A Pawn On Board
1360 Words
Mei was one of the oldest slave maids, with a hunched back and a sharp tongue. Though cranky, she had earned the respect of most for surviving five harsh winters and still managing to keep her hands clean of punishments.
One night, after chores, Samantha approached her during washing duty. Her voice was soft, like a daughter confiding in a mother.
“I’ve always admired your strength, Mei. Some of the girls… they said you should be leading the morning assignments instead of Selah. They don’t trust her anymore.”
Mei snorted, drying her hands on a rag. “Selah’s too proud. That one thinks she’s better than the rest of us since Paula lets her handle linen.”
Samantha gave a faint smile. “I only wanted to tell you because I think you deserve more… They’ll support you, I’m sure.” And the fool took to her advice.
It took just three days before Selah and Mei exploded into a shouting match in front of Paula.
Both were punished. But only Mei was demoted.
And Samantha? When others voted for her to take over Mei's duty, she craftily declined. Insisting that Mei is her friend. But after several persistent persuading from the others, she reluctantly volunteered to take over Mei’s morning shift, but still insist in continue working with the others despites her new position. This made her gain more supporters and love from the unsuspecting slaves, while Mei was jeered at.
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But, the fallout from that first fracture began to spiral. Fights broke out over kitchen rations. Chores were left half-finished with no one claiming responsibility. Old friends avoided each other, too scared to be seen whispering.
When a cherished silver spoon went missing from the merchant’s guest pantry, Paula beat two girls within inches of their lives.
Samantha had planted it beneath one of their mattresses the night before, when she overhead one of them vowed to dealt with the other.
She watched from the corridor as they screamed and begged for mercy. Her face never flinched, even as blood stained the stones. Her motto was:
“You rise higher when others fall first”, she thought, folding her hands neatly behind her back.
Soon, everyone in the quarters became wary of each other. Every innocent question felt like a trap. Every laugh in the corner sounded like mockery.
Some girls whispered about a “curse” hanging over the quarters. Others believed Paula had spies planted among them—but no one guessed it was the fragile-looking girl who offered to help carry their water buckets or kneel beside them in punishment.
Samantha knew how to keep just enough sympathy alive to avoid suspicion. She always cried for those who were punished. She always knelt in prayer after someone was sent to the infirmary.
And yet, she was never touched.
Never accused… Never blamed…
That was the real magic—not spells or potions. Just words… sharpened to blades.
And still, Samantha thrived. Yet her plan for Paula to take serious notice of her, wasn't working out yet. Feeling frustrated, she opt for something else.
Then, late one night, as Samantha mopped the servant hall in her usual style, she overheard two younger maids whispering behind a curtain.
“You think it’s Paula doing all this?”
“I don’t know... but someone’s playing a game. People are getting set up.”
“It’s like we’re being hunted from the inside.”
Samantha’s lips curved faintly.
She leaned closer to the bucket and kept scrubbing. Harder this time, just enough to make her arms ache.
By the time morning came, one of those whispering girls would find a precious kitchen broken glass in her bed. The other would be blamed.
And Samantha?
She would spend the day gently comforting the accused girl—and suggesting to Paula that she may have been framed.
---
Samantha had learned something early while growing up: No one ever suspects the middleman.
She had continue watching for days—quiet, careful, calculating who next to deal with. And she saw it: Hani and Luma, two young slave maids barely sixteen, always stuck to each other like glue. They shared food, took blame for each other’s mistakes, and even whispered dreams of saving enough coin to escape servitude one day.
It was perfect.
Because Samantha also noticed something else: a third girl named Yula. Pretty, bold, and recently favored by Paula to serve tea during meetings at the Officials Guest Wing.
That meant Yula had access to important documents. More importantly… she was becoming visible.
Too visible. And Samantha doesn't like it.
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The Setup Begins
Samantha approached Hani first, early in the morning while they swept out the west corridor. Her voice held concern—sincere, hushed.
“I heard something last night… Paula’s not happy with Yula. Said she thinks she’s stealing from the guest wing.”
Hani blinked, startled. “What? That can’t be true. Yula’s not like that.”
Samantha nodded. “I didn’t believe it either, but…” she lowered her voice even more, “...Paula said she’s watching her. If something goes missing, Yula’s the first one who’ll be punished.”
She paused, giving the fear time to root.
“If you really care about her, you should search her things before Paula does. Just to be sure. If you find something, you can return it secretly—no one has to get hurt.”
Later that day, she told Luma a similar tale—but slightly twisted.
“I overheard that Paula is going to blame Hani and you for something someone else did. Maybe it was Yula. They think the three of you are working together.”
Luma gasped. “But we’re not! We haven’t done anything.”
“Then prove it,” Samantha whispered. “Check Yula’s belongings. If you find something suspicious, tell Paula first. That way, you’ll be safe.”
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The Trap Springs
That evening, while most of the maids were bathing, Samantha sneaked into the linen closet with some, beautiful coral beats she had stolen two nights before from Paula's room when she went there with a tray of tea. She tucked it neatly into the lining of Yula’s sleeping mat.
Then, she waited.
Just before lights-out, as planned, Hani and Luma crept over to Yula’s bed and began quietly searching. They found the coral beats almost instantly.
But Samantha timed it perfectly.
The moment they held it up—confused, frightened, unsure—Paula stepped in with two guards.
Caught red-handed.
Yula, hearing the shouting, rushed back from the outer hall only to find her best friends being accused of stealing precious coral beats and rifling through her things.
She screamed betrayal.
They shouted innocence.
Hani burst into tears, crying that they were only trying to help.
But Paula saw what she wanted to see—three girls, three lies, one stolen item.
She ordered a lashing at dawn.
---
Samantha’s Victory
That night, as the quarters buzzed with rumors, Samantha knelt beside Yula’s cot. The girl sat frozen, arms wrapped tightly around her knees.
“I’m so sorry,” Samantha whispered. “I knew something bad was going to happen. I just didn’t know who to warn.”
Yula didn’t speak, but she didn’t push her away either.
That was enough.
Later, Paula passed by the hallway and saw Samantha gently wiping the tears from Yula’s cheeks with a soft rag.
She stopped and watched for a moment.
Then nodded once to herself before continuing on.
Samantha didn’t smile until she was alone in the water chamber, scrubbing the already-clean floors with trembling fingers.
Two more pawns removed from the board.
And more importantly, Paula had finally noticed her.
Not as a nuisance… But as someone useful.
From that moment, Samantha made sure Paula saw her more often—quietly watching from the side, cleaning without instruction, snitching just enough about things others said, always followed by, “Forgive me for speaking out of turn…”
Within a month, Samantha had quietly built a reputation, ready to move on to her real game...
- Writer
