The Slave Queen - Chapter 46: Chapter 46
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Raelynn came to a stop. "Why are you all still in Lunebloom Hollow?"
The oldest of the group, clearly the head maid, stepped forward and knelt. "Lady Raelynn, Lady Cecilia appointed us to serve you. Sienna didn't give us any tasks, so we've just been waiting here for your return."
Raelynn frowned. But when she saw their noses red from the cold, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy.
Her tone softened. "Can't you go back to Moonspire Keep?"
The old maid shook her head. "We were only just purchased, Lady Raelynn. If you don't want us..."
She trailed off, but the meaning was clear—if they weren't accepted, they'd likely be sold off again.
Raelynn sighed.
She knew these servants had no say in their own fate, so she didn't push them away.
Following Cecilia's original arrangement, she kept three first-class maids by her side under Sienna's management.
Following Sienna's naming scheme, she gave them new names: Nina Arnold, Elaine Mckinney, and Lane Middleton.
Raelynn kept the senior maid's original name and promoted her to first-class steward. She would be on par with the three personal maids but still ranked below Sienna.
The rest were divided up by Sienna and Eileen Alexander—some assigned as second-class maids, others as general house servants.
As for the few maids who had followed Sienna from Embergrace House, Raelynn made the decision to send them back.
For one, she had enough people here already and didn't need extra hands.
For another, after watching them these past two days, she could tell Margot had chosen the most capable girls to send. Keeping them here would be a waste of their talents. If they returned to Margot's side and became indispensable, they'd be of greater use.
And nothing mattered more to her than Margot's health.
Besides, these newly acquired maids weren't from the Duke's estate—they wouldn't be embedded with spies. And even if there were spies among them, they were most likely planted by Cecilia to keep tabs on her.
But Cecilia was still her mother. Blinded though she might be by Julia's influence, she still had a sliver of affection for Raelynn—however faint.
And that sliver... was enough.
With even that much, Raelynn didn't fear Cecilia turning against her.
In fact, if these spies reported back just how poorly she was treated thanks to that favoritism, it might even work in her favor.
No matter how she looked at it, keeping them around wasn't a bad move.
That was why she'd agreed to let them stay.
Once the staffing arrangements were settled, she finally returned to her room and went to bed.
It had been an exhausting day.
The moment her head hit the pillow, sleep took her.
But this time, there were no nightmares filled with shouting or beatings—Only the warmth of Margot's embrace.
At the marquis' estate
In the study, the lamplight flickered gently.
A young man sat at the desk, quietly turning the pages of an old volume, absorbed in its contents.
His features were elegant, distant—like an immortal untouched by the dust of the mortal world.
But just then, the candle flame quivered. A cold wind blew in.
"Shawn! You can't marry Raelynn!"
The doors swung open, and Ian's voice cut through the stillness.
Shawn's brows furrowed. A flicker of annoyance passed through his eyes—but he quickly smoothed it over.
"Ian, what are you doing barging in like this?"
"Shawn," Ian strode over and dragged a chair up to the desk, dropping into it uninvited. "Raelynn is vicious. She's not worthy of you. You can't marry her!"
Shawn finally set the book down, his expression calm but serious. "Do you even hear yourself?"
Ian, misreading his composure as agreement, grew more animated.
"It's true! Forget the fact that she caused the noble consort to lose her child—now she's been pardoned by Lady Margot's Royal Pardon, and she still hasn't changed. She slapped Julia so hard her face swelled up!
"And the moment she came back, she snatched Julia's courtyard—just claimed it for herself!"
Of course, he'd only just learned that last bit.
Julia hadn't said anything when he visited. It was her maid, Isabel, who had whispered it to him as he was leaving the estate.
If he hadn't already been halfway out the door, he would've stormed straight to Lunebloom Hollow and given Raelynn a piece of his mind.
The more he thought about it, the more riled up he got on Julia's behalf.
So instead of wasting time, he came straight here—to stop Shawn before it was too late.
As far as he was concerned, Raelynn only dared act this way because Shawn was backing her.
Shawn listened patiently, not interrupting.
But the more Ian spoke, the more a faint, rare smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
He thought, 'So... Raelynn has already started throwing punches?
'Earlier she showed some edge during our chess match. Now she is laying hands on people?
