Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle-Chapter 7: You Stink!

The black-haired woman lifted her hand, poised to strike Sorayah across the face, only to halt abruptly as the door to the room swung open. She quickly stepped aside as Head Maid Melissa strode in, her sharp gaze sweeping across the assembled women.

"What's going on here?" Madam Melissa barked, irritation thick in her tone. "I was gone for just a moment, and already there's chaos?"

Her piercing eyes settled on Sorayah and Lily.

"And you two, why are you still standing here? Change your outfits this instant and follow me!"

Lily leaned in close to Sorayah, whispering hesitantly, "We haven't bathed yet, Your Highness."

Sorayah's lips barely moved as she murmured back, "We'll do that later tonight. If we don't want to face her wrath, we'd better get dressed now."

Without another word, she began stripping off her tattered garments, revealing only a thin layer of cloth covering her chest and a modest undergarment concealing the rest of her body. Wasting no time, she slipped into the new attire, a plain brown skirt and blouse then quickly styled her hair using the meager accessories available. Finally, she draped her veil over her face, ensuring Lily did the same.

The other maids watched in silence as they dressed, their expressions unreadable. Once they were done, Madam Melissa turned on her heel, exiting the room without sparing them another glance.

Sorayah and Lily followed her until they arrived at the building at the far end of the servants' quarters, the latrine house.

Madam Melissa stopped at the entrance and turned to face them. "You two will complete your duties here. Don't cause any trouble." And with that, she spun on her heel and left, her departure as abrupt as her arrival.

Sorayah barely had time to register the foul stench before her stomach twisted in protest. She swallowed back the nausea, swiftly removing her veil from her face and instead tying it over her nose and mouth. Lily, gagging at the putrid air, followed suit, afterwhich they both made their way in.

The other servants dressed in the same brown uniforms were hard at work, scrubbing their assigned chamber pots. None of them spared Sorayah or Lily so much as a glance.

A middle-aged woman in a brown gown, a sign of her authority over this section soon approached them. Her eyes were cold and calculating as she gestured toward a towering pile of filthy chamber pots stacked in the corner.

"Wash all of those," she commanded flatly. "Once you're done, you're free to go for the day."

Lily's eyes widened in horror.

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There had to be at least a hundred of them.

Sorayah didn't need to guess twice to know that Madam Melissa had already informed this woman of their presence, likely instructing her to make their lives miserable.

Lily took an impulsive step forward, her mouth opening to protest, but Sorayah swiftly grabbed her wrist, halting her before she could say a word.

Sorayah's sharp gaze flickered around the latrine house. Apart from the maids dressed in brown like them, there were several guards stationed at each corner of the building. Their sole purpose was to deal with disobedient servants, harshly.

Lily, despite being able to walk and talk, was still healing. One harsh beating and she could end up unconscious again or worse. Sorayah wasn't willing to take that risk.

She lowered her gaze, schooling her expression into one of quiet obedience.

"Yes, ma'am," Sorayah said with a slight bow, her voice even.

Lily hesitated for a moment before mirroring Sorayah's actions.

Sorayah exhaled softly, her fingers tightening around the edge of her skirt. This wasn't a battle they could win today. But she would remember every face, every insult, every hardship.

One day, the tables would turn.

And when they did, the ones who made her suffer would regret ever crossing her.

The woman cast them one final glance before turning on her heel and striding out of the latrine house, her footsteps fading into the distance.

As soon as she was gone, Lily turned to Sorayah, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"You can just sit while I do the work, Your Highness. I'm so sorry you're going through all this. You don't deserve any of it," she murmured, tears silently slipping down her cheeks.

Sorayah let out a small sigh and reached out to gently wipe Lily's tears away. "Stop crying," she said softly. "None of us deserve this. Everyone captured and brought to the werewolf kingdom has suffered the same fate."

She gave Lily a warm smile, trying to reassure her. "And besides, if we want to get out of here, we need to work together. It's not even guaranteed that we'll finish early with the two of us doing it, let alone just you."

Lily parted her lips to protest, but Sorayah cut her off before she could get a word out.

"No buts, please," Sorayah said firmly. "And remember, I'm just Sorayah now."

