Chapter Text
It was another overcast day. The dark clouds in the distance and the cold wind usually served as a warning for another bout of rainfall, but that wasn't really reliable in this kingdom. The weather was always overcast, always a little cold and windy, always the chance of rain.
Evangeline just hoped that, if rain did happen, it wouldn't come until after she had finished taking down all the laundry. After all, Crown Prince Zestrath's birthday was tonight. Empress Lamia made it very clear that everything had to be perfect. Apparently it wasn't just his birthday, but also to announce his engagement to whatever family they wanted to ally themselves with.
Not that she would have to worry about it. Like all parties, the banquet would be held over in the main palace, and the servants who worked there would be in charge taking care of the preparations. She had always wondered what the parties were like, only ever able to hear the music echo faintly from the distance.
She looked over her shoulder, seeing one of the obsidian towers standing tall against the gray sky. It was a menacing structure, but she supposed it suited the Sharith Empire, the largest demon empire this side of the Carastall Sea. She had only seen the palace once, when she had first came here with her mother when she was eleven. At the time, she had always wondered what the inside looked like.
Of course, that had been seven years ago, and she knew better now. The main palace was a dangerous place for humans, particularly servants. Rosa, her mother, had forbidden it, and the other servants had warned her what could happen if a young girl like her caught the sights of the demons living on that side of the estate. The horror stories were enough for her to stay clear.
Besides, she liked working in Carleigh Castle. It was small – well small compared to the other palaces on the estate – and comfortable. She had friends among the staff, her work wasn't too taxing, and she even got to work alongside Rosa and keep an eye on her health. On top of that, they were paid decently and could send a good amount of money back home for the rest of her family.
"Eve."
The deep voice calling out her nickname caused her to turn around. Upon immediately seeing the owner of the voice, she quickly went into a low curtsy. "Good afternoon, Prince Marak."
"What are you doing out here by yourself?"
"Just finishing up the laundry." She gestured to the sheets hanging behind her. "Jenny and Catherine were here earlier, but Madam Ala called to work on another task a bit ago..."
"I'll have Ala send one of them back. You shouldn't have to do it all by yourself."
Evangeline smiled, and shook her head. "It's all right, Your Highness. Even I can do this much alone."
"It would go faster if you had help."
She laughed, turning away for a moment to check the sheets to see if they were dry enough to take down yet. "I suppose it would."
Marak was the other reason why she enjoyed working at Carleigh Castle. The Fourth Prince of Sharith, he wasn't like the rest of the Xoraneth family. She had never actually met any of them them, but she had heard enough about them to know that they were cruel and selfish people who only saw others, demons and humans alike, as tools for their own gain or pleasure.
But not Marak. Though, she wouldn't exactly call him friendly. He could be incredibly blunt and harsh, and she had overheard him dealing with his brothers or other noblemen whenever they would visit. He was terrifying when he yelled and could be downright cruel to those he disliked.
It didn't help that he usually wore a dark expression on his face that had many people nervous to be around him. Of course, that could have just been his demonic appearance. Like all demons, he had dark gray skin, fearsome claws, and bright red eyes that always seemed to glow, even more so in the dark. Sharp teeth, pointed ears, a long tail and wings... And he was much taller than any human she knew. Even among demons, he was taller than most, standing at a near eight feet. Which was usually a common feature among those within the royal family.
Then there was his more... unique features. He was much more muscular than most demons she had encountered. He had two sets of black horns – two small ones that protruded from the sides of forehead, and two large ones that came from the sides of his shaggy off black hair and curled like a mountain goat's horns. His long tail had spikes at its end, and his wings were almost like a dragon's. She supposed it made sense for most people to be afraid of him.
She snapped out of her thoughts when he suddenly came up behind her to grab the laundry off of the wire it had been attached to.
"Y-Your Highness-?!"
"You agreed it would go faster with help," he said, handing her the sheet he had taken.
"I c-can do it myself, my lord!" Gods, if anyone saw this, she would get scolded for sure! She had already been lectured numerous times by Ala that she was spending too much time chatting with Marak. Even if he asked, she couldn't allow him to do chores – he was a prince!
But Marak merely chuckled, easily picking up the heavy basket beside her. Then he reached over to pat her head, calming her down. "I'll speak with Ala later. You won't get in trouble."
