Midnight Bite 🔞

LILY MEETS ASHER

Lily’s eyes fluttered open to the soft light of morning filtering through the curtains. She lay in a bed she didn’t recognize, in a room that was elegant yet unfamiliar. The walls were adorned with tapestries, and the air held a scent of lavender and old wood.

Her mind was a fog, memories of the previous night elusive and fragmented. She tried to sit up, her head spinning slightly as she did. The room was quiet, save for the distant sound of birdsong and the rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze.

As she gathered her bearings, the door creaked open, and a kind-faced woman entered, carrying a tray with a steaming teapot and a cup.

"Good morning miss," the maid greeted with a cautious smile. "I hope you slept well."

Lily's brows furrowed and her eyes blinked, trying to place the woman’s face. “I… I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I don’t remember how I got here.” "Where am I? How did I get here?" Her voice was a mix of fear and the remnants of a dream she couldn't quite remember.

The maid hesitated, her eyes darting to the floor before meeting Lily's gaze. "You were brought here last night," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "By Lord Asher."

"Lord Asher?" Lily echoed, the name stirring a distant memory of danger and dark eyes filled with concern. Flashes of the night before began to return—the broken door, the clash of swords, Asher’s strong arms carrying her to safety.

The maid nodded, setting the tray on a nearby table.

Lily took the cup, her hands steadying as the warmth seeped into her palms. “Thank you,” she said, her mind still racing. “What happened after… after he brought me here?”

The woman sat down on the edge of the bed, her eyes kind. “You were exhausted and fainted. Lord Asher was injured, but he’s alright. He made sure you were cared for before he attended to anything else.”

Lily sipped the tea, the warmth spreading through her. “He did?” she asked, a mix of gratitude and disbelief in her voice.

“Yes,” the woman nodded. “He’s been asking about you since dawn. He cares a great deal, it seems.”

Lily’s cheeks flushed with a mixture of emotions—relief, embarrassment, and a budding sense of connection to Asher. She was safe, cared for, and it was all because of him.

“I need to thank him,” she said, more  to the woman.

The maid looked terrified ."Yes, but please, I shouldn't speak of him," she murmured, a tremble in her voice, and you should never try seeing him for he is never seen, no one has seen him till now. It's quiet impossible for the royal princesses only , we are just maids.

"What do you mean by maids"?Lily gives a surprising look

"Yes" you are chosen to be his maid. And saying this the maid departed,and then she keeps her maid uniform."Wear this and come, there's lots of work to do"

........................................

The maid, with a quick glance back at Lily, hurried out of the room. Once in the hallway, she leaned close to a group of fellow servants, her voice a hushed whisper.

"Did you hear? The new girl in the guestroom, she's been brought here as a... as a blood bank for His Highness," she murmured, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and intrigue.

The other servants gasped, their whispers growing like a rising wind. "A blood bank? Are you sure?" one asked, her hands wringing the cloth she held.

"Yes, I heard it from the commander's own lips when I went to call him for the meeting," the maid replied, nodding solemnly. "She's to be kept here, under lock and key, for whenever His Highness requires... you know."