His Majesty's Servant [Inactive]

[Lillian Gray]

Lillian Gray submitted a new role play:


His Majesty's Servant - A private 1x1 for Lillian Gray and Akeira

A tale of the love between a servant and a highborn nobleman.

Read more about this role play... 
Practiced hands dusted the surface of every object throughout the mansion, as if the weight of the particles might threaten to degrade the overall property. Rosalynn was good at her job, and proud of it. Every day, she'd start at the top floor of the house, save the Lord's room. She would only clean the space if he requested it, and liked to stay out of his personal business if he so desired. Never would she pry into his life if he asked her not to, and never would she intrude in case he was busy. This was her life as a lowly servant, but she was content.


As she worked, she sang to herself, other servants dashing around her as she dusted, polished, and prepared the house. She liked to think she was preparing it at least, for some grand event, but it was never the case. Even if it were, Rosalynn would never be able to attend. After all, the tale of Cinderella was just that, a story, and she was no princess.


"Good morning." She beamed at a passing man, her bright blue eyes, streaked with a hazel pattern of gold near the inner iris, shone in the passing light. Her eyes were the only beauty she was proud to say were hers. The freckles and locks of red hair atop her head were generally considered ugly or unlucky to most.


Finally, before the Lord would arrive to his place for breakfast, the servant girl made her way into the dining hall and stood along the wall in case he would need her. She pressed her hands into her skirt and stood tall, waiting.


Thus was her job.

 

[Akeira]

Lord Nathaniel Greenwood rose that morning to a trusted servant pulling back the drapes to let light into his room. "I am sorry to disturb you, my Lord, but your parents requested your presence early at breakfast." She said calmly, nodding to him and fixing the drapes. Nathan groaned softly and wished he could stay in the velvet sheets longer, though he knew that the matter must be urgent if his presence was specifically requested this early in the morning. "Very well, thank you." He replied, as the servant exited the room.


Getting out of his four poster bed, Nathan walked toward his dressing station, taking off his night garments to put on something more suitable. Discarding the night garments in a pile to be washed, he dressed in clothes worthy of someone of his status. Slightly adorned with flashy gold, the dark-haired man played his part very well, down to the high quality of his shoes. When he was done dressing, Nathaniel groomed his hair to make it look presentable before exiting his chambers in pursuit of the Grand Hall.


Arriving ten minutes later, after the long descend from his chambers, Lord Greenwood nodded to the various people gathered in the room. "Good morning." He said shortly before taking his given spot at the table. He pursued his lips in seeing that his parents had not arrived yet, sighing and figuring that they would be along shortly.

 

[Lillian Gray]

Finely tuned to respond to her Lord, Rosalynn muttered a "Good morning." In response, after bowing politely with the edge of her skirt in her hands. He was the first to arrive, and since he was sitting, she started to tend to his dishes. The girl brought him a slender glass filled with water, and motioned to fill a second.


"We've made a tea this morning, my Lord, would you like some as well?" She asked, her hands instinctively reached for the pot sitting in the near center of the table. Her eyes looked jealously at the carefully decorated teapot. For her Lord, it was easy to afford the foreign delicacy for every meal if he wanted. For Rosalynn, it was a once a month treat if she felt comfortable enough buying it.


From the back of the room, a servant entered with the Lord's parents in tow. Rosalynn held her place in front of Nathaniel, awaiting his response. someone else would take care of his parents.

 

[Akeira]

Nathaniel sat back while a one of the servant girls tended to his dishes. He kept his hands in his lap, not wanting to get in her way or disturb her work unless necessary. He saw it best to leave things the have they were instead of changing it up. When change occured, there were often consequences soon afterwards. "Yes, some tea would be lovely." He replied shortly, nodding in gratitude and sitting back in his lavish chair while he waited.


He turned his head when one of the servants entered with his parents, standing up quickly and trying to avoid the servant pouring his tea. "Good morning, mother, father." Nathan said with a small smile of welcome. "I believe we have some matters to discuss." He continued, wanting to get right to the point instead of beating around the bush.


"Yes, dear, we wanted to talk to you about settling down. There are various eligible young ladies in the kingdom whom have shown interest in you." Nathaniel's mother, Katherine, voiced, causing a groan of disapproval from the younger lord.


"Haven't we already exhausted this topic? When I am ready, I will marry." Nathan retorted with a sigh, trying to keep his parents at bay. Though he was still considered young to marry, his parents wanted to make sure his future was secure with a loving wife and heir to their properties and titles.

 

[Lillian Gray]

As the Lord stood up, he nearly knocked into the dishes, and Rosalynn had to act quickly to settle the table. She set the tea down, his cup full anyways, and made sure everything was back in it's proper place.


