Later that evening when I was prepared for bed by my servants, I noticed the servant I had asked to come was present. Maya was glaring at me. Probably wondering what that was about. Once I was prepared for bed all the servants left but I noticed Maya stay behind.
Here we go, I said to myself as I sat on the dressing table.
"Maya," I said her name as she closed the door after the servants had left.
"What was that about with the extra servant?" the elderly woman asked me.
"You've suspiciously been moving around the castle all day," she said to me in suspicion.
"I was just taking a walk," I told her. She continued to eye me suspiciously she came to stand behind me at the dressing table.
"Whether that's true or not, I've been worried that you would try to sneak around and talk to that slave who asked for your help the other day," she told me.
Oh, that's what she was worried about I realized. She was certainly right to be suspicious of me, but it wasn't because of the maid. I was ,however, concerned about the slave.
"Now I know you won't tell me, but you seem to be acting strange, as if something's on your mind. I understand it's been a while since "that incident" happened, but after what happened recently, I'm just worried that seeing that maid invoked something in you," she started concerned.
It had been two years to be exact. Two years since the day my father found out I had been helping slaves with my medicines. Since then, I had stopped
"I know how much situations like this pain you, but I don't want you to don't do anything rash. It's why I have been trying to stop you from talking with the slave when the servants and I attend to you, it would only encourage other slaves to ask you for help as well. I need you to remember how much riskier it is to help them than to let them be," she reminded me with a pained voice.
Looking at the expression on Maya's face I felt bad.
"Yes, I know," I responded. I really did know all too well, which is exactly why I wasn't trying meet the maid secretly.
"I just don't want you to anger your father again. Your mother requested I keep you safe and protect you. I intend to keep my promise," she told me.
As much as I wanted to go against my father. I didn't want to upset and worry Maya either. My actions would also affect her. She would get in trouble and have to answer for my actions if I wasn't careful. Father viewed her as my caretaker.
"I just wanted to remind you but on other news I wanted you to know that she is fine, I checked on the situation and her brother is slowly recovering,"
My face brightened up and I smiled. A wave of relief came over me. I was happy to know her brother was doing well. I got up and hugged her. "That's good to hear," I told her. "Thank you, Maya."
Maya hugged me back for a moment. "Alright, alright," Maya said with a laugh.
Ever since my mother died and Maya become my lady-in-waiting she had become like a mother to me. I may have been lonely when I was with my family, but Maya was always there for me she really was a second family to me.
"I'll be taking my leave now, but I want you to know I know you've stay up late doing your strange experiments so make sure you sleep early tonight!" she ordered me.
"Alright," I laughed embarrassed and nervously looked around. I forgot she knew about that. The only other person who'd known I studied medicine and herbalism was Maya. Before the incident of course when everyone found out. Maya had kept it a secret for all those years.
I know she would love if I didn't do it at all. However, she knew I wouldn't be able to stop myself. Luckily for her I had already perfected the formula for the scent erasing ointment so I didn't need to continue experimenting. Also, I might have just figured a plan to leave the castle. So, I wasn't going to stay up tonight.
Maya and I then said our goodnights and she left my room.
Maya was so sweet and kind to me. Sometimes I wondered why she looked out for me and my mother when she was alive. It was my father who had ruined her life after all. Despite that she respected my mother and had been like a mother to me for all this time. Sure it was her duty as my "slave" to look after me but you couldn't force someone to care and I only felt love and care from her.
That night I went to bed feeling restless. My thoughts were on Maya. If I escaped, the person I would worry about the most was Maya. I didn't want to put her at risk, but I felt I had to do this.
For a few years now I had thought again and again about how I could try to stop my father from the within the castle but there was no way. The simplest way would be to start an uprising among the slaves, but they would be difficult since my father purposely kept them underfed and beaten up, so they were too weak to do anything. That, on top of preventing them from changing to their wolf forms with the collar. If I wanted things to change, I had to go out there. That was my best chance.
On that note, I think I had an idea on how I was going to leave. Earlier on my walk I had caught a glimpse of the army training and preparing for the raid they were going to do. They were going to leave in a couple of days I would have to find out when exactly. Perhaps when they left, I could sneak out together with them. Like that time when I snuck along with the army for the raid and hid among the goods he was carrying.