Lily lowered her gaze, swallowing back the lump in her throat. Another tear slipped down her cheek, but this time she quickly wiped it away before Sorayah could notice.

Determined to finish the task, she reached for one of the chamber pots. The moment she lifted it, the foul stench assaulted her senses, making her stomach churn violently despite the veil covering her nose.

Sorayah, on the other hand, barely managed to look inside before she staggered back, her body reacting instinctively. Within seconds, she turned to the side and retched.

The sight was beyond horrific.

But she knew she had no choice. If she wanted to leave this place, she had to endure it.

Gritting her teeth, she steeled herself, holding her breath as she dipped a rag into the murky water and began scrubbing. Every few minutes, the smell overwhelmed her, forcing her to step away and vomit. It felt as though she was emptying her entire stomach, but she refused to stop.

Lily, too, struggled beside her, gagging several times but forcing herself to keep working. They could see the other maids finishing up, one by one, until eventually, only the two of them remained.

Hours passed, and finally, the last chamber pot was scrubbed clean.

As soon as the guards inspected their work and waved them off, Sorayah and Lily stepped out of the latrine house, the crisp night air greeting them like an old friend.

Both of them inhaled deeply, desperate to rid their lungs of the putrid stench that still clung to their clothes and skin.

They walked in exhausted silence toward the maids' quarters, their tired feet dragging across the dirt path.

The courtyard was dimly lit, the crimson moon hanging high above the sky, stars scattered like tiny diamonds in the darkness. The only sound was the soft rustling of the wind through the trees.

As they neared the maid's quarters, Sorayah felt the weight of the entire day pressing down on her. The humiliation, the grueling labor, the constant fear, it all clung to her like a second skin.

Pushing open the door, they stepped inside, immediately enveloped by the warmth of the fire pit burning at the center of the room.

Before they could take another step, a sharp voice rang out.

"Damn! Go wash up before stepping in here. You stink!"

Sorayah turned toward the source of the voice, it was the black haired woman with a sneer of disgust on her face.

Lily cleared her throat, her voice laced with exhaustion. "Where's the bathhouse?"

"Just go outside. It's on the right-hand side," the woman replied flatly before turning her back on them.

Sorayah and Lily exchanged tired glances before wordlessly making their way toward the bathhouse.

When they arrived, the first thing Sorayah noticed was the large barrels of water lined up against the wall. She dipped her fingers into one and immediately recoiled, the water was ice cold.

Lily, shivering from just the thought of bathing in it, reached for a bucket. "I'll see if I can boil some water," she offered, already preparing to leave.

But Sorayah grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"It's too late," she said, shaking her head. "I'll manage with the cold water."

Lily frowned. "But...."

"I'll be fine," Sorayah interrupted. She began pulling off her soiled clothes, preparing herself for the freezing bath. "Remember, I might have been a princess in my chamber back at the palace, but to the others, I was a prince, a prince who has fought on battlefields. I had no one to tend to me there, and I don't need anyone to tend to me here either."

Lily's lips trembled slightly as she stared at Sorayah, admiration and sorrow swirling in her eyes. A single tear escaped, but she quickly wiped it away before Sorayah could see.

Without another word, Sorayah grabbed a bucket of water and disappeared into one of the bath stalls.

Lily followed suit, and before long, the two of them had finished their baths, scrubbing their skin raw in a desperate attempt to rid themselves of the filth.

By the time they returned to the maids' quarters, everyone else was already asleep.

Lily let out a sigh as she changed into a fresh pair of brown skirts and a blouse. She placed a hand over her stomach, which grumbled in protest. "What are we going to eat?" she whispered. "I was going to ask them about our dinner, but they're all asleep..."

Sorayah glanced around the dimly lit quarters. "The kitchen for the maids should be somewhere around here. I'll check if there's anything left for us."

She had barely taken a step before Lily grabbed her hand.

"I'll do it," Lily said, her voice firm with determination.

Sorayah smiled warmly, shaking her head. "Don't worry, I won't be long." She gently pried Lily's fingers from her wrist. "Besides, I have a mission to complete," she added cryptically, her voice lowering. "And I wouldn't want to drag you into it."

Lily frowned, concern flashing in her eyes, but before she could protest, Sorayah had already turned and slipped out of the room, disappearing into the darkness.