1.1 CHAPTER ONE: THE DE SERIN MAIDEN

1.1 CHAPTER ONE: THE DE SERIN MAIDEN

Karme de Serin was wide awake at the dawn of the day. She sat on the chair in the corner of her room, staring at the dwindling fire on her fireplace. With a shiver from the draft that came from her slightly opened window, she pulled her blanket tighter around her. She raised her feet up from the cold floor and hid them beneath the cloth she used to cover her own body.

She closed her eyes and rested her head on the edge of her chair's side frame. Autumn and winter were exceptionally hard on the lady of the de Serin. The dying fire did little to nothing about the growing cold weather the change of season had brought with it.

But despite the gnawing cold, Karme had fallen back to sleep.

A knock sounded on her door. Startled, the lady slightly jmped out of her chair. Her head spun around to look in the direction of where the sound had come from.

"My lady, are you awake?" a voice asked from behind the door.

Karme cleared her throat as she sat up properly, putting her feet down from the chair. "Yes, come in,"

A maid, only a few years older than Karme, entered the room with a bow. As she raised her head, her eyes widened in an apparent fret. She hastily walked towards the lady sitting at the corner and rubbed her on the shoulder repeatedly as if trying to warm her up.

"No one came to rekindle your fire again, my lady?!" she asked, anger apparent in her voice.

Karme shook her head slowly as she gave her personal attendant a slight smile. "It was good they even started it in the first place, Maya. It was more than I could ask, really. Please do not be angry,"

"Do not be angry?" Maya repeated as she marched back towards the door. "They are not taking good care of you, my lady!"

Karme watched as the woman opened the door of her bed-chamber and ordered the other maids outside to warm up a bath for her instantly. The lady heard a low grumble of reply before Maya closed the door with a loud thud. She walked back towards her, pulling the blanket Karme was using tighter around her.

"Stay warm for now," Maya started. "The bath will be ready in a few,"

The older woman sighed as she knelt beside the lady she served. Taking Karme's foot into her hand, she massaged them, bringing warmth back into her icy skin. A few minutes of silence passed by between them when Maya spoke once more.

"This is the reason why they disrespect you, my lady. You do not show them their proper place," Maya scolded, but her worry and care were not lost on the lady.

Karme chuckled, though softly. "Is it? I thought it was because my father had forsaken me,"

Maya gasped as if she could not believe the words coming from her. "That is not true, my lady!"

"There is no need to lie in front of me, Maya. We all know the truth,"

Before the attendant could answer, there was a knock on the door of the lady's room. It was instantly followed by its opening without a word of permission from Karme. She watched as they prepared her bath without so much as a glance in her direction. As soon as they were done, everyone left aside from Maya.

Karme stood up from the chair she was sitting at, her blanket falling to the floor from the action. Her personal attendant was quick on her feet. Maya was already beside Karme, undressing her.

As the dress fell to the cold floor, Karme slowly slid down the warm bath water. She closed her eyes in ecstasy as warmth gradually embraced her. The heat of the water and the coldness of her room made soft steam rise gently up above.

Maya started to scrub the body of her lady. She could not help but be mad on behalf of the lady. She was born royalty. A cousin to the current king nonetheless. But she was so soft-spoken. So gentle. So kind.

Yet–every single one treated her with contempt and mockery because her own father disregarded her. But despite all that, Karme de Serin grew up to be nothing like her father, the Royal Duke.

"What are your plans for today, my lady?" Maya inquired as she helped the younger woman into her dress.

Karme closed her eyes, deep in thought, as she sat down in front of the mirror. "Will my father be going out today?"

Maya nodded as she started gently brushing the lady's crimson curls. "He will be traveling to Athanasios today, my lady. He will be attending the Regallion,"

Karme's eyes lit up at the news her attendant had just partaken. She knew the Regallion, was a disheartening event. It was something she had never wished to witness herself. She felt wrong about being happy about it. But with her father out of castle de Serin to attend it, Karme would be free to roam about without fear of bumping into him.

"I will be in the library, Maya," she answered, her mind flying around the titles she had been dreaming of reading but could not because her father spent his time in the library during his stay at home.

As she finished the breakfast her attendant had brought for her, Karme set off for the library while Maya promised to get her a cup of freshly brewed tea after her. The lady of the de Serin walked along in the hallways that led towards the castle's library.

Everyone across her gave her a glare simply because she was walking about. But her excellent mood could not be ruined by a few whisperings and frowns. She was going to bury herself with books. And for her, there was no greater pleasure than that.

Karme was never allowed outside of the castle she grew up in. Not even to be presented to the royal court. Her mother told her it was because she was sick that going outside would be bad for her and worsen her illness. But after her mother's death, she overheard her father saying to her twin that it was because she was cursed and there was no way he would allow her to roam outside freely and spread malice and misfortune.

Since then, Karme had stopped asking to be let outside. And thus, the books in her father's library were the only thing she had that told her what the world outside the castle was. It was her only chance to have an adventure.

By the time Maya had brought in the cup of tea she had promised, Karme was already sitting on the carpeted floor of the library, immersed in the book she had at hand. The older woman could not help but chuckle lightly as she put down the tray she was holding at the table nearest the lady she served.

Karme gave no notice that she heard her arrival. Maya looked over the library's fireplace and walked towards it. Kneeling down, she added more wood to the fire. The blazing fire roared as it heated the room more so than before. She glanced over at the lady who was still in her own world; with a smile, Maya quietly left the library.