THE MAIDEN AND THE BEAST KING

I watch my feet moving me forward as I walk into the great hall. My sneakers are worn out, the once black colour now faded to a dark grey and the soles hanging on by a thread. It's time to put in a request for new ones. Admittedly, I probably should have done so months ago. It's a surprise that my superiors haven't noticed and made me change into my ill-fitting, uncomfortable pair.

"I wonder what this is all about." Vera murmurs as she comes to stand next to me, her voice so quiet that I barely hear it above the murmurs of the humans inside.

Sighing, I drag my gaze from my shoes and look around the room. All of the castle's servants are standing around, confused expressions on their faces as they talk amongst themselves. It seems as if nobody has any clue why we've been summoned here.

The King's Second commanded that all the castle's servants be in the Great Hall before breakfast for an announcement, but that's all the information he gave.

I shrug, responding to Vera. "Me too. It's not often that they do this."

My mind flashes back to the last time the Royals had such a formal announcement, and I hold back a grimace. Some wealthy Beasts from a nearby land were coming to visit, and we were warned that their treatment of humans was harsh and to be on our best behaviour.

Up until that day I never realised just how terrifying the Beasts can be. King Richard has always been relatively kind to us, making sure we are fed and clothed, but the others that came to visit operated in a much different manner. On the first day of their visit, one of the men was eyeing a kitchen girl and as she was serving him his meal, this mate reached across the table and murdered her.

The girl's throat was ripped out in one swift motion. She was frozen for a moment, almost as if her brain couldn't comprehend what had happened, before she crumpled onto the floor. There wasn't even a lull in the conversation for the Beasts. They continued on with their meal as if nothing had even happened. It was horrific, and was whispered about for months.

As Vera and I continue walking into the room,I glance around trying to spot John. He stands a good foot above the other human men, and with his overgrown mop of pale blonde hair he's generally hard to miss.

I quickly spot him talking with a group of men near the front entrance, but before I can make my way over the room falls silent. Everybody turns to face the doorway behind me, and I follow their lead.

Spinning around, I watch King Richard and his Second step into the room. Uncomfortable with their close proximity, I shuffle backward slightly. I know that the action won't go unnoticed, but it's important I keep a safe distance in case they are angry with us.

My movement causes the King to glance at me before peering around the room. He takes his time, carefully inspecting each and every one of us, occasionally nodding to himself.

I can feel my palms getting sweaty, and I resist the urge to wipe them on my dress. Instead opting to clench them into fists by my side. Why is he looking at us like this?

The King's gaze suddenly snaps back to the centre of the room and he clears his throat, preparing to speak.

"Hello all," he starts, both his face and voice void of any emotion. "I'm sure you are all wondering why you are here. It has been requested that a small number of you transfer to Ziad, the kingdom immediately North of here. We have yet to decide on who will be going, but decisions will be made by the end of the day. Continue working as normal, and we will inform you later today should you be chosen to leave."

I feel my breath leave my body at his words, my shoulders slumping forward in relief. I'm a strong worker here at the castle, and it is unlikely that I will be chosen to leave.

Just as quickly as he arrived, the King turns and leaves the room, his Second following behind. The moment they are out of sight conversations begin to break out amongst the humans.

I spin back around to face the room, noticing that Vera has already left my side and is speaking with John. I swiftly make my way over to them, wiping my sweaty palms on my dress in an attempt to wick away the moisture that had accumulated while in the presence of the King.

"Who do you think will be chosen?" John asks Vera, nervousness apparent in his voice. "I hope it's not me. I've heard awful things about Ziad."

John catches my eye as I approach his left and shifts his body to the right, making room for me to join their conversation. His eyebrows furrowed together as he thought over her question, his bottom lip sliding between his teeth to bite at the dry skin.

"He said that only a small number are going, so odds are we should be fine." I chime in, trying to soothe his worries.

Vera frowns, looking just as stressed as John. She grabs a curl resting on her collarbone, pulling it straight and mindlessly fiddling with the ends.

"What have you heard about them?" She asks John, ignoring my statement.

