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...29...
I AM AFFIANCED TO HIM💍
For the whole of that day, they had neither lunch nor dinner, no food and no water as commanded by Princess Hera-Mera. They stayed by their Lady's side till the morrow, unable to do a thing except sleep, watch over her and absolutely nothing else. The dawn broke with their Lady looking sick. Vura checked her thoroughly and discovered that she was running a high fever. She suspected that the Lady's untreated wounds were to blame for the symptom. The Princess must have applied some sort of thing to the whip before using it to cause her lady unbearable pain. Xiera called for help from the guards who ignored them totally. It was Hayeesha who came in, having bribed the guards on duty. She brought them snacks that she could carry, medicine and ointment. The Lady didn't speak, just hurdled by the wall, with closed eyes. The maid left after a few minutes. Xiera tried to coerce their Lady into eating, but she refused to do so. She also refused to take the medicine and refuted that the ointment be applied to the wounds on her back. Before the noon hour, their Lady's condition got worse. Yet, their dire request for a doctor to be summoned was ignored yet again and soon, she slipped into an unconscious sleep.
The Little Prince sat on his throne in his palace. His aide, Octavia was by his side. He was sitting there, listening to matters of his manor, such which he had not been able to do since his elder brother, the emperor kept him so busy most of the time. He was trying to think of a solution to a matter when one of his trusted men walked into the small gathering. He was Danlis, just one of his best swordsmen. He calmly came up to his throne and stopped. Then, he rendered a deep bow like he always did although it wasn't actually necessary to do so.
'Greetings to My Munificent Royalty,' he greeted the Little Prince. He remained in his bow despite having completed his obeisance.
'Thank you Danlis. Now please rise, stand upright in a way befitting of your status,' he said through gritted teeth. He hated when Danlis always performed this exaggerated extravagant bow. 'Have not I told you to not always do this?'
'Thank you My Lord,' he said straightening. He had a small hint of amusement in his eyes.
'You are just so keen on stressing me out of the remainder of my life right Danlis?' the Little Prince questioned him with a small groan.
'My Munificent Royalty is bound to live long and prosper, assisting the emperor till the end.'
'Then Mayhap it is you who will have a short life span, for the both of us cannot coexist.' Danlis chuckled at the Prince's words.
'I will not do anything to your life span My Lord,' he said.
'Oh whatever!' he groused. 'What brings you here Mighty Man?' he asked the fierce warrior. He had been known to kill hundreds of men without blink an eyelid.
'I bear news which might be important for Your Munificent Royalty,' he said.
'Where is it from? It is not about war right?' he simply asked him nonchalantly.
'No My Lord, it is not about war. But it might start one. It is from Lord Linamine's Manor,' he told him. The warrior's were allowed to address the Emperor by that, especially warriors knighted by him.
'What sort of news? What and who is it about?' the Little Prince asked him with raised brows.
'It is about the woman who seems precious to the Emperor.' The Little Prince sat up in his throne. This news, it must be serious if it could lead to a war as Danlis had said.
'What has happened Danlis? I know that the Emperor is away. Has she attempted another escape and finally succeeded?' he asked in a tense voice. His brother was going to cut of his neck if it was so.
'No,' was Danlis' monosyllabic reply. He sighed at the affirmation.
'I'm relieved.'
'I am not sure you should be My Lord,' Danlis told him. Of course nothing would be more worse than her escaping, or was there? He thought otherwise when he noticed the uneasy look on Danlis face. He might just be in for some fresh trouble with his elder brother.
'What has happened to the Lady Danlis? Please quickly tell me before my heart leaves me!' he pressurized the warrior who was unknowingly killing him with the suspense.
'I think she was locked up somewhere. I heard the maids from the emperor's manor whispering about it as I went to the Royal gardens to gather a bit of flowers.'
'Who would dare?!' he demanded with anger.
'It must be Princess Hera-Mera My Lord. It is only her who would think to do such in this situation for she has been parading like a peacock in the Royal manor ever since the Emperor left there. I even heard that the residents are afraid of her.'
'Get me a trustworthy maid from the Emperor's manor Octavia!' he turned to his aide and ordered. 'The healer preferably!'
'And that would be me My Munificent Grace,' a feminine voice disrupted him. They all turned to see Hyeera coming into the spacious hall.
'Hyeera?!'
'Yes My Munificent Grace!' she answered him with a bow. 'I am at your service,' she continued.
'What is this unpleasant news that I hear Hyeera? It cannot be rumour because it was brought to me by my trustworthy man,' he quickly inquired from her with doubt embedded in his sharp blue eyes.
'If it is about My Lady being imprisoned My Lord, then it is definitely true. Princess Hera-Mera had her whipped with a poisoned two mouth whip and threw her into the dungeons. I was unaware of this matter until dinner time. I went and tried to reason with the Princess, but she would not reason with me. She wanted to imprison me too but I plead my way out. I tried to get to My Lady, but was stopped. I also discovered My Lady has had nothing to eat since yesterday. She barely had anything for breakfast and her wounds must be quite painful due to the poison from the whip, yet she even refused any medication. I heard all these from the maid who made a visit to her in her confinement.'
'Why are you coming to me now then with this matter Hyeera the Healer?!' he barked at her, infuriated.
'The Princess will not let me leave the manor. I used a healer's way to leave when I was sure that she would not renege on her decision of forcing me to stay put and came to you. I am sorry My Munificent Grace that I am late with this news,' she said to him with a small bow.