And it was because he was like this that Evangeline knew he wasn't a bad man. He had always treated all of the servants – both demon and human - fairly and equally, even paying them well as he could. He had never abused them physically or verbally, even when they did something wrong. He would even defend them whenever a visiting noble or his family would attempt to harass them.
As for her... Well, he had always been kind to her, even when she had first arrived seven years ago. In fact, the first two years she worked here, he would often treat her like the child she had been rather than just a maid working in his estate. He ensured that the tasks she was assigned to weren't too difficult or labor intensive, and had even chatted with her almost as if she were a friend and not just a maid.
Then of course, there were times like now where he would tease her. It reminded of when she lived back home with her younger brother, where they would playfully tease each other when messing around or doing their chores. Sometimes, she would even forget about their status differences with how casual he would be with her when they were alone.
He genuinely treated her like a friend or perhaps a little sister. Sometimes he would pat her head, or brush some hair out of her cheek. She had even gotten a few hugs from him during her time here. If she was more haughty, she would have genuinely believed she was special.
But she knew better. Even if they had a good relationship, she could never truly be his friend. She was only there to serve him... but she could still enjoy the closeness.
So, with a small smile, she quickly folded the sheet and placed it into the basket. They went through the wires, Evangeline pulling off each piece of laundry and folding it before placing it into the basket. Even as it got heavier and fuller, Marak still easily carried it through all the rows of hug up sheets and clothes.
If she had done this alone, she would have been picking up and putting down the basket every chance she had and it would have taken much longer. Sometimes she truly envied a demon's strength. If only she had it for when she had to carry the laundry into the storage room later...
"How has your mother been?" he asked. "You mentioned last week she had been ill."
"Oh, she's fine now," she replied, giving a small smile. "It was just a cold... She's not back to full strength yet, but she should be in a few days."
"If she needs more time off, then–"
Evangeline shook her head. "Thank you, Your Highness, but my mother is fine. And she doesn't like to take too much time off work. My brother's tuition is expensive."
"Why does only your brother attend?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Sharith allows both men and women to attend academies. And you're certainly not unqualified."
She laughed softly. "I'm flattered, but we can only afford him at the moment."
Perhaps when she had been younger, there was a time where she had wanted to go to one of the academies in the city. She had thought about becoming a teacher, like Miss Annie back in the village. Her mother wanted that as well, but the emperor started imposing his high taxes throughout the empire.
Businesses that belonged to nobles or the wealthy had been fine, but Rosa's small bakery hadn't been so fortunate. She could no longer afford to both send her and her brother Sebastian to school, and they had begun to worry that they would become homeless.
Then word had gotten out that Marak was looking for servants to work in his estate. Desperate, Rosa had left their village to apply, and Evangeline had decided to go with her. After all, it wasn't uncommon for children to work as servants, and she had already helped out at home with plenty of chores. She figured that if she could work, she might as well earn money.
It had worked out in the end. With her additional salary, they could afford to send Sebastian to school, a magic academy within the capital that allowed boarding. While they had both been smart, only he was magically inclined; it made the most sense to send him over. And, according to his teachers, he had the potential to become a powerful mage. If that were the case, he could have any job he wanted in the future.
So while she was a little saddened by the fact that she couldn't finish her own schooling, she knew her little brother had a real chance of bettering himself. There was even a chance for her to return to school, if her brother could get an apprenticeship somewhere once he graduated. Her brother had said that when he had his own income, he would be the one to help pay for her schooling and get her the education she had wanted.
Unless she got married. Then she probably would never be able to return to school.
"Will you be attending the party tonight?" she asked, hoping to change the subject. "I overheard Sir Solomon saying you have an invitation."
Fortunately, Marak seemed to sense that she didn't want to be reminded of her own disadvantages. So he groaned, shaking his head. "It's a complete waste. This is all so that woman can show off to her little followers about what a 'fine' successor her son will be... It's pathetic."
Evangeline hummed. Even if Empress Lamia was not liked within this castle, she was just a servant. She couldn't speak actually poorly against her or any of the other members of the royal family, even if she did agree with Marak.
"Have you prepared a gift for Prince Zestrath?"
He gave a humorless laugh as she placed the final folded up sheet into the basket. "I suppose you could say that I have."
"... Your Highness, you know it's a terrible idea to try anything on his birthday," she warned. She knew better than to lecture Marak, but considering they had a more personable relationship, she could speak a little more freely than most. "Your father has... warned you before about upsetting the empress and her children."
