"Brothers! Brothers, let the lady speak first. So tell us, who are you beautiful?" the one who was supporting her asked, His eyes boring holes into her.
She rolled her eyes at his failed attempt at flattery and spoke. "Audra" She carefully assessed their face expressions to figure out if they knew who she was. She let out a breath of relief, to her benefit they had no recognition of the name. "What are your names?" she questioned them this time, it was only fair she knew theirs too.
"Prince Lucio" one of the two partners introduced. He flexed his arm muscles flipping his hair backwards.
His partner pushed him aside introducing himself "Prince Karl" He smiled at her coming in front of his friend.
She couldn't help but chuckle at the strong sibling energy they had around themselves "Are you two brothers?" she blurted.
"NO" they pushed each other away screaming in unison.
"What's yours?" she turned her head to the side pushing herself away slightly to bring distance as she was still on his support.
"Why are you curious about me?" he smirked loving the attention. She found herself rolling her eyes all over again and making a mental note to keep distance from him for one thing was sure she wasn't getting out of this place any sooner. "Prince Ian"
"Ignore my brother he loves attention." Karl advised clearly aware and annoyed by his brother.
"I have better work to do" the fourth one left out of them declared getting out of the pool wrapping a towel around himself.
"That was Marcelo" Lucio told her seeing his retreating friend.
"He is not a prince though" Karl clarified.
"Can I please meet your father now?" She asked about the king again, desperate.
"But didn't you want to meet the King?" Karl questioned.
"Yes" She affirmed.
"Our father is not the King" Ian explained.
"It's our grandfather" Lucio joined in.
If it was their grandfather, then that meant they were her cousins the puzzle pieces clicked in her mind.
"Now I would like to meet the king and if you don't take me I will get to him myself" She pushed Ian away, now clearly in her senses and having bought enough time she had assessed her surroundings. Paddling her feet, she reached the end of steps underwater and her feet touched the ground now. Taking careful steps she got out of water finally after an effort.
"Thank you for all your help …. Princes. I think I can help myself out from here" with one last farewell towards them she started walking almost stumbling at her first step.
"Are you going to get in front of Your Highness wearing that?" Ian's questioning voice stopped her few feet from the pool and she looked down at what he meant. She was in her tank top and shorts yet that were completely soaked. Breathing through her nose she removed her wet hair from her face and once again turned towards them unwillingly. "Then do you suggest some decent clothes"
"Of course Miss Audra" Ian agreed coming out of the pool and throwing a towel at her head. "Dry yourself with it first."
"Looks like we are about to play dress up" Lucio commented looking all giddy and his smile gave her an uneasy feeling about it all.
"It's going to be fun" Karl joined in as they both got out of the opposite side of the pool and joined them.
"We can get into trouble though "Lucio whispered in Ian's ear but it was audible enough for her to hear.
"what is some fun without trouble" And Ian's words made her realized that she shouldn't ever trust this troublemaking trio but there was no choice for her currently so she played along, she needed to meet the king.
"No one can see you" Karl pulled a towel over her head covering her entire face. "put this towel on your head."
"Don't look up" Ian instructed taking hold of her and pulling her along with them as Lucio walked in front to cover her. She looked down at her steps on the wooden floor making sure she didn't stumble upon her own feet.
They heard footsteps approaching and Karl took her other hand pulling them in another corridor. They stopped their waiting for people to pass. It gave her a moment to take a pause and breathe, they were too tall taking long strides and she had to run to catch up with them.
Her moment remained short lived as she was pulled again towards their actual destination. After a while she even stopped trying to remember the directions. They were definitely inside a huge palace.
"We are here' Lucio announced and they entered a room. The door was closed behind them and she finally threw off the towel.
The room was large enough to fit her mothers and her room at her house together. There was a large bed by one of the walls covered with a blue curtain around it. There were some seating arrangements on the wall beside it and a chess table with fallen knights in the middle of the room with empty tea cups around the area. A large window covering one entire wall gave the view to a beautiful garden. The entire room was filled with ancient decorative pieces and she found herself questioning in what year was she even. Where the heck was she.
"Welcome to my room" Ian announced finally leaving her hand and falling onto one of the seats, followed by Lucio and Karl.
"Don't you feel uncomfortable standing in the presence of the princes" Karl came around her putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him warningly before taking hold of his hand and twisting it around his back and pushing him away.
He got up looking at her shocked. "You have poor fighting skills considering you are a prince" She faked pity at him and took a seat behind her. "Now before I beat you all and break your bones get me to the king" This was her last nerve and she meant every word of it. They also realized it for this time they didn't dare contradict her.
"Let's get the magic happening" Ian clapped loudly. The door flew open and 4 ladies came rushing inside. One of them held small cups in her hand the other held a dress in her hand and one held some hair combs that had flowers designed over it and one of them held tiny metallic boxes in her hand. She looked over at them curiously then at the princes questioning.
"We shall wait outside for you" With a slight bow Karl walked out pulling Ian with him and Lucio winked at her before closing the door.
"What are you going to do with me?" She looked over at the maids dressed high collar jade colored simple dressed that reached a little above their ankles.
"We are here to dress you up on Prince Ian's command."
Everything that happened next was something she would never forget. The ladies gave her a white and blue, high collared dress that had silver patterns on the top area and well in frills till her feet. She looked at them peculiarly as they waited for her to change.
"Do you mind turning?" They giggled secretly turning around. Yet she took no chances and went by the bed behind the curtain to change.
The dress had too many openings for her to fit and too many laces. After a while she gave up. Fine you can help me. She came out behind the curtains, her shoulders slouching in annoyance and defeat. She had no idea why she was going through so much effort when she was going to leave as soon as she found the king.
The ladies clearly knew their work. They had completely fit her into the dress perfectly. Her hairs were dried ruthlessly, then pulled at and fixed with a jade colored hairpin with red and blue flowers on top of it and she couldn't help but look at it in awe. She finally discovered what was in those metallic boxes and too her surprise that was makeup. She found herself laughing hard at the discovery. But to the ladies that was nothing funny as they worked on her face. She was given some sort of tea in those small cups and for someone who only drank coffee she fell in love with whatever that tea was. She guessed cinnamon and honey. Her lips were painted by natural red stuff and she felt guilty to admit that she could actually taste something sweet. After every kind of stuff was applied on her face she was finally done.
"Anything else left to do with me?" She questioned them and they shook their heads, not saying word.
They started to leave the room then the last one looked at her previous wet clothes with utter disdain before picking them up and taking them along with her. For a second she was left alone and she felt out of place. She heard some chuckles outside her room and screamed. "I know you all are there you can come in"
The princes came pouring in. "You are the first one to talk like that to the princes." Karl commented as the other two checked her out.
"you look good" Lucio praised her.
"come on let's take you to the king now" Ian opened the door for her.
"One more thing and I will kill you, I don't care if you are a prince" She threatened showing her fist.