Life at the Haystars

Many months later......

"The water is too hot!" Coral screamed, knocking over the bowl of water placed in her front for her to soak her two feet in. The water splattered everywhere, burning Azalea's kneel slightly because of the manner at which it had fallen.

"Can you see? My room is covered in water now you sheep!" She yelled again and kicked her legs at Azalea, who was trying to mop the water quickly off the floor and had dodged it immediately.

That action aggravated Coral again as she glared at the maid, who remain flinty-eyed no matter what they did or said to her. It was like she was emotionless and icy cold, and never seemed to mind anything that ever happened.

"Get out of this place now with your ugly looks," Coral ordered and sneered, before turning to lie on her bed. She just hated the maid that served her for every reason, in the way she walked, talked and served. Everything!

The thought of the day when one of her friends had made a remark about the new maid, her flawless poise, movement and perfect body alignment, aggravated her so much anytime she remembered. She was just a lowly maid from no place.

Azalea had to resist to the urge to scoff, as soon as she turned her back to the contemptible and spoilt daughter of the Haystars family. One time the water was too cold and another time it was too hot, she could never get satisfied no matter how much one tried.

Only in one morning she had to serve her more than four breakfast of different defect complains. She would get her nails painted more than five times, before she choose the colour she would finally pick. Her clothes and every accessory she owned, had to be arranged everytime hour she scattered them all over her room.

Even her Coral's mother that had gotten Azalea employed did not deride her, screamed at her or stressed her unfairly as much as her daughter did. But it wasn't that much of a problem because she could get the basic things she needed, and could even live freely among people without any issue. She could even get to read books freely at the home library, where no one living in the house used or visited but had it cleaned everytime.

Ever since she had escaped her near death experience, she had gone back to her abode many days after by hope, to get the few necessary things she needed from the house and burnt it to ashes. Her friends were the ones that told her about the open maid slot in the Haystars family, and she was really grateful to them for that. They were good people.

Even if it has been so nerve wreaking and stressful for her serving the bratty princess, it was better than getting freely fed to rouge wolves.

"Azalea!!!" Coral called with great intensity as she walked out of her room, she was going to make sure to use the maid to final exhaustion.

"Yes ma'am," Azalea answered few seconds later, after she had intentionally made the obnoxious princess scream out her lungs.

"You sheep! Where is the dress I have asked you to take to the seamstress?!" She demanded arrogantly, gazing at Azalea with a condescending and disgusted look.

"It has been been less than an hour since you told me to take it back. She said to come back by an hour and half," Azalea explained stiffly.

"Go back there and get my dress immediately. It wouldn't be too long to the guest arrival," Coral ordered and pushed unaware Azalea forward with a sharp thrust, who steadied back immediately. The backward force pushed the bratty princess backwards, that made her hit her butt against the floor, "Mother!!!!!" She cried.

****

It was evening and Azalea had done so much from dressing Coral to fit perfectly into her dress, to styling her long hair for hours as she changed her mind, nonstop at every finishing point of a style. She had painted her hand and toe nails again and made her face up to perfection. She also made her nerve calming teas more than five times, as one was either too bitter, sour or the scent was too overt.

The meal prepared that night was of many varieties that Azalea also participated in the cooking, serving and fully setting the table. It also coupled with the bugging frequent calls from Coral in-between, whenever she had the slightest discomfort or itch.

The day was a very long day because of the preparations for supposed guest they said was coming. They had waited the entire day till night and still he wasn't around yet putting the Luna of the house in panic. It took much placate from her husband to be able to calm her down, and Azalea had brewed sleeping tea for her by the orders of her husband.

Azalea who was tired from working all day laid on her bed in the room, where three other maids were already fast asleep.

Without much thoughts, she drifted into a deep sleep knowing fully well that she had to awake quickly the next day.

****

The next morning at the king's palace was Ayden in the royal kitchen, to get his snacks by himself before heading to the garden. He sat on his usual spot and chewed gently on it, thinking about so many things that plagued his brain. If he could wish for anything at that point in time, it would be to have never been born especially in the royal family.

He would have wished his mother was the one and only queen of kingdom, even if he was to be born at all. He had still not shifted into his wolf form after his nineteenth birthday, causing so much disgust words against him both openly and secretly. Many had speculated that he was probably not a son of the king, and that his mother had probably had an affair and lied that she birth the king's son.

That alone brought pain to his heart so much, and also all the ill words directed towards his dead mother. His nana that could clarify the real truth, was still laying in her position without movement. The queen had even told the king few months ago, that since it appeared that the woman would not wake any longer, disposing her was the best option.

