When I first entered Blackwater, I assumed it was a run-down place with poor, violent people. I was wrong to judge this territory so quickly.
Just like Vanora, there are two sides of Blackwater, though they don’t really have names, like how Vanora has Iron Class and Gold Class. Here, it all exists under one umbrella, but I can tell the difference between the two sides. I’d like to consider it lower and upper class, just like we have on Earth. We can tell which areas are for the rich and which are for the poor based off the size of the houses and the lay of the land.
In Juniper’s car (a very fancy black two-door), we ride past the lower class, where the houses are no more than a story high and about the size of the cabin that once belonged to Caz’s mother. The houses range from black to gray, and even brown. The people are dressed casually—pants or skirts and solid-colored shirts. Most of their attire is black or gray.
Juniper drives past one of the markets, where some of the stands have meat hanging while others sell fruit or gigantic fish. Buyers drop rubies on the counters of the stands after grabbing their food, waving their goodbyes as others in line move forward.
Then there’s a shift in the ambiance. The houses grow in size—two to three stories high with a Victorian feel, all assembled in tight-knit neighborhoods. The markets transform to well-built shops, and a large store appears with a sign that reads Youthwater Kingdom. Horse carriages provide rides for citizens, and one of the men holding the reins of a spotted white and black horse tips his hat at us as we pass. A school appears, and through the doors and windows, I see children with their heads bowed, likely reading or doing classwork.
Juniper drives up a steep hill, pressing her foot on the gas to increase the speed as Maeve mumbles to herself in the passenger seat. She’s reading papers on her clipboard, going over a list of house maidens and their qualities.
“This is where the fun happens,” Juniper says over her shoulder, and she makes a right onto a single-laned black street.
Bordering the street on both sides are rippling black waters, and on the other side of those waters are a number of shops. They all stand out beautifully, each one built with unique details. Some have square windows, some have round. Some have gold signs while others are made purely from rubies. Juniper drives beneath a bridge and turns down a dark alleyway, tailing a few other cars until we reach a parking deck. She turns into a space with a sign in front of it that says, Blackwater Monarch Clan Parking Only, then kills the engine.
After leaving the car and finding a staircase that leads us out of the parking deck, we cross a bridge, and from the top of it, I can see everything. Every single shop, every person walking by, the people riding their horses on the streets beyond the shops, and even teenagers laughing as they rush into stores. I even see Blackwater Castle from here, just the tips of it, looming behind skyscraper trees.
“Okay, now I get why you love Blackwater so much,” I say, turning to Juniper and Maeve.
“Once you get to this side of the village, it’s a dream!” Juniper replies. “You’ll have to try the spice rolls at Petra’s while we’re here. They’re the best thing you’ll ever taste, I swear it. Then we can go to Hatley’s for lunch.”
Maeve stands on the bridge next to me, a clipboard in hand and her nose scrunched. She’s been staring at the clipboard ever since we left the castle.
“Let’s make this quick, shall we, ladies?” Maeve insists, eyes still on the paper. “There’s so much to do, and if we want to keep having more dinners, we need to hire a house maiden immediately. I think I’ve found one, but he’s male. Not sure Caz will like that.”
“Why wouldn’t he?” I ask as we step onto flat ground.
“Because you are now in the castle, dear,” Maeve chuckles. “He’d have that man’s head if he even cut an eye at you.”
“Not if the house maiden likes other men,” Juniper quips, her eyes fixing on something to our left. Juniper rushes to a slim silver machine and twists a knob repeatedly until something pops out. When she brings it back, I see that it’s two shiny black balls.
“It’s a Chew,” she says, offering one of them to me. “You just chew it, and the flavor literally lasts forever. There are three flavors. I always hope for blackfruit.”
“What are the other two flavors?” I ask, taking one of the offered Chews.
“Goldberry and verdeberry.”
I pop it into my mouth, and of course, it’s verdeberry. I’m instantly reminded of Alexi and Whisper Grove Inn. A sour taste floods my tastebuds. I disregard it, chewing anyway, until the flavors settle.
“I need to interview him,” Maeve goes on. “All the others are young girls. They wouldn’t know their heads from their asses, and the last thing we have time for is someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing. Besides, I’m certain a lot of them only signed up so they can be in Caz’s face and striving for his attention.”
I laugh at that. “Good luck to them on that. It took me days, and I’m his mate.”
Maeve can’t help smiling. “This man, his name is Makoto. He’s much older, has worked for many people in Blackwater. Knows how to cook. Has three children. He seems promising…but he could be lying. I’ll have him meet me at Petra’s for a quick interview.” Maeve lowers the clipboard, her eyes saddening. “It’s awful doing this so soon. I feel like an uncompassionate twat. I mean, Della was everything we never knew we needed, and she was a wonderful asset to Caz. She always saw him how I did—like he was her own. She understood him and knew when to give him space. She kept him fed and hydrated because, let me tell you, Willow, he has the tendency to overwork himself and forget to eat. Even when he didn’t want to eat, she’d make him. She loved him, and he loved her.” Maeve lets out a long sigh, and I’m flooded with emotions again, thinking about the raw ache Caz felt when he lost Della. “Anyway, if this Makoto doesn’t work out, I’ll have to take on two women who probably won’t even be able to do half the work Della could. Because Della was precise, I’ll tell you that, and she made a delicious roast with black potatoes. And she always chose the best wine and snacks.” Maeve lets out a sigh. “You can’t find people like her these days.”
“That’s very true. Well, how about you call Makoto and tell him to meet you,” Juniper says. “Willow and I will shop, and you can meet us at Hatley’s when you’re done.”
“Sure thing, girls.” Maeve plants a kiss on both our cheeks, leaving behind red lipstick prints. “Wish me luck.”
I smile as she sighs yet again, then watch her saunter away, disappearing across the bridge.
Juniper turns to me with a grin. “Let’s go destroy Caz’s pockets!”
