Missing Necklace

Maisie was taken aback when she heard the young lady cursing. She wondered if she had made any mistakes or if the lady was not satisfied with her replies. If news of this were to reach the king's ears, she would not only lose her job but also her life on the very first day of work. Fear crept into her mind as she contemplated the consequences of the situation. Her eyes started to well up with tears and she fell to her knees in front of Eva.

"I am sorry, milady. I deserve to be punished for causing your unhappiness. Please punish me for my ignorance," a sob escaped from her lips as tears brimmed in her eyes, threatening to fall.

Eva halted her train of thought and lowered her gaze to look at the young maid. Blinking her eyes, she studied the girl who seemed on the verge of tears. The girl's lips quivered, and she attempted to suppress the trembling by biting down on her lower lip. The rims of her eyes were red and moist, and she looked so dejected, as if she was waiting for a death sentence.

Eva was startled for a second. 'Why is the girl crying? Did she think that I was upset with her?' She quickly squatted down before taking the girl's hand in hers.

"Hey, Maisie. Please don't cry, alright? I'm not angry with you. You haven't done anything to disappoint me," Eva gently pulled the girl to stand up.

"Really?" Maisie sniffled her nose and rubbed her eyes.

"Yes. It's not because of you. It's just… I'm…, never mind" Eva waved her hand in front of her and replied with a mirthless smile, "I'm fine".

"You can tell me what is bothering you milady? I may help you with that" Maisie requested expectantly.

"It's nothing. You don't need to worry about me", Eva took a deep breath before giving a tight smile to the girl. She had to be careful with her words from now on. No one would believe her if she told them she was a princess who came from the future, and what was even worse, she was a princess from their rival kingdom. They will kill her without a second thought, either thinking she was a crazy woman or a spy sent by their adversaries.

If only she had ended up in Acassia, she would have had a chance of reaching her ancestors in Whitlock's castle for some help. She would have tried explaining to them about her situation, even though there was little to no chance that they would believe her story.

What should she do now? She did not know how to go back. Since she had travelled back in time due to the fall, what if she could return to the future by jumping off a tall cliff or something? Eva pondered in her mind, and her eyes lit up before dimming again as she remembered the terrifying fall.

Her heart shuddered in her chest and she shivered involuntarily thinking back to the incident that traumatized her quite badly. She placed her hand on her heart trying to calm down. What if she would die for real this time around if she tried to jump off a cliff? Eva's heart lurched into her throat just thinking about it. She had so many doubts in her mind and she needed to find the answers soon.

Last night, she had thought about returning to the forest to search for clues after obtaining the warm clothes from the magistrate. But that asshole fucked up her plans. How could she possibly return to that forest now? She doesn't have the money to travel, nor does she know someone who could help her reach that place. To make matters worse, she doesn't even know the name of the place. Eva felt overwhelmed with frustration.

'What if I ask the help of the person who rescued me last night? But would he be willing to help me for free? -- Wait, the necklace I was wearing yesterday... Yes, selling the necklace might get me some money. Or I could offer it to the man in exchange for a ride to that place,' Eva's eyes lit up before she touched her neck. However, she realized that the necklace was gone.

'Where is it?' Eva walked to the bed and flipped the bed sheets and the pillows searching for the necklace. She groaned in frustration when she could not find it.

'It must have slipped during the chase. Is Lady Luck trying to play a game with my life?' Eva thought to herself, feeling helpless. 'Now I don't have anything to offer the man. What am I supposed to do now? How can I convince him to help me now?'

"What happened, milady? Are you searching for something? or are you feeling unwell? Do you want me to bring the royal physician?" Maisie asked with concern, noticing the woman prance around the bed and overturn the pillows as if she was searching for something.

"No, there's no need to call a physician. I'm just exhausted." Eva let out a deep sigh. Nothing was going her way and she could not fathom how to get out of this situation. Her head pounded as she tried to come up with a feasible plan to go back to the forest and she wished to refresh her mind.

"Would you like me to draw a bath for you, milady?" asked the young maid and added, "It might refresh your mood."

"Thank you, Maisie." Eva gave a small smile to the girl.

Maisie was stunned at Eva's words. It was a known fact that women of high status were often arrogant and looked down on people from lower society, like herself. She had worked hard to reach her position, but no one had ever thanked her in her life. Eva's kindness and politeness towards a servant girl like her, made Maisie feel both elated and emotional.

She looked at Eva with sparkling eyes and gave a polite bow to her before she hurried out of the room and came back after a few moments bringing some maids along with her, who were carrying buckets of hot water.

While the servants were busy preparing her bath, Eva looked around the room, observing her surroundings. It was a grand and spacious room, filled with opulent furniture adorned with gold. And there was a wide fireplace hearth that made crackling noises, spreading the heat throughout the room and creating a warm ambience.

But there was something odd and cold about this room. Even though every inch of the room was oozing luxury, the walls were inky black as if they were holding the darkest secrets inside them.

"Is this a guest room within the castle? It appears so grand that one might mistake it for the king's own chambers," Eva pondered, wondering to whom the room belonged.

Her feet padded against the floor as she walked across the room, taking in every detail that screamed of royalty. She traced the intricate gold pattern details on the furniture before brushing her fingers against the black walls.

'The Regan's must be truly wealthy to give such a grand room to a stranger that they know nothing about', she thought.

While she was absorbing the beauty of the room, she felt someone's intense gaze on her back. She turned around to look at the maids who were busy carrying the pails of hot water. Her eyes fell on a particular maid with red curly hair who glanced at her for a moment before lowering her head and doing her work.

"It is ready, milady. Would you like us to assist and help you take the bath?" Maisie said to her with a slight bow.

"It's fine. I can manage on my own" Eva replied to them.

"Here are the change of clothes, milady. You may choose the dress that suits you," Maisie said as she placed the neatly folded clothes on a nearby table. She then gave a polite bow before leaving the room with the other maids.