It was noon already and Alexander had not yet returned. She was starting to get anxious, all of his soldiers were here but why's he not here with them. Is he alright? If he is, why is he still not home yet?? Or maybe he had some work to do and that's why he hasn't returned yet. But how could he stay out all alone without any guards with him?? Why did his men leave him in the first place? Shouldn't they still be by his side?!
She was about to confront them when her feet gave a piercing pain. She yelped in pain and it was then she realized that she had a cut beneath her feet. Her maid just wrapped it up and told her not to move around else the cut would open, thus she could only sit and wait for her husband. If he didn't come before twilight then she was going to confront his men. To hell with any damn cut!!
While she was still lost in thoughts, she heard a knock on the door and her heart began to dance. Was he here? Did he finally return?! But when the person knocking didn't come in she realized it wasn't even her husband. Alexander would always come into the room without knocking. Why would he even knock when it was their room. Her heart stopped dancing and returned to it's normal posture.
The knock came in for the second time and she finally answered it.
"I'm sorry for disturbing your highness. Lunch is served." Bhavin the butler said with a warm smile on his face.
Elen nodded and he left immediately. Two maids and a guard came into her chambers to escort her and when she didn't see either of Alexander's men, she was now convinced that they were hiding something from her.
She stepped out of her chambers with two maids and a guard behind her. Although, her legs were still aching, she was hungry and wanted to eat so she could regain her lost strength and confront her husband's men. She wouldn't let them escape from her clutches today! It's either they tell her the truth or they take her to meet her husband. 'They better prepare themselves because I won't go easy on them!!'
Few minutes later, they reached the dinning hall and the food were already dished out. She sat on the empty table with the butler and maids intently looking at her. Well, she kind of felt bad that she was eating and they were just standing looking at her like programmed robots.
She turned to the butler and gave him a sweet smile and spoke. "You can join me too. Besides, I can't eat all of this on my own." She said and the butler just embarrassingly glanced at her and shook his head.
"No, no, no your highness. I can't possibly do that." He said and Elen just nodded. She knew that no matter how much she persuade him, he wouldn't give in. She just didn't like the fact that they looked at themselves as mere servants but they were not. They're also husbands, fathers, brothers and uncles and most importantly they are humans and mortal ones at that, so she just couldn't accept the fact that just because they were servants, they see themselves as nothing but servants.
"But I insist, and if you don't eat this food with me then don't even bother talking to me again." She somewhat threatened and the man could mentally shake his head. Since their prince got married to this princess, he felt some kind of connection with her. It felt as though he's known her somewhere, or maybe he felt that way because this princess almost has the same characteristics with their prince's past lover. She's been treating him as though he's an old friend she's forgotten and he couldn't help but smile inwardly everytime he's with her.
Now she's even threatening him?!! Well, he does admit the fact that her not talking to him anymore would be a bad thing so he could only give in hesitantly.
"A-are you sure?" He asked.
"100 percent sure." She said and gave him a smile.
The man sat hesitantly and began to eat causing Elen to even smile wider. Elen knew the reason for his hesitation and she couldn't help but giggle.
The duo then ate happily and chatted lively.
Five familiar men were seen entering the hall and everyone straightened their backs because these men were their prince's highest ranked soldiers and not only that, they were considered his right hand.
However, just as they were about to walk past the dinning hall they saw the princess eating and chatting happily with a certain nervous someone who could barely eat half of his food.
They choked and almost stumbled on their feet except for the perfectly well carved stone who nothing could move on this planet.
"Ohh, so this was Bhavin's plan all along huh? I told him to help me out with something and he just ignored me just so he could be lucky enough to eat with the princess?" Robert said and at that moment he was smirking mischievously.
"Who wouldn't want to ignore a creature like you?" Lucas mumbled but surprisingly Robert ignored him.
"I bet if his highness were here. He would have been fuming in uncontrollable anger by now. " He said with that smirk.
"Well, that's why his highness is not here, so shut up and let's get going." Lago said but Robert looked like he wasn't done yet.
"Even I, wasn't given the opportunity to eat with the princess and yet, this sly butler managed to eat with her." He complained like a child.
"Robert, stop talking and let's go before she notice us!" Lago warned.
"Don't worry she won't." He confidently said and they could only face palm themselves. Well, if it had been in a normal situation, they would have left without him but they needed him right now and he was the only person that could answer their questions.
"How are you sure about that?" Lucas asked but before he could get an answer, the sound of a shattering vase behind Robert caused everyone's attention and all heads snapped towards him.
"It wasn't on purpose." He said and they gave him the look that said 'who's cares if it's on purpose or not? The princess had finally noticed you.'
"Oops...I think that vase caught the princess's attention. What are we going to do?!" He panicked and it was their turn to smirk.
"Us? You brought this upon yourself, so shouldn't you be the one fixing it?" Lucas said with a smirk.
"We're all in this together. If I'm going to hell, you guys are going down with me!" He retorted and they were finding a hard time controlling their laughter.
"Fine. Let's escape before she calls out our na...me." Lucas was a bit taken aback because the princess had already called out Robert, loud enough for anyone to hear.
They all gulped down because they knew they were going for the hardest Q and A session they've never experienced before.
They pushed Robert forward and he glared at them.
"Don't blame us. Do you expect us to talk when you caused all of this?" Lago said and his gaze fell back on the princess who was already on her feet.
They were walking slower than usual and Elen found their movements frustrating but she kept her cool before she could burst out.
After walking for like a few minutes in what was supposed to be a few seconds walk, they finally reached the princess
"Y-y-yes, you called your highness."
"Yes I called. Now all of you, sit." She instructed and like puppets they sat without questions.
She looked at each of the five men studying their every reaction. She could guess they were all tensed except for the unfathomable Amadeus. Their reaction gave her further Ado that they were indeed hiding something from her.
"Starting with you Robert. I want you to tell me wh --"
"Err...p-p-princess, let's leave this place and go to the courtyard." He said and glanced at the few maids around, indicating they couldn't talk here.
"Oh right."
"Err....so I guess we'll see you at the courtyard right?" Robert asked again.
"No." She said and he choked and a maid gave him water."
"T-t-thank you...err...may I know why we won't see you at the courtyard?" He asked.
"Because we'll just go there together."
"O-o-okay." Robert said and shrunk in his seat. The others were busy restraining themselves from laughing. Ahh! This is a rare sight! Now Robert is in deep trouble! Hahaha! Well, he's learnt his lesson now.
Elen glanced at the five men and a smile appeared on her face. They wouldn't dare escape from her clutches now.
"There's no need to feel shy, you can eat as much as you want." She said but they politely shook their heads.
"It's an order!" She said in a firm and loud tone and they hesitantly took their spoons and placed a little amount of food in their mouths.
Robert who was supposed to be rejoicing by now that he would finally get to eat with the princess was now sulking mentally. He knew that once he leaves this hall, he wouldn't be able to get out of the sticky situation so he started racking his brain for countless of lies. After few minutes of racking, he felt satisfied and his full attention turned to the food before him, munching it like he's been starved for a very long time.
His comrades noticed the smirk on his face and they could already deduce he found a way out of the mess he created.
....