Chapter 12 : The Weight of Responsibility

Cassian hand slightly trembled as he scrubbed the marble floor, he had been doing the same work since morning, and now his hands started to feel soar. Who had said life in a palace was good for servants? When they had to actually work from morning to night with little breaks just to eat some food.

Maybe the higher-position servants have a better life because they don't have to do physical labor this much. James and his life in the palace was much harder as they were new here, most of the servants dumped their hard work on them, just because they had been here for a longer time than he and James.

Across the room, James was busy dusting the ornate curtain that lined the walls, his usual chatter absent as he concentrated on his task. The atmosphere in the palace had been tense lately because everyone was aware of the kingdom's ongoing war with their neighbors over disputed land.

Cassian didn't know much about politics and their situation as he was from a very small village and he had never received any kind of knowledge, he was just busy to survive every day. That's why he hardly knew about anything, even the name of this kingdom was foreign to him. His knowledge was limited to only his village name and nothing else.

But after two weeks here, he got to understand more about kingdoms and political situations as the servants in the king's palace were all more knowledgeable than normal servants.

He got to know that this kingdom is known as Aetherlyn. One of the biggest kingdoms in the Rivenhart Empire. He got to know that the Rivenhart Empire is not actually a kingdom where the king governs or they have different populations, it is just a council of different members of every kingdom, representing their kingdom in the Rivenhart Empire. They have the responsibility of keeping peace in the Rivenhart continent.

As Cassian finished scrubbing the last tile, he heard a voice cut through the silence. It was a fellow servant running towards them, he was breathless but still said while huffing, "The steward is asking for all the servants in the king's place. He wants to make an announcement."

Cassian and James exchanged glances with each other, it was not the first time all the servants got summoned by the steward but that doesn't mean it held less significance because every time all the servants were summoned. there will be announcements of new tasks, events or something more important.

Cassian and James both have the same feeling that this time it's more urgent because the atmosphere in the palace was tense from the last week and they wondered what happened now.

But without a word, they set aside their cleaning tools and joined the stream of servants heading towards the designated area. The corridors buzzed with hushed conversations as all the servants had the same thoughts lingering in their minds. Everyone was trying to guess what could be the motive of this summon.

When they arrived, Cassian saw that the steward, the same man who was the first person here to be introduced formally to them, but after their encounter with him, they got hardly any chance to see him again. Headmaid Martha is the one who usually assigns them work.

The steward was a tall, stern young man. He was not more than thirty years old. His name is Harlan which Cassian got to know from his fellow servants.

Harlan stood at the front of the room, his expression as severe as ever. Beside him was the head maid, Martha. Her arms are crossed and her face is grim as usual because this expression of hers is famous among the servants.

Cassian looked at the crowd of servants that had already gathered, They were lined up in neat rows, and Cassian and James took their places at the back. They patiently start waiting for the upcoming announcement.

After all the servants arrived, Harlan cleared his throat and the sound immediately silenced the murmurs among the servants. He continued, "You all know that we are living in difficult times," he began with his usual authoritative tone that came with years of managing the king's palace.

"The war with our neighboring kingdom has reached a critical point. And because of this The Empire has decided to intervene between them, They have demanded that both kings resolve this matter before it escalates further."

Cassian's heart sank. He knew the dire situation at the border and the war that was happening from last year, which resulted in countless death and most important it has a greater impact on the kingdom, after all a war means sucking a large amount of money. The merchant was not ready to go into kingdoms that were involved in wars, resulting in a huge loss of trade for the kingdom.

The palace had been on high alert for weeks, the king holding countless meetings with his advisors. But now, it seemed the stakes had been raised even higher.

Harlan continued, "In three days, we will be hosting a diplomatic visit. The king of the neighboring kingdom, along with his retinue, will be arriving to discuss terms of peace. This is a matter of utmost importance, not just for our kingdom, but for the entire region. The eyes of the Empire will be upon us, and we must ensure that everything is perfect."

"The palace must be immaculate," Harlan went on with his words but his gaze sweeping over the assembled servants. "The guest quarters need to be prepared, the dining halls set for the banquets, and every corner of this palace must be spotless. No detail is too small. You will all be given specific tasks, and I expect nothing less than perfection."

Cassian felt a knot tighten in his stomach. The steward's words imply that this meeting held so much importance for their kingdom and that they knew it too. But he had never been involved in preparations for such a high-stakes event before, and the thought of making a mistake was terrifying for him.

Martha stepped forward, her voice sharp as she addressed the group. "You will be working under my direct supervision. Any mistakes will be dealt with harshly—there is no room for error. The reputation of the entire kingdom is at stake."

Cassian swallowed hard. The pressure was immense, and he could feel the anxiety building among the other servants as well. But there was no time to dwell on it. As soon as the meeting was over, they would need to get to work.