His mother spoke. Whenever she was around, her husband too, they always talked about Lord Nathaniel getting married. He always refused, because he wasn't ready. It was a sweet notion, Rosalynn believed, that he would still wait for love instead of being forced into it. Truly a romantic tale he'd be able to tell his children, but she shook the thoughts from her head, it wasn't her place to be thinking about her Lord's future children after all.


She curtsied politely and said nothing as she took a step away from the table, so as not to be in the way. Always watching, yet never there, was a servant's motto. Did he even know her name? Probably not, it only meant she was doing a good job.

 

[Akeira]

Nathaniel sat down in his seat again, smoothing out his pants and crossing one of his legs while he relaxed in the chair. He noticed that his tea was now full and nodded softly to the servant while he filled it for him. Reaching to remember her name, he found that he could not, so he left it and returned his attention to his parents whom were looking at him with worried expressions.


"Nathaniel, your father and I are just concerned of your wellbeing." His mother continued, causing the young lord to shake his head and want to push away from the table to avoid this conversation. Unfortunately, he could not, as it was rude and improper to do so during a meal.


"Wouldn't you prefer I marry a woman whom I know well instead of marrying blindly?" The young lord reasoned, knowing that some young maidens only married for riches or increased status. "Mother, I know how important that is to you to my wife shares our family values." He continued, trying to appeal to her emotions and motherly urges.

 

[Lillian Gray]

Rosalynn watched the exchange quietly, her hands clung together to keep from saying anything, not that she would. It was her nature, and her job, to stay quiet in the presence of a Lord or Lady unless spoken to. She kept a small smile on her face to look polite, but many other servants left the room until only three remained. One for the Lord, and two for his parents.


The older woman seemed to be quieted by his statement though. The servant girl wanted to side with him, but again, she wouldn't do so.


She wanted to ask, what kind of values did he hold? What kind of woman did he like? But such things were far beyond her bounds or place. Too bold, she would be told. Much too bold.

 

[Akeira]

Nathaniel inwardly smirked when his mother did not respond, knowing that he had won the ongoing argument for the time being. He sighed and relaxed in his lavish chair, wondering how long it would be until they questioned him once again on this topic. Maybe the solution to all of this banter was to take a wife? He thought to himself, though the idea as quickly diminished, as Nathan was determined to marry someone whom he loved and could trust. No matter how long it took, he was dedicated to doing this marriage ordeal correctly.


"May I ask what the chef has prepared for this meal?" The young lord voiced aloud, glancing around at the three remaining servants in the room before looking toward his parents once again. He found that he was becoming famished, as arguing with his parents took its toll on him very quickly.

 

[Lillian Gray]

After a quick glance to the other two servants, Rosalynn cleared her throat and bowed her head before speaking. "There's a special tea we have for you, and the chef has prepared a variety of breads and jam, as well as eggs, some after coffee cakes have been prepared as well, my Lord." She bowed her head once more and brushed her braid over her shoulder, the bright red hair only a flash before it disappeared.


The other two were glad the girl had spoken up, as the air was tense with the three. Nathaniel's mother always pressed for marriage, and it made for an awkward situation whenever she was around.

 

[Akeira]

Seeing one of the remaining servants step forward, Nathaniel glanced in her direction and nodded for her to proceed. He listened intently while she listed what was prepared for their meal, chuckling after the mention of the special tea. "Thank you." The Lord voiced softly with a smile, nodding to her again and turning around once more. Her name stumped him once again, though Nathan believed that it would come to him on a later occasion. "It sounds like the chef has outdone himself this morning." He commented with a smile, glancing at his parents whom looked at him with dumbfounded expressions. He continued to smile and picked up his teacup, sipping the brew innocently while he glanced around the dining room.

 

[Lillian Gray]

The air was awkward indeed. Nathaniel's mother still wanted to press the topic of marriage, it was written on her face, but she quietly sipped on her tea instead. The three servants only had each other to look to as they tended to the table, bringing out fresh bread when it ran out, and making sure everything stayed at optimum perfection for the Lords and Ladies in their presence.


None of them had the audacity to speak up after the topic had been mentioned. Rosalynn, even though she was normally a quiet girl, felt especially ill at ease because she knew it was odd for the whole family. Nathaniel was at a ripe age to be married and start his own family line, but he just wouldn't do it. Granted, she appreciated his reasoning, but was concerned he would ever find the girl he was looking for.


