Girl Out of Water, Episode 5

New Girl

A week had passed since the ceiling fan incident and my skin still felt covered in grime and ceiling plaster. Krill said it was my reaction to being on land for such a long period of time. I’d never gone this long not submerged in water. But I wasn’t convinced.

The ceiling caving in on me had been a nasty affair. But if I’d hoped for sympathy from the men who’d saved me, I’d been tragically disappointed. I’d cost them time and money to fix my mistake. Aden didn’t speak to me for days afterward. And I knew the only reason Krill had stepped in to supervise my training was to make sure I didn’t make any more holes in tenants’ kitchen floors.

I would have been grateful for Krill’s oversight if the work hadn’t been so laborious. My once soft hands were now thick with callouses. My feet had grown something called blisters that were small but annoyingly painful. My muscles and bones ached in a way that made my stomach clench with nausea. And I spent my days sweating more than any heir to the throne of Eris should—unless it was in battle.

Alas, there was no hope for it. This was my lot in life. I had been a princess once upon a time. Only months ago. Now I was a scullery maid. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.