Chapter Text
I'm not originally from the palace. My family lives in Vanitas, in a good neighbourhood, with reputable jobs.
Living in the capital, of course you'd wonder what happens in the palace towering over everyone, fantasizing what life would be like even just serving close to the imperial family. I still remember the endless hours I spent looking out my window to that building surpassing the roof of the empire and fantasizing with my siblings what life we'd live there, what intrigues we'd know before anyone else, which nobles we'd befriend.
I got to experience a shrivel of it the first time during [important holiday] when I was elven.
My aunt and uncle, the closest family I have that works at the palace, managed to get my entire family access to the servants' common areas for the day. I still remember seeing the corridors, even if just the servants' one, decorated with obsidian columns, small crystal chandeliers, pots of all kinds of flowers.
It looked like a smaller version of the simpler zones of Vanitas.
The servants' common rooms also look like Vanitas' squares: zones to sit and relax for a drink or a quick meal, some small shops for uniform repairs, personal goods for their apartments, an apothecary, even an embalmer and funerary home, and so much more; people of all ages mingling about, celebrating.
My awe briefly stops when I hear my aunt's voice calling for us, she and my uncle had reserved a whole table for all of us to eat not all squished up in a smaller space last minute.
"So Kira," my aunt starts, "you're becoming a young woman. Do you have any plans for the future?" she asks after taking a sip of ale.
"Well..." I hate these questions. "I don't really know. I was thinking maybe going into childcare-"
"The palace will open the application for external teens soon, you should enrol to become a nanny."
"Isn't Kira a bit too old?" My father chimes in.
"Not at all." My uncle answers. "If she wants to join, she can do an intensive course so she can be on par with the kids from the palace."
They didn't really ask my opinion on the matter. The sentences are said in a way I "could" choose, but it's obvious what I should pick.
I always wanted to sing, but it's way too idealistic, childcare is much more faisable and I don't really mind it. Maybe working for the palace, maybe even becoming the nanny of the imperial family themselves, it could push my family higher up in society.
I tune out the adults' conversation, trying to do a mental list of pros and cons of studying and working in the palace, but my musings are brutally interrupted by Sigrid, the only cousin I have born in the palace; she's three years older and, from what I understand, is studying to become a lady's maid.
"Do you want to stay and get bored or do you want to meet some of my friends?" She nudges my arm and winks, "that way you'd know who you'd be working with if you move in with us."
"I- I suppose it's a good thing meeting new people-"
"You don't have to be so formal." She pulls me up and half drags me away from our table and go towards a group of teens. Their table isn't as neat as ours, well tables, they are two, small and round, put closer and circled them with enough chairs for all of them. Knowing Sigrid, from the times she visited, I half-expected her friend group to be much bigger, but it was just two girls and two guys.
Sigrid presents me to them, I don't register their names at first, same with their education, but I get that none of them are studying to become valets or lady's maids, preferring a lower pay but less work and drama.
"So you want to enter the palace staff?" the first guy, Grigory, asked.
"I- maybe.... I'm not sure." I sit in one of the chairs Sigrid got for the two of us. "Are you all born in the palace?"
"Nhu-hu" the girl who seemed to be the youngest of the group, Sanka, shook her head. "Only me, Sigrid and Serafino are, we all entered later on."
"Some earlier than others," the other guy, Maksim, smirked; earning from the last girl, Tanya, a light punch to the arm.
"Sorry, uh... who is Serafino?" I ask,
"He's another friend of mine," Sigrid rubs the bridge of her nose, "he should already be here by now."
"You know how he is." Tanya retorts after taking a bite from the fish on her plate. "Always late because of work or study-"
"Always happy you present me like this." Another guy appears behind Sigrid, still dressed in what looks like the palace uniform, the vest's top button open; his curly black hair messily tied away from his face, his amber eyes shining in the light of common room.
"You're always busy. It's normal" Grigory called out. "Come sit, I'm getting you something to eat."
"Thanks." The guy I believe is Serafino smiles and sits next to me.
Looking closer at him, his tanned skin is covered in freckles, when he opens his mouth to talk a pair of small fangs can be seen.
"Who's the new girl?" I feel myself freeze when I see his eyes on my form, not judging, just assessing me.
"This is my cousin, Kira." Sigrid gestures to me than towards the boy. "Kira, this is Serafino. He's studying to become valet-"
"A bit of a recomended valet~" Maksim teases.
