Scarlett's POV
Resuming in the Eastern Palace wasn't as much work as before when I did the job of six people. It was also easier because of the frequent change in shifts. All six maids I had a shift with stood in row as we just waited around for anything to do. When Felix came out of his study he said "I need to visit the Queen Dowager, you all can leave now. You don't need to follow me since I'll be there for a while."
"Yes Your Majesty" we all said at the same time like a bunch of children that were taught what to say.
'Oh how much I hate this place' I thought to myself.
We were about to leave in an orderly manner when he said "My Scarlett you can wait"
All six of the ladies(including me) turned to the direction his voice had come from. The others looked at eachother wondering who 'My Scarlett' and I looked at him wondering why he'd call me that in public.
One of the ladies tapped me by the shoulder and whispered "Scarlett, I think he meant you"
She was stating the obvious.
Frustrated that we were staring blankly he proceeded with "Are you all deaf? I said you all are dismissed but Scarlett come over here"
The five ladies rushed out now I was all alone in this den. Truth be told, it had already been a few days since I started working here and he hadn't spoken so me or asked me how I ended up staying when I was supposed to have left.
I felt dumb expecting more from someone that was way out of my league. Regardless, I was obliged to perform my duties as a courtmaid since that was my fate.
I went over to him and he said "I need to visit the Queen Dowager for important matters that I had been putting aside for more than two weeks, accompany me there."
He looked at his guard and said "You follow me too, Leo. I really don't know what that woman could be thinking right now"
As we got to the Palace of the Queen Dowager, Felix took in a deep breath and went in.
Almost as if she had been waiting for him when we arrived she said "Welcome my son, I have been expecting you for a while now. Maybe about two weeks? Come along let's have tea together"
The fact that she stressed the word 'son' creeped me out but I wasn't in any position to speak.
As they got in the tea room she said to me and Leo "You both may excuse us"
"No, they can stay. It's fine" Felix said.
The atmosphere was weird. The Queen Dowager took a sip of her tea and said "I know you're here about the renovation of my palace"
"Clearly, I am. You requested a renovation without my permission and because of that the taxes got manipulated." Felix obviously trying to be as calm as possible said.
Taxes....I remembered, it was one of the problems I told him about at our first meeting.
"How did you get to know about the taxes situation? I made every effort to ensure you had no access to the truth" she said arrogantly.
Although it was none of my concern, she had already started to get on my nerves. How could she have been so inhumane to use others' hard earned money for personal benefits. I wondered how Felix was able to cope with her all these years, it must have been unbearably frustrating.
"Is that really the important thing right now?" Felix asked.
She cleared her throat and replied "I don't care how those peasants live their lives as long as I am satisfied. Besides, I didn't instruct them to increase the taxes or whatever. I only told them to make this place look better no matter the method used"
"ARE YOU EVEN QUALIFIED TO BE A MOTHER FIGURE TO THE KINGDOM? " He shouted as he hit the table angrily and as he did that, the tea cups and pot felt the great impact then they shattered on the ground. Some of the tea got on his hand so I got a napkin from my front pocket then went over to him to clean his hand. As I held his hand he angrily yanked his hand out of my grip and said "leave it".
I bent to pick up the glass pieces then I heard the Queen Dowager say "You watch the way you speak to me. I am your mother"
"You're not even my biological mother" He retorted!
Upon hearing that line I got distracted and I got cut by one of the ceramic pieces. I silently screeched in pain. Felix came to me, held my wounded hand and asked "Are you okay? Why did you even...? It's not your job to clean this up here! Leo quick, take her to the infirmary. Call someone else from this place to get rid these things from the floor instead."
I removed my hand from his grip and whispered to him "I'm fine. Continue with your conversation"
In truth, I desperately wanted to hear the rest of the conversation. Eavesdropping was an unhealthy habit I had.
"Leo just take her" He said and Leo obeyed.
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Felix's POV
After Scarlett left the room it was just me and the woman who assumed the position of my mother after killing my biological mother. I knew she was one of those that killed my biological parents but I had no evidence of it.
"I already instructed them to put the renovation on hold, let's have a deal now" I said to the witch.
She looked at me "Don't forget you are on the throne for the show of it, I make the calls here"
She wasn't lying. She had almost all of the ministers and officials wrapped around her finger. She was a threat to my authority, she was someone I needed to get rid of in order to maintain this kingdom's fairness and dignity.
