Chapter 67: New Maid

The Royal Palace Underground Cells were where those who dared to harm or offend any member of the royal family were held and kept until their release, if such a release was ever granted. At this hour, the corridor was unusually quiet, save for the occasional hum of the overhead lights and the low voices of the two guards stationed outside the secured section of the prison wing, both assigned to the night shift.

One of them leaned back against the wall, letting out a long, exhausted sigh. "Damn. The palace has been strangely dull and empty ever since Prince Darius had that accident. Everything just feels off for some reason."

"You’re not wrong." The second guard let out a low grunt of agreement. "I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I actually miss Prince Basil. Also, I think I miss Prince Darius as well. He hadn’t even been in the palace for up to two days, but he already made such an impact around here."

"I feel you, man. The whole place feels like a graveyard without those two," the first guard agreed, adjusting his belt.

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps.

Both guards turned to see a young maid walking toward them carrying a covered metal tray with a plate of food and a glass of water.

"Bringing food for the prisoner?" the first guard asked, straightening up.

"Yes, sir," she answered smoothly, her voice quiet and polite.

The second guard leaned forward, his brow drawing together as he studied her face beneath the dim hallway lights.

"You look unfamiliar. I don’t think I’ve seen you before around here. Are you a new maid?"

"Yes, sir. I just started yesterday," she replied, keeping her gaze lowered as she adjusted her grip on the tray. "The maid usually assigned to this section fell ill this morning. I’m just filling in temporarily until she recovers."

The second guard relaxed his posture and nodded. "Alright. Go on inside."

He pulled out his keycard, swiped it across the electronic lock beside the iron gate, and pulled the heavy door open. The maid dipped her head in thanks, stepped through into the dark cell block, and waited as the heavy metal door swung shut behind her with a loud click.

The guards resumed their positions and, for a few moments, neither spoke. Then the first guard frowned and turned toward his partner.

"Wait... do we even have anything like temporary workers in the palace?"

The second guard shrugged, pulling out his pack of cigarettes to check how many were left. "I don’t know, man. Maybe she’s related to the sick servant. If someone in my family was about to lose a royal job over a fever, I’d send my sister to stand in for a couple of days too. It happens."

The first guard thought about it for a second, then nodded as his expression cleared. "Yeah... yeah, actually, that makes sense."

"Mind if I step out for a quick smoke? I’m losing my mind down here," the second guard asked, shaking the cigarette pack lightly.

"Sure, go ahead," the first guard waved him off as he leaned back against the wall. "Just don’t take forever. If the Captain decides to do a late-night sweep and catches me down here alone, we’re both screwed."

The second guard chuckled as he pushed himself away from the wall. "Relax. I’ll be back before you have time to miss me." He tucked the cigarette pack back into his pocket and started down the corridor, still laughing to himself. "And if the Captain shows up, tell him I went to take a shit. Nobody gets paid enough to question a man with stomach problems." He waved a hand over his shoulder and continued down the corridor.

*****

The narrow hallway inside the cell block was deathly quiet, giving the underground prison an eerie, almost lifeless atmosphere.

The entire cell block was practically empty.

The Wild Hounds that used to be locked up here had already been released after Darius convinced the King that the incident involving the them had been nothing more than a simple misunderstanding and nothing serious enough to warrant keeping them locked up. With the King dropping the charges, the basement cells had been cleared out, leaving only a single occupant in the entire block: Linda, Prince Basil’s former nanny, sitting inside one of the secured cells.

The sound of footsteps approaching down the corridor made her lift her head.

The young maid stopped outside her cell and tapped lightly on the iron bars before slightly opening the small food hatch built into the door.

"Your food is ready," she said, pushing the tray through the opening.

Linda quickly reached forward with trembling hands and pulled it inside, muttering a thanks under her breath as she went back to sit and eat.

"Please eat quickly," the maid said, her voice dry and completely devoid of warmth. "I have other duties to attend to." Linda gave a small nod, unwrapping the utensils and beginning to eat.

It was standard protocol for palace staff responsible for feeding the prisoners to wait nearby until they finished their meals. They were expected to collect the trays immediately afterward rather than leave them inside the cells and return later. It saved them the trouble of making another trip through the secured section and also prevented the utensils from being left behind, since any of them could potentially be used as a weapon or tool for escape. A few minutes passed in heavy silence before Linda finished the last bite. She stacked the empty plate and bottle of water back onto the tray and slid it through the slot, looking up at the maid.

"Thank you," she muttered softly.

The maid merely grunted in response as she pulled the tray toward herself and turned away from the cell without another word. When she reached the reinforced door, she glanced back with a smirk before knocking twice on the metal surface. The remaining guard swiped his keycard and pulled the heavy door open, stepping aside to let her pass. "All done with her?" he asked.

"Yes. Have a good night, sir," she replied, keeping her gaze lowered as she stepped past him into the main hallway. As she walked away down the corridor, the guard watched her leave.

His gaze dropped to her feet, and he frowned slightly. "Isn’t that a little too expensive?" ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The polished black leather boots clicked against the floor, looking far too high-end and durable for standard palace domestic staff. A maid wasn’t supposed to be wearing boots like that, he thought, his brows drawing together. He watched her for another second before shrugging.

"Well, I forgot she’s filling in for someone. She must be from the sick woman’s family."

That’s the only explanation that makes sense. She’s not familiar with the palace dress code.

He returned to his position at the secured door.

A moment later, the second guard returned from his smoke break, adjusting his belt as he walked back toward his post.The first guard glanced at him. "Are you done? Feeling any better?"

"Yes to both questions. I’m all good now," the guard replied, taking his position on the opposite side of the door. "I actually ran into that maid on my way back up from the courtyard. I don’t know why, but I keep getting a weird feeling from her."

The first guard shrugged. "It’s probably just because she’s a new face, and we’re used to seeing the same staff down here every night."

The second guard considered that for a second, before nodding. "Yeah. You’re probably right."

Back inside the cell, Linda sat quietly on the edge of the narrow metal cot. The silence inside the cell was driving her crazy. It would be better if the royal couple judged her and shipped her off to the royal prison than to leave her locked down here all alone. When she had company, it was bearable. Hearing those guys argue, even though she couldn’t see them from her cell, had at least given her something to occupy her mind. But now, she literally felt like she was about to lose her mind from being alone down here.

A small cough escaped her throat.

She frowned and cleared her throat, assuming she had swallowed something the wrong way. Another cough followed, slightly deeper this time. She pressed a hand against her chest and took a slow breath, but instead of easing, the irritation seemed to spread deeper into her lungs. A third cough tore through her, stronger than the last.

"What the hell..." she muttered.

She rubbed her chest and swallowed hard. Maybe it was indigestion. The food might simply be upsetting her stomach. It wasn’t as if she had any food allergies. Then a sharp pain suddenly twisted through her stomach as heat ignited deep within her abdomen, spreading rapidly like liquid fire through her veins.

Linda’s breath caught.

Her body folded in half, clutching her abdomen as an agonizing spasm seized her stomach, forcing her off the edge of the cot. She crashed hard onto the cold concrete floor, her knees taking the brunt of the fall. The coughing escalated into violent, chest-rattling heaves that stripped the oxygen straight from her lungs. Her vision blurred, dark spots dancing across her field of view, while a sharp, high-pitched ringing pierced her ears. Her skull throbbed as if her brain were expanding against her skull.

Have I been poisoned?