FATED TO ALPHA HUNTER BY VENNEH LISAH

𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕:

Rina and I were escorted to our respective work areas. The woman whose job I took did not seem happy as Zara opened the doors to the King's quarters. I groaned as I looked back down at the stairs I had just walked up. It was going to be tough because I knew I was expected to carry the cleaning bucket and supplies up to this floor every day.

"Are you coming?" Zara asked, and I nodded, chasing after her down the long, wide corridor.

"Did he explain why? Did I do something wrong? I just don't understand why he would move me to the kitchens; I can't even cook," Janet, the woman whose job I took, shrieked.

Janet appeared to be around the King's age, but I wasn't sure about his age since vae-wolves were immortal. He appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties, just like Hunter. Janet was clearly unhappy about being transferred to the kitchens, and she still refused to leave even after Zara had dismissed her multiple times. Her maid's outfit was a little too tight, showing off every curve of her body, and her long, tanned legs were on display under the shortened dress.

"Janet, it's out of my hands; the king specifically requested Ania to be placed in his quarters and for you to be removed. If you don't like the decision, take it up with the king," Zara snapped at her.

"What does he even see in her? Are you like eighteen or something?" Janet shrieked before shoving a broom at me and making me take a step back. She glared at me before tossing her curly hair over her shoulder and looking me up and down with disgust and a sneer on her face.

"Janet, leave, or I will have you escorted by the guards," Zara warned.

"This is bullcrap, and you know it. Oh well, the king will get bored with his new plaything anyway," Janet said. She shoved past me and stalked off down the corridor to the stairs. I watched her leave, shocked at her tantrum.

"Never mind her, she has always been obsessed with the king. He let her into his bed once, and now she thinks she owns him. She will get over it. The king has been looking for a replacement maid since," Zara said, while ushering me to keep up. I turned to take a last glimpse of Janet's retreating figure.

"Now, this entire floor needs to be kept clean and tidy at all times; the king likes things in a specific way. So pay attention to detail. Everything must be placed exactly where it was. If dusting, make sure you remember what and where you moved things. The king also likes his meals at certain times. If he is not here, wait a bit and then return the food to the kitchens if he does not arrive after twenty minutes," Zara instructed me.

The whole floor was the king's quarters, with at least five rooms visible from the corridor. It felt like cleaning the entire pack house by myself.

Nervously, I asked, "Does the king spend a lot of time in his quarters?" I was wondering how much time he would be there.

Zara replied, "Not usually. He mostly attends meetings or is in his office downstairs."

"And what about that door?" I asked, feeling apprehensive. "Is it important?"

Zara's expression grew serious. "You must never go into that room. The girl before Janet broke that rule, and...never mind what happened to her. But you must never go in unless he asks," she warned me.

"Okay," I said, relieved that I had one less room to clean.

Zara gave me a tour of the king's bedroom and instructed me on the daily tasks that needed to be done. She emphasized that everything must be kept in order, and the linens should be changed daily. She also mentioned that each morning at sunrise, I was to open the drapes and let the light in, as the king usually likes to get up around 7AM. The bathroom was also a part of my responsibilities, and I needed to ensure that everything was stocked and fresh.

Zara also informed me that the king had a love for reading, and the books needed to remain in order unless they were on the bedside table. However, I was worried about this task because I couldn't read their language, and most of the books in the Arman Kingdom were written in their language.

Although I nodded to show I understood, I was secretly praying that the king put his own books back, as the bookshelves were filled with hundreds of books, and there was nothing indicating a specific order for them to be placed in. It was going to be a nightmare to keep them organized.

There was a chaise next to the shelves, where I guessed he spent most of his time reading. Looking around the room, I saw a huge bed situated in the center, with a bathroom off to the side. The windows were covered with heavy, maroon drapes, making the room appear darker. There was also a dresser with a mirror and two bedside tables, but the only personal touches were his books.

Zara spoke up, "Now, I will show you where the king has placed you if you'll follow me." I followed her as she stopped at the door directly across from the king's, and opened it to reveal a small room with a single bed, a bedside table, and a lamp. It would feel weird not sharing a bed with Rina, as we had shared our sleeping space for five years. However, the room's close proximity to the king's made me nervous.

"I thought I would be able to stay with Rina?" I asked.

"The king requested that you remain in his quarters. This is the only other room on this floor, so yes, you will stay here," she replied.

"Can't I stay with the other maids and Rina?" I pleaded. Zara smiled sadly and placed her hand on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I know you're scared, but he is a good king. As long as you stick to your work and keep your head down, you will be fine. You would have to do something terrible for him to punish you. He is a good king. Just stay out of his way and try to go unnoticed. Don't linger; he likes his privacy, and unless he speaks to you, remain quiet. It's easy," Zara advised, and my heart beat like a drum in my chest. I nodded and looked at the room. I was used to being with Rina. The thought of being trapped with the king terrified me, and staying there meant less time I would have with Rina.

"Now, I need to get to work. All the linens are kept in the laundry room. Janet has already done most of his room. You only have the study down there to do and bring him his dinner tonight at 6 pm, so don't be late. Try to come down just before. The cooks will have it waiting, just place it on his table in his room. The maid's bathroom is downstairs for you to use. Make sure you bring down your dress every night with the king's laundry and grab a fresh one off the shelf. I will have some pajamas sent up for you and toiletries to keep in your room. You must always remain tidy." She glanced down at my doll shoes and added, "I will have some new shoes sent up for you too. So make sure you sweep and mop the entire floor. Do you remember where to fill your buckets?" I sighed but nodded my head.

