I walked out of the laundry room, struggling to carry the heavy, soaked rugs. My mother glanced at me from the kitchen, concern evident in her eyes.
"Careful Elara, don't get wet," she called out to me.
I nodded in acknowledgment as I tiptoed out to the backyard, my focus solely on the task at hand. The weight of the rugs made it difficult to see where I was going, but I pushed forward with determination.
Finally reaching the backyard, I threw the heavy rugs onto the tiled ground with a sigh of relief. I unrolled them, revealing cleaner but still wet fibers. As I looked towards the ropes where we usually hung clothes to dry, my heart sank. I knew I wouldn't be able to lift the heavy rugs to hang them up on my own.
I need to come up with a plan, I muttered to myself, scanning the area for something, anything, that could help me. But nothing stood out as useful in my current predicament.
I shook my head in frustration. Deep cleaning can be such a headache sometimes, I thought to myself. Turning back towards the house, I made my way inside to find Jacob and Lily engrossed in cleaning the lower shelf in the dining room, chatting and laughing as they worked.
These cheerful birds, even though I was feeling tired from my earlier cleaning effortsq, they have a healing effect on me.
"My mother said we should not disturb them," Lily spoke, seemingly unaware of my presence.
I stepped closer to them. "Hey, what's this gossip about?"
Both Jacob and Lily jumped at my sudden appearance. "Ah, nothing," they both said quickly, their faces showing a hint of uncomforte.
I raised my eyebrows, sensing that there was more to their conversation than they were letting on. However, I decided not to push the issue further as I was already too busy on my other chores. Taking a deep breath, I asked, "So, how far have you two gotten with the cleaning?"
Jacob started to respond, but he hesitated. "We...ammm....." his words hanging. I glanced at the dusty and messy shelves, realizing that they hadn't made much progress. "Hmmm...." I mused, bending down to their level and meeting their eyes. "Looks like I'll have to punish you two for wasting time on talking instead of doing your work.
Lily's eyes widened in alarm as she asked, "Me too?" pointing to herself in confusion. I chuckled and replied, "Yes, you too for distracting my brother, lady." Standing up, I flashed them a smile and said, Now, let's go. You two are going to help me with something else.
I led Jacob and Lily to the backyard, where the sun was shining brightly. I pointed to the wet rugs and explained my predicament. "I need help hanging these up to dry...." I sigh "unfortunately I can't make up there to myself. You both will help me dragging these rugs up to the ropes let's get in to it."
**********
"Ah..good job." I pat Jacob's back as we manage to put the rugs on the ropes to dry. We both take a little break to catch our breaths, but soon, we heard a knock on the door.
Lily jumped off from the stool and ran inside the house, eager to see who it was. "No, hey... I will go check. You both go finish your work," I said as I moved to the door.
I knew they would try to run from their work, but I was determined to make them stay focused. They could play later; we had the whole day ahead of us.
**********
Just as I was about to open the door, I didn't expect it to be someone other than Miss Marthon. But to my surprise, I saw three servants with the, royal dress code standing at our door, holding a tray of gifts. A middle-aged man with towering height looking like a master of them leading them inside. My eyes widened as I stood there, frozen in my place.
"Who is it, Elara?" My mother's voice came from the kitchen. I looked back at her and then back to the men standing in front of me at the door.
Wait, this is not another invitation approach. This must be something else. But why are they holding these trays with them?
"Miss Elara, I presume?" The middle-aged man with great height stepped up to ask my identity. They were all wearing the same royal red suits with badges, and their expressions were unreadable.
"Ah yes, yes." I looked down at my disheveled, wet clothes. 'Wow, what good timing.'
The man gestured for the servants to enter, and they proceeded to place the trays of gifts on the table in our modest living room. Just as I was about to ask what this is for, the same man from the ball last night came out of his carriage and approached me at the door with a smirk on his face.
"Hello, sweetheart." My eyes widened, as he spoke. 'How did he find out I live here?'
He took my hand in his and gently kissed my knuckles, his eyes never leaving mine as I quickly pulled away. "W... what are you doing here?" my voice shaking. It was my first time being this horrified.
He fixed his gaze upon me, standing back tall and towering over me. His smirk widened, probably happy to see me in this state, all different than yesterday. Or maybe he was happy to see my true self.
"Can't a prince check on his princess?" His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument as he stepped in, his presence commanding. Soon, Jacob and Lily came running to the entrance, adding to the chaos of the unexpected visit.
So he was a prince! Wait he don't look like a prince. Not it all. He...he look more like a underground don. Agh why would he be a prince?