"That they are cruel. That humans are treated like trash. That their servants are maimed and punished for the smallest of mistakes." John glances at me, "They would probably whip you for wearing such raggedy shoes around."

I frown, glancing down at my feet once more. Would I really be punished for such a small thing? I hear John let out a dry laugh, and can't help but to let some worry seep into my bones. I've never left King Richard's kingdom, and don't have a lot of insight into how the other ones treat their humans.

It's no secret that we aren't exactly loved by the Beasts, but our King treats us well. We are fed two meals a day, and are even allowed one day off a month.

"I've heard that the Royals in Ziad are even worse than the Beasts that came to visit last summer!" John continues.

Vera and I exchange glances, and she lets out a visible shudder. Her fingers continue to pull at her curls, an action she does whenever she is overcome with anxiety.

"We should get back to work," Vera says suddenly, her voice a higher pitch than normal. "I don't want to think about this anymore."

I nod in agreement, wishing the two goodbye, before turning and heading towards the kitchen. It's Tuesday, which means that I need to help with breakfast before rushing to the King's quarters to help tidy up with John.

The kitchen is alive with chatter by the time I arrive. Everybody is making guesses as to who will be chosen, and spilling all the secrets they have heard about the Ziad kingdom. I try to stay out of it, not wanting to get involved. Besides, I still don't think that I will be chosen to go.

My task of cleaning the King's quarters is a pretty important one. It signals that I am a trustworthy servant and, given that I have been doing it for years with no mishaps, proves that I do not pry or speak about any information that I happen to overhear while I am there. Given all the gossip that is being spread today, I would guess that that's a pretty hard trait to come by.

Breakfast goes by fairly quickly. I was not asked to help with serving, and instead was made to stay inside the kitchen and plate the food. This morning's meal was pretty simple, consisting of eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast.

I was told once that this was a dish commonly eaten by humans before the Beasts came. Apparently they adopted a number of our traditions when they took over, particularly the ones surrounding cuisine.

The scent of the food makes my mouth salivate, bringing my incredibly empty stomach to the forefront of my mind. I wasn't able to eat my second meal yesterday, having been running late on my cleaning, and am paying for it now. Sharp pains strike my sides as my stomach continuously rumbles, but I ignore it knowing that I'll be able to eat after the Beasts have finished their food.

Once finished plating all the food, I head over to the sink to wash my hands and grab some cleaning supplies. Needing to distract myself from my hunger, I disinfect all the counters and move all the dishes we used while cooking into the sink.

"You're free to go eat your breakfast now." The head chef tells me, waving her arm in the direction of the servant's dining room.

I shoot her a quick thanks before rushing out of the room. Cleaning the King's quarters takes up most of the day, meaning I need to eat quickly if I'm going to finish with enough time for dinner.

The dining room is already full, the topic of conversation continuing to be about Ziad and the transfers. I find an empty seat between one of the gardeners and laundry women, and plop down into it.

"You know, I wouldn't mind being transferred. The rules may be harsh, but have you seen their King? Talk about gorgeous." The laundry woman laughs out before shoving a spoonful of porridge into her mouth.

I grab a bowl from the centre of the table and serve myself a couple large scoops of porridge. A smile spreads across my face as I notice that they put in some brown sugar today.

An elderly woman sitting across from Emma and I scoffs, "Watch what you're saying." she points her spoon at Emma "You don't want them hearing and putting you on that list. Besides, do you really think that the King would be interested in some human? Wishful thinking."

"I heard that a boy was killed once simply for sneezing." The Gardner pipes in.

Emma laughs, "Yeah, but to be fair I heard that he actually sneezed on the King."

The trio continues to bicker back and forth, and at some point I tune them out to focus on shovelling the food into my mouth. I don't have time to waste, and manage to finish eating in just a couple of minutes.

John is probably already waiting for me outside the King's quarters. The thought makes me rush through the halls, not wanting to keep him waiting for too long. My hypothesis is proven correct as I round the corner into the large corridor that leads to the King and Second's suites, immediately spotting John standing outside the pair of large oak doors.