"Could you stop saying that " Setafino pushes the other, I half expected him to be more offened by the accusation but he's smiling a bit.
Probably noticing my confused look, Sanka decided to elaborate: "Fima here is close-close with our lovely heir-"
"You're making it sound very weird like this, Sanki." Serafino crosses his arms, "me and Lukyan are just friends." And starts to eat from the plate offered to him by Grigory.
He's voice is so soft, as if it was a piece of chocolate sponge cake.
"Wait- you're friends with-" I try to ask but I get cut off.
"Alright," Sanka continues, "but you can't pretend your friendship didn't help you."
"He helps me with studying, nothing more." He gulps down another piece of food. "And now you can't really say it since I'm doing my apprentiship with some other noble.
"Well, that's because he's been away the past three years-" Sanka's mouth is quickly covered by Tanya and I can feel all eyes of the group towards me.
"Alright everyone," Sigrid claps her hands once to move the attention to her. "Let's stop talking about this-"
"No wait," I interrupt her and turn towards Serafino "You're close friends with the Lukyan Mefistofel? And what do you mean he's been away for three years?"
After a bit silence, Serafino talks again.
"Yes. Me and Lukyan have been close since we were basically born." He waves his fork around as if he were talking of the temperature. "And he's been sent abroad for a bit for his education-"
"Why does no one know it-"
"Because such information is not necessary to the public. When you leave, please do not talk about this with anyone."
"Well it won't be really be a problem, since I was thinking of enrolling at the palace."
"As long as you're not enrolled you're still an outsider." He crosses his arms.
"Always so stiff with the rules." Grigory huffs, "nothing's going to happen if people know his highness is away."
"Well I'm sorry if I take care of my friend's privacy-"
"Come on, Fima~" Sanka teases "stop saying you view him as just a friend. The past few years you've been feverishly only thinking about him." She rests her head on her intertwined hands. "We know you have a crush on him-"
"Can you shut up already!" He jumps up from his seat, his cheeks gaining more colour despite the twnsion in his whole body and face. "I don't have a crush on him. He's just a close friend of mine and I can't get in contact with him so I believe I have the right to worry." He's breathing heavier than usual, his eyes a bit wet, and the place of the chair he was holding burnt up.
"Sorry, sorry." Sanka sinks a bit into her chair, "I was just joking..."
He takes a deep breath. "I'm quite tired from working and the constant jabs don't help, alright? Sorry as well for getting riled up." He sits back down and, by how everyone around the table went much more silent it was much more awkward, until Tanya spoke again.
"So... Kira, you said you want to work at the palace?"
"Well, for now it's just an idea. I have to see if I remember signing up" I laugh, rubbing the back of my neck.
"What would you work as?" Maksim asks.
"Um... Sigrid told me nannies are always needed."
"We'd work together!" Sanka almost screamed, reaching for my hand to high five it.
"Depends on the age." Serafino rebukes, "how old are you again?"
"Elven?"
"Oh. Then yeah, if you do the intensive course than you'll be together."
"Why 'oh'?"
"I'm just surprised, I thought you'd be my age. I'm thirteen before you ask."
"Oh. Sorry." I lower my head, his gaze so intese on my face makes me feel on fire.
A hand pats my head followed by a 'it's fine' in that beautiful voice.
"Well guys," Serafino's chair lightly screeches the floor as he gets up and stretches, "It's best I head to bed. I'm exhausted."
"Don't work too much~" Sigrid gives him a gentle push.
"Yeah yeah, goodnight. And Kira?" At hearing my name I quickly raise my head towards his direction. "Hope you'll join the palace, you'll fit right in." He winks and smirks at me and leaves.
He winked at me.
He winked at me.
I spend the rest of the evening out of sorts, barely registering what the others are saying, repeating in my mind the small talk me and Serafino had.
When it's time to leave, Sigrid takes me back to our family table, my parents saying goodbye for what's probably the fifth time that night. As soon as my aunt sees me, she asks: "Did you have fun tonight?"
"Mhmh, I think I might enrol to work here."
"Oh that's so nice" my mother tries to keep an even but happy tone, it's obvious she's barely keeping to herself her excitement.
And back with the goodbyes.
"Is it out of pure interest or has a certain someone stole your heart~?" Sigrid whispers in my ear, earning a stomp on the foot.
"Don't say such things." I cross my arms, still whispering "We barely even talked..."
"He has his charm. Just..."
"Just?"
"Mh, nothing." She pats my head.