Penny took the little girl in the room and laid her in the small bed. She was not sure if it was really her room since it looked too worn out and had no sign of a kid.
There was no toy or any drawing. No colors or clothes that suit her. There was a softer but worn out bed that looked aged and a small closet.
Though it had all the furniture like a sofa, a study table and chairs, they were all the size of an adult.
"I must have mistaken the room, I would ask the lady of her room when she would wake up." Penny nodded her head as she covered the girl with the blanket and opened the windows for fresh air.
Since the guards were guarding the palace, she was not worried about her safety but she wanted to have her a good and long sleep so that she would not wake up alone and get worried. She wanted to come back before the lady would wake up.
So, once she was sure that Renata was sleeping well, she closed the door softly and walked towards the entrance of the palace.
"The prince is alone inside. Make sure to not leave your place and keep an eye on her door.'' She instructed the guards who were sent after her and knew that she was the new handmaid of the palace and also the nanny of the princess, so they nodded their heads respectfully.
Once assured that she would be taken care of, Penny took a deep breath and walked towards the central palace again.
"My lord, the kitchen is empty so I want new funds to be given to the princess." want! Would that word be right in the case of the emperor! No!
She was being too informal.
"Your majesty, the kitchen is empty and the princess is hungry. I beg you to grant me some funds so that I can take care of her better!" wait! What if he thinks that she was blaming him for being too ignorant about her daughter.
"Your majesty, I wanted… no i wished to see the budget offered to the princess so that i could spend some money on her kitchen supplies!" but what if he thought that she was greedy and wanted to have money for herself like other maids!
"Ahhh! This is so difficult." It was more difficult than getting married to a man twice her age. She had felt his unbearing aura and force that expected complete obedience. She was not sure if she would be able to speak in front of him.
He was too dominating and cold. His silence makes others feel suffocating.
"State your business of coming here?" She only realized that she had already walked to the entrance of the central palace when two royal knights blocked her way and looked at her with a stern gaze.
Oh! She had still not decided how she would address the problem to his majesty when she could not bear the gaze of the knights.
"I.."
"The timing of the audience meeting had ended. Come tomorrow if you have any trouble. His majesty has other work to handle too." the knight replied in a dismissing tone as he waved his hands away like he was dealing with a fly.
She felt embarrassed when they stared hard at her when she did not move.
"Did you not hear us? It is not good to waste the time of the royal family. Leave when we are still being nice." That was the last warning, she knew. She had received it last night too when she had told the knights that she had nowhere to go.
But she was not here to beg! Not anymore.
"I am not here for the audience. I am assigned as the caretaker of the ruby palace and I am the nanny of the princess. I am here because his majesty has called me with a report on her living conditions!" she replied as she raised her head high but the guards did not look too convinced. They were about to ask her to leave when she shrugged her shoulders as if she did not care mch if she was allowed in or not.
Her heartbeat was so fast that she felt her knees would give away but she persisted and did not let them know that she was so scared.
What if they would tell the lie to the majesty and he would throw her in that underground prison too and what if the god would punish her for telling a lie!
No! The god loves children so he would understand her reasons. Her heart continued to clench in the tremor as she showed nonchalance on her face. She looked at their face with the corner of her eyes and saw a hint of fear.
That was all she needed, so, she continued,
"But if you want me to leave, then I will. But if his majesty would ask me why I have not followed his orders, I would tell him that you chased me away when I came to meet him."
With that she turned, ready to go back.
'Oh lord, the creator of the world, do help me. Have mercy on the little girl who is suffering from hunger and misery!' She started praying in her heart but the more steps she took away from the palace without being called, the more she felt her hopes losing.
Just when she was about to give up completely, she heard the sound of urgent footsteps,
"Wait, do not leave! You should go in since his highness has quite a temper when his orders are not followed.
You would be punished harshly and.. And we would be included too."