Early that morning, Stacey heads over to speak with Lara and Gina, the two maids who helped dress Amelia the other night. Stacey can't contain her excitement and spills all the details about what happened between Amelia and Karl the previous night. "Lara, Gina, can you believe it?" And Lara replied, "You and your early morning gossips again!" But Stacey replied "it's really juicy this time." "Fill us in!"Gina responded excitedly. Stacey then spills the tea, sharing everything she overheard from the discussion between Amelia and Karl.
Lara and Gina exchange surprised glances, their eyes widening in disbelief. They trust Stacey's words because they know she wouldn't lie about something so important. With determination in their eyes, they decide to head over to Amelia's room to change her out of that dress and see the truth for themselves.
The moment Lara and Gina entered Amelia's room, they were greeted by a heart-wrenching sight. Amelia emerged from her bathroom, her face marked with dried tears, wearing an expression of exhaustion and weariness. The room was filled with a heavy silence as Lara and Gina exchanged a knowing glance. In that moment, their belief in Stacey's words solidified. The truth of Amelia's pain was written all over her face.
As Amelia turned to face the unexpected visitors in her room, she couldn't help but notice a stark change in their demeanor. Their eyes bore a look of utter disgust, their faces contorted with disdain. They even let out mocking scoffs, further adding to Amelia's confusion. It was as if a dark cloud had suddenly descended upon the room, casting a shadow over her. The air grew heavy with tension, and Amelia's heart raced with uncertainty.
Amelia took a deep breath, gathering her courage to address the intrusion into her personal space. With a firm yet polite tone, she mustered the words,
"Um, hello. I'm not comfortable with people barging into my room without waiting for my permission or without giving me a heads up." Her voice quivered slightly, revealing her vulnerability. However, her statement was met with scoffs of disbelief, as if her words held no weight. The expressions on their faces hardened, their brows furrowing with contempt. It was a moment of confrontation, where Amelia's boundaries clashed with their disregard. The tension in the room was palpable, as the conversation hung in the air, awaiting a resolution.
Gina rolled her eyes at Amelia saying, "you treat us like... like we're trash, we shouldn't barge into your room, yet we are the ones looking after you." Her voice quivered with anger. Amelia, realizing her mistake, quickly interjected, "No, no! That's not what I meant." Amelia took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "I just dislike people walking into my room without giving heads up" she explained, her voice determined yet tinged with vulnerability.
Stacey's eyes rolled dismissively as she directed her condescending words towards Amelia. "You dislike people barging into your room, but look at you! You can't even take care of yourself, can't cook your own meals," she sneered. Stacey's tone dripped with superiority as she continued, "Darling, you don't have a choice here. We can waltz into your room whenever we please, because we're your babysitters now." The air was thick with arrogance and Amelia's frustration grew, feeling trapped in this unfair situation.
Amelia was about to retort when Stacey said, "It's no surprise our crown prince didn't dim you worthy of loving."
Amelia's heart shattered into a million pieces as Stacey's hurtful words pierced through her. The weight of those words was unbearable, causing indescribable pain to surge through Amelia's entire being. Stacey's expression oozed with disdain, her eyes and mouth delivering the cruel blow. In that moment, Amelia felt her self-worth crumble, her confidence shattered.
Amelia's heart shattered into a million pieces as she realized that this was Karl's doing. Feeling deeply wronged, she whispered to herself, her voice filled with pain, "How could he do such hurtful things? It feels like my heart is breaking all over again." The weight of the realization crashed down on Amelia, leaving her feeling betrayed and hurt.
Amelia's heart raced with fear as Stacey forcefully grab her hair and pulled her into the bathroom. The pain radiated through her scalp, causing her vision to blur with tears. The room seemed to spin around her, adding to the disorienting and overwhelming feeling of the moment.
Amelia's world was turned upside down as Stacey threw her bathing tools or equipment onto her body. The weight of the objects added to Amelia's already overwhelming emotions. With a commanding tone, Stacey instructed her to wash, dress, and prepare her own meal. As they stormed out of the room, Amelia couldn't help but feel deeply wronged. Throughout her life, her father had sheltered her from these tasks, believing that her only role was to be a proper wife. He wanted to protect her from any potential harm or accidents in the kitchen, prioritizing her appearance and marriage prospects over her independence.
Amelia clumsily washed herself, trying to recall the way her maids used to do it back home. She struggled with the unfamiliar tasks but managed to dress herself up. Feeling tired and dizzy, she decided to rest on her bed before even thinking about searching for food in the kitchen. The room seemed to spin around her as she tried to find some comfort. It's understandable that she would feel exhausted and overwhelmed by these sudden responsibilities.
