Chapter Text
Ella walked into the room with poise and grace, carrying a silver tray on which she set a china teapot and cup. She walked over to a man who was sitting in an armchair, staring at the fireplace, and placed the tray on the coffee table, gently greeted him.
"Your tea, Mr. Cooper." She remarked.
"Thank you, Ella; please take the rest of the day off."
She lifted her head gracefully and smiled at the elderly gentleman, ultimately leaving him alone in the room. She brushed her apron as she strolled down the corridor, her head held high. The Cooper family was pleasant to her, except for the new wife of the old man, who treats her like shit and makes sure she is miserable every day of her life; she doesn't understand why that lady despises her when she treated her well even if she hated her to the guts.
As she ascended the stairwell, she let out a sigh. She's praying the new wife isn't around to see her, or she won't be able to take use of the extra time Mr. Cooper has given her.
"Ella."
As she came to a halt, she closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. There she is, the new Mrs. Cooper. She regained her balance and turned around, a phony smile on her lips.
"What can I do for you, Mrs. Cooper?" She pretended to speak in a nice tone.
"Has Ben told you about what we discussed last night?"
She cocked her head in astonishment. "Mr. Cooper has not told me anything. Is there something wrong?"
"Mother Miranda will be here to meet you today. I suppose the elderly gentleman forgotten to tell you," she grumbled and rolled her eyes. "Make sure you're in good shape and look your best. I don't want Mother Miranda to believe our maids aren't adequately trained."
She nodded. "But why would Mother Miranda want to see me?"
"She seems to be interested in you. Who knows, maybe she'll hire you to be her new maid. Ben and I have talked about you because you've been staying here for years, I'm sure you'd like to see a new perspective, am I right? I'm sure you'd love that."
In the back of her mind, she rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised? She's trying to get rid of me." She thought to herself.
She graciously nodded. "Of course, Mrs. Cooper."
"So, what exactly are you waiting for? Go to your room and fix yourself! Mother Miranda would arrive at any moment."
She began to walk away from the stairwell with her head bent. She sighed and rolled her eyes irritably. Her skin crawls with terror at the thought of Mother Miranda coming over. That woman is known as the priestess, and anyone who questions her authority is killed. Why would a lowly maid like her pique Mother Miranda's interest? She was already living in peace, and she had no desire to interact with her.
She walked to the maid's quarters, where she discovered two of her coworkers sleeping. They used to stay in the mansion, but after their employer married his new wife, she urged them to go home to their own residences by the end of the day. Ella smiled at her other co-servants and walked up to the vanity, her hair tangled and a few strands already loose from the breeze earlier. Her white hair flowed down to her waist once she pulled the black ribbon from her hair. She brushed it gently, making sure that every strand was brushed.
A sigh escaped her lips as she gazed in the mirror. Everyone who saw her would compliment her on her beauty and how unique she appeared. There was no doubt that she was so attractive that she drew the attention of every man and woman in the hamlet; for others, the attention she was receiving would be a blessing, but it was a curse for her. She sees her attractiveness as a curse that she hopes would vanish. She'd never been a fan of her appearance; after all, who on Earth had white hair and purple eyes beside her?
She sat her brush on the vanity and pulled her hair back into a low chignon bun. Another sigh escaped her lips as she glanced at herself once more. Before leaving the quarters, she smoothed her skirt and apron and mended the sleeve of her uniform, stretching it to hide the wrinkles. Mr. Cooper's daughter, Bethany, was standing just inches away from her as she skidded to a standstill when she exited the quarters.
"Ms. Cooper," she bowed graciously while maintaining a straight face.
"Father told me to inform you that Mother Miranda has come," Bethany made eye contact with her but she avoided it.
"Are they in the living room?"
"Yes."
She gave her a brief nod and smiled. "Thank you, Ms. Cooper."
She began to walk away, but Bethany grabbed her arm and stopped her.
"Are you going to leave Ella?" Bethany quietly inquired.
"I suppose so. Please let go of my arm, Ms. Cooper; your fiancee may see us," Bethany let go of her arm as she stated it in a frigid tone.
"I'm truly sorry, Ella."
She feigned a grin and turned to face her. "You are not required to apologize. Who am I for you to apologize? I'm only a humble maid that serves you and your family," she bent her head once more. "Ms. Cooper, have a wonderful day."
"When I say sorry, Ella, you know what I mean."
Ella came to a halt and turned around to face Bethany and glared at her with a stern expression on her face.
"Ms. Cooper, don't bring up the past."
"I told you to call me Bethany."
She gave a sly grin. "Those days are gone, Ms. Cooper, and I've made up my mind about what happened between us. Now, if you'll allow me, I have to leave; I don't want Mother Miranda to be kept waiting for someone like me."
She turned around and began walking away, before she could finally leave she heard Bethany's words.
"I'll remind you of what happened between us if you forget. Ella, I'll still be here for you."
She scowled and shook her head as she continued down the corridor, eventually arriving at the stairwell. She didn't spend any more time and entered the living room, where she found Mr. and Mrs. Cooper seated in a loveseat and Mother Miranda seated in an armchair, of whom appeared to be scary yet regal. She greeted them with a lowered head and a curtsy, then straightened her head and moved into the center with a bright grin on her lips, remaining poised as Miranda assessed her.
Miranda caressed her chin as she continued to rake her eyes at Ella. "So this is the infamous Ellaria Rose."
"Yes, our one and only servant who is always on time and never does anything wrong," Mrs. Cooper proudly stated. "It's such a pity you'd like to hire her."
Even if she wanted to scowl, Ella kept her smile on her lips. It appears that her bosses have finally agreed to send her to Miranda, or rather, Mrs. Cooper had simply decided.
"How long have you been staying with the Cooper's?" Miranda's metallic fingers brushed across her chin as she inclined her head to the right.
"Four years." She answered.
"In her four years here, she's never caused any trouble?"
"No, among the servants we have she's the longest. She's our head maiden, and she's really organized and kind. You won't have any problems with her if you just give her the schedule and regulations she needs," Mr. Cooper was the one who responded.
"I see," Miranda said with a smile that revealed her pearly white teeth. "I believe you will live longer than anyone else."
As soon as Ella heard Miranda's comments, her smile faded. Miranda's statements included a mysterious meaning, which caused her confusion.
"Are you perplexed, darling?" Miranda inquired, her voice enticing.
"I am, and I believe your earlier words contain a cryptic message."
Miranda chuckled with delight. "You're incredibly intelligent, and I already like you. Regrettably, you will not be staying with me."
Ella cocked her head. "But I thought you were going to hire me?"
"No, sweetheart. I'm going to send you to Castle Dimitrescu."
Ella's mouth dropped in a split second when she heard the words she was terrified to hear. Castle Dimitrescu, this could be her biggest nightmare yet.
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So, this was in my drafts for a long time and I just wanted to post this. Idk, if I'll continue this or not. Ciao!