For the first time in a long time, I woke up to the warm glow of the sun instead of the terrifying call of duty. No one was banging on my door, no absurd royal requests were waiting, and best of all—no overbearing King demanding tea at ungodly hours.



It was absolute peace.



And it was wonderful.



For the first few days, I basked in the freedom. I slept in as long as I wanted, ate delicious home-cooked meals without needing to serve anyone else first, and finally had time to do nothing. No nobles glaring at me, no scheming women plotting my downfall, no looming presence of an intimidating ruler breathing down my neck.



Everything was perfect.



...Until it wasn't.



While visiting the local market, I overheard murmurs among the merchants and travelers. Normally, I would've ignored palace gossip, but some of the things they said made my ears perk up.



"The King's mood has been worse than ever. Even the officials don't dare to speak too much in his presence."



"Did you hear? He's been personally dealing with rebellious nobles. Some say he barely sleeps anymore."



"He's been hiring new maids, but none last more than a few days. They either run away or get dismissed."



"What about that one girl? His personal maid—what was her name? The one that always brought him tea?"



"Gone. Disappeared from the palace. Some say she was exiled. Others say she fled."



I suddenly found my hands gripping the apples I was holding a little too tightly.



When I got home, my parents were waiting for me with concerned faces. My father cleared his throat. "Thalia... we received word from an old friend in the capital. They say the King has been reckless lately."



"Reckless?" I echoed, my stomach twisting in an unfamiliar way.



"He's personally handling disputes, riding out to settlements, confronting noble families himself," my mother explained. "And apparently... he's been harsher than ever."



I swallowed. That's not my problem anymore, I reminded myself. I had already left. I was safe now, living a quiet life, far away from palace schemes and impossible royal demands.



So why did I feel uneasy?



~~~



The next morning, a letter arrived—sealed with the royal crest.



I stared at it as if it had personally insulted my entire family.



"What does it say?" my mother asked curiously, peeking over my shoulder as I broke the seal with shaky hands.



The letter was formal. Cold, even.



Thalia Windrose, You are to return to the palace at once. The King requires your presence.



There was no please, no explanation—just a simple demand.



But something felt... off.



The handwriting was perfectly neat, yet there was a tension in the strokes, as if written with restraint. The King never required my presence before. He ordered me around like an annoying pet. So why did this letter sound like he was holding something back?



"I'm not going back," I muttered, tossing the letter onto the table. "He can find another maid."



My parents exchanged knowing glances.



That night, I rolled around in bed, hugging my pillow as my mind refused to shut up.



Why did he send a letter? He never does that.

Why can't he just hire someone else?

Why do I even care?



I groaned and buried my face into my pillow. "Ugh, this is so annoying!"



Just as I was about to spiral further, my mother's voice echoed from the hallway. "You're thinking about him, aren't you?"



I sat up like I'd been electrocuted. "WHAT?! No!"



My father chuckled. "Ah, young love."



"Excuse me?! This is not love! I'm just... concerned! That's it! Not love! No love here!"



My mother gave me an amused look. "Then why are you flailing around like a fish out of water?"



I opened my mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again. Then promptly grabbed my blanket and screamed into it.



Why did I feel like I'd just lost a battle I didn't even know I was fighting?