shuhaige
21
CHAPTER TWENTY
Edward POV
I walked out the throne room strangely excited about the fact that my father released her. And I was more excited to see the look on her face and how she would react if she knew I was the one who got her out of the dungeons and not her beloved Stuart.
I rushed into the kitchen with the aim of seeing her but she was not there, I wondered where she could have gone to, I started my search for where she might have gone and without knowing I already searched the whole west wing and still no sight of her. I tried my luck and went to her room near my quarters but she also was not there, I tried not to make it known that I was searching for someone because nothing spreads faster than gossip in these parts and I would hate for them to add that nuisance’s name with mine.
I stopped and decided to ask them since these people knows almost everything in the castle.
“Hey where is the maid Alice.” I asked a passing maid, I saw her face flush with pink from nervousness.
“Hmmm she is in the Queen’s chambers your grace.” She stuttered out.
“Why?” I questioned.
“She was asked for by the Queen.” She replied.
“How many hours ago?” I asked her.
“About an hour now your grace.” She replied.
I waved my hands and she left. I really was wondering what Mother would want with her to invite her to her chambers, I turned and I saw the maids have already started murmuring. Maybe it was a bad idea to ask from that maid after all because I know that a rumour would come up later and it would be eaten up fast. I turned and made my way to the Queen’s chambers which was actually in the far end of the castle.
I walked hurriedly that it caught the sight of some maids and guards, I felt their curious gaze on me but none stopped me and it was not like they could. I saw the Queens’s chamber in sight, I pushed the door to get in and I stopped in my tracks as I saw Alice laughing brightly with my mother, for some weird reason I was strangely pleased to see her laughing. I wonder why, yet I was not in a place where I could get lost in my own thoughts.
“Why is my mother keeping my maid from coming to do her duties?” I asked my mother in a teasing tone.
“Oh, you stingy little child. I just wanted to have fun with a new face for the first time in a while and here you are complaining to my ears.” She teased me in return. We kept on going in circles with us teasing one another.
“By your leave My Queen.” She asked mother seeking permission to leave. I looked at her and saw that she looked annoyed, I started wondering as to why or what could have caused her change in mood. Or could it have been me? I waved off the thoughts as soon as it appeared, what is my headache if she finds me annoying. It goes both ways and there definitely is no love lost between us, I just could not grasp why on earth am I ticked off by her. I was pleased to be here with my mother and I love the fact that she was happy as we talked.
“You are excused; I will see you later Alice.” She said granting her the leave, I saw how she quickly curtsied before she walked as fast as she could out of there. My body turned to follow her out but I was stopped and saw a hand holding mine, I turned to see my mother already looking at me with a smile that she always gives when she thinks that she knows something about us that we do not.
“What is it mother?” I asked.
“Answer me just one question.” She said. I nodded my head waiting for her, but she did not say anything then I remembered that she loves it when we give her oral confirmation.
“Yes, ask Mother.” I answered her.
“Do you like Alice.” She asked me with her gaze hot.
Alice’s POV
I ran all the way into the dungeons where I was once kept but my heart and mind had no thought of that at the moment because my mind was on the person that I was told was in those four walls. I got to the entrance and I was not granted access, I am guessing that it had to do with the situation that happened with Edward the last time. I begged them and pleaded but they refuse to let me in.
I felt so sad because he was there for me and yet I was not given the chance to return the favour, after begging for a long time I finally decide to leave, I was beat down and I walked so slowly. I met a fellow maid on the way who gave me my duties to run, I guess no time was needed before I was thrusted back fully into works, I took it and made my way meekly to my works vowing within myself to sneak into the dungeons later at night,
I was given the duty of delivering a bag of leftover fruits to the stable keepers so they would be sued to feed the horses, I got to the place and I met a very adorable girl of 14 summers. She has bright green eyes and hair the colour of corn. Her face is washed in freckles and she wears her cute, long hair in pig tails which over all make her so adorable.
“Hi what is your name.” I asked her giving her a smile.
“Angela miss.” She replied me returning my smile with one of hers. I smiled again and passed to her the bag, but I must have overestimated her strength or underestimated the load of the bag because she almost fell over.
“Oh, I am so sorry let me help you.” I said before lifting the bag from her hands and carried it with just a hand. I saw her looking at me in awe so I looked at her using my eye to ask the question.