As he made himself comfortable in the living room, his gaze never leaving mine, as if daring me to stop him.
"Elara... who is there?" My mother spoke again, her voice coming from the kitchen. I realized I should act quickly. "Ah... I am coming, mother." I brought my mother to the living room and helped her sit on her armchair. She looked at the servants and the man who called himself the prince.
The prince, however, seemed to enjoy the attention and the shock on our faces. His arrogance and confidence were palpable. He was like a lion in a room full of sheep, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
"He is the prince mother." Jacob explained, his excitement can not be hidden any longer.
"A prince?" mother looked at Jacob and then back to the man who call himself a prince. For sure she won't doubt this, she can see the palace servants and the man himself is saying he is the prince, this can be a strong evidence that we can not say no to.
As he started speaking, his words were smooth and persuasive. He explained that the gifts were a token of his appreciation for my presence at the ball last night. But deep down, I knew there was more to it than that. The way he looked at me, the way he spoke – it all felt like a carefully crafted facade.
There was something off about him, something dark and mysterious. And as he continued to charm his way through the conversation, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being lured into something sinister.
My mother's eyes widened in surprise as she asked, "We are truly honored to have a prince visit us. May we have the pleasure of knowing your name, Your Highness?"
Before my mother could even finish her sentence, the prince gestured to the middle-aged man, who straightened his tie and began to speak in a formal tone.
"It is our esteemed pleasure to introduce His Royal Highness, Prince Sebastian, third son of King Alexander, ruler of our beloved motherland. Prince Sebastian has graciously announced his visit to our kingdom to connect with his people and bless them with his presence."
As the man spoke, the servants simultaneously removed the scarves from the trays, revealing an dazzling array of gold and diamond sets, exotic fruits, and exquisite garments.
"We are humbled to present these gifts to you, on behalf of Prince Sebastian, as a token of appreciation for accepting the royal ball invitation," the middle-aged man announced, his voice dripping with formality.
My eyes widened in astonishment as I gazed at the extravagant gifts. Is this all just because we accepted the invitation? It seemed too good to be true. How could he give us such expensive gifts? I mean, I knew he was a prince, but... was he trying to win my heart by flaunting his wealth? There had to be more to it.
***
"I'm sorry, but we can't accept this," I said, feeling a sense of unease.
He raise his eyebrows at me with smirk. "And who is asking your permission darling?"
felt a surge of irritation at his tone. 'Agh, this man,' I muttered under my breath.
Before I could protest further, the prince's attendant stepped forward, his expression serious. "It is the prince's pleasure to present these gifts as a token of appreciation and a fulfillment of his royal obligations to his subjects. As is the tradition of our noble lineage, we prioritize the welfare and prosperity of our people. This gesture is not a personal favor, but rather a demonstration of our commitment to the well-being of the entire realm of Eldoria."
My mother's eyes widened in shock, her mouth agape. "For the whole Eldoria!?" she gasped, her voice barely above a whisper.
The attendant nodded solemnly. "Yes. Our corps will distribute different types of necessaries to people with different needs."
After that, we all fell silent, our eyes darting between the trays in front of us and Prince Sebastian's face. His attendants remained expressionless, but we were shocked.
Prince Sebastian, the man sitting in front of us, was going to help everyone in need in the kingdom. Why the sudden change? Wasn't he just graduated from military service? I needed more information. Why was he taking on all the royal responsibilities himself? He didn't seem like someone who acted without purpose or benefit.
"You seem lost, Princess," his deep voice interrupted my thoughts, and I blinked twice before meeting his gaze. He chuckled, a smirk spreading across his face as he stood up and straightened his suit.
"Let me explain," he said, stopping two steps ahead of me, his towering figure seeming to enjoy my curiosity about his actions. I looked up to meet his gaze, determined not to be intimidated.
"I'm not going to worship you for help I never asked for," I thought to myself. He wasn't helping; he was making it harder for me to hide what happened last night from my mother.
"Your mother can't walk right?" He turned to my mother, smiling before meeting my gaze again. "And your father... well, he's a merchant, comes once in a decade."
"I think you have knowledge the reason now of why these are being distributed in your family my dear." He spoke, his hands on his pocket, the smirk never leaving his face.
"Your family needs the aids and I shall provide it as a prince of this kingdom....it's my duty to check on the people's condition of our mankind. And you my dear, is the first one to receive my gratitude because of your charm." He spoke as he lean closer, and whisper in husky voice. "And I will do anything in my power, to make my princess happy."
His voice sends shivers down my spine. I clunch my teeth. I need to resist his attempt to win me over, yet part of me want to believe he's being genuine.
_________