The palace streaks

The week had been good for Azalea because of the common interest of books, she shared with Hendrix. They often talked about the books they've read, how fast they did and how well they could remember everything they have read, with Azalea always taking the lead all the time. They also did quite a number of quiz too with Azalea always taking the lead too. It was quite fun.

Hendrix was really amazed at her great intelligence, and ability to understand things she was taught very fast. He began to grow a fondness for her.

"Why have you been going to the library too often?" Coral asked suspiciously with a crease on her eyebrows. There was so much irritation in the manner at which she asked. She could not stand Azalea having the slightest chance, to be entangled with her brother in anyway.

"As time passes cleaning the books, I see more of them being damaged by moist. So, i rearrange them to where they can get sunlight," Azalea replied with a straight face.

"I think, I see you around my brother just too much. Keep your distance away from him!" She fired up, "You'll never be in the same league, ever," she hissed and waited for a reply from Azalea who kept mute, "Can you not answer?!"

"Yes ma'am."

"Anyways go prepare for the mini party I told you about, my friends would soon be here any moment from now. Include everything nice and edible too. The decorations and arrangement should be perfect."

Hendrix was out with his father to go and check out his improved fighting skills with the others, while the Luna, Scarlett was out with friends; Women of high caliber in the kingdom.

It was a perfect timing as it was Coral's turn to host a party for her friends, and she had been wondering if her mother would allow her use the huge welcoming room. But since no one would be home till evening, it was opportunity for her to just do whatever that pleased her.

There were seven fine ladies of prestigious families like that of the Haystars, dancing and partying at the welcoming room. There was no one to curb the intensity of the loudness, and over excitement of the young, vibrant ladies.

Azalea who had nothing much to do around, headed straight to the library to see if she could find books that had more informations, about medicinal herbs in relation to her mother's book.

She had flipped through some pages of a book she had picked, and was so engrossed in what she was reading, until she had got interrupted by some kind of sudden movement near the door.

"What do I do now?" She heard the voice crying profusely. She wondered what was happening until her mind told her, 'Wait, that is Coral's voice.'

"Just relax and calm your nerves, okay. You don't have to be blamed and we too either. Just say it was your maid, Azalea or whatever is her name that broke it. Be stern about it."

"How would I do that? Coral cried, "My father is going to kill whosever breaks our family's heirloom."

"Just, calm down, Coral! It was your maid that broke it okay, so you don't need to cry or panic."

"Yes, it was my maid that broke it," Coral answered. "My maid Azalea, broke the family heirloom," she repeated after her friend.

Azalea had stiffen when she listened to the entire conversation, and tried to pinpoint what the conversation was about.

Someone had broken accidentally the heirloom during their wild partying, and they needed someone to blame it upon. Azalea knew she had seen the heirloom before, and it was like some kind of red glowing gem.

It was covered in some glass shield that had been delicately placed in the welcoming room, for the very important people at any welcoming party to see. The worst had happened to it, and it had hit the floor with intensity to breakage.

Azalea thought of the big possibility of being successfully implicated by the girls, and it was just a very slim chance of survival for her. She was just an ordinary maid whom no one would ever believe.

She could already see her life taking terrible turns again, as she had to leave the Haystars family as fast as possible. Even Hendrix would not be able to either believe or save her.

Without further time wasted, she hastily went to the maids room to pick every of her important belonging, and escaped through the main door before Coral raised a false alarm that would get her killed. She had began another journey of homelessness again, and going to any of her friends house that night would not cut it. She needed to be somewhere far hidden from the city but also in the city.

The fear of going back to the wilderness still lurked in her heart, as she made her way hastily to anywhere her legs would take her. And just like any other bad day, the skies had been to rumble again threatening to pour out it's content upon her.

*****

At the palace in Ayden's room, the young prince laid on the bed feeling no strength to pick up his body at all. Everything around him had been so annoying and irritating, that he really could not see anything good and worth it. He was totally stressed out.

Even sneaking out of the palace, didn't feel as much as exciting as it once did to him again. The only thing he could strongly feel was; his fading mind and strength that made it seem like was out of his body already.

He had not even gone to eat at the dining table for almost a week, and he was glad no one was pestering him about it.

Towards the night, Azalea worked tiredly and hungrily too as her stomach rumbled in hunger. If anything would attack her right there at that moment, then she would just conclude she had finished her mission in life, and that her existence was actually a useless one. Just as she tried to pick up herself more in the walk, she saw someone struggling in the dark to move. Sluggish and painfully like the person was in agony.

She had wanted to mind her business and go her way, as her plight was even worse. Watching the person struggle so much made her feel bad, that she decided to approach the person and try to help. Only for her to see a badly bruised and terribly swollen leg, with small cuts around the person body which seemed like he had fought someone. The person was loosing his energy either move or breath.

