Rules and Ranks
991 Words
I glanced at the tall, thin, blonde young woman standing beside me, and I could see she was feeling uncomfortable. After hesitating for a brief moment, I decided to go next.
“My name is Mila. It’s a pleasure to meet everyone. I look forward to working here…” I said before smiling a little.
“You’re the last one,” Madame Cassandra stated after nodding briefly at me.
Our attention turned to the girl with straight blonde hair. She seemed very timid. Her pale blue eyes stared back at us, and her lower lip quivered.
“I…I’m Selena. It’s nice to meet you…” Selena finally said softly as her eyes darted all over the place.
“Follow me this way. I will personally teach you how things work around here,” Madame Cassandra said before leading the way.
We followed her down a narrow hallway before she entered a room that resembled a small classroom. She gestured with her hand so we could sit at the small desks in the room. She immediately began explaining after seeing that the three of us had taken our seats.
“You should have figured out by now that you are here to work as maids in this palace. It is considered an honor for you even to be here. Please always remember that. Many rules govern this palace and how things are run in this kingdom. Within the ranks of maids, there are also strict rules,” Madame said before her eyes squinted at us.
I gulped nervously at how scary and severe she was making this out to be. It may have been terrifying and profound.
“This kingdom is proud of its traditions that have been upheld since olden times. The people in this palace are separated into clear ranks and classes as follows. At the top is the core royal family. The King and his three sons, the first, second, and third prince. Then comes the other royalties, aristocratic families, and prominent politicians who help the king govern this kingdom. These people or their families have close ties to the core royal family or have contributed much to the country in the past,” Madame explained sternly.
The three of us nodded silently as we took in this new information. I began wondering how the other two girls ended up here. Did the prince buy them at an auction, just like me? Does that mean that they are also from another country abroad?
“Any questions so far?” Madame asked as her eyes narrowed at us.
We all quickly shook our heads from side to side. After staring at us for a split second, Madame Cassandra continued explaining.
“Among the two classes is a special class that consists of women. This class is formally called ‘Honorable Maidens.’ Essentially, they are a group of specially selected women who hold the adoration and interest of the men in the core royal family,” the Madame continued.
Honorable Maidens…?
I wasn’t exactly sure what made these maidens special or what she meant by ‘adoration and interest.’ The two girls beside me nodded, and I automatically did the same.
“I am explaining this to you because our maid class is directly associated with the different classes in this palace. In other words, the rank of each maid is determined by who she serves. The lowest rank is called the Basic Maids; they don’t serve anyone like you three. You perform basic duties and labor to keep the palace clean and cook. Do you understand?” Madame Cassandra explained before arching a brow at us.
“Yes…” we all murmured at the same time.
“The next class is called the Noble Maids, serving the aristocratic family and key politicians. Above them are dedicated ladies waiting for the Honorable Maidens. This class of maids is called Sacred Maids and works in the Sacred Chambers where the Honorable Maidens live. Lastly, the top-tier maids in this entire palace directly serve the king and the three princes. They are called the royal maids,” Madame Cassandra finally explained.
Things were much more complicated than I had initially thought. Cleaning and cooking were simple enough, but this ranking system gave me a headache. It was clear to me, without a single thought, that being the basic maid was the best option. Precise tasks that I already knew how to do were the best alternative out of all of them. Thankfully, that was my role.
How lucky!
“Needless to say, most, if not all, the maids here want to climb the ranks. Some want to become royal maids, while some even want to go further than that. Before you start your duties, I have some ground rules and warnings. Firstly, return to the maids’ quarters before sunset and stay locked in your room every night unless you have permission to go out. I cannot guarantee your safety if you do not follow this rule. Secondly, I would recommend that you don’t invite unnecessary attention to yourself. Of course, unless you’re willing to pay the price…” Madame warned us before she smiled at us coldly.
Her creepy smile sent a shiver through my entire body. Why would anyone want to invite any attention to themselves? Getting the work done and staying out of trouble should be easy enough.
I didn’t understand until a little later what Madame’s warnings were for…
…
We spent the rest of the day with our first task of cleaning up one of the gardens on the palace grounds. I had never seen a garden this large or this elaborately decorated before in my life. There were marble sculptures of angels everywhere, along with rose bushes. The red roses blooming all around the garden made the place breathtakingly beautiful. However, the trees around us shed too many leaves, which was where we came in.
--To be continued...
- Writer
