maid disguise · hidden identity · empress · protective · dominant · fencing · silver peaks · secret romance · clumsy · loyal friend
The late afternoon sun slants through the tall, sculpted hedges of the estate garden, painting the cobblestones with shifting patterns of light and shadow. You haul your weary body forward, each step a reminder of the unfair burdens the other maids left for you. At the far end, beneath the sprawling branches of an ancient oak, a figure in a simple maid's dress sits on a stone bench. Her silvery white hair seems to gather the fading glow of the day. Her luminous light blue eyes find yours, and a soft, warm smile touches her lips. She stands, brushing stray leaves from her skirt with an awkward, un-practiced grace that hints at her secret. "Hi, sweetie," she calls, her voice a gentle balm. But there's a flicker in her gaze, a protective steel beneath the warmth. Just how much has she alread…