"Do you want to accept my deal or not?" I said trying to contain my already furious self.
"Very well then, let's hear what you have"
"You stop putting the cost of your pleasure on the people. I'll use my personal wealth to make this place better. Deal?"
"Sounds fair enough...I'll take it" she said nonchalantly.
'At least I sorted her out for now' I thought as I stormed out of this environment tainted with her evil aura.
Immediately I got outside of the Palace of the Queen Dowager I saw Scarlett and Leo standing as if they had been waiting for me.
Leo spotted me from where he was and ran to me while Scarlett took her time walking over to where I was. Thankfully her wound was already taken care of. I might have not acted like I was very happy that Scarlett now worked close to me but truthfully I was overjoyed. She must have felt like I ignored her within the few days she started working close to me up until now. I wanted to talk to her so bad. I enjoyed her company greatly.
The three of us walked back to my Chambers. These two were one step behind me, apparently they didn't think it was right to be on the same pace as me. I was a bit annoyed at them especially Leo for not wanting to walk close to me. I was deep in thought when someone tugged on my clothes, it was My Scarlett.
She whispered to me "Your Majesty, of those three ladies approaching this direction the one at the centre is Evelyn. The girl I told you about"
I nodded lightly at her signalling that I understood what she meant. The three ladies sighted me and bowed at once. When they rose their heads, the lady named Evelyn stared lovingly at me and few seconds later she glared at Scarlett. I must admit it was an amazingly funny sight.
Evelyn was indeed as beautiful as Scarlett has described, the only wrong thing Scarlett said was the comparison between them. In my opinion Scarlett was an epitome of rare beauty while Evelyn on the other hand had a common beautiful face. The three ladies stayed at the side while we passed.
I decided to tease Scarlett a little bit and whispered back to her "She's indeed more beautiful than you My Scarlett. So beautiful"
"Yeah right" she said looking disappointed she moved a bit back and reduced her pace.
She said it herself before that Evelyn was more beautiful...hmph women!
I called out to both of them "Leo, Scarlett."
"Yes Your Majesty" They both answered.
"I feel a little bit under the weather today, any ideas?" I asked. I needed something to help me temporarily forget my encounter with the witch.
Leo replied "Well you could complete all of your left over work for the past month"
"Tskk" I hissed at him.
Leo was my best friend that turned out to be extremely boring since he only cared about official duties and there was me, the lazy one! I wasn't prepared for this throne at the time my father died. This explains why the kingdom was a mess. As I heard more about the things that kept happening due to my negligence I started to be a bit more devoted to my responsibilities. I was really determined to break the court but ofcourse, in baby steps.
However My Scarlett remained quiet. So I stopped and turned to her "Don't you have anything to say?"
She looked up at me, then looked at Leo as if asking for what to say.
"I don't have anything to say, but I think I second Leo" she said.
"Boring duo" I said as I walked really fast to the Eastern Palace.
The pair came in few seconds after me, I wondered how fast they walked to have caught up with me.
"Since, you both want me to work so much...you!(I pointed at Leo) when is my meeting with our guy?"
"What....our guy?" He asked.
"The guy with the inside information from the ministry of taxation. You can't remember?"
Leo and I were really close and we spoke about almost everything. He tried to keep his distance sometimes but to no avail. He was stuck with me!
"The meeting is supposed to be in three days" He replied
"Three days? Shift it to today since you want me to work so much" I said to him.
"You (I pointed at Scarlett) change your clothes you're coming with me"
Scarlett replied immediately after "Me? Why?"
"Even Leo doesn't dare question me, the nerve you have. Just do as I said"
Leo stared back and forth at both of us before he finally interrupted "Your majesty, where do you want to have the meeting?"
"Hmm, your house. Send a message for him to meet us at your house" I said. "Why are you staring? You barely stay there anyways. Just lend it to me this once...or a couple more times" I continued.
"Yes Your Majesty"
"Now you two move along and come back quickly, also Leo get me some normal clothes on your way back."
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Scarlett's POV
I dressed in one of the oufits the Palace had given Courtladies incase they needed a change of clothes. I must admit, I looked and felt like a noble. It didn't matter what I was feeling, what was important was my current position in life.