How... interesting.'
The oldest of the group, clearly the head maid, stepped forward and knelt. "Lady Raelynn, Lady Cecilia appointed us to serve you. Sienna didn't give us any tasks, so we've just been waiting here for your return."
Raelynn frowned. But when she saw their noses red from the cold, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy.
Her tone softened. "Can't you go back to Moonspire Keep?"
The old maid shook her head. "We were only just purchased, Lady Raelynn. If you don't want us..."
She trailed off, but the meaning was clear—if they weren't accepted, they'd likely be sold off again.
Raelynn sighed.
She knew these servants had no say in their own fate, so she didn't push them away.
Following Cecilia's original arrangement, she kept three first-class maids by her side under Sienna's management.
Following Sienna's naming scheme, she gave them new names: Nina Arnold, Elaine Mckinney, and Lane Middleton.
Raelynn kept the senior maid's original name and promoted her to first-class steward. She would be on par with the three personal maids but still ranked below Sienna.
The rest were divided up by Sienna and Eileen Alexander—some assigned as second-class maids, others as general house servants.
As for the few maids who had followed Sienna from Embergrace House, Raelynn made the decision to send them back.
For one, she had enough people here already and didn't need extra hands.
For another, after watching them these past two days, she could tell Margot had chosen the most capable girls to send. Keeping them here would be a waste of their talents. If they returned to Margot's side and became indispensable, they'd be of greater use.
And nothing mattered more to her than Margot's health.
Besides, these newly acquired maids weren't from the Duke's estate—they wouldn't be embedded with spies. And even if there were spies among them, they were most likely planted by Cecilia to keep tabs on her.
But Cecilia was still her mother. Blinded though she might be by Julia's influence, she still had a sliver of affection for Raelynn—however faint.
And that sliver... was enough.
With even that much, Raelynn didn't fear Cecilia turning against her.
In fact, if these spies reported back just how poorly she was treated thanks to that favoritism, it might even work in her favor.
No matter how she looked at it, keeping them around wasn't a bad move.
That was why she'd agreed to let them stay.
Once the staffing arrangements were settled, she finally returned to her room and went to bed.
It had been an exhausting day.
The moment her head hit the pillow, sleep took her.
But this time, there were no nightmares filled with shouting or beatings—Only the warmth of Margot's embrace.
At the marquis' estate
In the study, the lamplight flickered gently.
A young man sat at the desk, quietly turning the pages of an old volume, absorbed in its contents.
His features were elegant, distant—like an immortal untouched by the dust of the mortal world.
But just then, the candle flame quivered. A cold wind blew in.
"Shawn! You can't marry Raelynn!"
The doors swung open, and Ian's voice cut through the stillness.
Shawn's brows furrowed. A flicker of annoyance passed through his eyes—but he quickly smoothed it over.
"Ian, what are you doing barging in like this?"
"Shawn," Ian strode over and dragged a chair up to the desk, dropping into it uninvited. "Raelynn is vicious. She's not worthy of you. You can't marry her!"
Shawn finally set the book down, his expression calm but serious. "Do you even hear yourself?"
Ian, misreading his composure as agreement, grew more animated.
"It's true! Forget the fact that she caused the noble consort to lose her child—now she's been pardoned by Lady Margot's Royal Pardon, and she still hasn't changed. She slapped Julia so hard her face swelled up!
"And the moment she came back, she snatched Julia's courtyard—just claimed it for herself!"
Of course, he'd only just learned that last bit.
Julia hadn't said anything when he visited. It was her maid, Isabel, who had whispered it to him as he was leaving the estate.
If he hadn't already been halfway out the door, he would've stormed straight to Lunebloom Hollow and given Raelynn a piece of his mind.
The more he thought about it, the more riled up he got on Julia's behalf.
So instead of wasting time, he came straight here—to stop Shawn before it was too late.
As far as he was concerned, Raelynn only dared act this way because Shawn was backing her.
Shawn listened patiently, not interrupting.
But the more Ian spoke, the more a faint, rare smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
He thought, 'So... Raelynn has already started throwing punches?
'Earlier she showed some edge during our chess match. Now she is laying hands on people?
How... interesting.'
End of The Slave Queen Chapter 46. Continue reading Chapter 47 or return to The Slave Queen book page.