"That woman's been dead for two weeks, can't they give it a rest already?" Belinia groaned at the ceiling while lying on Yesenia's bed. Stasha lay going the other direction and used Belinia's thigh as a pillow.

Yesenia sat at the head of the bed with Natya sitting behind her. The older, slate-haired girl ran her fingers through Yesenia's hair as she braided it. Yesenia's skin tingled. She'd never had anyone touch her so…intimately before.

"I've not heard anyone say a word," Yesenia said.

"That's because we're Class E maids, Yaz," Natya said as she grabbed another chunk of hair.

"You guys are lucky. It's all they're talking about in second-year as well," Stasha said. Her hair was still wrapped in a towel after her bath in "Yesenia's tub."

Yesenia hadn't waited for her friends to ask. After Belinia's comments, she'd offered the tub to the other two girls. She'd not been ready for how happy and excited they'd been. Yesenia had grown to like the "destressing sessions" the four shared on her bed after the baths.

Grabbing a cookie from the plate in the middle, Yesenia took a bite. "Well, it seems to me like you guys are still talking about her, too."

Sasha's wet towel from around her hair smacked Yesenia in the face. "Like there's anything else to talk about."

"How are you guys doing on your silent steps?" Yesenia asked, offering to change the subject.

Natya tugged on Yesenia's hair hard enough to jerk Yesenia's head back.

"Ow! You okay back there, Natya?"

"A clump. Sometimes they don't come out."

"What are 'silent steps'?" Belinia asked.

Natya jerked on Yesenia's hair again.

Turning to look at the older, mint-haired maid, Yesenia said, "There shouldn't be that much. I put rinse in it tonight."

"Isn't Miss Banca friends with Miss Sanya?" Natya asked, turning the conversation back to the dead earl-ess.

"Was friends," Belinia answered. "That lilac Yani doesn't seem to have many friends left after losing to a commoner like that."

"But Miss Sanya, Mister Laverence, and Miss Jaezmina all lost to Miss Reianna, right?" Natya asked.

"Well, Laverence and Jaezmina didn't put up a stink about Miss Reianna being a mage."

Yesenia furrowed her brow. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Oh! I got this!" Sasha said, raising her hand. "The second-years are going on about waiting to see the fallout from the 'false mage-hunt'. So, it's not so much that she lost, but that she lost and pressed, that she lost because Miss Reianna was a mage, when she wasn't."

"Then what will happen to Sanya?" Yesenia asked.

"Well, since her mom's dead, her rank will fall to whatever her dad's is."

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Iz! It's me, Xav. Mind if I come in?"

Yesenia's heart raced. Despite living in the same dorm hall as her former best friend, she'd not spoken to him since that first night. "Yeah!"

"What?! No!" Stasha said, sitting up from Belinia's legs. "That's a boy, and we're in our nightgowns!"

"So?"

"So?! It's inappropriate!"

"It's not like we're naked."

"We might as well be!"

Yesenia looked at their thick nightgowns that they were wearing for the increasingly chilly nights. "These cover more than our uniforms." Which was true as the skirts on their uniforms stopped at knee-length, like the students' uniforms, but their nightgowns went down to their ankles.

"I'm with Stasha on this one," Belinia said.

"I can come back another time!" Xav yelled through the door.

"No! My friends were just leaving!" Yesenia called back.

Stasha's mouth fell open, and Belinia went "Ooo!"

"You're kicking us out for a boy?" Stasha asked.

"No. You're more than welcome to stay, but I've not talked to Xav in forever. If you're too embarrassed, we can just hang out tomorrow."

Stasha hopped off the bed, and Belinia followed. Natya stayed in her perch behind Yesenia.

"You coming, Natya?" Belinia asked.

"No. I don't really care, and Mister Xav is close friends with Miss Reianna."

"Well, have fun then, pervs." Belinia stuck her tongue out at them and followed Stasha out of the room.

Yesenia opened her mouth to call Xav in, but Natya covered her mouth first.

"Yaz, don't talk about any of the training Head Maid Sophia gives us."

"Why not?"

Xav knocked again.

"Just a second, Mister Xav," Natya said, then lowered her voice. "Because it's only for those whom she trusts."

"She doesn't trust Belinia or Stasha?"

"They're nice girls, but Belinia works with the A's right now, and Stasha…she's a lovely girl, but…not a candidate that Head Maid Sophia would choose. She's too…traditional."

"But it's just walking quietly."

"Just…don't. Okay?"

Yesenia looked at her mint-haired friend. She still didn't get it. The training was hard, but it wasn't like what they'd done with the earl-ess's body. Who cared if she walked quieter when she cleaned? Wasn't that something nobles wanted? Non-existent, invisible help?