She informed me that one of the guards would send up some items for me to keep in my room. After the king finished dinner, I was to come down to the kitchens with his plates so I could also eat. Additionally, one of the guards would bring me lunch, and breakfast was at 6AM, allowing me plenty of time to wake the king at 7AM. I made a mental list and repeated it over and over to remember everything.

Once I finished cleaning, I realized that a significant portion of my job involved waiting for the king to ask for something, which didn't happen often. So, I sat on the bed, waiting for time to pass and wishing I could see Rina to check on her. Zara brought new shoes to me, and it felt strange to have strangers caring for me after the Avrils' ruthless treatment. However, I couldn't understand why cleaning supplies weren't kept upstairs. The stairs were challenging for my legs.

At around 5:30 PM, I heard a cough in the corridor and opened the door to see Janet's silhouette walking away. I glared at the mess she had just made, but she smirked over her shoulder as she sauntered away. I groaned, knowing that I couldn't do anything to her, as I had heard she warmed the king's bed. I didn't want another reason to be whipped, but at least it gave me something to do.

I couldn't understand why she instantly disliked me. After all, I had just met her today and hadn't done anything to offend her. Was she trying to get me in trouble, or perhaps trying to get me punished? In a panic, I rushed down the steps to fetch a dustpan and broom to clean up the spilled soil from the potted plant she had knocked over. However, halfway down the steps, I didn't notice her standing there and she stuck out her foot, causing me to trip. I grunted as I hit the steps, and my eyebrow tore and split upon impact as my face bounced off one of them. My back throbbed, and I could feel the cuts on my back reopening as I tumbled to the bottom of the staircase. Janet walked down the steps and stopped to look down at me.

"How clumsy of you," she said in a sickly sweet voice with an evil glint in her eye. "The king doesn't like things left in a mess." I couldn't help but wonder how old she was, acting like a child. I was just like her, a rogue servant, but still a servant. Why did she want to see another servant punished? I bit back tears and wondered what I had done to deserve that kind of treatment. I never asked for this. All I wanted was to be set free with Rina, not become someone else's victim to torment.

Rolling over onto my back, I saw her taunting smile as she walked around a corner and out of sight. I hissed as I got up, only to see a guard staring at me with no expression on his face at all.

He was guarding the doors leading outside. Was this kind of thing acceptable? Feeling a trickle of warm blood roll down my face, I wiped the back of my hand over it. My eyebrow was indeed split. Great, another wound to tend to. My back throbbed as I clutched the banister and pulled myself up. "Don't cry, don't cry," I told myself. "It's just a scratch; you're being a crybaby." I tried to remind myself that I had worse injuries and that I shouldn't let it get to me, but I still ached all over.

I stumbled to the cleaning cupboard under the stairs and found a piece of rag, which I pressed against my eyebrow to try to slow the bleeding. One thing I had learned over the years was that injuries to the hands and face tend to bleed the most.

I searched through the closet and retrieved a broom and dustpan, then started to climb the stairs. Each step was excruciating and sent shooting pain throughout my body. It hurt to breathe and to move. Blisters had formed on my heels and toes, and I could already feel bruises forming on my hip, back, and ribs.

After dropping next to the potted plant, I put the rag I used to stem my bleeding eyebrow in my pocket and proceeded to fix the pot. I put as much soil as I could back in before cleaning up the remaining spilled soil.

My entire body was screaming in protest. What a hellish day it had been; I hadn't slept since arriving here and was put straight to work. I was losing track of time. We had left my old pack in the afternoon, and by the time we arrived at the castle, it was already morning.

Didn't the Armans not need sleep? As I packed everything up, I headed upstairs but then remembered it was nearly dinnertime. I glanced at the huge grandfather clock next to the guard, who hadn't moved an inch.

How could he stand so still? Then it dawned on me; it was already 6 o'clock. I rushed back down the few steps I had just walked up and headed for the kitchen. The moment I walked in, Zara was waiting for me. She shoved the tray in my hands, clearly not happy that I was late. She didn't say a word, and I bit down the urge to ask if I would be punished. I nodded to her, grabbed the tray, and raced back upstairs, hoping he wasn't there yet.

I moved as quickly as my body would allow, and burst into his room only to freeze. He was already there, with his eyebrows pinched together and his lips pursed as he watched me enter. I placed the tray in front of him and took a step back, bowing. He didn't say a word, but it was clear he wasn't happy that his routine was disrupted.

I escaped from the king's room and walked over to mine. I sat on the bed, putting my head in my hands, only to remember my stupid cut eyebrow. Blood trickled down my face again, and I dabbed at it with the rag. I wanted Rina; I missed her. It was too hard without her by my side.

Sighing, I held the rag against my brow and hissed at the slight sting. I tried to lay down on my side and rest a little, trying to find a comfortable position before giving up and deciding to just endure the pain. I closed my eyes for a minute.

I was startled awake by a knock at my door, and as Zara stepped in, I groaned and sat upright.

"Are you mad? It's only been one day, and you've already fallen asleep on the job. The king has been waiting for two hours for you to clear his room," she hissed at me.

To be continued...