However, a few minutes later outside the palace, they met again. Ave walked out with Lydia and saw the prince talking to Zane beside a golden carriage that took her entire breath away.
Prince Lucian's hardened eyes swayed towards her direction and they momentarily locked eyes, glaring at each other, but Ave huffed and looked away. She had no time for him now.
She ignored the prince and marveled at the sight of the golden carriage that looked every bit royal.
"Are we riding in that?!" she asked Lydia, her eyes sparkling with excitement at trying something new. The carriage gleamed in the setting sun, its intricate gold detailing catching the light.
Four strong horses stood at the front, their manes braided and glistening, while soldiers in maroon uniforms stood around it, ready to escort the carriage to wherever they were going.
Lydia answered her question about the carriage. "Yes, the carriage was sent from the main palace to take you there. You've always liked riding the royal carriage, Your Highness," Lydia commented excitedly, and Ave took note.
"Have I? Who wouldn't love riding in such a beautiful thing? How I wish I had my cellphone; this would have gone viral on Instagram. If only I'd come here with my cell phone!" Ave gushed, wishing she'd transmigrated with her phone to vlog about all this experience. People in 2024 would be amazed!
A frown formed on Lydia's face as she glanced at the princess. "Cellphone? Why would you wish to be there, Your Highness? It's for criminals and bandits. His Highness has it here."
Ave's head snapped to the maid and her eyes widened in hope. "You mean Lucian has a cellphone?!" She exclaimed before she could stop herself.
Every head in the surrounding turned to look at Ave with widened eyes. The soldiers and Zane, including Lucian himself, turned to look at her. Lydia quickly fell to her knees and bowed to the prince in apology for her mistress's words.
In this day and age, nobody, not even a wife, had the right to call a prince or any male royal by his name alone. The punishment for it was severe; no matter who you were, your head would be hanging on the gallows, especially with Prince Lucian, who didn't take it lightly when people disrespected him. Everyone knew how he didn't like his wife anymore and would kill her at any given opportunity, and this seemed to be it.
The last time she'd beheaded a maid and called it a mistake, the prince had been so furious he'd warned her in front of everyone. He'd said he would behead her just like the maid if she dared do anything out of place in his palace or anywhere around him.
The entire servants and guards had been happy to hear that as they all never really liked the princess. She was from a cursed kingdom and even had the opportunity to be taken in by the Empress and married to one of the princes, yet she thought she could misbehave and get away with it.
Now she'd gone far again. Tsk, they hoped the prince would stick to his warning and behead her!
"Forgive Her Highness, Your Highness!" Lydia pleaded shakily for her mistress, but Ave was too oblivious to her surroundings to notice that calling him by his name was a big deal. All she could think of was Lydia's words about a cellphone. How was it possible that this psycho had a phone in this era?
With that thought in mind, she raised her gown and crossed past the pleading Lydia running to the prince who was now massaging his temple like he was having a headache.
When Ave approached Lucian, she shoved back Zane, who was standing close to him whispering some conversation to him, and stood in front of Lucian. "Lydia told me you have a cellphone. Can I take a look at it?" She would only believe it when she saw it with her own eyes. This prince could be a psychopath as well as a big liar.
Lucian closed his eyes and took a deep breath as if to avoid losing his temper or doing anything that would summon his crazy beast into having to protect Selene. Thus, he ignored her and surprised everyone by opening the carriage door. "Get in. The sun is already setting."
"What about the cellphone? I want to take a photo with the carriage," Ave pursed her lips. Well, it sounded absurd that there would be a cellphone in this era, but then nothing had made sense since she'd ended up here. Perhaps there were many things she hadn't known yet, cellphone being one of them.
Lucian clenched his fist and leaned down to whisper warningly in her ear. "If you don't get into the carriage, the phoney cell is exactly where you'll end up for daring to disrespect me twice in front of my men," he gritted through clenched teeth. She hadn't just disrespected him by calling his name out loud but also by refusing to follow his order to get into the carriage.
Realization immediately dawned on Ave when he said "phoney cell." So Lydia was talking about a cell, not a cellphone? She should have known. How could a phone exit in 1303.
Knowing that he didn't have a phone now, Ave snorted at him. "Duh! Don't threaten me with your stupid phoney cell or whatever you call it," she whispered back. Then she turned back to Lydia, who was still kneeling with her head bowed, and called, "Come on, Lydia darling. Let's go. I'm starving already."
When the maid didn't move an inch and continued to beg for the prince's forgiveness, Ave walked up to her and pulled her up to her feet. She dragged her towards the carriage, telling her to get inside, surprising everyone again.
Did she just ask a mere maid to get into a royal carriage? everyone thought.
Lydia dared not take a step into the carriage.
Ave saw no big deal in it since they were going to the same place and thought that Lydia was hesitating because of the intimidating man standing beside the door. Thus, she shoved the prince aside and told the maid, "Get in. He's not going to hurt you while I'm here."
"Your Highness, I dare not..." Lydia fell to her knees again. It seemed her mistress was hellbent on upsetting the prince today. Had she forgotten the consequences of disrespecting any of the princes?
The other servants looked on in horror, thinking the princess was doomed and that the second prince was surely going to get rid of her now.
Lucian's temper was on edge, and it increased when Ave turned to glare accusingly at him after shoving him aside and asking a mere maid to get into a royal carriage meant for only royals. Not even the elites of the Empire were allowed to sit in the royal carriage not to mention a mere maid.
"Did you forbid her from riding with us? She's my maid, and I will take her wherever I'm going. I am not stepping into this carriage without her. It seems she'll only listen to your orders. Tell her to get in."
Lucian would have really strangled her neck if his beast hadn't warned, "Do as she says, or I shall take control." He felt like he was being threatened into being submissive to a woman he despised. It was either he let the maid in or let his beast take control and further embarrass him in front of his men by doing things he wouldn't have done.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before glaring at the woman before him. "Do whatever you want!" Then he strode away from the carriage and ordered Zane to bring him his horse. He would rather ride alone than be in the same space with that madwoman.
Ave grinned and huffed at his back. "Of course, I'll do whatever I want, jerk!" She then pulled Lydia up and pulled her into the fancy royal carriage, surprising all the onlookers that the second prince had not done anything about the princess disrespecting him in public.
That was the first!