Ren shook her hands, smiling at the girl. "Please, don't worry about that. I don't know anyone here. You're the first person I've t. It's not a big deal, though."
Gloria, who was almost as pale as the curtains, let out a relieved breath and pointed to the bathroom. "Before you arrived, I was ordered to prepare the bath. Please, let bathe you."
Ren's eyes widened. She had always washed her body alone, never allowing anyone to see her naked. Was it customary here for the maids to bathe their mistresses?
"I appreciate the offer, but if it's alright, I can manage on my own."
The girl's panic returned, and she shook her head frantically. "My Lord wouldn't approve if we shirked our duties. Please, let tend to you if you want to be your maid."
Ren hesitated, unsure. Would they truly chastise her for sothing so trivial?
"Please, calm down," Ren said softly. "I'll let you do it." She didn't want to cause any trouble.
As Gloria applied herbal oil and lavender soap powder to a sponge in the bathroom, Ren's thoughts drifted to the rumors she'd heard about Thegara. Humans weren't welco here, were they? Were they re playthings for the shifters? How much of it was true?
Perhaps this girl knew.
"How long have you lived here, Gloria?"
The maid blushed as her Lady spoke to her. Ren was so quiet, so serene, that it made her nervous. Was she displeased with her? But to Gloria's surprise, the princess wanted to know more about her. Hope flickered in her heart.
"I've been here for ten years, milady. I was nine when my lord saved us from slavery and brought us into his service. My father's a farr, and my mother's a tailor."
"You co from a talented family. By the way, we're the sa age. Do you have any siblings?"
"I guessed that," Gloria said with a smile. "Yes, I have two younger brothers."
Ren nodded, her thoughts drifting back to her own siblings, the cruel and the ignorant. That was the best description for them. If not for the King, she'd be back in the Central Square of Jaigara, bound to a timber awaiting the flas.
"You're such a beautiful woman, milady!" Gloria giggled, breaking Ren from her dark thoughts.
Ren smiled faintly. Back in her holand, people said Thegara was the land of barbarians. But from what she had learned, her husband's reputation for brutality was reserved for those who deserved it, he saved wanderers who had no land and were enslaved. In this land, the prince didn't hunt or butcher humans; he protected them. Still, when Ren's gaze fell on Gloria's arm, she grimaced. The scars were deep, the kind only long female nails could leave. They were stitched wounds that had left horrible marks. Her brows furrowed. Who had done this to the poor girl?
As Ren considered asking about it, she recalled Gloria's anxiety when she had ntioned a lady nad Elaika. Could she be like Ren's half-sister, cruel and wicked?
In a fit of curiosity, Ren cautiously asked, "May I ask about Lady Elaika? Who is she?"
Ren noticed the shiver in Gloria's fingers, the barely concealed fear.
"You'll et her soon when she returns from the mountain," Gloria replied, her voice tight.
She had avoided the question. Ren pressed on.
"I've heard people are worried about her reaction to this marriage. Do you know why?"
Gloria continued to scrub Ren's skin, her lips pressing together as she seed to weigh her words. "She is Beta Coran's twin sister," Gloria said softly, her voice laced with hesitation. "Before you ca, she was in charge of the castle's chores and arrangents. But now, with your presence... a human..." She trailed off, unsure of how to finish the thought.
Ren raised an eyebrow. Elaika had held a very important role in the castle, and now, she would lose it because of a human wife.
"Does she hate humans?"
Gloria finished washing Ren's skin and put the sponge down, her expression darkening. "If I tell you, would you promise not to tell her?"
Ren's gaze narrowed. "I promise. You have my word. Did she hurt you?"
Tears welled in Gloria's eyes. "Until recently, I was serving Lady Elaika as a maid. But then, the Alpha King ca to and assigned to serve you." She took a shaky breath before continuing, her voice barely above a whisper. "She doesn't like fragile humans. I was clumsy and made mistakes that caused her trouble. She taught not to make mistakes again."
Ren scowled. Why was Gloria blaming herself for this? Realization struck her, Gloria didn't trust her yet.
"Gloria, you can trust . I won't tell anyone."
Gloria's cheeks flushed with both sha and gratitude. "My Lady, please don't reject . I don't want to serve her anymore. She has a terrible temper, and she takes her anger out on us."
"Us? You an just humans?"
Gloria shook her head. "No, everyone's afraid of her, but humans... especially humans. Her father was killed by human hunters, and that's why she hates us even more."
Ren felt a chill skitter down her spine. Elaika carried such a deep grudge. But that didn't an she had the right to treat others cruelly, to see them all as enemies.
"Have you ever told your Alpha King?"
Gloria's face paled. "No. Please, don't tell him. She'll turn against you. We don't have any evidence. We're guilty. It's all our fault."
Ren sighed, her heart heavy. This was tragic. Gloria was so scared, so confused. The girl feared Elaika's retribution and no doubt Elaika had threatened them. But Beta Coran was loyal—he was distant and reserved, but not cruel. What was wrong with his sister?
'Should I discuss it with Kaisun?'
"Milady, please, just avoid her. I'll do anything you want, but please don't send back to her."
Ren grasped Gloria's hands gently, offering a reassuring smile. "I won't let you down. You're my maid now. Calm down, alright?"
Gloria nodded, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you, my Lady!"
An hour later, Gloria returned with a tray of colorful dishes. Ren's stomach growled at the sight.
"Please eat, milady. I heard you had a difficult journey."
Ren studied the girl's beaming face. Her eyes sparkled with excitent.
"Have you eaten?" Ren asked, her voice soft.
Gloria seed taken aback by the question. "I'll eat later. Please, help yourself."
Ren had spent so many days alone. She just wanted to make friends and get to know this place. But her husband... He didn't seem eager to share a al with her.
"Co here, sit down. Eat with . This is too much food for . It'll go to waste."
Gloria hesitated, but when Ren insisted, she finally joined her.
"Did my husband eat anything?" Ren asked her voice more than a little curious.
She shouldn't care. Kaisun had warned her not to get involved, but he had been so protective during their journey. She couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't here now.
"They're eating in the dining hall with the rest of the pack."
The rest of the pack. So she wasn't part of his family. A knot tightened in Ren's stomach as she took a few bites, losing her appetite.
This was ridiculous. Her heart pounded in her chest wildly at his oblivion. She wasn't sad, she was furious.
"I'm stuffed. You eat the rest," Ren said abruptly. She stood up and walked toward the window, looking outside. The sky was growing cloudy. Spring was like her husband, full of fleeting moods.
"Please don't be mad at him. Your Highness was worried about you when he told to bring you the tray. He didn't invite you to the dining hall because..."
Ren cut her off. She didn't want to hear excuses. "You don't need to explain..."
Before she could finish, the door flew open with a loud bang. Gloria flinched and stumbled backward, her left foot tripping over the other. But before she could fall, Ren caught her mid-air, her sharp gaze locked on the doorway, sending daggers at the person who just intruded on their privacy.
Her heart hamred in her chest as the woman spoke.
"Your Grace, I'm..."
A beautiful blonde shifter stood in the doorway, wearing a wide smile on her face.
Uninvited, she stepped inside, but her words froze in the chilling air that enveloped the room when she found Gloria and the beautiful woman next to her in Kaisun's chamber.
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