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Nicole wasn’t watching, and she was back to eating. In fact everyone around me was eating. Why was I fascinated with what our superiors were doing?
I lifted a roll to my mouth but dropped it suddenly, gasping at the shocking sight before me. The woman had her back to the royal and he was sucking her neck. Right by the window here in the main dining hall.
And no one cared.
Nicole’s finger pressed under my chin and I snapped my jaw shut.
“Do you see—”
“Shut it, Miss Thing.” Nicole’s comment was uninterested. “That is normal. Get used to it.”
“But it’s in front of everyone. Shouldn’t that be something, I don’t know…” I trailed off. “Something private?”
Nicole furrowed her brow. “Why? It’s food. Like a dessert to them. And we’re in a dining hall.”
“She’s not food, she’s a human being.”
“You know what I mean.”
I stared at Nicole and suddenly wondered if being in this position was like being in a cult. The comfort outweighed the horror of what was actually happening.
Only here, it was just everyday life. Not the scandal like I was imagining.
I glanced back, feeling my cheeks burn as I watched. The man was close to his feeder, grasping her shoulders. She didn’t look concerned, but she wasn’t enjoying herself. She looked almost bored, waiting for her time to go back to doing whatever she’d done in the moments before her duty called.
My gaze found Prince Noah, who was laughing with a group of other young men. He had an ease about him that drew others in closer when he spoke. They all leaned in as if they were eagerly awaiting his next words. Or perhaps that was just what being the future king meant. Constant attention.
Suddenly, a queasy feeling spun through my gut. Nicole’s reference to the queen and our roles had me reeling, given that Prince Noah wouldn’t feed from me. Literally my only purpose.
“Would the queen know if I wasn’t of use to the prince?” I whispered to Nicole.
She stopped chewing and quickly stole a few glances around our table before turning to me. “How could you possibly be useless already?”
I scratched the back of my neck, feeling the hairs standing up as the sinking feeling twisted into a deeper fear.
“I-I,” I stammered. I didn’t have anyone to talk to. With Nicole’s experience here she’d be my best bet. But could I trust her?
She watched me curiously and I finally pushed myself to confide in her.
“I’ve gone to him willingly, a few times now. But he…” I leaned in even closer so my breath gently blew the strands of hair falling from her ponytail. “He refuses. He backs away like…like he doesn’t want me.”
Nicole snorted. “Is that all?”
I leaned back, annoyed at her callous response to my fearful confession. “Yeah, that’s all. I can’t do the one thing I’m supposed to be doing.”
Nicole brought her full fork up, hiding her mouth and turned her head toward me. “It’s rumored among us servants. We think Prince Noah doesn’t feed. The last girl wouldn’t say for sure, but rumor is she was so bored to tears she asked to be transferred, hence her promotion.”
I frowned and wrung my hands together. “If he doesn’t feed, then I can’t do my job.”
Nicole shrugged. “No one has been thrown out from under him. If it is true, just keep your head down, show up where you're supposed to, and you’re golden. If you can stand the boredom.” She shoveled the heap of potatoes into her mouth. “He’ll take care of you. If he likes you. He’s taken care of the last two.”
I looked toward where Prince Noah was standing again. “It is a bit boring,” I said under my breath.
“If you prove to be trustworthy, you might get some freedom to roam the castle. I have free rein, you’ll be on probation. Eventually between the stables, the village, and the gossips, there are other things to do.”
“Stables?” Horses could be fun. Proving myself trustworthy, though, was something I needed to do anyway to earn the prince’s friendship. If I could. Maybe that could be my ticket to getting a pass to explore while I waited to make it back home.
The prince didn’t seem all that bad. Perhaps this wouldn’t be hard to do after all.
