bChapter /bb42 /b

bValencia /b

jogged my way to my room and blocked /bup the doors quickly. I had been brave and looked annoyed at Martin when he had surrounded me, but truth be coldb, /bhad been a little scaredb. /b

I bwas /bused to being bullied by my office colleagues and the ydates, not grown men who were princes and had a bbad /battitude.

There was no way I would join their stupid dinner tonight. Perhaps, when they were busy eating and drinking, I would try to slip outside and find ba /bway towards my real home again.

Thad no way of contacting Sophia, who was surely anxious and looking all around for me, I missed her. And for the first time in many days, I was missing my cold and lonely apartment.

No matter how bored I felt, I had felt safe there. And thad a friend in that city I had started to fool lonely in

Here I knew nobody except Killian I doubted he would stand up for me when there were all his people on the other side.

I was on my own here.

Sighing I walked towards the kitchen and to my relief saw that there were some bread and eggs. In no time, I prepared scrambled eggs and had them

with the breadb. /b

My hunger died down bto /bban /bextent and then I opened the map i had created to give myself something to do.

I had scribbled bfome /bbdetails/b, but not enough to make out anything

A knock on the door and my first instinct was to ask who it was

“Mary here, miss”

“Oh,e in “Isaid and when t

when the door opened, I saw her looking tired and exhausted.

“Where have you been?” asked and ran to the kitchen bto /boffer her ba /bss of water

bShe /blooked like she would burst into tears on seeing me holding the ss of water.

“What happened? Lasked, worried that Martin had bulled her as well

But she took the bss /band gulped it down in an instant

“Nothing. I bwas /bworking nonstop. All of us were. We hardly got time to breathe, blet /balone have some water”

I patted her shoulder and got her another ss of water bthat /bshe chugged down in an instant

“Are you hungry? Why didn’t you make something for yourself, then?” Laskedb. /b

Mary wiped her forehead with a handkerchief and fanned herself

“bWe /baren’t allowed to eat the food meant for the royal princes and princesses. I mean, maybe princesses can, because the king favors the boys, but the girls are mean and report us if they bever /bfind us having even ba /bslice of what we cook for them”

That was barbaric

“Then what are you bguys /ballowed to eat?”

Mary gave a sad smile.

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“bWe /bbsurvive /bon food that the royals no longer want to eat.”

“What?” A shocked exim left my lips.

“That is sick and disgusting. Why can you not eat food if it’s leftover and will be tossed in the bin either way?”

This was appalling

Mary shrugged. “Nobody thinks about us maids and servants. They think we are their ves. And if anybody tries to raise their voice, we are threatened with whishes or even more work”

That sounded like a nightmare.

there no women in charge? King idus might not understand the plight of women. But some woman

th a bit more authority might“”

Loffered.

Mary shook her head sadly,

“Most of the important positions are held by males. The princesses also bhave /ba hard time getting noticed by the court or the royals. But they manage to woo a few court members who then advocate for the princess’s wellbeingb./bb” /b

My eyes went wide. “Weo the court members?”

Mary let out a disappointed sigh

“You don’t really wish to know.”

I felt goosebumps prickle my skin.

I didn’t want to imagine what all they did to stay in the royal mansion and not get thrown on the streets. Based on whatever Mary had told me, the King seemed very patriarchall and thought very little of the opposite gender.

Most werewolves were of that mindset too, but there were ba /bfew exceptions in themunity where females were respected.

Or I would have never been practicingw and working in the Bureau, even ifrgely we handled cases for blesser /bknown packs.

“You know what? I have an idea. I am the Blessed One, so the King won’t mind if leat whatever I want, right?”

Mary nodded. “Yes, miss, byou /bare an exception in that regard. Even the princesses don’t bhave /bsuch liberty”

I felt a smile tugging at my lips.

“Well then, I want you to cook whatever you like.”

Mary bunked in confusionb. /b

“Whatever like?”

I nodded

“Yes, you are going to cook something nice and tasty for yourself, And eat it here. Nobody is going to check who ate it in this home, right?”

Thad expected her to look happy, not worried.

She bit on her lower lip nervously.

“I can’t do that, miss, if anybody finds out she began, but I raised my hand to stop her right then and there.

JU17 20 AUU

“Nobody will In fact, you can also get your friends to eat here or rx whenever you feel tired.

Mary was almost in tears and fell to my knees,

“You are indeed the Blessed one. Nobody has shown such generosity to me before.”

I held her by the shoulders and helped her get up.

“It is calledmon sense, not generosity. Now, go and make something for the both of us.”

She wiped her tears and gave me a radiant smile.

ine, she had run back to the royal kitchen to cook a nice meal and returned in an hour.

My mouth salivated at the sight of freshly cooked food that looked much better than my scrambled eggs and bread.

I sat with her on the floor itself, ensuring first that the doors were locked before we began eating

Her cooking skills were really good, and I felt full after we were done.

The food reminded me of the stupid dinner tonight, so Lasked warily.

“Do you think I will have to participate in it?”

Tasked

Mary took the dishes to the kitchen to wash while replying.

“I think so. Most of the princes and princesses want to meet you because prince Killian has been shielding you from them.”

bHad /bhe?

He had just walked out of the house and never returned again.

I told

her about my encounter with Martin, and herce hardened.

“He is ba /bmean bully, Good, that you slipped away before he could hurt you.”

iHurt /imo?

they not want me to cure whatever curse bwas /bguing their kingdom?

ut i was the Blessed one. Did they But I was

My confusion must be apparent on my face, because she added.

“The King wants you to

awaken your powers fast.

fast. And he is known to be impatient.”

That really wiped away the joy bthad /bfelt after the hearty meal.

bWas /b

?