'Let's go!' he shouted angrily, standing to his feet. 'Ready my horse Octavia and prepare me a retinue of strong maids. The kind that can take out my anger properly.'
'Yes My Lord,' she said with a small bow, knowing exactly the kind of maids her master, the Little Prince wanted her to prepare.
'This meeting is adjourned till my return!' he snapped at the people present. They all bowed in obeisance and left, leaving him to prance the room in complete anger.
Some minutes later, they were all riding to the Emperor's manor, including Hyeera who was given a horse and the four maids that Octavia had personally chosen. If these two couldn't do the job very well, she was very much available. Her master was only just being considerate of the Draco Princess by not choosing her, Octavia for the job. They arrived the emperor's manor soon. The Little Prince glanced around. The manor was bubbling normally with activities, but he sensed the unease and tension hanging carelessly, the kind his brother didn't bring. This type was made out of fear, an oppressive manipulative kind and not out of respect like the one his brother commanded with his presence. The Princess must have gotten into each of their heads if they were all so tensed in their own territory. He walked up to the door. She was there, just inside the door, smiling sweetly at his appearance. The staff must have informed her of his arrival.
'Ah My Munificent Royalty!' she greeted him with a dignified bow. He nearly snorted but kept his anger in check. She straightened and stared at him. He in turn studied her with sharp eyes, questioning her actions without speaking.
'Why are you here, in the Royal Manor, receiving guests on behalf of the emperor?' he finally asked her after half a day of pointed staring. She smiled broadly at him.
'Oh that!' she answered him in a way that suggested that she thought it was a trivial matter that he was supposed to know. 'I am affianced to him remember My Munificent Royalty?' she answered him with a question and another annoying smile that did nothing but greatly piss him off.
'Affianced? I don't think that gives you the right to leave your quarters and come and act mistress of the manor in the emperor's absence!' he snapped at her with annoyance.
'Well, it does because I am soon to be Lady of this manor. The emperor has acknowledged that My Munificent Royalty,' she informed him.
'Really Princess Hera-Mera? Is that really so?' he demanded of her with raised brows. She nodded st him before proceeding to speak.
'I am only trying to practice so that I can quickly fit into this role properly when the appropriate time comes for me to do so.'
'Soon to be Lady?' the Little Prince mused inaudibly with a small scoff. 'And, you see nothing wrong with such?' he asked her. She shook her head just as he expected that she would. She was a shameless peacock as Danlis had implied. What made her think he would believe that his brother had told her anything concerning their betrothal? She was most definitely out of her mind.
'Is there a problem My Munificent Royalty?' she asked him.
'I only want to know, what other duties do you perform save from receiving guests on behalf of the emperor Princess Hera-Mera Dracon of the Draco Kingdom?' he simply asked her.
'I do a lot to ensure this smooth running you see,' she bragged as she gestured with her hands. 'I see to the kitchen. I also keep up with the servants and ensure smooth running of other household sections. A woman's touch is definitely different. You cannot compare it to the emperor's touch.' He was tempted to reach out and peel the smile off her irritating face.
'And you do this with whose permission?' he queried her. 'Oh I forgot, the emperor's permission,' he answered his own question in a mocking tone.
'Yes My Munificent Royalty. I spoke to the emperor and he acknowledged me as his affianced. I have told you that already and besides you know what that absolutely means.'
'Where is Lady Rose? Where are her aides, Vura and Xiera?' he demanded in a voice that betrayed the extent of his unbridled fury.
'I will get them here My Munificent Royalty,' she said with a smiling face, not shaken by his hard tone. She turned to a maid. 'Get them for me,' she snapped.
'Yes Your Highness,' the maid answered her with a bow and left to do as she had been bid.
'Where have you sent them to?' he asked her.
'Then are in the dungeons, the aides and their mistress,' she said with so much courage.
'You did such and you have the right to still speak so nonchalantly?' he questioned her.
'Well, they defied me. I was only teaching them a lesson. They dared to go against me, even waving the emperor's seal afore me. They stole it, I know,' she prattled.
'They brought the emperor's seal?' he asked.
'Yes,' was her answer.
'And I am sure that they welded it, did not they?' he continued then with his questions.
'Yes My Munificent Royalty,' she nodded after saying that.
'And yet you still had the guts to touch them, despite that?!' he asked with obvious fury.
'They stole it My Munificent Royalty,' she said to him with so much confidence. This woman, could she be less shameless? He was so angry that he was boiling internally like fresh sesame oil.
'Octavia, where are the maidens that I ordered you to get? I am so furious I could do their jobs!' he snapped.
'No My Munificent Royalty,' the two maidens said stepping forward. 'We are here,' they chanted. The first maid stepped up to Hera-Mera and struck her hard across the face. She repeated the motion, shocking Hera-Mera greatly. She stepped back and the second maid did same twice. She stood dumbstruck, staring.
'Put her in her proper place before I lose it!' he commanded. The maids were swift. An unexpected twin kick to her knees had her kneeling unsteadily afore him.
'What is this?!' she demanded in a high voice, still surprised. 'What have I done?' she asked.
'Oh, you know not?' he asked her with mockery. She stared at him, or was it glared at him?
'No I do not!' she snapped disrespectfully. 'And you can not do this to me despite being the Prince. I am still affianced to the Emperor!' she defended quickly.
'We shall see about that when the emperor returns to the mess that you have created,' he blurted out. She stilled, swallowing at the intensity of anger in his feisty eyes. Mayhap, just Mayhap, she was doomed.
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...OmaPhinaPhire🔥