“You are so strong miss. You are carrying the bag with just one hand.” She said stating the obvious, I guess it was not that normal. I gave her a wary smile.
“I lived a really rough life before entering the palace.” I said giving her another smile. We started feeding the horses and we talked about a list of random things. I got to know that she was indeed 14 summers as I had guessed and her grandfather was the actual stable keeper, her parents ran away from the kingdom to find greener pastures and left her behind, calling her a burden to their future. I felt hatred to the people I had never met because they caused such an adorable young girl pain, I also felt pity for her.
I also told her that I do not know my parent but I guess having one who is dead and one who you have no idea who it is are almost the same thing, but she was quickly able to tell me she was not too sad about it because she loves her grandfather too much and he also dotes on her. I was having a great time talking to her, we got done with feeding the horses and we sat at the door to the stables discussing random things. I looked up and saw a maid upon us, I knew that that means my time is done.
“You are here in the stables when the Prince is searching for you?” She said
“What!?” I exclaimed.
“You heard me, he is searching for you.” She replied, I stood up and looked at Angela, I was reluctant to go back but I knew I had no choice but to. After all the Prince was the one searching for me.
On getting into the palace I heard some maids whispering something about Prince Edward and a maid and something going on between the two. I do not need to fully understand the point or the reason but one thing is for sure that the maid would be kicked out soon as soon as he was done just like he did to Fiona. I walked my way to the Prince’s quarters, I stood outside and knocked waiting patiently for a response before I entered. I heard nothing and so I tried again still no reply, I was about knocking again when I saw Madam Teresa.
“Alice what are you doing here.” She asked, her hair still packed neatly to her back. I tuned and greeted her.
“Good day Madam, and in response to your question. I am waiting for Prince Edward, I heard he was searching for me earlier.” I answered, she looked at me again then at the closed doors.
“Well since he is not in at the moment, you will be useful in running some errands till the Prince comes back.” She commanded, I nodded already in expectance of something like that to begin with,
I ran some errands and sent some things to the servant at the back, throwing everything to the back of my mind as I made my way tp the kitchen again to work. Yet I knew my focus was not on the job on going but on how I am to meet Stuart later, I finished as soon as possible and retired to my room by the evening hours. I opened the door and saw that the whole room was thrashed by the guards who had ransacked it probably when they were looking for other things that they thought she might have stolen. My mind jolted as I remembered that I could have lost my head if not for whatever it was that had happened in the throne room.
My hands went to my neck as I gripped it in fear of what could have happened then I bent down to start arraign my room. I touched the blanket that had always been with me and smiled before I started cleaning my room. I got done with the whole cleaning and I looked to the window to see that the sun has gone finally and it is already the early hours of the night. I felt my strength leave me, today had got to be one of the most troublesome days ever since I got into the palace.
I changed into my nightgown and got ready for bed when I heard a knock on my door.
“Yes who is it?” I asked.
“Prince Edward asked for you.” She said then I heard her footstep receding. I groaned as I sat on the bed, I eyed the soft surface mournfully before I stood up to go see his royal annoyingness
I rushed out of my room and into the hall half annoyed as to why he might be calling on me late into the night when majority of the whole kingdom would have retired or about to retire to their rooms. I looked at the maid in front of me who had already told me that she was to lead me to where he is. I just do not completely understand why he would pull off something like this the night that I got out of the dungeons, yet I swallowed my words full of complaint and followed her reluctantly.
The castle had always been huge no doubt about that, very soon we left the quarters and we were heading toward the Queen’s rose garden and as the name implies it is a rose garden with different colour and fragrance. It was a gift from the King to his wife because she had told him once that she loves the smell of roses and she would love to have them in different colours. We got there and my escort told me to stay there, she turned and left me alone.
I was all alone and I could not help but start getting worried and anxious, my mind suspecting that this could just be another one of his many tricks that the ever so childish prince had pulled for his own entertainment, I know that leaving would put me in deeper trouble but my mind was thinking of it. Maybe I should leave and come back tomorrow morning, maybe I can use the excuse of being called by a Head maid, definitely not Madam Teresa but I know Meredith would actually play along with me without asking her.
But still I know I had no choice but to stay as to not implicate innocents who have no issue with the vengeful prince. I started seething and getting annoyed in my heart.
