Evie stirred, waking up, and she felt a soft bed beneath her. She sat up, trying to register where she was, then the memory of what happened during the day rushed to her mind: she was reminded of how she was called in to Lady Isabella's residence and how she was set up and punished.
The last thing she remembered was seeing some fancy purple shoes and hearing the voice of a man questioning her on why she was kneeling, but now she was lying on a very fancy bed in a luxuriously decorated room.
"Was I reborn somewhere else again?" Evie wondered out loud as she stepped down from the bed, feeling the soft cushion beneath her feet. She walked to the door. "Is there anyone out there?" she called out.
"Good evening, Lady Elara. How may I assist you?" A tall and manly maid entered the room, bowing down.
"Lady Elara?" Evie repeated. "Where am I, and what happened?" Evie asked, confusion visible in her voice.
"You passed out after being punished to kneel down in front of the Rose Pavilion."
"I know that," Evie said, a bit annoyed. "Then what happened next?" she asked, frustrated.
"The Emperor then saw you there and asked me to carry you here," the maid answered quickly, sensing Evie's frustration. "Let me go call Sir Arthur so that he can explain the rest to you, as he asked me to inform him once you are awake," the maid said.
Evie was left alone as she paced around in the big reception hall, trying to come up with every reason why she ended up where she was and not back in the servant quarters. She checked her wrist as if to check a watch, which was a habit she had developed back in the corporate world, and sighed to find her wrist empty.
Evie turned to the door upon hearing footsteps. The door opened, and a good-looking man who looked in his early thirties with auburn hair entered.
And their eyes met, Evie looked into warm green eyes just like hers.
"Good evening, Lady Elara," the man said. "My name is Sir Arthur Oswald. I am the Grand Chamberlain and the Emperor's right-hand man. Congratulations on joining the royal family. The Emperor has appointed you as a consort and the Lady of the Moonlight Pavilion. The edict will follow, and you will be introduced to the court in time," he said.
"The whaaat? Sorry, I misheard you. Can you repeat that again?" Evie said, with her jaw dropped wide open and her eyes bulging out of their socket.
Arthur looked tickled by her reaction. "The Lady of the Moonlight Pavilion and the Emperor's second consort," Arthur repeated.
Evie's ears started ringing and her head started buzzing. She swayed, and both the maid and Arthur rushed to help her, but she held her hand up to stop them and sat down on the steps leading to the big seat on the raised stage of the hall.
"My Lady, I know this might come to you as a surprise, but I am tasked with settling you. Please let me know if you have any requests," Arthur said.
Evie breathed in and out, trying to calm her racing heart. "I assume I will be assigned maids," Evie said. "Can I choose my own maid that I would like to be assigned?"
"Yes," Arthur said, a bit of surprise in his voice.
"How many maids am I entitled to?" Evie asked.
"We have no specific number, but it depends on you," he said.
"Okay, for now, please assign me Helga and Lila. The butler will know them. I will communicate in case I need more," Evie said.
"Sure. I will also be sending some clothing and essential items to your residence. Please send her," he said, pointing to the maid standing at the gate. "If you require anything, she knows where to find me," he said.
"Congratulations once again," he added, bowing and then leaving.
Evie sat on the steps, shell-shocked. "Is it that easy to join the royal family?" Evie whispered unbelievingly. "How can I leave now?" she said, putting her head against her palms to ease the headache she was experiencing. And just like that, because of one word uttered, her life was sealed. The first words she heard when she was reborn to this world echoed in her mind: "Make it fifty, fast, we don't have all day."
"Uuugh," she said, standing up. She put her nail in her mouth and started chewing on it. It was one thing she did when she was extremely anxious, which she had managed to stop with the help of fidget spinners and a therapist, but now, without both, she relapsed.
"Elara," she said.
Lila's voice, and she looked at the door to see Helga and Lila entering.
"What happened?" Helga said, rushing in. "The butler asked us to come here. Are you okay? Your cheeks are extra red," she added.
That was when Evie felt the burning sensation on her back and cheeks. "I was punished to kneel outside by Lady Isabella, but then I was bestowed the title of a lady, and here we are," Evie explained to both shocked Helga and Lila.
Congratulations, your highness, they said, both bowing "What congratulations am I doomed?" Evie said in her thoughts.
The sun had just set, and Reign set aside all the documents, took a shawl, placed it at the arm of his throne, and rushed out. He avoided the busy roads and reached the library. Although he was physically away, his mind was here the whole day. He opened the door and, with rushed steps, reached the shelf. He removed the scroll, and the pendant he had placed there the previous night fell out.
"What?" he said, picking it up. He opened the scroll, and there was no response. "She didn't come today?" he wondered, his voice laced with worry.
But the two shelves were cleaned. He moved, checking the books, and it was random books cleaned and put on the shelf. There was no sort by order today.
"Not her," he said. "What might have happened?" he said, turning around and leaving, his footsteps rushed.