To Bewitch a Devil

232 Don’t even think about it

“Just a husband and a child or two, a farm. But when I speak of it now, it doesn’t hurt.” Penelope stated as briefly as she could.

“That’s because you have fully accepted the life you are given here.” A maid said. “And quite frankly, it isn’t bad. We all mostly come from poor families who couldn’t afford to feed too many mouths.”

“True and the Master is kind.” Another maid agreed.

“Well, enough of these nonsense talks.” Phoebe grabbed a potato and began to peel at it roughly. “Sing something happy if you must. All that sad song has gotten all of you miserable!”

“We should sing...”

“Penelope!” Came a loud voice from the entrance to the kitchen.

Everyone turned their heads to the red-headed maid. Penelope didn’t know her name just like the many others in the estate, but just like everyone else called the red-headed maid, Penelope also referred to her as Ginger, just like her hair colour.

“Come with me,” Ginger said, leaving the kitchen without waiting to see if Penelope would follow.

Penelope put down the dish, and she quickly hurried outside after Ginger. She placed a hand on the shoulder of the maid, stopping her in her steps.

.....

“A little more information would do,” Penelope said.

The maid’s small mouth became a thin line, barely any lip was visible.

“The Master asked me to come with you.” She said,

Penelope took a staggering step back. Since their last encounter, she had successfully been able to avoid every contact with Azriel. His estate was large, and there was a constant need of maintaining it, and all she had to do was always make sure to be assigned work far from the main building, and even though that required more work power, she happily accepted them to avoid him.

Although it had been helpful that Azriel had been thoroughly busy, and with her daring behavior the last time, he could be stewing sweet revenge on her to make sure she never disrespected him the way she did again.

“I… can’t...I can’t go,” Penelope said.

The maid’s lips got even thinner. “He ordered that I must come with you.”

“No please, tell him you couldn’t find me.”

“But I am looking at you right now.”

“Lie to him, Ginger.”

Ginger’s eyes flew open, and her freckles flared on her face as if sharing the abomination of Penelope’s suggestion.

“Lie? I can’t! And why would you directly disobey the Master’s call?”

“Because... because he is going to kill me!” Penelope revealed.

Ginger gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. She looked around and leaned closer to Penelope, the characteristic maid’s pose for siphoning gossip.

“What did you do?” She said in hushed tones.

“I...I really upset him. And he might have me flogged...”

The maid gasped.

“...or put in the dungeon...”

Another gasp.

“...or most likely, uproot each of my teeth.”

The maid’s eyes grew as wide as an owl’s.

“Why did you do what you did?” The maid asked. “And what did you do?”

Bit the Master when he wanted to kiss me and ran away in the process, but such juicy gossip would never leave Penelope’s lips...

Even Penelope knew she went too far with Azriel this time. He had been playful with her and she might have shared his bed on different occasions, but there was still a line she was not supposed to cross, and she had a strong feeling he would make sure she never crossed that line again.

“Please, tell him I went to the market. Or...or that I took ill and decided it was best for me to go to the doctor so I wouldn’t infect anyone.” Penelope gave Ginger options. “Or tell him I’m with the Queen.”

“If you were with the Queen,” a voice from the passageway by their left startled both of them to a scream. “I would have known.”

Azriel appeared before them, and Ginger quickly pointed a finger at Penelope.

“I found her, my Lord. She just refused to come with me,” she said.

Penelope’s mouth went open at Ginger’s betrayal. “No, no, that wasn’t it, my Lord.”

“Really?” Azriel leaned against the wall. “I just heard some really creative lies. Which one would you have picked, Ginger?”

“None at all, my Lord.” Ginger said at once.

“Good, now, you can leave.” Azriel said.

Ginger hurried past, careful not to make eye contact with Penelope or Azriel. Penelope surveyed her surroundings, and if she ran in any direction, she could escape him.

Azriel straightened his stance. “Don’t even think about it,” he said as if reading her thoughts. He jerked his head in the direction of the passageway he emerged from. “Follow me.”

He was fast in his steps, and Penelope’s brain worked even faster. She waited for him to leave a considerable distance between them before she bolted in the other direction. If she could leave the castle and head to the King, he could protect her.

But she barely made it past anywhere before a strong arm lifted her off her feet.

Azriel pinned her to his side and glowered at her. Penelope expected the red of his eyes to be prominent at his angry expression.

“Don’t try to be smart,” he warned her. “And stop with your running, dammit.”

Still keeping her pinned to his side like she was a sack, he marched purposefully, and Penelope’s face burnt with embarrassment as some guards stared at them both. She knew she was beyond redeemable at that point, they would smoke her stories around the estate in minutes.

Azriel entered the library, and set her on her feet. He stood at the door, blocking her only exit. Penelope’s gaze went to the large windows, and she tried to imagine how far from the ground it was.

“Use that as an escape and fall to your death,” Azriel again, read her thoughts.

“I’m sorry, my Lord.” Penelope pleaded. “Please forgive me.”

“There are a lot of things you should be sorry for, Pen. Which one is it?”

There was a momentary pause from her. “Everything.”

That didn’t seem to sit well with Azriel. He frowned even more.

“You bit me.” He said.