"I can really come back later," Xav said.

Looking away from the older maid, Yesenia turned her gaze to the door. "No, come on in, Xav!"

The door opened, and Xav stepped in, wearing his pajamas, just like the girls. As he came in, he paused, seeing Natya still braiding Yasenia's hair. "Oh, I, uhh…Maybe I should come back later?"

"Don't be silly," Yesenia said, patting the bed beside her. "We already chased away the shy girls for you."

"And I have some questions for you! Come eat cookies!"

Xav walked across the room and sat on the corner of the bed furthest from the girls. They, in turn, just looked at him.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

"What?" he asked.

Yesenia cupped her hands over her mouth. "Hellooo over there! Can you hear me?"

Natya giggled.

"Fine!" Xav said and swung his legs up onto the bed. Yesenia pushed the cookies towards him.

Taking one, he asked, "Do you guys do this a lot?"

"Mhmm. Every night," Yesenia answered. "What brings you here?"

"We just…haven't talked since you moved in here."

"Yeah, I get that you're busy, and I'm not your maid."

"Do you like being a maid?"

Yesenia nodded. "Yeah. Well, I mean, I don't feel like I'm in danger of dying anymore."

"Do you get what I meant about Gerenet-Shr?"

"I don't see your fanaticism towards him, but yeah, I get what you mean."

"That's your master you're talking about," Natya said.

Yesenia shrugged. "Well, I know him. He doesn't see our relationship that way, which is one thing I like."

"Still…Mister Xav—"

"I don't need the 'mister'."

"Umm…you get along well with Miss Reianna, don't you?"

"Yeah, we're friends."

"Do you know if she plans to take someone with her when she graduates?"

Xav tilted his head. "Take someone?"

"Natya, they probably don't know what that means."

After Natya explained what it meant to take a servant, Xav's eyes were wide. "I had no idea that we could do something like that! Doesn't it bother you?"

"Bother me? No? Why would it? I'm taken by the school now, but I'd much rather be taken by Miss Reianna."

"Taken?"

"Yeah, when you graduate, you can take your maid with you," Yesenia explained.

"Not just your maid, but your cook, a valet that you like, pretty much any servant you want that's not someone's private servant that they brought with them."

Xav blinked at them.

Yesenia looked over her shoulder at Natya. "See. I told you."

"Told her what?"

"That you guys wouldn't know about that."

Xav shrugged. "I doubt Gerenet-Shr knows, either, but it's not like it really matters right now. We've still got four years of school left."

"Natya wants Miss Reianna to take her with her."

Xav laughed. "Are you a Reianna fan-girl, too?"

Natya sighed. "Who isn't?"

"Knobs." Xav laughed.

The three of them continued to talk until midnight, when Yesenia chased them out as they all needed to be up early. Since she'd not spoken to Xav in so long, she didn't mind that she was only going to get a couple of hours of sleep.

He really had changed. Out beyond the wall, he'd been a dark, quiet boy who'd occasionally make her laugh, but now it was like he was free. He was bright and didn't shy away from talking to Natya, and had both of them in stitches.

The next morning, Yesenia began her daily chores. Reaggie still insisted on bringing the food himself, so Yesenia was free until Gerenet-Shr left for the training grounds. That's when her day got hard.

Opening her storage, Yesenia pulled out the measuring device that Head Maid Sophia made her wear when cleaning. It detected Yesenia's "presence." The noises she made. How quickly she moved. The vibrations of her steps.

If she was too loud, or too slow, or her steps were too heavy, the device would blare at her and she'd have to start her task over again. She'd thought that it was something everyone was doing, but going by what Natya said, that wasn't the case.

That morning, it only took Yesenia six tries to change Gerenet-Shr's sheets, her best yet. When she cleaned his bathtub, though, not for the first time, she contemplated turning it off. She couldn't understand how to scrub without making a noise.

Around mid-afternoon, a knock came from the dorm hall's door. Since she was the closest and had only one person to care for, door service fell to Yesenia. Flashbacks of Wendina storming through the hall and holding Yesenia up by her neck flashed through the young maid's mind, but she shook it off. That woman was dead.

Glancing at the device on her arm, Yesenia debated about taking it off. She didn't want it to blare at the person knocking, but the head maid had told her not to take it off unless she was working directly with Gerenet-Shr. In the end, she left it on. She wanted to get to the point where it never buzzed at her once.

Yesenia stepped out into the hallway and opened the door. On the other side was a bloodied girl in a lilac uniform. Blood poured down from a wound somewhere in her lilac hair, matting the hair to her head and covering the left side of her face in a stream of blood. She held the top of her right arm to her body while her right forearm dangled in front of her.

