Hazel's POV

Never have I ever been falsely accused.

Settling into the maid's quarters was a big change for me. One would think since the entire castle was huge and perfect then the maid quarters will equally be impressive but alas! It was nothing to write home about. It was a dilapidated block with growing moss and it seemed haunted because, at midnight, one tends to hear funny sounds.

I have learned several things since I arrived at the palace. All slaves are bought humans and they serve the royal palace. When Thomas mentioned that the Omegas were the last on the food chain, he lied because we human slaves are at the mercy of the werewolves.

I also learned that aside from Alex, Thomas has another brother whom I'm yet to meet, and contrary to my initial assumption that Thomas was the eldest son of the Mystic Fall royal pack, they were triplets. I hoped the last brother would be nice or perhaps be the lesser asshole compared to those two. I also learned that the king has been ill for months and that the queen runs the entire palace. Since the sons are triplets, they must impress their dying father in order for him to name his heir the successor of the throne. Which means that the brothers are competitors vying for the post of the Alpha of the pack.

It was a brand new day of reporting to my duties so I made my way to Thomas’ chambers to help him prepare for the day. On getting to his chamber, I saw an entourage of semi-nude ladies. One of them jiggled a small bell and another raised the curtains to let sunlight streak in while all of them bowed to Thomas, waking him up.

Damn! This dude deserves to go to hell in the afterlife for enjoying this much paradise on Earth.

“Hazel!” He yawned tiredly while I stood rooted to the entrance.

“Sir?” My brows knitted in confusion.

“How many times do you want me to tell you to call me Thomas?” His bright golden orbs gazed at me.

My eyes fell to the ground as I muttered a quick apology.

“No slave of mine shall stare at the ground while I’m talking to them.” He yelled harshly and got up from his bed.

I felt slightly embarrassed and I muttered another quick apology while facing up this time around. I was surprised to find out he was standing next to me. His 6’4 height towering over me.

“Do you know what today is?!” His tone was softer this time around. He still looked Fucking hot despite just getting out of bed. His bangs were tousled. He had on a white jogger with a pair of white socks while revealing his rippling abs. From his toned perfect body, one could tell he works out a whole lot. Or maybe he was just born with great genes.

“Uhm!” I shrugged my shoulders. “Sunday?” It sounded more like a question than an answer.

“Gosh! It’s the Queen’s birthday, how clueless could you possibly be?!” He punched the wall hard and I flinched. “Are you so blind that you can’t feel the air? It’s a festive period and the whole castle is being redecorated.” He pressed on.

His plump red lips pursed into an unimpressive sigh. “I thought most human slaves gossip a lot, didn’t you learn anything?”

“I’m sorry Thomas, I haven’t made any friends yet and they all treat me like a leper because I am new. When I enter the room, they all shush and whisper around me.” I cried out in frustration and he shook his head.

“Ladies!” He turned to the other semi-nude ladies present in his room. There were about twelve of them. “I think I’m ready to take my bath.” He made his way to another room and the ladies followed suit.

I couldn’t seem to figure out why he had to announce he needed to take a bath but I followed suit and regretted it afterwards. Thomas was naked in the huge bathtub and the ladies were all in, washing him like a royal prince.

Is this the treatment all royalties get in the palace?! Damn! I excused myself and stayed back in his room while admiring it.

A magnificent canopy bed commands attention at the center of the room, its towering pillars intricately carved with intricate filigree and adorned with cascading curtains of silk. The sheets are of the finest Egyptian cotton, whispering promises of comfort and indulgence. Beside the bed, an intricately carved nightstand holds a delicately crafted silver tray, bearing a crystal decanter filled with the finest aged brandy.

Against one wall, an impressive mahogany bookcase stretches from floor to ceiling, its shelves lined with leather-bound tomes containing ancient wisdom and tales from far-off lands. A cozy reading nook beckons, adorned with plump cushions and a velvet chaise longue where the prince can immerse himself in tales of adventure and knowledge. I might not know Thomas’ IQ but I can tell he is a smart lad. The dude probably reads a lot.

A gleaming fireplace, intricately designed with marble and gold accents, dominates another wall, radiating warmth and providing a cozy respite during colder evenings. Above the mantelpiece, an ornate mirror reflects the room's splendor, enhancing the sense of spaciousness and adding an air of enchantment. His room was magic.

Having had a proper bath, a nice haircut, and after getting dressed. Thomas dismissed the ladies and led me out of his chambers to the main palace. It looked like a ballroom. Slaves were running around doing finishing touches to the cakes and foods and redecorations.

“From now henceforth, you will be tasked with cleaning my room, organizing my bookshelves, choosing my daily outfits, serving my food, and running errands. So if I were you, I will make some friends real fast.” He scolded harshly and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes before nodding my head affirmatively.

“The queen will be clocking three sixty-five years today and we will all pay homage to her, celebrate her, and worship her,” Thomas said in a much more calm tone.

“Wait what?!” My jaw dropped when I heard the age bracket.

