I CLIMBED down the stairs, heaving a sigh. I walked to the kitchen, where I started on the dishes. I looked at the huge pile of dishes on the counter, determined to do as much as I could before the next person got there. I picked up the rag and started the first pot. I huffed at a bit of food that wouldn’t come off. I stretched my fingers and tried again. After several minutes of scrubbing, I sighed and dropped the pot back into the water. The gleam of the pot reminded me of Louie’s eyes. Tears filled mine. I grabbed my apron and dabbed the tears away. I wondered what Peter was doing, and if he was thinking about me, too. Peter! Why am I having feelings for Vigilius? I thought. Then, Why did Peter leave so suddenly? What was so urgent that the general wouldn’t have allowed him to stay with his belle for longer? I sighed. For some reason, I hardly missed Peter. I missed Louie, though. My Louie… I sighed. I wished things were different. I wished he wasn’t a prince. And a snooty one, at that. If he wasn’t so snooty, I may have just fallen head-over-heels for him. But he is changed! He’s not the snooty prince everyone says. Not like I remember him. I thought again. I do love him. I’m sorry, Peter. But I don’t think you really mean it. I remembered the ways I felt when he first kissed me. Warmth, then cold. I remembered the “memory” of when Louie kissed me. Just warmth. I sighed and remembered what Zarola had said about what it felt like to fall in love, and how you could tell if someone was in love with you. Who do I love?! I’m almost of age to be betrothed! If I wait too long, I’ll be too old. About half an hour later, I handed the job over to Maya, another one of the servant girls I had met during my time there. Iwalked to my room for my next job; cleaning Master Wahl’s bedchaimbers. I climbed up the narrow, dusty, unkempt stairway. I took a right, and a left, and then up the stairs, another left, and looked down, knowing that if any teacher was walking the halls, I would be punished just for looking into their eyes. I sighed as another two pairs of feet came into view. One looked like the servant’s shoes, the other was much grander than any I had seen before. And I had seen a lot of shoes. The shoes to my right were made of plain leather, slightly muddy, with lots of holes. The other pair was adorned with red velvet, held together by gold-plated buckles. I looked up into the servant’s eyes and gasped. Zarola! Her eyes were wide with fear, and her hands were shaking. “What are you doing here?” I mouthed. She jerked her head towards the person next to her. I looked towards where she was jerking. A towering figure came into my line of sight, dressed in a deeper red, and pulling a sickening smile. His dark eyes pierced through me as though he were a viper looking at his prey. “Hello, young lady.” Kieser said. I nodded. “Why are you here, Zarola?” “She didn’t do what she was supposed to.” I gave her a confused look. She shook her head, and mouthed, “No! I heard Peter, and some random plan!” Peter! Kieser covered her mouth, and pulled on a smile, whispering in Zarola’s ear as though he knew I would hear, “Stop lying, you idiot!” “Oh, really?” I asked, and pushed through him, sprinting to his nearby room. Kieser followed me, ravenously trying to catch me, legs collapsing several times. What’s up with him? I thought. I pressed my ear against the door. I did hear a voice that sounded like Peter’s, and scribbling noises. Kieser must be the genral! I thought, if Peter is here, scribbling and talking, they must be laying out plans for their next attack! “You’re all fools!” Peter said. I heard steps coming towards me, and ducked behind a tapestry, just as Kieser had turned the corner behind me. Peter stepped out and looked around. Kieser panted, pointing towards me, before sinking to the ground. Peter smiled and rolled his eyes. “Hana,” I stepped out. “Peter,” I said, blushing. He said nothing, I did so too. “What’s going on?” I said after a few moments. “Hana, Hana, Hana. Don’t you see?” Kieser said through the panting after he had caught up with us. “See what?” I backed towards the wall as Peter tried to corner me.
Read ^ FIRST!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “He’s my father,” Peter whispered, sending sparks down my neck. I felt my eyes go wide. “What?” He pressed his lips to my cheek, not replying. I smiled against my will, trying to feign still being in love with him, and turned his mouth to mine. Peter pulled away in an instant. “You fool!” he said, shoving me all the way into the wall. I pressed against the wall, trying to flatten myself out, still taking it all in. Kieser’s Mr. Gaoler. Kieser is Mr. Gaoler! I thought over and over again. Or Peter’s real name is Peter Arcas Kieser. I thought again. “Why did you pull away?” I said, asking what was mostly filling my mind. “Don’t you see? I’m a prince!” “No! Louie is the prince!” “I’m the prince of Albannak,” “I doubt it,” I said, hoping this was one of his pranks. I ran through what Zarola had told me about the Albannanise monarchy. They were quite ruthless with their prisoners. I gripped the stone wall the best I could, trying to keep myself from screaming and getting into more trouble. From behind his back, Peter pulled out a grand crown, jewels inset in it, much more imposing than I had ever seen. He placed it on his head. My eyes widened. I have been friends with the enemy for so long! What information have I given him? “I’m betrothed,” Peter said, grinning. “What? No. Peter! I know I love you!” I lied, stomach knotting. “Then know this,” he said, coming closer, and whispering, “you... you are a peasant. No one important would ever wed you. Even your Bert.” I shrank to the floor, pulling my knees in as tears streamed down my face. We won’t be allowed, I thought. Kieser crept closer to me, grabbing my sleeve as he pulled me into his study, pushing me roughly into a wooden chair in a corner along with Zarola. A cup was pressed against my lips, and I drank. The familiar numbness filled me. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AHAHAH!! LE PLOT TWIST HAS BEEN EXECUTED!! He's the PRINCE! OF THE ENEMY! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???? >:) Yeeeeeeeeeees Hana. Now just wait 'till chapter 37 >:) You'll see. And you'll be HAPPY!! -OREO