“Oh seriously, can I not disobey this stupid childish prince, but I know I can’t because it will be me getting into more trouble and….”
“Hey red head.” I heard the voice then I heard footstep, I turned and saw Edward standing behind me, I tried to balance myself but I tripped over my dress and fell to the ground. I heard a laughter and no surprise there to find the Prince laughing at my predicament. I gripped the grass in anger barley holding myself from tackling him to the ground and running his stupid dainty shirt.
I looked around but I heard a throat clearing in front of me, I turned and was met with him offering his hand. I looked at him but he averted his eye still holding out his arm, I guess it won’t hurt so I took it and he pulls me up and wrap his hands around my waist staring directly into my eyes. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
I became frozen in my shoes as he tightened his grip on my waist, I opened my mouth to speak but he smiled. This was not his usual smirk nor his devilish smile, this was one that brightened up his face and made him look more handsome, but why do I feel him getting further.
“Humph” I grunted as I landed harder on my butt which just happened to be on the ground again. He suddenly burst out laughing which alerted the hounds around the castle. Of course he would drop me, what was I thinking, handsome? In his unrealistic dream.NôvelDrama.Org owns all © content.
I flushed a bright red and I was thankful for the cover of the night because I knew I would have looked like a ripe tomato, I was more embarrassed than I care to admit, I was also using all my self-control to hold my tongue frim calling him something that would have me landing my already hurting butt in prison again. He had offered his hand and I took it.
I looked at him to see that his hands were out again, now if that trick was used on me twice then I should carry myself to a nuthouse, I ignored it and pulled myself up, I stood and glared at him but he returned it with a smirk of his own and folded his hands behind him and this gave him the look of a perfect gentleman and a respectable human being, I felt pure disgust toward the human right in front of me rising in my stomach. He was just so childish and I really felt like giving him a taste of his own medicine or even socking him right now but I knew that I could not.
“Your grace, a lovely evening to you.” I curtsied as politely and mockingly as possible as I greeted him, I am so done trying to make it up to him. Infract I wish I could knock him out and take him all around to the powder room just for the fun of it if I could. As if he just noticed the glare I was sending his way, his smile got brighter and the dim light that poured into the garden from the entrance illuminated it perfectly. I gritted my teeth but held my composure, I would not lose to him not now nor ever.
“What kept you your grace and why was I called upon this time of the day.” I asked wanting to know why I was called out so late. I had purposely stressed on it so to make him feel a bit of responsibility and maybe embarrassed and to know that he should not call on me this late. He said nothing as he turned and walked to the far end of the garden, and of course I followed. He stopped then turned to look at me.
“Where are your parent Alice.” He asked me, I turned to look at him in puzzle.
“I am an orphan.” I answered, he laughed
“No wonder, you always have been rude and do not even know the normal curtsey of thanking someone who saved your life.” He said to me. I turned around as I thought I saw a maid who came out and ran back in, but it was so dark I could not make out who it was.
“Can you please tell me what that meant?” I asked refraining myself from insulting him for the second time this night.
“SO you have no idea, I was the one who convinced my father to not only not kill you but to also release you.” He finished like a spoilt brat seeking praise. I bit back the words I wanted to say, he seemed to have forgotten who placed me in the situation in the first place.
“You were the cause of it to begin with” I said.
“I did nothing wrong.” He said bluntly ignoring what I said.
“Really, you placed me in an impossible situation and accusing me just for the fun of it. I know you did not accidentally give me any wrong instructions.” I told him in anger but a controlled one. He laughed almost like he was reliving it again.
“So? There is nothing you can do about it.” He bit back, I stopped for a second and looked at him.
“Why though, why are you being childish? Using my life to play a poker of life or death, my life or even my death should not be used as an entertainment. It is not something that is worthy of a Prince to do.” I responded, I saw his eye shift. Guess that stings a little.
“Oh really, you a common maid would know how royalty are or what a royal can or cannot do? You a kleptomaniac maid. It only is a matter of time and I will get you to show your true colours to everyone in the palace dear Alice.” He mocked me. I heard the challenge in his voice and I will not back out.
“Bring it on, there are no true colours to show because I have done nothing wrong.” I said, he sneered at me and was about to walk away.
“Wait, would you please tell me what your problem is with me? And I man the real reason you are this towards me, because even a fool would notice that this is no longer about the necklace which might I add I was not able to steal.” I rushed out at him, patently waiting for an answer, he turned to the left with his back towards me then he ignores me and walked away.
