"And who are you?"
"I am your newly assigned maid, Your Majesty."
"That's great. I finally have someone to talk to. I'm Akira. And you?"
"Natasha," she replied with a slight bow of her head.
I sat on my bed feeling somehow empty, wondering if I would be able to continue my usual activities in this place. Then I remembered that the king has a mother whom I haven't greeted since my marriage.
"I think I need to pay the king's mother a visit. I haven't greeted her since my marriage," I said as I stood up from the bed, expecting her to lead the way to her room.
"She doesn't care about such things, so just pay no attention to that," Natasha said, leaving me puzzled.
Natasha packed my dirty clothes and headed outside, not completely answering my question. As she opened the door, she stopped and said, "It will be great if you just sleep, eat, enjoy the view, and forget about any duties," before finally leaving and shutting the door.
Is she joking with me right now? How can she dictate what I should do and don't do for me? Without hesitation, I proceeded out of my room, hoping to find the king's mother's chamber on my own. But after a walk around the gigantic palace, it seemed like a futile dream. Just then, I saw two maids coming my way.
"Hi, can either of you describe the way to the king's mother's room for me?" I asked. But they only looked at me as if they didn't know me and walked past without answering. I was left in confusion as even the palace maids had no regard for me.
Finally, I located her chamber on my own. But as I wanted to enter, I was stopped by an older women standing outside her chamber.
"You should return, as the Alpha's mother will not appreciate your presence," she said. I wondered who she was referring to as the Alpha. Did she have another son by that name?
Not allowing a maid to dictate to me, I announced my presence myself. But I received no reply. I announced several times, but heard no voice or even an order. Then I saw the door open and maids carrying trays of food entering, while I wasn't allowed. I looked at the women with mocking expressions on their faces and angrily left her chamber.
As I walked back to my room, the rain started, which sent a cold shiver right down my spine. I fell on my knees as tears welled up, not knowing what exactly was happening and just then I felt someone covering me with a cloak. Looking up, I saw Natasha and she helped me up on my feet.
" I already told you that there is no need for that. The Alpha's mother will never accept your greeting, you will be the one to accept her greetings when the time is right,'' She said and I wondered what she meant by that.
As she led me back to my room, I wondered what exactly was happening in this palace as it seemed that they had many rules and why they called the king's mother as the Alpha's mother.
**********
It had been a week since I arrived, and still, no one acknowledged my presence. The worst part was that I hadn't even set eyes on my husband since our marriage.
I quickly sprang from the bed, without bothering to dress, and rushed out of my room straight to the king's chamber. However, the guard informed me that he had left for his office. Refusing to believe him, I headed inside, only to find no sign of him. I then made my way to his office, but the guard there also told me he had just left.
This has been my experience for the past week. It seemed as though he never actually stayed in the palace, avoiding me at all costs. I wondered why he chose me when he clearly didn't like me.
Returning to my chamber, I glanced at the maids as they walked past me without greeting. As I had grown accustomed to this treatment, I simply headed toward my room.
"Akira! Look here, I brought you snacks," Myra said, showing me the snacks she had brought.
She was the only friend I had made, despite being only ten years old. She was the reason I didn't feel completely alone in the palace, although Natasha sometimes acted caring and other times indifferent like the rest.
I took her hand and led her to my bed, where we both sat and enjoyed the snacks.
"Myra."
"Yes, Your Majesty," she said, despite my repeated requests for her to call me by my name.
"Why does everyone refer to the king as Alpha?"
"Because he is our Alpha," she replied.
"But he is the king, the ruler of this great nation. So why Alpha?" I pressed.
She only stared at me, offering no further explanation. I wondered if she truly didn't know why everyone called him that, being just a child.
Before I could ask her another question, Natasha entered and ordered her to leave immediately. Myra quickly rushed out of my chamber. I couldn't understand why she was always afraid of Natasha; she didn't seem that scary to me.
"Can't you just be a little different for once and help me out here?" I pleaded.
"If you're not asking for my help to escape, then what?" Natasha replied.
"No... I just want you to tell me how I can see my husband, the king. It's ridiculous that I haven't seen him since our marriage."
I said, hoping for some guidance, but Natasha remained silent. Disheartened, I fell back on my bed, turning away from her.
"The king has a mistress, and he spends his nights with her," she finally revealed.
"His nights? But his guards also told me..."
"They lied to you, and it's best if you pretend you don't know anything."
"What if I don't?"
"Be prepared to face the consequences."
Unafraid, I stormed out of my room and headed straight to where that cheater and his mistress were. I was stopped by his guard, but they forgot that I was not just a princess but also a warrior. I unsheathed one of the guard's swords and placed it at his neck, threatening to cut him down if anyone made a move.
As they all dropped their swords, I barged into the mistress's chamber, where I found them in bed together. There was no surprise on their faces, as if they had been expecting me.