"Yes, her children... Those little shits that constantly hide behind their precious mother to protect them."
Evangeline bit the inside of her cheek. His hatred was practically palpable, but it wasn't as if she couldn't understand it. After all, it was an open secret that Marak wasn't valued or even respected as a member of the royal family. The emperor barely even acknowledged him as his son, and the empress's own disdain was well known through the empire.
It was completely unjust, especially when the blame should have been placed on Emperor Erkaxor. He had been the one to take Marak's mother, the daughter of the Ezrog family, as one of his many concubines. But then Ulra had become pregnant and was swiftly casted away and made to live at the Carleigh Castle with Marak when he had been born.
From what Evangeline knew, Ulra had not been treated kindly by Empress Lamia. Even the other concubines had treated Ulra poorly, and Erkaxor did nothing to intervene. He didn't even show care for Marak, who was bullied ruthlessly by his older siblings growing up.
Marak huffed, shaking his head. "While I plan to attend, I won't stick around for long."
"Even though it might upset Her Majesty?"
"My very existence upsets her, it wouldn't matter if I stayed long or not."
"I suppose not..." She reached out to take the basket from him, only to be surprised when he pulled away from her. "My lord?"
He didn't say anything, and gestured her to follow him. She was a bit surprised, but she did as he wanted as they walked back towards the castle. She had attempted to take the basket from him again, but he just moved it out of her reach. She would have pouted, but she was honestly glad she didn't have to carry it. It was always so heavy.
Soon enough, they reached the storage room. Evangeline was a bit surprised to find it empty. Usually there was at least one maid in here getting another apron or sorting through some sheets and curtains that needed to be replaced.
So, just as Marak finally placed down the basket, she sighed. "Well, looks like I'll have to put away the laundry by myself."
"Where is everyone else?"
She shrugged, getting to work putting away the laundry. "The party the empress is throwing is quite large... I know some servants were assigned to go help prepare for the banquet."
"She doesn't have enough servants of her own?"
"Well, it is a big banquet... They're also going to announce Prince Zestrath's engagement, yes?"
Marak slowly nodded, as if thinking to himself. After a few moments, he huffed and looked back to Evangeline, who was still putting away the sheets and aprons and towels into their proper places on the shelves. He merely watched her, something she was used to. Sometimes when they would interact, he would observe her quietly while she did her chores.
Admittedly, it made her feel a little subconscious. She never knew what was going through his head whenever he would stare at her like this. It had only started happening a few months ago too. It made her wonder if something about her had changed to make him stare so much. But she didn't think anything about her had really changed all that much.
"I need to return to my work," he finally said. "I'll send someone to help you."
She turned to thank him when his clawed hand suddenly came up. She paused fas the back of his hand brushed against her cheek. Perhaps she had some dirt on her face? Her mouth opened to speak, but then he leaned forward, causing her eyes to widen.
"Your... Highness?"
But he didn't say anything, merely staring at her for a few moments with an unreadable expression. Evangeline didn't move, merely staring up at him with wide eyes as he cupped her cheek. He had nothing done this before. Yes, he had touched her face before, but never with him so close or for so long.
"Um, I-!"
Then he suddenly bent down, pressing his lips against hers. Her eyes went wide, her entire body frozen up. She couldn't bring herself to move away and protest, her brain shutting off as his lips gently molded against her. It wasn't rough or demanding, and he didn't hold her in place. She could have turned away or broke the kiss whenever she wanted.
But she didn't.
Finally, he broken the kiss to stare at her. She couldn't find her voice and just stare at him with wide eyes. Even when he brushed a fallen hair out of her face, she remained silent, unable to even think of what she could possibly say to him.
Then he pulled away and left without another word. Evangeline finally swallowed, confused about what had just happened. He had never done anything like that before!
Her hand came up to touch her lips. Gods, she could still feel them against her... A bright blush came to her cheeks. What had just happened? Why did he kiss her?! She was half tempted to run after Marak and demand answers. Why would he kiss a lowly maid like her?! If he had been like some of the other nobles or her family, she would have understood.
But Marak wasn't like them. He didn't use his servants as toys or outlets for his own desires. She would have known about it if it was true! The servants would have talked about it and warned her, just as they warned every newcomer about the other princes and the emperor. Surely someone would have said something if he would randomly kiss others like that!
But she shook her head, forcing herself to continue with her work. She could always find out about it later. For now, she just needed to do her work.