When the meal started to fade, and the high borns started to eat less and less, the three started to clean the plates from the room, whisking them quickly back into the kitchen where they would be washed. On one trip, Rosalynn was sure she was alone, and took one extended inhale of the tea.


This is too expensive, but it smells so wonderful.





She loved the stuff, but, it was so far out of her price range.

 

[Akeira]

Throughout the remainder of the meal, Nathaniel ate quietly and tried to avoid the eyes of his parents. His reasoning included that the worry in his mother's eyes might guilt him into doing what both her and his father wanted. Despite knowing they were politically correct, the young lord refused to follow their orders in wanting to have at least a bit of control over his own life. Since divorce was not a topic of discussion, he wanted to be sure that the woman he wed would be one he would always love, despite many arguments that were probably to come along the way. Firm in his decision to not have a mistress, Nathaniel Greenwood was determined to make the right choice for himself and those whom he governed.


He sat back when the three servants began to clear their plates, knowing his parents would press him once again on the issue when they were alone. It would be an agonizing talk once again, while he had to listen to their viewpoints and retort to make him see his way instead. In that moment, he decided to take an initiative and sighed, knowing that compromise was the best option in a situation like such.


"I know neither of you approve of my choice not to marry soon." Nathaniel began, moving his hands when one of the servants took his tea cup back to the kitchen. "I too worry about the future of our land and our people. I know I will have to produce an heir in the coming years, though I want to go about it my own way. Perhaps we make a compromise? I have some time to find a wife to cherish and love on my own within the time period. If I do not find such a maiden, then you may choose for me within reason." He sighed, eyeing both of them and clearing his throat.


Nathaniel waited for his answer for a few moments and frowned softly, looking out the dining hall into the corridor. Strange. He thought to himself, as there were usually a large multitude of servants roaming this time of the morning to make sure their specific duties were taken care of.

 

[Lillian Gray]

In between breathes of the tea's bitter aroma, Rosalynn thought she heard the clattering of dropped dishes. She held her breath, awaiting the scolding that followed. However, it didn't come, in it's place was a high pitched scream and several followed. She waited another moment only to see a group of men running from the kitchen, clad in heavy suits of armor and ragged banners attached to their waists.


Rosalynn held her hands to her face to stifle a scream, but it was too late. One of the men saw her and she burst back into the dining room. Her normally sweet and gentle voice was thick with panic. The other two servants gone, she was the Lord's last hope. She rushed to his side and ushered him out of his chair.


"Run! There are men inside the mansion." She cried. "Go, my Lord!"

 

[Akeira]

Nathaniel looked toward the kitchen when he thought he heard the sound of broken glass. "Do you hear that?" He asked both of his parents, as all three pairs of royal eyes turned toward the kitchen in confusion. Curious as always, Nathan found himself wanting to approach the door at a cautious pace. Tilting his head to the side, he wondered what ruckus he would find.


It turns out that Nathan did not have ponder any further, as there was a high pitched scream that stopped him in his tracks. At that blood curdling sound, his parents looked toward the door and got up, backing out of the room and urging him to do the same. "There are some of our countrymen in there!" He called to them, though these men he referred to were indeed womenfolk servants of the castle. Moments later, one of the servants backed out of the kitchen and came toward him, quickly ushering him out of his chair while his eyes where still trained on the door and what lies on the other side.


"We must get to the safe room!" He called to her, placing a hand on her shoulder and rushing with her out of the room. "Once we get there, we will be able to organize a counterattack to rid the mansion of these men!" He continued, glancing both ways, as he saw servants and maids run frantically throughout the corridor.

 

[Lillian Gray]

The four dashed through the hallways, Rosalynn had only been to the safe room a few times in all the years she'd been employed at the mansion. It hadn't been used, to her relief, in that same amount of time. So when the Lord started to pressure her out the door and down the hall her panic level rose.


As they rounded a corner, a lone attacker stood waiting, as if he'd heard their approaching footsteps. Rosalynn quickly picked up an expensive decorative pot and threw it at the man as he rushed forward. It only hindered his movements, he shook his head to regain some of the stability he'd lost from her nervous attack.


"Go, my Lord." She pleaded with Nathaniel. "It's all right, your life is far more important than mine."


While his parents pushed on past the disorientated man, Rosalynn pressured her Lord forward, her back to the man.

 

[Akeira]

When they rounded the corner, Nathaniel stood defensively upon seeing an attacker waiting for them. His eyes widened in surprise when the servant girl next to them picked up an expensive pot from a far off land, using it to distract the man advancing toward him. It was a clear tactic, as the man staggered for a few moments when the heavy object collided with his thick skull. This gave the small group enough time to get away safely. Nathan glanced at their attacker for any distinguishing marks or features that would give away his origin, though it was impossible to find any except the ragged armband with a symbol he did not recognize.


