Evie walked to the library after Helga directed her. It was on a quieter side of the palace, and she was glad to be posted here because she wasn't ready to run into people as of yet. She needed a complete picture of who was who, their hierarchy, the palace's structure and, most importantly, how to interact with them. Because where she was now, mistakes didn't end up getting you fired; they got you killed.
Achoo! Achoo! Evie sneezed loudly, tears welling. She was allergic to dust, and the old library was covered in it. "Time to get this place clean," she said to herself. "I wish I had a duster," she added, turning back to go get a rag to clean things.
After she left, a chair creaked and a man woke up lazily from the other side, stretching. "So loud," he said, walking to the door. "I need to tell the butler to get rid of this one," he murmured, leaving.
Evie returned to the library shortly after and started by putting all the books from the shelves on one side of the library and cleaning the shelves first. "I'm a single lady, a single lady," she hummed, dancing as she cleaned the shelf, making sure not to leave a speck of dirt.
After she was done, she sat down in the chair placed below the window and gently shook the books to clear the dust, then stacked them against each other. Once she finished that she started mopping the floor as her nose tingled.
"I wish I had a mask," she said, sitting down to exhale. She looked at the big mountain of books, and an idea popped into her head. She smiled and started sorting the books alphabetically, as it would make it easier for visitors in the library to find what they were looking for easily.
After stacking the cleaned books on the cleaned shelf, Evie stood further away, admiring her work. She smiled as the orange hue from the sunrise reflected on her face.
And then it clicked. "Ooh, no," she said, taking the basin of dirty water and rags and starting to rush out, almost tripping at the gate. She heaved a sigh of relief after easing herself.
She poured the water on some dying trees in front of the library and left, rushing to the kitchen. "That's what I get for being a damn workaholic," she admonished herself.
She was so caught up in the cleaning that she missed lunch, and she was on the verge of missing dinner. Grrrr, her stomach growled as if to reprimand her as well. "I know, I'm stupid," she said, patting her stomach. Luckily, she reached just in time.
She immediately put her basin and rag in a corner somewhere, washed her hands, and rushed to meet Helga and Lila who were waiting for her, and together they joined the line.
"Where were you during lunch hours?" Lila asked, both looking at her. "I was so caught up in working, I forgot," Evie said, and Helga gave her a don't ever do that again look. Evie nodded "It won't happen again" she promised
The line moved faster. Supper was a bowl of thick stew, another piece of bread, and they also had a side of greens. Evie almost shed a tear after sipping the stew. It was piping hot, and she was so glad that the soup was hot, unlike the lukewarm porridge that morning.
It only took her one missed lunch for her to appreciate the bread she was looking down on earlier that day.
After supper was done, they washed their utensils, got hot water, and carried their buckets to their rooms. Once they reached the shared washroom, each person stood there washing up. In the previous days, Evie had washed up before the maids were done with the evening, so she was mostly alone. But now the place was bustling with chattering, naked girls having a shower after a long day.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up before your water gets cold," Helga said. Evie shrugged, "When in Rome, do what the Romans do they said. She whispered as she removed her dress and then the wound dressing, and the moment the hot water hit her body, she sighed with satisfaction.
After they were finished, Helga bid them goodbye, and Lila and Evie went into their room. She sat on her bed, dressing her wounds with clean gauze. Once she was done, she changed into a loose, ankle-length cotton chemise, and she sighed happily, lying on the bed.
It had been a long day, and as much as she dreaded being a maid, it wasn't that bad. They bid each other goodnight and both drifted off to sleep.
In the wee hours of the night, a door creaked as a tall man with a straight gait and striking silver hair that sat on his shoulder, shimmering as the moonlight reflected on it, entered the room holding a lantern. He looked around.
One section of the library attracted his attention. "Very clean," he said as he stood in front of the shelf, running his finger along it and looking at it. He nodded. Then his eyes stopped, looking at the rows of books, and the side of his mouth rose, forming a mischievous smirk. "Interesting," he said, rubbing his chin. "Now I'm curious," he added.
He took a book from the shelf, walked to the chair by the window, sat down, set his lantern aside, and proceeded to read. At midnight, he fell asleep in the chair.
In the early morning, he stood up, stretched, adjusted a shawl on his shoulder, and walked to a shelf in the furthest corner of the library. He removed a scroll from somewhere, scribbled something on it, and tucked it between the books on the shelf next to the cleaned one, also leaving the quill pen there. "Am I expecting too much?" he questioned.
"Hmm, we shall see," he added, walking out the door.