It took me a while to reach the throne room and by the time I reached the huge golden double doors, I was out of breath. Two knights flanked the door at either side, not making a sound and not moving. Then one of them reached out and opened the door for me. I thanked him, walking inside. The room was larger than any other room in the palace. It could fit half of my town, my eyes were kept on the King and the Queen, sitting on the throne and Verbena stood facing them.
"Ah, Colette," she said.
"Your majesty's." I bowed and then turned towards Verbena to bow to her.
"Is this the maid that will accompany you to Waedal?" the Queen asked, she was so different from Verbena, brown hair, twisted into a bun, tight skin, green eyes, and red lips. I remembered that the king married again after casting the original Queen aside.
"Yes, Your Majesty. She has proven to be better than most of them and I can trust her." Verbena responded as I stood with my head low and my feet firmly planted on the polished white floor, reflecting the chandelier above me.
"We will visit you the night before your wedding, if you are in need of anything else send me a message and I will respond effectively." the king smiled down on his only daughter. Black hair, black beard, and the face of a kind old man, wearing a heavy gold crown and a blue uniform. "I will also make sure your stubborn brother is in attendance."
"Thank you, father. Your kindness knows no bounds. I shall miss you the most and will visit soon, hopefully with my husband.'' It was a new side to Verbena, polite, lady like. Even though she acted like a spoiled brat I was impressed by how she always had the right words on the tip of her tongue. Maybe it won't be long until she becomes the empress. I was looking forward to that day.
"Collete, make sure my daughter doesn't feel home sick, and has everything right beside her."
"Of course your majesty." I replied and gave him a smile, his eyes lingered on my face and then fell on my breast. They stopped there.
The king stared at my chest and then his eyes slowly moved down my body, and I couldn't even flinch, I couldn't move. He was the king, his word was the law, if he wanted to stare at me he could, because he's paying me. That's when Verbena cleared her throat, "We are getting late, father. I can't make a bad example of not being on time. Farewell." she bowed again at her father, ignored the Queen and walked out first, i took that as cue to walk behind her.
"Do you like it?" Verena spoke once we were out of the throne room, walking down the long corridor furnished with age old paintings.
"Pardon?" I was a few paces behind her.
Verbena stopped, turned around and her eyes narrowed, "When men stare at you like that, do you like it?"
"N..No, your highness. It's-" then my mind went to the king, if i refuse, she'll think the king has offended me and that implication alone could get me into trouble. "I…it's-"
"It's alright, you can say no even if it's him. That's how that wench got her claws in him, by flaunting her hips and shoving her breast up at his face."
I quickly looked around worried her words might have been heard by others, but thankfully, we were the only one's in the corridor.
I didn't say anything back and kept quiet while she moved forward. I remember my mother and father talking about the king's new bride. She was a noble's daughter, younger than him, and more beautiful than the Queen. The Queen was on bed rest after giving birth to the heir, when the King suddenly announced his engagement to her.
After that no one heard from the previous Queen and as I walked within the palace walls, I wondered if the Queen was hidden somewhere in the room or was she hiding somewhere else, waiting for her opportunity to strike back. After all, she was the heir's mother and once the king died would become Queen mother.
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The carriage stopped in the port. A large white ship was anchored by the dock and the smaller ones behind it. The hull of the ship had a crown constructed in white concrete while the flag of Kralen waved on the mast. Men were carrying boxes upon boxes, others carrying trunks, four knights guarded the ship, and five of them were behind us, guarding the princess.
"Let's not waste any more time, come on." Verbena said, covering her head with a blood red clock, walking on the deck. The knights bowed to her and the men stopped to offer their greetings.
"Your highness, it's an honor to have you on board," the captain of the ship walked down the wooden makeshift steps. Wearing the light blue navy uniform and a white captain's hat. "We will arrive in Waedal in three days, please come onboard."
"Thank you, Captain. I have trust in your skills, and that we will reach Waedal, without any hurdles."
"You're most welcome, Your highness. Let me show you your suite."
The royal suite overlooked the sea, with a personal toilet, bathing tub and a small sitting area. The bed was round, Queen size, and her trunks were placed neatly in the corner. The bed was made with warm white sheets. The coffee table had fresh black roses as a welcome.
Verbena took off her clock and handed it to me. I hung it on the only nail embedded in the wall next to the door. "Your room was supposed to be on the lower floor, reserved for the servants. But." Verbena smiled at me, "I made sure you stayed right beside me, so your room is opposite mine."
"Thank you for your generosity, your highness." I said, bowing to her, "Do you need anything else?"
"Yes, can you have dinner with me? I don't want to eat alone. I'll be having lunch with the captain."
Since when did the princess become so kind? I asked myself, "Yes, your highness." I bowed to her again, exiting the room. Something was fishy, I had never heard of any royal being so kind to a servant, but Verbena gave me a room reserved for knights and noblemen, and asked me to have dinner with her on the same table. I should tread carefully around her.
I opened my bedroom and gasped at the ostentatious interior design. The bed was made out of a wooden frame but the mattress looked so soft, the white sheet so comfortable, and the smell of coffee beans lured me in. Coffee was a rare commodity in Kralen, it was imported from the western kingdoms and was so expensive that even nobles used it on rare occasions.
The first thing I did was take off my clock and jump on the soft bed. The mattress had magical ability because I had only closed my eyes for a second and when I finally opened them again the sun had disappeared and it was dark outside. The ship was moving and we were in the middle of the ocean. I got up, afraid that i missed dinner but then checked the time. I only had 15 minutes to dress and show up for dinner.
*******************
"Come in." Verbena's voice called out from the other side of the room. I turned the knob and walked in.
"I apologize for being late, your highness. I dozed off." I bowed and kept my head low until she asked me to look up.
"Dinner just arrived, sit down." Verbena wasn't smiling and I was sure she would punish me. The princess was dressed in her nightgown, the silk hung over her slim figure, and her nipples hard from the cold. She wore her usual pink gown over the dress. I took the seat. The table was filled with delicious meals. Roasted duck, cream tart, smoked vegetables, rabbit and soup. We didn't talk while eating and I kept glancing at the princess, afraid she'll slap me, or whip me, but Verbena didn't say anything throughout dinner.
Once when we were finished, she rang a bell and two young servant boys came to clear the table.
"Collete, you will do everything i tell you to, right?" she wiped off her mouth with the napkin.
"Yes, your highness."
"Get up." She stared at me with furiousness, and I did as told, my heart thumping at the punishment that was going to come, will she slap me 5 times, cut off my hair like Maria's or whip me until I bled on the floor? Will she ask me to jump off the ship for her entertainment? Verbena got up as well and to my surprise, she took off the pink gown and it gracefully fell on the floor. I kept looking down at her bare legs, shaved, and toned.
Verbena walked up to me, and I felt her finger under my chin as she lifted my face to meet hers. "You disobeyed me by being late, Colette," she whispered and I shuddered at the thought.
"I am sorry, your highness. The bed was so comfortable, i had never slept in such-' she shut me up by placing her finger on my lips and my eyes went wide.
"You said you'd do anything I tell you to." she turned around and sat on the edge of the bed, her gown rode up a little, exposing her thighs.
"Yes, Your Highness. Anything."
"Take off your clothes."