When the girl began to plead with him, he saw her loyalty burst through and nodded slowly, patting her shoulder in hoping for her safe passage. "I will not be too far ahead if you are in need of assistance. Get to the safe room as quickly as you can, and make sure you are not followed there." He said rather quickly with a short nod, running forward and pushing past the man to follow after his parents.


Looking back at the servant, he smiled softly at her determination to make sure they were safe, feeling guilty for not remembering her name. He knew he must ask for it later.

 

[Lillian Gray]

She nodded once in return and stood awkwardly in place, watching him go. In her heart she knew she'd never make it, there wasn't a possibility of her escaping on her own. The man behind her stirred and she darted away from him. Her feet couldn't carry her fast enough. The man grabbed her ankle and she toppled forward, her hands grabbing at the carpet in front of her to get away.


"You bitch!" He growled at her.


As he reached for his blade she kicked her foot in his face and picked herself up off the ground. He was close behind, the man grabbed her long red braid and pulled her towards him. She screamed and writhed under his grip, his sword came closer to her neck and she pulled one last time against him, finally free. He slashed after her but she was gone, sprinting down the hall until she came upon a small guest room.


Rosalynn hurried inside and immediately crawled beneath the bed, the skirt of it hid her shadow. She cowered there, trying to remember where she was. The safe room was only down the hall, she'd just have to run.

 

[Akeira]

Nathaniel followed after his parents toward the safe room, glancing back periodically to check if the servant girl was still in sight. He frowned when he could not see her, though it was impossible to stop and go back like he wished to. As she had said, his life was of a great deal of importance, whether he wanted to admit it to himself or not. Considering the good of his people and the future of his land, the young lord decided to listen to her and pursue an escape for the safe room instead of returning.


Approaching a rather empty room, Nathaniel entered after his parents and closed the door behind them. A seemingly ordinary room, the King made his way to one of the panels in the wall and moved it to the side. This was the revelation of the safe room, a smaller room in the wall that opened into a larger space. Furnished with simple linen, a few choice couches, and a bit of food that would not perish, it was a safe haven for attacks like such. It was very useful, as it was hard to find among the hundreds of panels that lined the wall of the main room.


"Do you think she will survive?" Nathan asked, glancing at both of his parents, as a few servants began to arrive at the safe room to protect themselves and the small family of royals.


"I do not know, but I am sure that she is very valiant. I pray that she does survive." The queen, Katherine, voiced in return, causing the prince to nod in agreement with her statement. Never in his twenty-five years of life had he met a servant whom was willing to risk his or her life against an assailant for his, despite his royal status.

 

[Lillian Gray]

Rosalynn made her escape from the room she fled to, and scurried down the hall. Chaos rang out behind her as the sound of priceless pieces being smashed, and loud scrapes of metal on wood made their way to her ears. She hated to think of the ones who had been left behind, the unlucky servants who had been either killed or taken.


She was simply grateful to be alive.


As she ran, she took notice to a warm feeling in her arm and discovered she was bleeding. The small scuffle she'd gotten herself into had earned her a cut from her shoulder to her elbow. Rosalynn couldn't believe she hadn't felt it before, but it was no matter, she ran like crazy until she'd made it inside the safe room. She felt along the wall for a panel, careful not to leave it out of place or noticeable as she took it away and would place it back.


The servant girl slipped inside and was quick to put the panel back into place. She covered her mouth and fell to her knees, her original bravery had left her body, leaving her scared and wounded. Rosalynn bit her knuckle to keep from crying out. She was scared, but she was alive. So slowly, every so carefully, she turned around to see who else had made it through.


"My Lord." She smiled, relief flushed through to her face. "I'm so glad you made it." Rosalynn felt sick though, her arm hurt, her stomach felt ill, and outside there were men trying to find them. Kill them. Take them away.

 

[Akeira]

Hearing the panel being pushed to the side outside of the safe room, Nathaniel walked a bit closer and looked for a weapon to pick up just in case it was an intruder. Seeing an empty glass vase on a bookshelf, he picked it up by the neck in one hand and waited close to the door. Nathan gulped softly, knowing that he was not ready to defend his parents and the current servants in the safe room in case of an attack. He was ill-prepared, though he would try his best to save them if came down to a fight. He was determined to serve his land and his people well.


