Odi sat in her chamber, her fingers trailing absently over the silk sheets of the grand bed she had been given. The room was spacious, more luxurious than anything she had ever known. The walls were adorned with tapestries of rich colors, the floors lined with thick, woven rugs from distant lands. A delicate scent of lavender filled the air, and a golden oil lamp cast a warm glow across the space. It was the kind of comfort most people in the kingdom could only dream of. And yet, Odi hated every bit of it.
She wasn't a noblewoman, nor a cherished guest. She was a slave, bought and paid for. The difference now was that she had been dressed in fine fabrics instead of rags, given food meant for royals rather than scraps stolen in the night. But none of it changed what she was. A possession. A transaction.
She clenched her fists. This wasn't freedom. This was another cage, gilded but suffocating all the same.
Outside, the gossip spread like wildfire. The entire kingdom buzzed with news of the king's new purchase. In the bustling markets, traders whispered about the scandal as they exchanged goods. Women in their homes gossiped over steaming pots, some outraged, others amused.
"The king has taken a mere thief into his palace," one woman sneered as she kneaded dough. "What could he possibly see in her?"
Another cackled, throwing spices into a pot. "Oh, we know exactly what he sees in her. It's not her skills with theft, that's for sure."
Men in the taverns spoke in hushed tones, some shaking their heads, others laughing. "A slave girl, treated like royalty? What's next? Will he make her queen?"
Even the nobles in their grand halls murmured disapprovingly. "It is disgraceful," one elder lord huffed over his goblet of wine. "If the king wishes to lose the respect of his people, he's doing a splendid job."
"I wonder what Princess Arianna would think."
"Oh, that poor girl. For years she thought she was going to have the king as her husband"
Princess Arianna is supposed to be the woman King Darius is expected to marry. Everyone thought they were good for each other, and there were rumors that they had a relationship. But in truth, Darius never liked her presence, she only forced herself on him.
"Maybe the King doesn't like her, that's why for this long they hadn't gotten married"
"that's true. Too bad"
Back in the palace, Heath had already advised King Darius against treating Odi with such favoritism. "You are making a spectacle of yourself," Heath had warned in a sharp whisper. "The people talk. They believe you are taking her as your concubine."
Darius had only exhaled slowly, his gaze distant. "Let them talk."
"You should at least set boundaries," Heath persisted. "She is a former thief. A nobody. It would not do well for the people to think you are being ruled by your emotions."
But Darius only gave him a sidelong glance. "I do not make decisions based on the ramblings of gossips, Heath."
Heath's lips thinned, but he said nothing more.
Back in her chamber, Odi's stomach twisted with frustration. This wasn't what she wanted. She would have preferred to be thrown into the dungeons rather than be paraded around like some prize and gossips all over the kingdom with her name. The pity in the eyes of the palace staff, the resentment in the whispers, it was all too much.
A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. Before she could answer, a young maid entered, balancing a tray of food in her hands. Odi recognized her immediately, Lena, one of the palace servants she had seen tending to other rooms before.
Lena's face was tight with barely concealed disdain as she approached. "Here," she said curtly, setting the tray down with an unceremonious thud.
Odi looked at the steaming plate of roasted meat and bread, her appetite vanishing under the weight of Lena's glare.
"You know," Lena muttered as she straightened, crossing her arms, "I've served in this palace for years. I have scrubbed floors until my hands bled, cooked meals I was never allowed to taste, and bowed to nobles who wouldn't even look at me. And yet, here you are, a common thief, living in luxury while the rest of us toil."
Odi blinked, taken aback. "Why would you speak to me in such manner? I didn't ask for this."
Lena scoffed. "No? Then why are you here? Why is the king bending over backwards for you? Why do I have to serve someone who is no better than me?"
Odi's jaw tightened. "You think this is luxury? Being paraded around like a bought animal? Having no say in what happens to me? Being kept in the palace is the worse form of slavery because there is no atom of hope for freedom"
Lena's eyes narrowed. "All I know is that the rest of us weren't lucky enough to have the king take an interest in us. Maybe you did something to earn it. What did you do? Did you bed him?"
Odi's hands curled into fists, rage bubbling beneath her skin. She wasn't naïve, she knew how people saw her. But hearing it from someone who should have understood her struggle made it worse. "What did you just say?"
Lena turned sharply on her heel, heading for the door. "Enjoy your meal," she spat before storming out, leaving Odi alone once more.
The moment the door shut, Odi let out a shaky breath. Her eyes burned as she glared at the untouched food.
"Damn the food! And that damn king," she whispered, voice trembling with fury.
She wanted none of this. Not the silks, not the warm bed, not the lavish meals. She wanted her life back, whatever little control she had over it.
And she would find a way to take it back. What did he want from her anyway?