."

They elapsed into silence. Charmaline finished washing her hair, and helped her out of the bath. To her surprise, Lady Mynera didn't protest when she began drying her. She just stood stock still and allowed Charmaline to do her work. Soon enough, they sat before the vanity mirror, Charmaline drying her hair.

"How have you been, m'lady?" Charmaline asked.

"Not very well. As you probably know by now, I've been on the run all this time."

"There's little else to do but gossip here, m'lady, in between our tasks. The king's pursuit of you just made it to the top."

Lady Mynera laughed. "Is there anything else you handmaids gossip about?"

Charmaline flushed in embarrassment. She didn't even notice she had revealed that to her. How humiliating. "I ... well, there was heavy talk about cultists moving through Moed but they haven't been seen in a while. You escaping the king's clutches take the cake, m'lady."

Lady Mynera laughed again. It was nice, although a bit tense. "'Tis true. The king's guards have been hounding me, once even came close to bringing me back."

"How did you manage your escape, m'lady? Did you ..." she worried her lip, "did you have any help?"

The smile she saw on Lady Mynera's face in the mirror put her on edge. "A bit, yes."

"Oh, you did?" Did she notice Charmaline's unspoken question?

"A couple handsome men saved me. It was very heroic of them."

"They saved a maiden they did not know?"

"I'm quite popular, you know? My Wanted sign is everywhere."

"Oh." For the first time, she didn't know what else to say. Lady Mynera knew what she wanted to know, and she was withholding the information on purpose. And enjoying it too, if the smile on her face was anything to go by. Did she know about her and Saenar?

They said nothing else for the remainder of the time. Lady Mynera dressed herself in a long extravagant sleeping gown. Charmaline stood at the side, twirling her fingers and watching anxiously as the woman she wasn't sure she hated draped herself in silks she would never be able to afford. She gets everything, she thought bitterly. After everything was said and done, Lady Mynera was in the castle living the high life while Saenar could still be out there fending for himself.

"Thank you, Charmaline." Lady Mynera turned her back to her and climbed onto the big bed. "You are dismissed."

Charmaline bowed but hesitated. She wanted to know about Saenar. She couldn't leave without knowing.

"M'lady?"

"Yes, Charmaline?"

"Is the ... is the prince still alive?"

Lady Mynera just stared at her. She sat on the bed while Charmaline stood at the door, so she couldn't see the expression in her eyes. Seconds stretched into a minute before Lady Mynera finally relieved Charmaline of her discomfort and fear that she might have over stepped her place, saying the words she was praying for.

"Yes," Lady Mynera answered. "He is alive. And well."

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