Yesenia bowed. "How may I be of service, Miss?"

"Is Ra-Miss Reianna in?"

"I'm afraid Class E has yet to return from their afternoon training sessions."

The girl nodded, but didn't leave.

"Is there anything else, Miss?"

The lilac girl shook her head and limped off towards the stairs.

Yesenia closed the door and banged her head against it. The device on her arm sounded, and Yesenia opened and closed the door once more. From Belinia's description, she knew exactly who that was.

What her chatty friend said was true. The mighty Banca had fallen from her perch, and the Yani around her were picking at her still living corpse. Yesenia shook her head at how low the young noble had fallen that she was seeking out aid from the girl she'd tortured.

Nobles were worse than campers. Campers never smiled before they stabbed someone in the back. Fake kindness wasn't found in the camps because kindness was a luxury they couldn't afford. But like all things in Kruami, nothing was out of reach of the nobles, be it genuine or fake.

Instead of going back to Gerenet-Shr's room to continue cleaning, Yesenia padded down the hall in quick, light steps, so as not to set off her alarm. When she reached Room 307, she knocked twice.

The door opened, and Natya smiled at Yesenia. Yesenia pushed her way in past the mint-haired maid. Grabbing Natya's hands, Yesenia pulled them further into the room.

"You'll never guess who was just here looking for Miss Reianna!"

"Who?"

"Belinia's favorite light purple monstrosity."

"No!"

"Yes! And it looks like a swarm of Yani set on her! Her face was covered in blood and—"

"Who was covered in blood?"

Yesenia jumped and turned around to look at the door. Reianna and Fawna stood in the doorway, covered in sweat and dirt.

"Umm…" Yesenia looked from Natya, who'd taken a strict servant's stance, back to Miss Reianna.

"Who was covered in blood, Yesenia?"

"Pardon me, Miss Reianna, but Miss Bana was here looking for you."

Reianna's face clouded over. "Banca?"

"Yes, Miss."

Reianna nodded. "Did she say what she wanted?"

"No, Miss. All she asked was whether or not you were in."

"And she was covered in blood?"

"Yes, Miss. She had a major cut on the left side of her face, and I believe her arm was broken."

Reianna's eyes went wide. "Her blood?"

"Yes, Miss."

"I wonder what's going on."

Yesenia looked at Natya. Natya shook her head once.

Taking a deep breath, Yesenia said, "I'm friends with Miss Banca's maid. According to her, since her father accused you of being a mage and you being a commoner, she's lost her standing and her friends."

Yesenia glanced at Natya, who narrowed her eyes. In for a penny, in for a pound. Coming from a similar Class E background, Yesenia knew what information the girls lacked.

"To nobles, false accusations of mage-hood carry serious repercussions. Word has it that Miss Sanya might be expelled."

"Expelled?"

Yesenia nodded. "Her father hadn't hunted in years and doesn't have a rank anymore. They might fall…"

Reianna stiffened. "But, then she'd be a commoner. Wouldn't they just move her here?"

Natya took a step forward, giving a side-eye glare to Yesenia. "It wouldn't be automatic. She would have to take and pass the C-SA."

Yesenia smiled. That was as good as expelling her. She couldn't imagine any of the arrogant noble kids she knew voluntarily taking the Commoner Special Admittance exam. That would require them to admit that they were commoners.

"I see. Thank you, Natya." Reianna looked down and rubbed her chin.

Natya beamed a bright smile at Yesenia before she could get control of her facial expressions.

"Could the same happen to Banca?"

"Not at this moment, Miss," Natya answered. "Her name is damaged, but her father and mother still live and have their titles. False accusations of mage-hood have soiled their reputation, and likely no one will want to create parties with them; however, they will not lose ranks due to it."

Reianna pulled a vial and a syringe out of her storage. "Yesenia, you said you're friends with Banca's maid, right?"

"Yes, Miss."

Holding out the medical supplies, Reianna said, "Can you get these to Banca then?"

"Reianna!" Fawna said. "You've already helped her once!"

"And that's why she came to see me."

"She can go see a nurse."

"If she could, she wouldn't have come to me. This isn't like you, Fawna."

"She's just getting what she deserves! Did you forget what she did to you? What she did to Avali?"

"No one deserves what happened to any of us."

Tears rolled out of Fawna's eyes, and she clenched her fists by her sides. She stared at Reianna for a heartbeat, then stormed past and into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Reianna sighed. "Yesenia, please." She held the medicine out again.

Yesenia bowed her head once and took the items from Reianna, then stored them. "I will deliver them immediately."

"Thank you."

Not looking at Reianna as she left the room, Yesenia couldn't help but agree with Fawna.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.