"Sorry I'm late," I apologise. "I ate some breakfast before heading over."

John shoots me a smile, his shoulders rising in a quick shrug. "No worries! Just got here a minute ago myself."

As I come up next to him I notice that his signature messy hair has been combed back, and it even looks as if the ends have been tripped. Surprised, I bring my gaze down over his body, seeing that he is wearing his finest shirt and his black shoes appear to have been polished.

"Why are you so uh-," I stammer, trying to find the right work. "Cleaned up?"

John tenses, and I watch as his cheeks turn a light shade of red. He gives me a crooked, embarrassed smile and brings his hand up behind his neck, fingering the short ends of his hair.

"I thought that if I cleaned myself up that I would be less likely to be chosen."

John's always been a bit of a worrywart, but this is excessive even for him. Holding back a frown, I give him a soft smile that I hope is comforting.

"Well, you look very nice! I'll take the King's suites if you want to work on the Second's? Then we can head down to get dinner after." I suggest attempting to change the subject.

John agrees, and we part ways to begin our work. Typically there is a Beast on guard to make note of the time we enter and exit, as well as who goes into which set of suites, but none are present today. I've been in charge of cleaning the suites with John since we were 14, and over the years the guard has gotten more relaxed.

I throw my body into the heavy door, pressing my shoulder into it for extra support. It opens just enough for me to fit through, and I slip inside, the door slamming behind me with a loud thud.

Glancing around the entryway, I am pleasantly surprised to see that the King has kept both his shoes tidy and the small table along the left wall free of clutter. I continue down the hallway until it opens up into the living room.

"Oh."

I hum quietly, looking over the mess that has become this room. Empty bottles are strewn about, and multiple photos lay haphazardly on the couch and table. A children's book lays open on the floor, the pages romanticising the Beasts' invasion some 200 years ago, and there are half-eaten plates sitting on the bookshelves that line the far left wall.

Knowing how important the photos are to the King, I decide to start there first to ensure that nothing spills on them as I clean. I'm surprised that he took them out in the first place. King Richard was looking at them daily after the death of his mate, but in the past couple of years has stopped looking at them all together.

I make sure to pick them up carefully, flipping the images so they are all facing the same direction, before placing them back in the albums that they were taken from. I learned years ago which photos belong to which albums, but still take my time making sure not to misplace any.

With the photos safely tucked away, I make quick work with the rest of the room. It's tedious, but relatively easy work. Before I know it I'm finishing up the dusting and bringing the full trash back to the front door.

Thankfully the living room was the only room in poor shape, and I'm able to finish up most of my cleaning within a couple of hours.

Approaching the front door, I ball up my hand into a fist and bang against it a couple of times. Usually the Beast on guard is able to open it for me, but since he's gone today I have to rely on John.

I spent a good two years convinced that if I tried hard enough I would be able to pry open the heavy front doors, but eventually gave up and accepted that while I can push them open just enough to slip inside, I don't have enough strength to pull them towards me to get out.

John doesn't come to open the door, and after a couple more bangs I accept that he is probably still cleaning and I need to sit and wait.

Already I can feel my hunger settling in. My stomach has been rumbling for the past two hours, but within the past 30 or so minutes I've begun to feel the sharp pains return. Just the thought of eating some food has me salivating.

In a moment of weakness I contemplate digging through the trash and eating some of the leftovers that the King didn't finish, but even as I think it I know that I won't actually go through with it. The punishment would be too great if I was caught.

Every few minutes I give a couple pounds on the front door, not knowing when to expect John to leave the Second's quarters. After waiting for what feels like an hour I hear the door groan. Knowing that this is a sign that it's about to open, and quickly step backward and begin gathering the trash bags in my hands.

"Took you long enough!" I exclaim as it pops open, "I was starting to get worried that we would miss-,"

The words die in my throat as I look up to see the King standing in front of me, his hand holding the door open with ease. A mocking smirk spreads across his face as he realises that I've been trapped inside.

"Come on out. I need to speak to both you and that young man you clean with."

