At dinner Elara hurried back to her room to change her clothes and handed the dress she had worn the two nights to Anna who left the palace.
She didn't tell Lucius and he started to look for her which got the attention of Queen Mother. During the search they found out there was no name on the list like Lady Lara which made the King furious on how a woman could get into the palace and pretend to be someone she's not then disappear into thin air.
The search was conducted for nights and they couldn't find Miss Lara and checked all the rooms and bags of all the servants to find at least the dresses the mysterious woman wore to have a clue of who she was.
Weeks had past and the entire palace soon stopped talking about the mysterious woman. Everybody agreed to the fact that she was a fake trying to force her way with a Prince.
Elara had helped Lady Celestia with getting ready for the day and put her golden hair in a bun and adorned it with pins that blended with her sapphire eyes.
" Accompany to the library today. I want to read some books" Lady Celestia said as Elara got her coat and followed her out of her room.
Once they reached the library, Lady Celestia walked towards the one of the racks while Elara dropped her coat on the chair and stood with her.She picked up a book and asked Elara to get a book she thinks Lady Celestia would like.
"Sitting alone in the library without company?"
" You could have asked me to come with you, mother" Lucius added .
"Oh, I do have company! I came with my new maid" Lady Celestia replied with a smile , which Lucius acknowledged with a nod before turning to look in the direction his mother was looking. "She's gone to fetch me a book."
"Does she know which one you want?" Lucius asked her, considering some maids didn't know how to read or write. "Which one are you looking for?"
On seeing her son raise one of his eyebrows, Lady Celestia replied, "I told her to get a random book she thinks it's worth reading. I assume she knows how to read and write since she didn't object".
Lucius walked towards the rack to get a book for his mother. When he reached the beginning of the rack, his shoes moved on the floor while his eyes skimmed across the books.
And as he did so, his eyes fell on a head that moved on the other side of the rack through a small gap, but he couldn't see the face.
At the same time, Elara returned with another book as per the Lady's request. Her thoughts were filled with the fact that she was going to be found soon for her lie and didn't want to bring everyone down with her.
While Elara mind raced, the book beside her was pulled off the shelf, leaving an empty gap. Sensing the opening, she turned her head and met the gaze of intense eyes that stared at her.
Elara eyes widened as she stared back at Prince Lucius .She had not heard him neither did she expect him to be here.
She thought it was just her and Lady Celestia in the library. Elara offered a bow to him while holding a book she found and he ignored her before walking to where his mother sat.
She released the air she didn't know she had been holding
'He didn't recognise me. It should be okay, right?! He didn't know it was me…' she muttered to herself.
"Elara, come here. What are you doing standing there?" Lady Celestia called her, her voice gentle and sweet.
"Looks like she picked a book for you to read," Lucius remarked, his eyes falling on the book Elara held, and the maid's shoulders stiffened with every second that passed.
" I heard you're leaving soon. You will be going to the barracks with Kylo and Aiden. When would you be back?" Lady Celestia asked with worry etched all over her face. He held his mom's hands in his and said " I know I just returned and I'm leaving again. I'll be back soon to spend time with you and promise to not let anything happen to me or Aiden or Kylo". Lady Celestia nodded with a smile and he kissed his mother's hands.
" I am meeting with the ladies this evening I better go get ready" Lady Celestia said as she made her way out of the library. Elara realized that she still held the book that she was supposed to give Lady Celestia and didn't come out with her coat in which she told Lady Celestia and excused herself before heading back to the library.
She walked over to the rack to return the book and was pushed against the rack by Lucius. She didn't make an attempt to move as at this point she feared for her life.
" Elara?…Lara?Sounds too familiar"Lucius said with his eyes narrowed at her and his hand pressed against her neck. He had her on choke hold.
He had found out the truth. Her face paled out at the realization and she was visibly frightened.
After meeting the girl Lara when he saw her he knew she was the person. The way she walked gave her way, her eyes..
"Please forgive me, Prince Lucius! Please spare me!" Elara pleaded with her eyes closed, scared for her life now.
"Why?" Lucius questioned her. He asked, "For fooling the royal family? Or for stealing clothes and dressing up as a lady?"
Elara opened her eyes, meeting his eyes, which were narrowed at her.
"Or for failing to keep your end of our deal?"
She replied, "I—I didn't mean not to hold my end of the deal."
"So you aren't sorry about the other things," Lucius's lips twitched, and Elara tried to shake her head which made his grip around her neck even tighter.
"I am sorry, but I didn't do it on purpose!"
"I did not steal anyone's dress, but borrowed it. I might be a woman of a servant class, but I am not a thief" she said as she felt tears brimming in her eyes which caused Lucius to let her go and she rubbed that part of her neck as it was red.
"What I dislike the most is dishonesty, people who lie, and people who cannot keep their word," Lucius said as he stepped back.
"I must say though, that you answered my questions quite well, and your answers weren't lies and you tried hard not to give too much information about yourself ."
" But I knew too well that you were someone who stayed in the palace as it's impossible for someone to disappear into thin air"
" You're letting me go?" Elara questioned
" You have already punished yourself.Let us wait for the day when someone learns who the lady in the blue dress is"