The morning sun glared through the barred window that faced Priscilla's back. She felt the warmth spread across her back as she lazily opened her eyes. Her body ached from sleeping on the hard futon and her stomach grumbled in hunger. The day only started and she was already dreading what lied ahead. She knew today would promise no relief, only work and the weight of expectations she never asked for.
A sudden rap on the door made her jump. Her pulse quickened at the sudden sound.
"Already?", she whispered to herself.
Before she could gather her thoughts, the door swung open. Privacy was nonexistent and she became used to the lack of it. The same guard from last night was now standing inside her room, straight and rigid.
"You're up. Get ready.", he said curtly, his eyes scanning her all over as if expecting failure. "The guests arrive tonight. You'll start preparing food in the kitchen immediately. I'll check on you later to see if you're competent."
Priscilla nodded quickly, not missing a beat. She swallowed the lump of fear that was stubbornly sitting in her throat.
"Yes… sir", she murmured, barely audible.
With that, the guard left as abruptly as he had arrived. Priscilla rose to her feet, dusting herself off and steeling her resolve for the day ahead. Her hands trembled lightly as she tidied her room and collected the worn out linens. As she stepped into the hallway, she took a deep breath bracing for what awaited her in the kitchen.
The kitchen was much bigger than Priscilla's room. It smelled of stale bread and unwashed dishes, as she pushed the heavy doors open. There were only a few fairies working in the kitchen and they all looked exhausted. Some were chopping vegetables and others were cleaning pots. Priscilla grounded herself before speaking to a woman that busied herself with washing the fruits.
"Um good morning…I've been assigned to work here for the day and prep for tonight's guests," Priscilla spoke.
The woman abruptly stopped what she was doing to turn towards Priscilla. The brown haired woman wore a messy apron covered in spills and stains.
"Yeah, we were told one more person would be joining the kitchen tonight. You can work on cooking the rice. Don't slack off.", the woman spoke before immediately focusing back on her task.
Priscilla set to work, boiling large pots of water and preparing portions of rice. While she had never served food before, she at least knew how to prepare something simple like rice. Sometimes, she would sneak off to the library in between tasks to read and learn. Her education wasn't a priority to the guards but that never stopped her from being inquisitive.
Whispers filled the kitchen as Priscilla continued to focus on her task, but she couldn't help but overhear bits and pieces of the gossip that lingered in the air.
"I heard the guest is a high ranking Alpha of a powerful and scary werewolf pack."
"The whole entourage is coming?"
"Yeah, I think so. I'm not certain but we'll see. I hope they're cute."
Priscilla's mind raced with so many questions. Alpha? High ranking? Who are these people? Are they dangerous? Priscilla didn't know how powerful these guests were but she knew if this much preparation was being done, then they were no joke. After she poured the rice into the boiling pots of water, she began to wipe down the counter. She imagined how this Alpha would look, how their voice would sound. She envisioned a tall, commanding figure with a charming smile. Then her thoughts morphed into a monster with fangs and sharp claws.
She pinched herself, snapping out of her silly thoughts. It didn't matter what they looked like. It meant nothing for her present or future. Regardless if the guests were charming or scary, she would still be a slave locked away in the attic. Nothing more and nothing less. Priscilla watched the pots of rice, making sure they didn't burn. As much as she tried to not think of tonight or indulge in fantasies, she couldn't help but feel on edge.
Like tonight would shift her world in unimaginable ways.