He steps aside, giving me space to squeeze past him into the main corridor. I sign in relief as I realise that I am not going to be punished for speaking to him in such a way.

As I exit the quarters I spot John standing against the far wall to my left. He refuses to meet my eye, opting instead to stare at his overly shined shoes. I make my way over to him, dropping the garbage bags to my right and bringing my hands behind my back. I bow my head, showing respect to the King, before looking back up at him. I see John do the same out of the corner of my eye.

"Given the announcement this morning, I am sure that you are aware of what I need to speak to you two about. You have both been chosen to transfer to the Ziad castle. It was a hard decision, and you two were not among my top choices, but King Helix specifically requested we send our best servants." He informs us, a slight frown etched onto his face.

I don't move, my mind trying to wrap around what he's just told us. Seconds pass in silence as the King watches us. I clear my throat, the sound reverberating throughout the long corridor.

"When do we leave?" I finally muster up the courage to ask, wincing as my voice cracks slightly.

King Richard purses his lips, eyes darting between John and I. John shuffles his feet, the movement subtle, while I fiddle with my fingers behind my back. It's a futile attempt to comfort myself.

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"What are you going to do?" Vera asks, her voice soft.

I hear the door close behind her but I remain still, pretending to be asleep. If I don't get up then I don't have to leave today. Simple as that.

Vera's shoes squeak as she walks towards me, and seconds later I hear a creak and feel the mattress dip as she sits on the edge of my bed.

"I don't know what I'm going to do without you and John," she continues. "It's always been the three of us."

Giving up the charade, I open my eyes and peek up at her. Her curly brown hair is thrown up in a messy bun, and deep bags have appeared under her eyes overnight. She looks about as bad as I feel.

I sigh, not knowing what to say. "Well, I'm glad that at least one of us gets to stay here. John and I will be okay." I assure her.

Pushing the thin sheet off my body, I throw my legs over the edge of the bed and pull myself up into a sitting position.

"Help me pack?" I ask.

I'm sure Vera has loads of chores to do today, but I'd like to spend some time with her before leaving. I said all of my goodbyes yesterday during dinner, and am hoping that if I stay in my room all day I can avoid having to go through that all again.

Vera gives me a sad smile. "Of course."

The next couple of hours are spent packing and reminiscing on all the great times we'd had over the years. From running around the castle gardens as young children to becoming teens gossiping about who was having sex. We were lucky in that we weren't expected to start working until we were ten, and therefore got to spend a lot of our childhood exploring and having fun.

"Do you remember when John and Sara started hooking up? We would have to cover for him and tell his mom that he was asked to go help out in the gardens." Vera asks, choking on her laughter.

I chuckle at the memory. I doubt his mom believed us for even one second, especially given that we couldn't stop giggling while speaking to her.

"And remember when she caught them?" I snort. "She made all of us sleep out with the horses by lying to her!"

Vera and I laugh together, continuing to share good memories in an attempt to take our mind off the matter at hand. It makes the time go by quickly, and before I know it it's time to head outside to the main gate.

I take one last look at my bedroom, tears bubbling up in my eyes at the knowledge that this will be the last time I am ever here again. The area is just large enough to hold a twin bed and small chest of drawers, but is the only space that was ever really mine.

"Twenty-four years of existence and all we have to show for it is one sad burlap sack." Vera laughs, sarcasm heavy in her tone.

I glance down at my sack, a loud snort escaping my throat. I quickly throw my hands over my mouth to cover it, the motion causing Vera to laugh harder. Seconds later we are both hunched over with our hands holding our sides as we laugh maniacally.

As expected, it doesn't take long for the laughter to turn into loud, fat sobs. I pull Vera into a hug, burying my face into her curly brown hair and wrapping my arms as tightly as I can around her waist. She does the same to me.

"I'm going to miss you so much." I murmur into her neck.

She sniffles, "Promise you'll write to me?"

"Of course!" I answer, both of us knowing it's a lie. The cost of sending mail is much too expensive for a human, and it will take me years to find enough money to write to her. By then we will have moved on from one another, and will have more important needs for that money.