To his surprise, the servant girl appeared before him in the safe room, falling to her knees and biting her knuckle to keep herself from crying out. Nathaniel instantly dropped the vase, hearing it shatter near his feet when he crouched in front of her. "I am glad you made it too. My parents and I owe you our lives. I believe I can thank you a million times over, and that would still not be enough gratitude." He responded with a small smile, returning hers and gazing at her for a few moments. "Are you hurt? Ill?" He asked earnestly, moving to her arm to help her, though it was usually a servant's responsibility to do so.

 

[Lillian Gray]

"No, it's my duty to serve my Lord." She recited plainly. Many a servant before had said these words to her, to serve her lord well. This is what she'd do, now until the day she died, because there was no other way.


Rosalynn attempted to push Nathaniel out of the way. She could clean her own wound, the work didn't suit him at all. Not that he was doing it poorly, just that such neat and proper hands didn't need to be stained with her blood. The girl carefully brushed her hand over his to move it away.


"Please, you don't have to." She said quietly. All eyes were on them, and she was flustered. Some of the servants had never heard her utter a single word, and now she was speaking full sentences. She was quiet, shy. Rosalynn didn't know where her earlier bravery had emerged from. "I-I'm alright." She stuttered. "Just, a little bit..."


Scared, sick, bleeding.





"I'll be alright." She lied. "Really."

 

[Akeira]

Nathaniel knew eyes were on them while he attempted to help her, sighing at her dedication to serve rather than accept his help. Though it was not custom to do so, Nathan felt that he should help this girl, regardless of class and society's expectations, because she was the reason that he was still alive and healthy. Seeing her resist more, he could not help but think she was either very stubborn or embarrassed, as this was probably one of the longest interactions the royal lord had ever had with a servant.


"Very well." He said shortly, moving away from her and slowly standing. "I will see that you are probably cared for and attended to." Nathan said with determined, nodding softly and looking directly at her. Throughout this entire interaction, it ceased it amaze Nathan that he was still unaware of this girl's name. "Perhaps, I may ask one other request of you then." He started vaguely, turning around and noticing the other servants were still watching them. He glanced at them for a few moments, causing them to look away and return to their small groups again. When Nathan saw this, he crouched beside the girl softly. "Tell me your name."

 

[Lillian Gray]

"My name?" Perplexed, she still answered his question. It wasn't so important that he knew the names of all of his servants. "Rosalynn Parks, my lord. I've been in your service for nine years now."


She wasn't surprised that Nathaniel didn't know her name. It wasn't a common thing for the Ladies and Lords to care enough to ask. Still, so long as he recognized her face, that was enough.


Another servant came forward to help Rosalynn with her arm. Nathaniel crouched at her side, the servants did their best to avoid eye contact for too long. She introduced herself as Maggie to Rosalynn, they'd met sometime before, but they usually worked different chores. After her arm was wrapped and manageable, Maggie ran off back towards her group and didn't say another word.


Rosalynn smiled softly. "Is there anything else I can do for you, my lord?" She asked politely.

 

[Akeira]

When she gave her name, Nathaniel nodded slowly and smiled gently, wondering why he did not know it before this incident. Of course, it was probably due to their positions, as he was a royal and she a servant, though he was determined to make sure that was the change. Perhaps it was situations like such that brought people much closer together. "Rosalynn Parks, I owe my life to you. If there is anything you want, anything you need... Speak it, and I shall make sure it is yours." He breathed out very genuinely.


He moved back a bit when another servant came to tend to Rosalynn's arm, glancing over at the arm and the servant to make sure they were both doing alright. Noticing the lack of eye contact between class, he cleared his throat and stood against the wall while he waited. After Rosalynn's arm was wrapped and bandaged properly, he knelt down beside her once more, despite what was considered the norm for their society.


"Ah, there is nothing you can do for me, Rosalynn. Truly." Nathan replied with a soft smile. "I will have to think of a way to repay you for endangering yourself on my behalf."

 

[Lillian Gray]

"No, please it's not necessary." Rosalynn insisted. "I couldn't ask for anything from you, I was only doing my duty for my Lord."


She couldn't ask for anything from him, and what she wanted was so innocent and simple, the servant girl didn't dare ask it aloud. Tea. What she really wanted was a nice tin of tea leaves, a special brew she loved. When she lived in an orphanage, the mistress gave it to the girl to calm her down. It was too expensive though. Really, a silly request to make of her Lord.


"I'm only glad to see that you are unharmed." She smiled genuinely. Her arm throbbed, not used to the terrors of swords and wounds. Blood made her sick. Her stomach churned just trying to push the thought from her head, making her forehead bead up with sweat and her skin turn pale. "Excuse me, I'd like to simply..." The girl murmured, scooting up against the wall so she could be still.


All for the Lord, remember. It's alright.