Immediately, she got out her needles from where she had tied them to her, and got to work by punching out the right spot, that would safely bring out the deoxygenated black blood. After, she tore a part of her cloth and tied it around the man's leg, lifted him up and helped him press on the foot which was a lot more better. Thankfully the rain had not started to fall and she tried to bade the person a bye, as it was the only help she could offer.

"You'll get home in a better condition now," Azalea told him and as she made to leave, but he dragged her back closely with her nose almost colliding with his, causing her to briefly gaze directly into his emerald green eyes. And then, he suddenly let go of her again.

As she went on with a sneer about the person's weird action, she murmured spitefully, "What a weirdo!"

The wind blew strongly particles and dirt around, as Azalea struggled to get to a nearest inn around. When she got to the place, she wondered if she should ask for help just for that night as she loitered around. Even if they helped her for the night without charging, they would not still offer her food too after a free night. And the thought of it made her stomach ache the more.

Knowing fully well that there would be no money in her pocket, she still put her hand in, to check for hope. Lo and behold, she found a handful of money in there.

'What was happening?' her head screamed, wondering she got all that money from, when she remembered how closely the man had pulled her closer.

"Unhhh. So, he wasn't a weirdo. He just wanted to show how thankful he was," she grinned happily.

Her kindness had helped her for the first time, and she was really glad.

******

Back at the Haystars mansion, Hendrix was more than shocked when his sister accused Azalea, of looting away with some of her valuables after breaking the family heirloom.

It had taken lot of efforts for the Alpha, Gerald and calm talks from Hendrix, not to send people after the lowly maid who has committed a crime, to find her and drag her mercilessly back to him.

The whole family was put into a hubbub and serious uneasiness, because the family heirloom was gone. In just one evening.

Hendrix who had watched his sister's expressions and gestures keenly, had dragged her alongside with him to a corner of the house.

"Coral, tell the truth. What really happened?" He demanded from her.

"What you mean what happened, Hendrix?" She asked nervously, with a huge pity in a face.

"I've heard of your discussions with your friends more than two times, about your plans to use the welcoming room for your own personal use or something. And today was just the perfect day for you to use the place, without anyone's interference. So what happened, Coral?" He asked again, with a grim on his face, one that Coral had never seen before.

"Are you doing because you like this Azalea? That lowly servant," She asked suddenly, with tears already falling from her eyes. The manner at which her brother was asking her questions, really scared her so much.

"She being a servant, does not mean she is lowly. She is smart, intelligent and well mannered. The earlier you learn about how life works Coral, the better. Go and tell mother and father the truth."

He left her to sob and he went into in room angrily. His sister's dumb mistake had cost someone's presence in the house. And he knew he was so angry, more than he had ever been.

*****

The next few days was bumpy for Azalea trying to hide around in the city, without being seen by anyone that could associate her with the Haystars. She needed to get a job fast, because she had exhausted her gifted money on feeding.

Suddenly a brilliant idea crossed her mind, to finding the most savvy of her friends.

She sneaked around the market to quickly catch Maude, who wondered why she was sneaking around. She told her she needed another job at a better place, where she would not be seen by many people around.

"Try the palace. It fits exactly what you want, and I've got information on where you can go to get started. But it is hard getting inside too, they have too many maids and servants. Where you are assigned too matters. Just make sure you fail in parts where you don't want to be assigned to, like cooking, cleaning. Try to serve perfectly and do well in your etiquettes," Maude explained perfectly. Giving her the tips that would get her a better place at the palace.

Azalea hugged and thanked her friend who told her that Sabina had found her mate, but they were still planning to put the wedding on hold and marking on hold.

"You are really best at what you do," Azalea smiled at her and hugged her tightly.

Azalea joined the maids on physical training fit for the palace through Maude's help, which was a piece of cake for her considering all the trainings she had gone through.

She was among the maids that had been picked for the second round, of people who were to an extent learned. Next stage was when a palace guard had to handpick the sturdy maids, based on the work they could do around the palace. And she was almost the skinniest and smallest of all, and it looked like she couldn't be any useful.

The guard who was handpicking the maids, had wanted to oust her as someone who could not be fit for any job, when the other one suddenly stopped him and whispered into his ears. And just like that, she was assigned to the youngest prince; Ayden.

The palace guard to assign jobs showed her the way through the majestic palace, and through the many hallways to where she would serve her boss. He had directed the others too to their own jobs, and told all of them many other things to know and do.

Azalea thought she would get lost, staring up and around the huge palace. The moment she had knocked on his door severally to introduce herself to him, he opened it angrily after a long time to see who was interrupting his peace.

She could firstly see through the tiny like rashes that spread around his neck, as she strained her eyes to see something she knew of, but was seeing it for the very first time.

'It is poisoning!' her subconsciousness told her.