Evara followed Prince Darcy into the night. She could see the guards moving around but it looked like they could not see her.
Her eyes glared between the guards and the Crown Prince and yet she could not understand what was happening.
Crown Prince Darcy smiled as his gaze moved towards the road and the lady whose eyes were fascinating. He could see the question in it. "How?" It was a clear question.
"It is part of my power. Only the people I want to see will be able to see me." Prince Darcy looked ahead and he saw a man standing at a distance, eagerly waiting for him. He was sure that some things never change.
"Prince…" The man came running in a hurry, but soon he found someone beside him. "This …"
"Her." Prince Darcy corrected. "Her name is Evara and she will be my personal maid. Make necessary documents and give her a decent place to live in the Crown Prince's palace."
Prince Darcy looked at Evara who looked nervous. "He is a good person. You can follow him. He will help you with whatever you need."
Evara looked at the man and nodded her head. She knew that she needed proper permits to enter the palace. A strong recommendation is to work here. But that was easily solved by the Crown Prince's words. It was only then that Evara realized that the words had so much power.
The butler nodded his head as he looked at the lady. She was not very presentable. She wore long clothes as well as her hair was distorted. Maybe because of the winds when crossing the wall but it was enough for him to know that she was nowhere noble. So why did the Crown Prince bring this lady here all by himself?
"Please follow me.." The butler said as he turned around.
Evara looked at the side to see the Crown Prince who nodded his head. She knew that she had already taken a step forward and there was no going back now.
The butler slowed his pace as he gazed back and said in a small tone. "We only have a minute to leave this place. The guards will be replaced soon so make sure you catch up."
Evara nodded her head as she tried to catch up with the butler. They were in the dark and were trying to make sure no one was seeing them. Evara was completely unaware of where she was. The trees were thick as the night was deep.
Soon they encounter a wall. 'Maybe it is the wall of the castle.' Evara thought as she tried to smile. 'I am really free.'
"This is the Crown Prince's residence. Make sure that you remember this place. The internal staircase is a mess so follow it carefully otherwise you will lost." The butler said with a smile. He tried to not sound rude but the authoritative tone was baffling.
"I know…" Evara said in a small voice. She could tell that the butler was struggling to keep a straight face. But she could not blame him. After all, her overall dress was a mess.
—----
Soon Evara found herself in a bathtub. Although it was small it was impressive. Her room was small but cozy. It was so much better than her home, The room was larger than her room.
'They treat their maids so well' Evara thought as she walked out of the bathroom with a towel.
The skin was glowing as she had removed all the dirt from her body. Her face was clear and her eyes shined with enthusiasm.
"Tomorrow will be a good day," Evara told herself as she rampaged in her sack to search for her nightdress. Although she had brought limited clothes she was sure that she could manage here.
"The butler said he could give me the uniform tomorrow." Evara smiled. It was true that she did not have a decent outfit suitable for the Imperial Palace. "Will I be able to survive?"
Evara shook her head as she removed the thoughts. Her thought moved to Prince Darcy as she should about the man.
He was different from the rumor. The man was surprisingly kind. He even offered her a job. Evara took a deep breath. She needs to sleep well. After all, no one knew what tomorrow would bring to her.
—----
"Where did you go, brother?" Prince Aeron asked as he saw his brother walking into his room with a smile on his face. "And what about that smile?"
"Smile?" Prince Bren who was half asleep woke up suddenly. His eyes were in shock as he looked between his two brothers. "Who is smiling?"
"Our new Crown Prince. The same who did not even smile when he was crowned today and now look he went for a walk and now he is here smiling beautifully." Prince Aeron said mischievously.
"Why are you two here?" Prince Darcy did not know he was smiling, but when pointed out he could not acknowledge it at all. "Should you be deep asleep by now?"
"How could we sleep when we were waiting for our brother? We only wanted to celebrate with you. After all, the center of attention vanished from his own celebration."
Prince Darcy shook his head as he thought about what had happened. He could still see Evara's face in front of his eyes. The look of confusion and fear was amusing to watch.
"I went for a walk." Prince Darcy ran his hand through his hair, "But I didn't expect to see you guys here."
Prince Darcy walked towards the table where his brothers sat and took a seat as he took the glass which was filled by Prince Aeron, "We can still celebrate now. The night is still young."
Prince Aeron took one of the glasses as he took a sip, "The rumors will be getting stronger. Although we do not want to the fractions will be taking a strong stand now."
"They were on my throat trying me to gain more support.." Prince Bren said in irritation. "Why can't they understand that I do not want such responsibility."
Prince Bren drank as he shook his head. "These nobles are afraid of you but they do not want to question you in person."
"Exactly," Prince Aeron nodded his head in agreement, "They have already started filling our minds with revenge as if we have been robbed of the title."
Crown Prince Darcy shook his head, "So which one of you want the throne? You can take it."
Both Prince Aeron and Prince Bren laughed, "Why would we want something like that? It's yours." Prince Aeron rolled his eyes.
"I like to live freely. Who would want all the eyes on you.." Prince Bren shook his head.
"So what are you worried about?" Crown Prince Darcy curled his lips up, "Enjoy the freedom."
"Did you find the way to break the curse?" Prince Aeron asked. Although he knew the answer to it, he could not help but ask. "That is the only way to bury the rumors."
"I wish I had an answer to it." Crown Prince Darcy gulped the alcohol down his throat. The burning sensation made it seem all real. "But I need to find a way soon. Once I take over the Crown Prince position tomorrow, I will have more power and authority over people and maybe then I might be able to find more clues."
"Do not worry brother. We both are there for you." Prince Bren smiled. "Always."
Prince Aeron nodded his head as he repeated, "Always."