Pulling away, I hold her shoulders in my hands to take one last look at her. I fear that the sight of her red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks will be the image of her that I carry with me for the rest of my life.

I release her shoulders and reach down, grabbing my burlap sack and throwing it over my shoulder. No words are spoken as we leave my bedroom and walk through the servant's quarters, heading to the side exit that leads to the front gate. Before separating for the last time, I turn and give her a small nod, not having the strength to say goodbye once more.

Vera gives me a watery smile, before turning and heading back inside. I watch her retreat until the door closes behind her. Even then I don't look away. My eyes sweep the length of the castle, committing the image to memory.

It's hard to believe that this is the last time I'll ever see this place again. I've spent my entire life here, and with the snap of a finger it's all being removed.

Not wanting to dwell any longer, I turn and head to the small group standing around by the gate. King Richard wasn't kidding when he said only a few servants were leaving. Only sixteen of us are waiting outside, John included.

I can't help but wonder why King Heloix needed more humans. Usually slaves are encouraged to reproduce with one another, often having four or five children, and those children grow up to replace their parents. That, in theory, should eliminate the need to trade us back and forth.

Maybe King Heloix is killing his slaves at a rate faster than they can populate. My body shivers at the thought. While I hope that the rumours of his cruelty are just that, a larger part of me knows that it is likely true.

"Hey," John's voice breaks me out of my thoughts. "Sit next to me on the bus?" He asks.

I nod, remaining silent. John seems to be feeling the same way, as he doesn't try to strike up any conversation. We stand next to one another quietly with our sacks thrown over our shoulders and deep bags under our eyes.

The bus is heard before it's seen. The squeak of the wheels and loud popping of the exhaust signals to us all that the time has come. Most people keep their heads down as it approaches, but their hands rise to their faces every couple of seconds to wipe away stray tears. I noticed the girl from the kitchens yesterday, and while she still looks excited, her wide, jumpy eyes tell a story of fear.

Seconds later the large yellow bus comes trudging around the corner. Apparently, long ago, vehicles like this used to take human children to school. John's mother told me once that her great-grandmother had gone to school five days a week on a bus like this, and that her family had their own house and vehicles. She used to love telling us grand stories about what life was like before the Beasts came.

At that time, and even now, it's hard to visualise.

As the bus comes to a halt everybody picks up their sacks and lines up in front of the double doors. With a loud whine, the doors are pushed open, revealing an annoyed-looking Beast sitting in the driver's seat.

"Get in and sit down." He commands, giving us a quick once over. Disgust is evident on his face, but I pay it no mind.

We quickly obey, scurrying up the steps and sitting down in the first available seat. I find a spot near the middle, and John sits down in the aisle seat next to me.

I drop my sack down at my feet and readjust, trying to get comfortable on the hard cushion.

"Do you know how long the ride is going to be?" I ask John.

I turn and watch as he struggles to loosen the seat belt, his thick fingers unable to pull out enough slack to buckle himself in. Reaching over, I swat his hands aside to help him, before turning and doing the same for myself.

Once we are situated, John lets out a loud sigh. "Not sure, but I've heard it's long."

Turns out 'long' was an accurate statement. We sit for hours in total silence as the bus moves us along. Occasionally a quiet whisper breaks out or a throat is cleared, but otherwise the bus is pretty quiet.

I stare out the window the entire time. Most of the ride consists of long, empty stretches of land, but occasionally we will pass an old abandoned human town or small Beast village. I pay most attention to the old towns, imagining what life must have been like before the Beasts came. I envision them full of bustling life and jam-packed with people of all ranks.

By the time we arrive at Ziad the sky has long since gotten dark and the streets are almost completely cleared out. The city is large, much larger than King Richard's, and the Beasts on the street look at us with mild fascination. Most humans work in castles or homes of the wealthy, so it's not often that a common Beast will lay eyes on one of us.