Ayden had almost lost his mind when the king asked him about it, and almost sent obscene words at both of them. He had to curb the urge with so much will strength in him. The king surprisingly for the first time took Ayden's side, who did not answer to any question he was asked. The king just told the queen that everything should be left the way it was, to maintain absolute peace.

He had lived his life like someone invisible in the palace, even when he was the king's son. His only offence was coming through a maid, who was not even the legal wife of the house.

Just as he thought he could let down his painful thoughts, and console himself by maybe tearing up. He heard the voice that he really hated to hear at that particular point in time.

"How do you feel now that news has it that your childhood best friend is back?" Zachary shouted from a distance.

"Why are you not outside the palace today, Zachary?" Ayden asked irritably. He just hated him playing the friend, and then the betrayal all the time. Does he take him for joke?

"Just decided to stay indoors today. I had my heart broken," he replied truthfully which made Ayden huff at his reply.

"Then pick up the pieces and stitch them back brother, and just go out like you used to. This is my peace abode. Just leave!" Ayden replied angrily to the slight shock of Zachary whose legs froze on his tracks.

No matter how bad and sneaky he had been towards Ayden in the past, he had never gotten angry or shunned him if he came back to apologize. He had been trying to make up by being a better companion to him, and Ayden had never told him directly to piss off.

But it was the very first time he retaliated, and it for some reasons pained Zachary's heart.

*****

The Haystars house was filled with happiness at the welcoming of their son, Hendrix who had finally arrived in the midnight of the day they had expected. An intelligent, striking handsome and elegantly proportioned young man, who was a heartthrob to many young ladies who would love to have him as their husband.

The preparations that have been made the previous day was ruined, so the maids had to start another round of full welcoming for the soon-to-be Alpha. He had rejected the offer of a grand party to welcome him the next day, but his mother had insisted so much to just do something nice for him.

Coral who had prepared so much the previous day without seeing her brother before she slept, was so happy to see him. She hugged around him like a cute child, and whined so much about how much she had missed him. They had the entire day to talk about many things they had missed, and lot of things that happened in each other's absence.

It was a long day for Azalea again, who was still sore from the previous day stressful job.

The most times that Azalea wasn't working or serving her rude young miss who was out with her friends, she was in the library reading books about things that she captivated her attention. That was when she had made her first encounter with the young master of the house, whom she didn't know owned most of the books there and used it as his personal space.

She had grabbed a book while cleaning the shelves, which had the title 'Knowing the logic of existing' by Saddam, a man of extremely great knowledge who lived in the city. He was a legendary among people who loved books and knowledge as a genius, who knew many unknown things. He studied and researched a lot about mysteries, and even hand wrote his books which were like treasures to many.

The Haystars family library having it, was like a blessing to her.

Her eyes raced left and right so fast, as she read the pages in a very short among of time. Her attention was so fixated into the book she was reading, that she didn't notice the pair of eyes, looking at her through the shelf from the other side.

As soon as she sensed the person's presence, her dark blue eyes looked straight cursorily to the person looking at her through the other side, and her heart almost dropped at the gaze.

The young master of the house; Hendrix.

She thought in head about what she would say or do, as he looked at her still wondering what she was reading about. What if he got angry and punished her?

"Can you read the book you are holding?" He asked calmly, his mellifluous voice sounded like melodies to her ear. It was captivating.

She wanted to say no, but he had probably watched her move her eyes from line to line. It would be so impolite to lie, especially to the Alpha to be of the house.

"Yes," she stuttered slowly, hoping he wouldn't ask further questions on how she had learnt how to read.

"What did Saddam say about reasons why we can steady without floating?" He asked, looking at her closely probably expecting her to miss it. Then it would just be a waste about knowing how to read without understanding it.

"On page 4 of this book, clause five, Saddam says it is an invisible force that pulls objects toward each other, and that it is called gravity. That is why we can walk, build houses and they don't float and many other things in right order that don't float too," she said effortlessly and confidently.

A modest smile tugged Hendrix's lips at the maid's intelligence and ability, to answer his straight question according to the book to remembering the page and even clause.

'She must be genius,' he thought and nodded meaningfully.

Azalea next heard something that gladden her heart.

"You can read in the library whenever you are opportune," he said and took his sit right where he always sat, before he left on his journey to study.

Azalea smiled in her heart, more and more, happy that the master of the house was not an obnoxious one like his sister.