"Sorry?" The girl asked her while still going through the cupboard of the kitchen and putting a healthy smile on her face.
If she had seen anything creepy before, this was creepier. Who was this girl? And how might she have seen her with the prince? Was she stalking her in the castle? She raised a brow at the person.
"I said what do you mean?" She cleared her throat to ask the question again.
"What else do you think I mean? Who doesn't have some hidden interest in the prince?" She answered with a giggle and Melina was confused for a second before she processed what the girl meant.
The girl stared at her with a frown on her head for a second before she exclaimed. "Oh...you do have an interest in the prince but claim to not be interested in anyone? What a girl you are." She teased but Melina quickly shook her head in disapproval.
That's not true. I was only surprised by your behaviour." She confessed but the girl wasn't having it. Melina noticed that the girl looked more intrigued to talk about her interest in the prince than her interest in other things. Curious, she asked, "What is your name?"
"Finally. You can see it wasn't hard to get you interested in others. You just need to learn how to interact." She commented, ignoring the question Melina had asked.
"You didn't answer me."
"My name is Berlin." The girl now answered with a weird smile on her face.
"When did you get into this castle...I mean as a maid?" She continued her questioning but was cut short when she heard someone's footsteps outside the kitchen. She panicked for a moment as the footsteps became clearer, thinking it was Ms Carlos who had come to check on them and quickly pulled the girl named Berlin back to the place where they were slicing vegetables to make it look like they had been working on it.
The person opened the door and a man who was bald and chubby, wearing a white shirt with an apron on it walked in. She needed no one to tell her it was the head cook.
"Good morning, Mr.Jack." Berlin greeted him with a slight bow to show respect and Melina, followed suit. Though it was her first time meeting this man since her post was usually to clean and not to cook, she couldn't help but feel chills run down her spine from the way he looked. His face looked so intimidating like that of Ms Carlos, one would think they were relatives.
"What are the both of you still doing cutting those vegetables?! Shouldn't you be through with it yet?" He squeaked.
Oh, she had guessed correctly. He was similar to Ms Carlos.
"We're sorry Mr. Jack. There was just a little problem from my side which caused-" Berlin, who was trying to explain barely even finished before he yelled at her again.
"I don't want to hear your explanation. If I get back here again, and you both are not through with the rest, then I'll make sure you're well taken care of. You have just an hour." He said in the same tone and barged out of the place. When the two were sure he was far gone, Melina sighed in relief and immediately picked up the knife to slice the vegetables.
Berlin, who had been acting a while ago now dropped the disguise and gave a slight smile. However, when she looked at Melina who was scared, remembering she also had an injury, she slowly dropped the smile and turned serious, gazing at the vegetables on the table. She didn't want to get the girl into trouble again so she joined her to make sure this work was done as soon as possible.
.
Meanwhile, in the main parlour of the palace, laid on the floor different dresses and jewellery that were made of diverse precious stones. Queen Sonia along with her two daughters sat on the sofa, admiring the clothes while also meditating on what they would pick. A group of maidservants, as well as some sets of tailor men and jewellers, sat around them, assisting with their choices and persuading them to buy a particular item.
"Alice, do you like this one?" Princess Amy, who had picked up a golden bracelet and was trying it on showed her sister to hear her opinion. Alice stared at the bracelet she had chosen which was made of gold and seemed to have many glints which were not her type then turned to Amy and shook her head in disapproval which made the girl's face fall.
"But why? It's pretty you can try it." She tried to persuade, putting the bracelet around her hand but Alice refused as she already meant what she said. Amy, who now felt rejected rolled her eyes at her sister who noticed the reaction but didn't sway since she was used to it.
"Amy, I think you should choose your clothes and jewellery instead of bothering Alice. She can find what she wants herself." Queen Sonia who saw the dramatic display Amy was putting up explained to her.
"I was only trying to be nice, mother. Alice has been crouching here for almost an hour and still hasn't chosen even one thing from these accessories...not even a dress." Amy defended her actions.
"They are too flashy and glint Mother. They're not my type." Alice replied.
"Then just pick one thing amongst them since your types aren't available. You don't have to act like you're the simplest lady or noblewoman at the ceremony...not like anyone will recognize you for it." Amy bashed her but the girl still didn't care and shook her head. Turning to her mother, she said, "Maybe I'll just wear one of my old dresses and jewellery." She told her mother, who instantly dismissed the thought.
"No dear, you can't do that. You will be disrespecting traditions and your father as well."
"He's dead, mother. He doesn't even know what's going on now." Alice said, looking disappointed at her mother's statement. She couldn't understand why people were so brainwashed by traditions and dead people. She noticed how the servants looked at her for the remark she gave.
"I'm aware he's dead but not blind. He still sees what you're doing while with his ancestors and even though he can't take action, he'd feel dishonoured.
Amy, who was listening to her mother immediately burst into laughter while Alice bumped her right hand on her forehead, feeling embarrassed at what her mother just spat.
The other people including those who came to sell their products stared at the two with furrowed eyebrows. They were old people too so it was understandable that they found the behaviour of the two utterly insulting. They gazed at each other, giving a silent communication and the young girls were too busy to notice their reactions while continuously laughing at their mother.
"Both of you focus on what you came here for and don't create a scene." Sonia quickly bit in seeing how the air in the room had changed.
"My Princess, why don't you try this necklace? It's as simple as you said you wanted." A man interrupted to stop the two's discussion which now sounded defiant to the traditions of the Kingdom.
Alice checked out the diamond necklace which had just one single layer and was a bit impressed by it. At least, it wouldn't suffocate her neck, she supposed.
Knowing she would only cause a commotion if she decided to go by her own rules tomorrow and wear her old accessories, she took the necklace along with a bracelet that matched it then chose a sophisticated white dress that also had accessories on it.
After a while, they all picked dresses and the sellers settled the prices before leaving. Later, the three ladies headed for their rooms with their maids after packing up what they bought for themselves.
As Alice walked out of the main parlour to follow the route to her chambers, she looked at the courtroom and saw her brother, as well as his right-hand man and chieftains, discussing seriously as though they had just started the meeting.
They were supposed to have ended this gathering by now but with the way things had been going these past few days, she couldn't help but worry if everything would go well tomorrow.
She was simply telling herself to trust that all would be okay.