Page 16 of His Lost Lycan Luna

It has a single bed, a bedside table with a lamp, and a small wardrobe, but that is it. It will feel weird not sharing a bed with Abbie. Plus, the room’s proximity to the King’s room makes me nervous.

"He wants me to stay up here? I thought I could stay with Abbie?" I ask.

"The King asked for you to remain in his quarters; this is the only other room up here on this floor, so yes, you will stay here," Clarice answers, and I gulp.

"Can't I stay with the other maids and Abbie?" I plead.

Clarice smiles sadly and places her hand on my shoulder, gently squeezing it.

"I know you're scared, but 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. Whatever you do, don’t lie to him. 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. Easy," Clarice advises, and my heart beats like a drum in my chest.

I nod and look at the room. The thought of being trapped with the King terrifies me and staying here means less time I will have with Abbie.

"Now, I need to return to work. All linens are kept in the laundry room. Ester has done most of his room already; you only have the study down there to do and bring him his dinner tonight at six pm, so don't be late. Try to come down just before as the cooks will have it waiting. You can place it on his table in his room. The maid's bathroom is downstairs for use. Make sure you bring your dress down every night to 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 and…" she glances down at my patched up flats and then looks up at me, pursing her lips. "I will have some new shoes sent up for you too,” she adds, clicking her tongue.

"Make sure you sweep and mop the entire floor. You remember where to fill your buckets?"

I sigh but nod.

"One of the guards will send up some stuff for you to keep in your room. Once the King has finished dinner, come down to the kitchen with his plates so you can also eat. One of the guards or servants will bring you lunch today while you settle in. Breakfast is at six am, giving you plenty of time to wake the King at seven am," Clarice tells me. I try to remember everything she says by making a mental list and repeating it over and over.

Sighing nervously, I nod to the guards and turn around when she disappears. They remain still as statues not even acknowledging my presence. Shaking that thought off I set to work, praying I don't get punished on my first day.

ChapterTen

ABBIE

"Can't I stay with Ivy?" I ask, watching as Ivy walks in a different direction after retrieving a mop bucket from the closet on the bottom floor. She was in such a rush she didn't even notice me.

"No, the King asked for her specifically," Clarice explains.

"Why?" I blurt before I have a chance to stop myself. Clarice doesn't answer, so I sigh and drop my gaze, knowing better than to question my superiors. Clarice shows me to the other side of the castle. This place is huge, like a maze. One could easily get lost by taking a wrong turn, and I wonder how long it will take me to memorize the layout.

Most of this morning was spent in the kitchen while Clarice showed Ivy where she was being placed. Now I am being led to new quarters, though I instantly become nervous when I find out it’s for the Beta.

I want to stay with the other female servants. Learning only the Beta and the King's private guard reside on this side of the castle made me nervous. I don't like the idea of being surrounded by so many men.

Clarice had explained to me that it was the closest quarters to Ivy, yet it feels further away than the servants' quarters. We climb the stairs to what appears to be some sort of loft area which actually opens up to a vast space.

"This is Beta Damian's room. You won't have to do much. Beta Damian is quite clean and hardly stays here, mostly changes and leaves," she tells me.

The room is quite nice, with a bathroom and wardrobe, yet the Beta doesn’t seem to have much in the way of belongings besides his clothes. Everything is clean, and the bed looks like it hasn’t been slept in. Heavy dark blue drapes hung from the windows, and a huge white rug lay on the floor, not a speck of dust in sight. Was I expected to keep it this clean, or is Clarice right that he hardly comes in here. The place doesn’t look lived in; in fact, it looks empty.

Clarice leads me to a set of doors and stops, turning toward me, and finally his little library, which has been turned into a gym that all the men use," Clarice tells me. I peer inside to find heaps of gym equipment.

"Now, the floor below you will be in charge of cleaning too but stay out of everyone's rooms, especially the far two rooms," Clarice explains, leading me back downstairs and showing me around the quaint room that separates the two sides in the middle of the guard's quarters.

When she shows me around this floor. There are twelve doors lining the walls before a separate area with a small sitting room containing three armchairs, a TV, and some artwork. There are two more doors at the end.

"Now, the other rooms you can clean except these two." She points at them. I glance at them and then at her wondering why they're off-limits. "Don't enter into these two rooms unless asked to do so, and maybe stay away from that one completely. Liam can be somewhat unhinged at the best of times," she tells me, and I chew my lip.

"Liam?" I ask, nervously.

"Oh, you won't see much of him. The man is as silent as night, but this one," she points to the other door. "Gannon likes his privacy. You met him in the car earlier," Clarice says, and I nod. So his name is Gannon. I hadn't paid much attention to names other than Clarice's since she is in charge of us.

"Gannon is moody and temperamental, so steer clear and don't speak unless spoken to," Clarice says. Well, I had no intention of conversing with anyone of the opposite sex, so that was okay with me.

"So, how many people stay in these quarters?"

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