I watch as a young Beast, probably around the age of 5 or 6, tugs on his mom's shorts and points at the bus. His mom ignores us, grabbing his arm and moving him behind her so he's out of our view. I can't help but frown as I watch the interaction. Do they dislike us so much that young children are prohibited from even seeing our faces?

Slowly, the buildings become larger and less frequent, with giant plots of land surrounding each home. My body leans to the left as we make a sharp turn to the right and begin heading up a rocky path.

On my left I can see the main road we just exited from, and the front gates of the castle just ahead. We must have turned to go through a small servant's entrance instead of the main one. I can't help but fidget with my hands and adjust my dress every 5 seconds as I watch the castle getting larger and larger.

Turning to my right, I glance at John. He is looking past me out the window, also watching us approach our new home. Sensing me looking at him out of the corner of his eye, he turns to meet my gaze, his face blank.

"You ready?" I ask, "We are almost there."

The bus jolts to a stop as the words leave my mouth. The driver doesn't hesitate to open the double doors in the front and demand our immediate exit.

One by one we each grab our items and leave the bus. My mouth falls open as I fully take in the large castle for the first time. I thought that King Richard's was large, but it's nothing compared to this. King Heloix must have hundreds of slaves working here.

"Okay everybody, listen up!" A loud, feminine voice yells. My head snaps forward, spotting a tall human woman standing about twenty feet in front of us.

She continues, "Line up single file. Women in the front and men in the back. Keep your heads down and do not speak. We are to head inside where you will be informed of the castle rules, and then I will show you where you will sleep and what your jobs are."

The woman turns and begins walking up the path to the small entrance. Caught off guard by her abruptness, we all fumble to grab our belongings and adjust our lineup. I rush up to the front, not wanting to get caught behind, and slip in the middle of the small line of women.

I'm awestruck the second we step foot into the castle. The hallway we walk down is long, and each room we pass by is grand, the walls covered in artwork and filled with dark, sleek furniture. We pass maybe six rooms before being led down another corridor. The wall lights are kept dim, giving the hallways an eerie feel.

Eventually, the hallway opens up to a large entryway. Presumably the main hall where the Beasts enter and exit. The woman, who still hasn't told us her name, has us line up against the far right wall to wait.

I take a peek at the women on my left and right, but neither return my glance. Their heads are kept down, eyes locked in on the floor in front of them. We waited like this for a while, the room so silent you could hear a pin drop.

After an hour or so I feel myself starting to get antsy. My lack of sleep last night and the stress of the day is quickly catching up to me, making my eyelids droop. At one point I even catch myself holding back a yawn. I quietly shift back and forth on the balls of my feet, trying my best not to make a noise.

At the sound of loud boots stomping, I tense up and straighten my back. Two men enter the room from the far left hallway, moving forward until they are directly in front of us. The man in front looks to be in his late thirties, greys taking over most of his hair and sideburns. He wears a tailored suit that hugs his strong frame, and walks with the confidence of a King.

Behind him is a younger man who looks to maybe be in his late twenties. He stands tall, a couple of inches above his older counterpart, and wears a mean scowl on his face.

The older man clears his throat. "I am Axis, Second to King Heloix. We will inform you today of the rules you are expected to follow. Any disobedience moving forward will be met with immediate punishment."

The man steps aside, making room for King Heloix to step forward. I'm honestly shocked that he is the Second, while the younger man is King. From what I've heard, most Kings come into their title when they are much older.

I can't imagine the horrific things that King Heloix has done to earn himself such a reputation so quickly. I hold back a shudder even thinking about it.

The King glances around the room, hardly paying any attention to us. Up close he is quite terrifying. Despite the full suit he wears, you can easily make out his powerful frame. Beasts in general are much stronger than humans, but he looks large for even a Beast. I look up from his body and take in his face. He has a sharp jawline, which leads to thick lips and dark, wavy hair. His eyes are dark too, almost looking black in the lighting. If he wasn't such an awful person he would probably be pretty attractive.

When it is clear that King Heloix is not going to speak, the Second continues. "While things may have been relaxed at Richard's, that is not how we operate here. We have rules, and they are expected to be followed."