Sinclair Barony...
The morning sun crested over the towering stone walls of the Barony. Mia wiped a stray lock of hair from her forehead. She adjusted her grip on the heavy woven basket filled with freshly folded linens. The air carried a biting winter chill, yet she found comfort in the familiar routine of her daily chores.
Keeping her head down, Mia walked quietly along the edge of the main training courtyard. She always made an effort to stay out of the way. She hated causing trouble or drawing unnecessary attention to herself. However, a loud eruption of cheers broke her concentration.
Several fully armored knights were gathered near the weapon racks. They stood in a circle around Henry's older brother, Howard. Howard looked significantly broader and carried himself with a new, hardened confidence. A veteran knight stepped forward and clapped Howard heavily on the shoulder.
"Congratulations on surviving the trial, Sir Howard," the knight announced loudly. "A newly minted D-minus Rank is a great achievement for the Barony."
Howard offered a humble nod. He thanked the men for their guidance. Mia smiled softly to herself. She felt that Henry secretly looked up to his older brother. Seeing Howard succeed brought a brief wave of warmth to her chest.
She silently hoped Henry was experiencing similar success wherever the military had sent him. It had been over two months since Henry left for basic training. The massive estate felt incredibly empty without his presence.
Mia continued her path inside the manor. She navigated the grand, carpeted hallways toward the upper chambers, slightly distracted. The Head Maid passed by holding a silver tea tray. The older woman offered Mia a warm, knowing smile.
The Head Maid was one of the few people in the manor who understood the unspoken bond between Mia and the young master. She often went out of her way to assign Mia tasks that kept her away from the harsher elements of the estate.
As Mia approached the landing, she noticed the heavy oak doors to the Baron's study were left slightly ajar. She slowed her pace to avoid making any noise.
Baron Arnold stood in the center of the room. He was a terrifyingly powerful man. His mere presence seemed to completely suffocate the air in the hallway. He was famously stoic and rarely wasted words on pleasantries. He looked down at Howard, who had somehow made his way past her without her noticing, with a stern expression.
"D-Rank, at your age," Arnold stated simply. "You have done the family proud today."
Coming from the Baron, those few words carried the weight of a royal decree. Howard bowed his head respectfully.
Standing beside the Baron was Lady Sarah Sinclair. Henry's mother possessed a radiant warmth that contrasted sharply with her husband's icy demeanor. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her eldest son. She praised his hard work and dedication.
As Lady Sarah pulled away, her eyes drifted toward the open doorway. She spotted Mia standing quietly in the hall. Lady Sarah's face immediately softened. She stepped out of the study and gently placed a hand on Mia's shoulder.
"Good morning, Mia," Lady Sarah said sweetly. "You're carrying far too much weight today. Please make sure you take a moment to rest your feet."
Mia felt her cheeks flush bright red. She quickly dropped into a deep, respectful curtsy. "Thank you, My Lady. I'm perfectly fine."
Lady Sarah gave her shoulder one final, comforting squeeze before returning to her family. Lady Sarah was always incredibly kind to her. Mia secretly suspected that Henry's mother fully approved of their affection. It was a terrifying thought for a lowly servant to entertain, but Lady Sarah never treated her with the disdain usually reserved for commoners.
Mia hurried away to finish delivering the linens. Once her basket was empty, she headed back downstairs toward the servant quarters to fetch water for the washbasins.
As she entered the lower halls, a tall footman named Thomas stepped directly into her path. Thomas was a handsome young man with messy brown hair.
He had made his romantic interest in Mia very obvious over the last several weeks. He constantly found excuses to linger around her workspace.
"Let me take that basket for you, Mia," Thomas offered. He reached out to grab the woven handles. "You work entirely too hard."
Mia took a polite step backward. She kept her grip firmly on the basket. "Thank you for the offer, Thomas. It is very light, though. I can manage it myself."
Thomas frowned slightly. He dropped his hands. "You are always pushing people away. I just want to help you. Maybe we could take a walk through the gardens after our shifts end?"
"I still have mending to do tonight," Mia replied softly. She kept her eyes focused on the floor. "I am sorry, Thomas. Excuse me."
She quickly side-stepped the footman and hurried down the corridor. She did not want to be cruel to him. She just had absolutely zero interest in his advances. Her heart was completely occupied by the young master who had treated her with such gentle respect.
Mia approached the entrance to the laundry room. The heavy wooden door was cracked open. She reached out to push it, but the sound of her own name froze her hand mid-air.
"Thomas was following Mia around again yesterday," a voice sneered. Mia recognized the speaker immediately. It was Clara, one of the younger maids who constantly sought attention from the knights.
"He's wasting his time," another maid, Beatrice, replied with a cruel laugh. "She thinks she is too good for a simple footman. She actually believes the young master is going to come back and marry her."
Mia felt a cold knot form tight in her stomach. She stood perfectly still in the dark hallway. She knew she should walk away, but her feet refused to move.
"She's delusional," Clara scoffed loudly over the sound of splashing water. "Lord Henry is a noble. He is just playing with her feelings out of pure convenience. He was bored before he left for the military. A Sinclair wouldn't settle for a servant."
"Exactly," Beatrice agreed. "She should just accept Thomas. He actually likes her. He is completely in her league. She is acting like a spoiled princess."
Mia clutched the empty woven basket against her chest. Her breathing grew shallow. She hated conflict. She hated that they were talking about her.
"I still do not understand why Thomas even looks at her," Clara muttered bitterly. "Especially after she gave herself to another man."
"I know," Beatrice hissed maliciously. "She is nothing but a slut. Thomas will realize it eventually."
The words struck Mia like a physical blow.
A sharp urge to push the door open and defend herself flared in her chest. She wanted to scream at them. She wanted to tell them how kind Henry truly was.
But her natural submissiveness anchored her in place. Confronting them would only cause a massive scene. It would invite the Head Maid's discipline and potentially bring shame to the Barony. Mia bit her lower lip hard enough to taste blood. She forced herself to remain silent.
She took a slow, trembling step backward. She turned around and walked silently away from the laundry room. She retreated into a dark, empty storage closet and shut the door.
Sitting on an overturned wooden crate, Mia finally let the tears fall. She buried her face in her hands. The maids' venomous voices echoed in her mind. They called her delusional. They called her worthless.
'He is just playing with her feelings.'
Mia squeezed her eyes shut. She forced away the seed of doubt trying to take root in her mind. She thought back to her last moments with Henry. She remembered the intense, genuine warmth in his eyes when he looked at her.
She remembered the careful, protective way he held her hand. He had never treated her like a convenience. He had treated her like she actually mattered.
"He's not like that," Mia whispered into the darkness. Her voice trembled, but her conviction remained firm. "Henry's a good man."
She wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her sleeve. The jealous gossip of the other maids meant nothing. She knew the truth of her own heart. She took a deep, steadying breath and stood up from the crate. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her simple grey dress.
Mia picked up her empty basket. She stepped back out into the hallway to finish her daily chores. She did not care what the rest of the manor thought of her. She would simply keep her head down, do her work, and pray that Henry returned home safely.