As soon as Emmaline caught sight of Iris returning to the palace, which meant that she was going to enter the palace through the kitchen back door, Emmaline raced out quickly to avoid being seen by Iris or anyone else.
Emmaline quickly headed for Arianna.
" My princess! My princess!" Emmaline called panting heavily with so much excitement, as she knocked on the door.
There was no reply.
" My princess! My prin!" She was disrupted my the opening of the door. It wasn't princess Arianna, it was the queen.
" My queen" she bowed as she greeted stepping back a bit, still panting. " What do you want ?" The queen asked her, obstructing her from coming into the room. "Ehrrrrm....mmm" Emmaline stammered.
" Yes? " The queen questioned eagerly. " A message for the princess, my queen" Emmaline managed to say. " A message from whom? " The queen asked again. However very impatient with Emmaline sluggish replies, she said in an authoritative manner, " Go! Come back later! The princess can't see anyone now. "The queen instructed with the intent that before Emmaline comes back, Arainna would be gone.
However Arianna had to intervain, she beckoned to her mother to let the girl in. Her mother gave her a stern look, as if asking with her eyes, are you sure about this ?.
Emmaline came into the room looking and acting very sheepish. There was silence in the room. Emmaline couldn't speak first, as she was very sure that the queen was not aware that she knew about the sudden disappearance of princess Brianna, and the fact that Arianna was just acting to be Brianna.
" c'mon Emmaline it's okay! " Arianna finally breaking the silence, sensing what could be going through Emmaline's mind.
She spoke up again, this time more seriously " any news on your findings ?" The queen just silently watched. Emmaline had totally lost her voice. She took a while, before she finally answered.
" My princess I found Iris and the strange looking man. They were together when I saw them" she began. Arianna sat upright, with her eyes opened wide. " They exchanged something really quick, it wasn't clear enough, but they were really acting suspicious. " Emmaline stated.
Arianna asked like a detective would, " where they inside the house when you found them ?"
Emmaline shook her head, indicating no. " They were at the back of the palace, as Iris came in through the kitchen back door. " Emmaline reported. " Was that all you saw ? "Arianna asked still inquisitive. " Yes! Yes princess Arianna. "
The queen hearing Emmaline call the princess by her real name, turned to Arianna in total surprise, " she knows ? How about this ? " she asked Arianna simultaneously.
Arianna looked at Emmaline. Emmaline would be in serious trouble if Arianna confessed to the queen that Emmaline evesdropped on their conversations and arguments the night brainna went missing.
Emmaline's eyes looking back at princess Arianna was full of plea. They were almost teary. Emmaline's heart beat increased. It could possibly be heard by any passer-by.
" Arianna I asked a question" the queen still in anger. " C'mon mother! which maid will serve me her entire life, and wouldn't be able to tell it's me, when she sees me.? " Arianna asked her mother, not expecting a reply though, making light of the matter.
"She knew it was me at a first glance, and when I spoke to her, it strengthened her conviction. Emmaline has been my personal maid for years now. I just couldn't fake it! " Arianna concluded, making the situation easier than it should.
Emmaline screamed thank goodness in her head. She didn't know what would have become of her if princess Arianna didn't cover up for her, all she knew was that it wouldn't have been something good.
The queen gave Emmaline a long hard look, " the day another person finds out about this secret in this palace and this whole kingdom at large, I'd hold you accountable. On that day, your suffering and pain shall be great." The queen finally speaking to Emmaline, threatened in a very slow manner.
Emmaline stood like a mouse that had been poured water, with her head bowed all the while. She wished she hadn't met the queen with Arianna. Despite the threat, she was just grateful for Princess Arianna's kindness. For a girl with the status of a maid, it meant a lot.
However, she was scared of the threat, because a greater part of her kept telling her Iris knew more than she knew about princess Brianna. Iris was a maid that rarely mingled with other maids. She was always about her duties, and when she was less busy, she was hardly found around the palace, untill a day Emmaline found her sobbing profusely, sitting at the palace garden, quite a distance from the palace itself. When Emmaline tried to inquire what the problem was, Iris cleaned her eyes, and walked away briskly without giving Emmaline a reply.
She was sure of her self, that she wasn't going to reveal the secret to anyone, but how about Iris? If Iris did, the consequence according to the queen was that she was going to be held accountable for it .She had known all along that there was something fishy about Iris.
" I'm I understood ?" The queen fiercely asked Emmaline, who was totally lost in her thoughts... " Yes my queen" she answered timidly. The queen turned to Arianna " my darling! You have to be careful with whom you trust, I and your father has been betrayed countless of times, by even the ones we call family, you must be very careful" she said very concerned.
" Mom it's fine, " Arianna said ." We however have a more serious problem, Arianna continued, with the findings of Emmaline, it means that there is something Iris knows that we do not know. " She said looking up to her mother.
" In your experience earlier that you narrated to me, you claimed the man knows the where about of your sister" ? Her mother asked, wanting to be sure. Arainna nodded firmly.
" Then we must act immediately. Perhaps order an arrest of the Iris girl in question, through her we can get information about the strange man." The queen said plainly. Arainna was silent. " We can't do that mother, we have to be rational about our decisions" she said standing up from the bed and walked towards the window. She leaned for a while . Iris stood like a statue, making sure she avoided every eye contact with the queen or the princess.
" The only solution, is that Iris and Emmaline goes with me to St Lucia " Arainna speaking up again.
" How then is that a solution? " Her mother asked sarcastically.
Arainna drew closer to her mother, and held her by the arm, then began speaking. " Iris can't be here, and arresting her now is not an option as well for now, because we have no reasonable prove, she could easily deny it , and punishing without prove, would be unjust. "
"And if she stays back here, she's may spill what she knows soonest. If anyone hears it from Iris, then the secret will be known by many. We can't afford to allow king Lawrence and prince Liam know about the brainna's disappearance. And Emmaline (she said looking at Emmaline) is a good maid and a wonderful spy. It'd be better if Iris leaves this kingdom soonest. If Iris has an alliance with the man, am sure he'd come to St Lucia, we'd take it from there. " She said to her mother convincingly.
" I see " her mother said breathing heavily. She turned to Emmaline, " you must pack your bags immediately, you leave with Arianna to St Lucia" Emmaline bowed and left.
She turned to Arainna, " I shall find Iris and inform her as well " Arainna nodded. " You must get ready at once, I'm sure the royal carriage from St Lucia will be here soon. King Lawrence and his queen had left already. " Her mother said to her and left as well.
Minutes after her mother had left, Arainna heard a knock on the door. It was a masculine voice, " princess Brianna, your royal carriage is here! " The voice announced.