Karl sat alone at the dining area, eagerly awaiting Amelia's arrival. The tantalizing aroma of the freshly served meal filled the air. However, as time passed, it became clear that Amelia wasn't going to join him. A sense of disappointment washed over Karl, his gaze darkening with each passing minute. With a heavy heart, he decided to eat his meal in silence, the emptiness of the seat across from him, a stark reminder of her absence. He finished his breakfast, stood up, and left the dining area, carrying a mix of emotions.
Amelia fell into a deep slumber, her eyelids heavy from a restless night and overwhelming fatigue. The weight of exhaustion settled upon her, pulling her into a world of tranquility. As sleep enveloped her, her body relaxed, and her breathing became steady and rhythmic. The room was filled with a peaceful silence, broken only by the soft sound of her gentle snores. Amelia's mind drifted away, as her body found much-needed rest. She didn't have that terrifying dream due to her fatigue state.
Amelia was woken by the sound of a knock on her door. The sound of a gentle knock echoed through the room, pulling her back to reality. Amelia, still feeling groggy and disoriented from her deep sleep, slowly made her way to the door. With her head spinning and her eyes heavy, she managed to open the door, revealing a young man named Asher standing before her. He respectful bowed and he greeted "Your Highness," instantly capturing Amelia's attention.
Curiosity and anticipation danced in her eyes as Asher began to deliver the message. He informed her that they were to embark on a journey to the Imperial Castle, where they would meet His Majesty, His Highness' father. The weight of this announcement settled upon Amelia, filling her with a mix of excitement and apprehension. Excitement that she would be away from Stacey, and apprehension because there would be more vampires in the imperial castle.
As Asher finished speaking, Amelia's gaze locked onto his, silently urging him to continue. The tension in the air was palpable as she yearned for more information, but he just bowed and turned to leave. Before he could depart, Amelia's hand shot out, grasping Asher's wrist. Her touch conveyed a sense of urgency. It was a silent plea for him to stay.
In that moment, time seemed to stand still. Amelia's grip on Asher's hand symbolized her yearning for something, but he couldn't place his finger on what it was. Their eyes met, unspoken words hanging in the air, as Amelia prepared herself to speak.
Asher turned towards her, looking down at her hand holding his tightly, he frowned. Confusion filled his eyes as he questioned the reason behind this unexpected gesture with the raise of his left brow. "Where is Karl?" Amelia asked.
'Oh, so this was why she grabbed onto me like as though her life depended on me' Asher said to himself with a smile on his face.
"He is on the training ground with the rest of my team" he replied calmly.
"Can you take me to him? Please" she added.
"You know you don't need to plead to me, right?"Asher asked her.
'I don't?' Amelia asked herself.
Asher agreed and told her that he would be able to accompany her to Karl. Amelia expressed fear in her eyes. Asher was puzzled as to why the crown princess was scared but still decided to take her to Karl.
Karl was speaking with the shadow team when Asher arrived with Amelia. Immediately the team saw Asher and Amelia, they all bowed. Karl was backing Asher and Amelia, so he was confused as to why they were bowing all of a sudden until...
"Rise, rise my children" Asher said, in a feigned tone. Amelia burst into a fit of laughter. Karl was surprised to see her and stared daggers at Asher for making her laugh. Asher was momentarily taken aback with his highness's behavior. Karl took her away from the team, and Daniel smacked the back of Asher's head. Asher rubbed his head looking really wronged. But he asked instead...
"Am I in trouble? Did you all see how his highness looked at me?"
"Oh yes we did. Now you'll learn to keep your mouth in check" Ryan said with a devilish grin on his face.
"You're so dead" Ian added with the same look on his face.
When Karl was sure that they were out of earshot, he turned to face her.
"I got your message" she said to him. "But I just have one request" she added nervously. "What is it?" He questioned, feeling surprised with her behavior. "I need a change of maid, I need human maids." She said and was about to speak again, when her stomach growled loudly. Amelia was embarrassed and blushed hard, her ears turning as red as tomatoes. "And I'm really hungry, I'll need to eat" she added sheepishly.
Karl's gaze instantly darkened "are your current maids bullying you?" That should explain her absence for breakfast this morning he thought to himself.
"No!" She replied instantly, looking really scared. He squinted his eyes at her, he could tell that she was lying and scared. "So why didn't you come for breakfast?" He suddenly asked, his question catching Amelia off guard.
"I...I was..." She stuttered, looking really panicked.
Karl's mood dropped, his gaze darkened and his face hardened instantly. He was suddenly surrounded by a spine-chilling atmosphere, emitting a chilling aura. He was really angered.
"STACEY!" He bellowed.