I was slowly believing that werewolves existed but I needed a breather and space to catch up at a healthy pace. I didn’t know werewolves could live that long. Every morning, I see a couple of werewolves training at the main grounds, they were called the warrior werewolves.

“Shut up and act prim, Mother is heading in this direction.” Thomas slapped my hands but I yelped in pain a little too loudly which caught the queen’s attention as she made a beeline towards here.

“Queen mother.” Thomas placed his cheeks side by side next to his mother’s, kissing her.

“My perfect son.” She smiled while caressing his chin. She had an entourage of slaves behind her.

“Hey, Hazel stinky.” Someone whispered and tickled my waist and I squirmed a little too loud again, only this time, I slipped and collided with some slaves carrying a heavy mounded status of the Queen and the item went shattering into the ground. There was a collective gasp from everyone in the palace, the queen included.

It was Alex and he was grinning while I fumed angrily but nothing could remedy the mess I had created.

“How dare you!” A voice thundered from afar and the crowd parted like the Red Sea. It was a man whose elbow was attached to the hand of a blonde lady.

“Who are you?” The Queen faced me with a calculated look while beads of sweat assembled on my forehead.

At this point, I was not just scared for my life, I was trembling like an electrocuted cat.

“I am.” I tried to say but my voice was hoarse. I cleared my throat again. “I’m Hazel Parker, Thomas’ slave.”

“Do you have any idea what you have done?” The man was standing before me now and boy, was he so damn mad. He had brown hair and brown orbs. He was tall and muscular and he had a striking resemblance to the queen.

It was then I figured it out. He was the third son.

“That was my gift to Mother, a statue that took me months to carve and you just ruined it in seconds.” He grabbed me by the collar and tears began to make their way down my cheeks.

“I’m so sorry, it was Alex that tickled me.” I hiccuped.

“Are you blaming me for your mistakes, slave?” Alex tilted his head to the side.

“Gosh! She stinks so bad.” The blonde lady who looked like a princess shook her head, and dipped her hands into her purse before spraying perfume all over my face and mouth.

“That’s enough, Bella and Aidan.” The queen ordered and everywhere fell silent.

“While I appreciate your gift, son.” She turned to Aidan whose face was red from anger. “I must admit Hazel here did me Favour because that statue looked nothing like me, my nose isn’t crooked.” She said and the crowd snickered, Thomas included but I dared not laugh else I might be beheaded, who knows?

But I was relieved that she wasn’t mad at me, unlike Aidan who looked like he wanted me six feet below the ground.

“But mom-“ Aidan was saying when the queen raised her hand mid-air, silencing him.

“I’m Queen Charlotte, how old are you?” She turned to me. She was dressed so regal and when I tried to count the number of pearls adorning her neck, I lost count somewhere around number twelve.

“I’m seventeen, ma’am.” My head was slightly bowed. The queen was blonde was some parts of her hair were turning a bit grey. Now I understood where Alex got his hair color from.

“You are new here, aren’t you?” She scrutinized me carefully.

“Yes ma’am.”

“Have you any family here?” She inquired one more time.

“No ma, my stepdad sold me.” My nostrils itches as I sniffed a little, basking in self-pity.

“You seem like the youngest slave in the palace and because I’m in a good mood, I will get you registered at Thomas, Aidan, and Alex's school.” She snapped her fingers twice and a slave brought forth a pen and a paper where she wrote some things.

“Bare in mind that you are not my favorite so don’t misuse this opportunity, during the day, you will school and in the evenings, you will return to your slave duties.”

I fell on my knees immediately as joy overfilled me from within. “Long live the Queen, thank you, Queen Charlotte.” I kept chanting with my eyes closed.

That was when I felt a hard kick on my back. I opened my eyes to see Aidan, Alex, Bella, and Thomas towering over me.

“I will ruin you just as you have ruined my gifts, I swear to the moon goddess.” Aidan dished out his threats before leaving furiously.

“You are a pathetic loser, you might attend our school but you will never fit in.” Bella sprayed more perfume over my face before hissing and sashaying away.

“Well, that went well. You could have landed in the dungeons but here you are breathing fine.” Alex chuckled and clapped his hands. “Bravo!”

“Shut up and cut her some slacks.” Thomas rolled his eyes and yanked me up before leading me away from his brother and the wandering eyes of people.

“I’m sorry, Master Thomas.” I cringed as I apologized for the umpteenth time that morning.

“Your life is going to be hell, no doubt, you should grow a tough skin.” Thomas sneered at me.

“Is Bella your sister?” I blurted out my thought before realizing and then I slapped my mouth while my eyes were the size of a saucepan.

“Isabella is the only daughter of the special adviser to the king. she is going to be the mate of any of my brothers, including me so I would call her name with utmost respect if I were you.” His hands were balled into a fist and I swallowed after realizing that he has a soft spot for the blonde bitch.

My hopes were dashed when I realized that Aidan turned out to the rudest and the biggest of all assholes. What will my life be moving onward? At least the thought of resuming school cheered me somewhat. Perhaps, I could have some hours of the day to myself, away from the triplets and my slavery duties.