Not so long after it started to rain, and my already frustrated mood became more intense, I know that he will most definitely put more effort into making my life miserable, I ran back into the palace looking for somewhere to hide, I entered the hall but then I stopped. I looked around and I had no idea where I was, I had blindly followed the maid and I had no idea which way led to the Prince’s quarter.
I started to wander around the halls of the passageway, looking for one familiar way back. The halls are winding and old, some parts even having mould on it, I took one of the torches from the ones lining the wall and starts walking around. The halls are winding downwards and she goes down with it, not knowing which way to turn. I started taking random turns and could not even find one familiar path.
I remembered the talk with the Prince and I got more annoyed but I also felt helpless, I know that if he really chooses to ruin my life here then no one will stop him and this time I might not get lucky and killed, still I wondered what he could have told the King and maybe it was really a misunderstanding after all, or maybe he wanted to rub it in my face and have me kneel in front of him but I would rather die than do that.
I still could not gather my thoughts as they flew to Stuart, I felt extremely sad about the fact that he is locked up currently and I knew that one way or another I was the cause of that. I could not help but wonder how wrong he might get to feel when he is caged in the dungeons but I was here free while he is locked up in a cold, rusty cell with rotting leftover meals, a worn out sack for a bed and the roaches and rats that crawled around the walls, fighting for the meals he could scavenge, the more I thought about it the more my heart dropped and I knew that I needed to find a way to save him.
I noticed that I had made another turn but this one led me into an even darker passageway, I also noticed that the torches that line up the walls seemed to stop there. I lifted the torch higher and raised the hem of my skirt and began to decent the stairs there. The echoes were loud and the dust arises with each step of mine getting thicker with the said dust, I reached a narrow door that I could not recognise at all, I suddenly started considering going all the way back the way I came and waiting till morning to find someone to take me back.
But the thoughts of what the Queen and her maids stopped me in my tracks, and just like that my reputation of being a thief in the palace would be considered sealed and stamped. I would rather take my chances here, so I forged on and like that I went through the door anticipating anything that might come my way. The doorway led to an even narrower pathway and was gloomier than the one I just left, the touch I held started burning low and I knew that I would be thrown into darkness soon.
Not too long after quickening my steps the touch died and fear gripped me even with all my self-talk on being brave before the touch went out, I placed my hands on the wall and started doing my best in navigating the walls with running my hands along them and I started moving forward even in the darkness. I should reach the end in a few minutes I mean it could not last forever, I knew I spoke too soon after few hours passed.
The hope I initially held started to leak and I was already feeling discouraged, I looked up and I saw a dim light at the end of the hall. Without even thinking twice I sprinted toward the direction, I never for once looked back at all until I reached the torch hanging on the entrance to another hall. I already started to guess that I stumbled on a secret passageway but what I cannot decipher is where exactly it leads to.
I crossed my finger and entered, I suddenly smiled as the broken hinges that once held a door led me to a familiar ground. The cell. It seems the door that used to be there was a back entrance that had not been used for quite a while due to the dust and how creaky and old and rusty it was. I took a huge breath of relief to fist finally be in a very familiar pathway and also being able to solve the problem of me thinking of how to sneak into the cells to go visit Stuart.
I walked around stealthy to the best of my abilities which is next to nothing, I walked around and looked to see if there were any guards around and I saw none, I remembered the cell I was in and knowing the fact that they did not allow me to enter to look for him in the early hours could only mean that he was placed where I once was. With that I hurried my step to where I was held before hoping with all of me that Stuart would in fact be there.
I walked down the cell and this time around I saw and heard the inmates which were there, was I really so preoccupied with the fact that I was going to die that I could not even hear the voices and screams of these people? While some tried coarsening me to let them out when they saw me, others swore at me and if not for the iron barracked then I would already be paralyzed with fear not that I was not afraid but I knew I needed to see Stuart.
I walked further down looking through the cells hurriedly for him and I found no traces of him, I continued till I was far enough I was about to give up when I saw someone lying sideways on the floor.
Without second guessing myself I walked to his cell and saw that he was in a semi sorry state, the guilt in me grew more.
“Stuart…” I spoke softly, I was afraid he would not be able to hear me but I saw him turn his head and our eyes met.