Leo's house was really a short distance from the Palace gates. It was really big and finely designed like that of a noble, practically a mansion. Although there were a few attentdants in the house, it felt...lonely. As if nobody had been there for a long time. It was quite understandable because Leo was always beside Felix most of the time. Even at night he just found somewhere close by in the Eastern Palace so he could be close to Felix. A lot of times, he stayed right next to Felix all night long. He was really devoted to his job and friendship.
Unless they didn't want others to realise, it was quite obvious that the two of them had a close brother-like relationship.
"I gave him the address he'll be here in a few minutes" Leo said.
Felix sat down "My Scarlett, come over here and sit next to me. Don't be so formal outside the Palace"
I wasn't willing to accepting that offer. "Thank you but I'd have to decline" I said.
"Sit! Now!" He said sternly.
What did me sitting even have anything to do with him?
"Yes Your Majesty " I said as I sat next to him. I hated people ordering me around so much.
"Leo, will you remain standing or will you sit?"
"It's my duty to protect you so I'll keep standing" Leo said holding his sword firmly.
Why would he choose to still stand in his own home? At least he had a choice. I envied him. As expected a few minutes later the 'our guy' came in and I was shocked as to who he was.
Oliver.....what the? How many things had he been hiding from me? When Oliver came in he opened his eyes in shock.
Felix must have noticed the look we gave eachother because he asked "Do you know eachother?"
I beat Oliver to answer "No...no we don't!" I shook my head at Oliver signalling that we acted like strangers.
"Your majesty" Oliver said as he did a polite gesture.
"Have your seat" Felix said
When Oliver sat Felix took a deep breathe and said "I have a proposal for you. There's a grand plan I have, I need you to help me closely. "
"Your Majesty, how may I help you? I don't think I'd be of much help but, if there's any way I could help you please tell me" Oliver replied.
That sly of a friend. He sounded so uneducated when we spoke, now I looked at him talking all noble and refined. At first I was filled with disappointment towards him, but I realised there must have been a reason for it right?
Felix moved a bit closer towards Oliver and said "I need Henry Barnett, minister of taxation out of the court in less than a month. Find me irrefutable dirt on him"
Henry Barnett! That man was the cause of my family's misery. I hated him so much!
"You can trust me on this one Your Majesty" Oliver said.
"If you need any resources or men to help you don't hesitate to contact Leo." He said while getting up.
I got up immediately after him.
"Also, I must say Thank you Oliver for providing the previous information. Is there anything you want? I'll grant it for you"
Oliver stood up looked at me and looked around nervously before finally replying "There's nothing I need anymore after you have seen me as a person worthy to be entrusted with an important task".
Oh the flattery! I was so sure that Oliver hadn't meant that from the bottom of his lying mind.
Felix chuckled "There's no need for you to flatter me, really. Since there's nothing you want, you may leave now"
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As we made our way back to the Palace, we passed the playground the lower class citizens had made for themselves. They made it together not so far from the Palace in hopes that if one day the king came out of the Palace on a procession, the children would have a whiff of his royal aura for goodluck. It was something I didn't believe.
Suddenly, someone tugged on my clothes and said loudly "Scarlett?? Is that you?" I recognised that voice, it was James, my brother.
I turned just to be sure, I gasped in shock when I saw it was James that tugged on my clothes, I looked and I saw Jack running towards our direction too. I smiled brightly as I bent to hug them both, I had missed them so much it was starting to affect my mental health.
"Well I've never seen you so happy" Felix said.
Oh shit! I had forgotten he was there. I turned to him with my brothers trying to think of what to say.
Jack suddenly blurted "You look rich Scarlett, did you run away to get married to him(he pointed at Felix)? Uncle Oli....." I interrupted him by covering his mouth.
I didn't want Felix to know about my personal life in any way but he was going to find out anyways. He smiled as he went over to pat Jack on his head and said "So I and Scarlett look married?"
Having known him for a while, I was so sure he was going to make his findings, nevertheless our relationship as King and maid wasn't going to change. Once found out about me, he would pity me and I might just mistake his pity for something else.
I knew I was going to get trampled upon in the end when his feelings of pity start to fade away, nevertheless it looked like the situation couldn't be helped.
I knew that prediction was a taboo for fate, nevertheless I was willing to predict that we'd never go past the relationship we had.
Could it even be classified as a relationship?
I wasn't ready to live in an illusion.