The Amorous Mate

Chapter 4: The News

Chelsea went back to her room. Nibbling her fingernail, her thoughts kept gliding over the scene that has happened just earlier. She shook her head once again when her mind recalled how that gentleman, that one named Lord Matthew, gently kissed her hand.

It out of handedly repeated in her mind for quite some time, and even though it has been repeated hundred times already, still it did not fail to let her bring the immediate rush of heat oozing on her cheeks. It made her to forcedly close her eyes. Unable to contain her control, she scream her heart out, but it all resulted in a small squeaking sound she could not distinguish if it was caused either by excitement or irritation.

“My gosh, what is this happening to me?”

She laid down on her bed. She grabbed the nearest pillow near her and she hugged it while ragingly gritting her teeth. Unconsciously, she looked at her left hand and recalled how Lord Matthew gently touched it, and as if all the romances collided, she remembered how the handsome gentleman pecked a kiss on it with passion.

Again, unexplained flushing heat flashed through her cheeks.

“Ah, Damn it!” she cursed.

She jerked up on her bed and she irritatingly disheveled her hair once again. She let out a loud breath in hopes that she could forget that seemingly inevitable scene that kept dinning on her head.

“Damn that man, he is making me crazy like this,” she said.

Soon, she realized that she is now feeling mad at herself because, instead of thinking about her main problem—which should be her real identity—what she has been thinking is how that gentleman Matthew kissed her hand.

“Am I in love to that gentleman?” she asked herself. “No, I should not. I’m not, okay? I don’t even believe in love at first sight. It does not exist. Then what is this feeling I have been having for him? What is this butterflies in my stomach? What is this . . . blushes on my cheeks?”

Then, as if a light bulb suddenly illuminated above her head, she almost jump from a sudden conclusion she realized.

“That’s it!” she blurted. She wiped the invisible irritation cramming her cheeks, and then she heavily exhaled air from her lungs. “That real Princess Demeter was in love to that man. I knew it! She has helplessly fallen to the charm of that lord, I think. And then, since because I am—unexplainably—inside her body, the traces of her love and like to that man was still acting up. And it is the sole reason why I am being affected by him.”

As if a crazy woman, she repeatedly nodded her head. Smiling, she was convincing herself that the version she had realized is the same true version that is actually happening. She repeatedly convinced herself that it was the truth that could explain her piquing feeling.

That it could be the only reason to explain her rapid attraction to the Lord Matthew.

Tired, she once again heaved an exhausted sigh. Lord Matthew has been invading her sole thoughts since earlier, and it was charging her energy.

“Okay, assume that I ‘resolved’ the mystery of my butterflies in my stomach when I saw Lord Matthew. Now the next thing I should problem is that ‘bad news’ they have been telling about me. Am I the only one who does not know what that news is?” she monologued.

Seconds after, she got up from her bed and rushed out her room. She decided to ask the V-maids (Venida and Vennett) about that ‘news’ she deserves to have knowledge about.

The problem was that, as she got out from her room, she realized that she does not know where was the room which the V-maids were staying.

The moment she got out, she was welcomed by an unfamiliar alley. There were old paintings and exquisite crafts hanging on the walls which made the corridor elegant and sophisticated. There were also few closed doors that is in the line of the alley, but she was certain that there were no one staying on those rooms because she had opened those earlier before she could get outside to rant on things to the ring of white cherries.

Luckily, two unfamiliar servants appeared on the alley’s end. They were holding pieces of cloth and a pail filled of clean water. Maybe they were servants in-charge of cleaning the hall.

Alas, when the two servants saw Princess Demeter, they quickly bowed their heads, nervous.

“P-Pleasant morning, your Grace,” one of the servants greeted.

“Uhm, yeah, good morning,” Princess Demeter awkwardly greeted back.

“Might I know if you need something, your Grace?” the other servant asked.

“Yeah, perfect timing. Uhm . . . do you know where the V-maids are?” she asked.

The two servants simultaneously looked at each other. Both of them bear confused look because of the Princess’ intriguing question.

“I … beg for your pardon, your Grace. But V-maids? Wh-who are they?” one of the servants nervously asked.

When Chelsea realized that the servants does not know what V-maids meant, she awkwardly smiled at them. She forgot that it was a word that she made from her crafty mind. No one would know its meaning aside her.

“I mean, Venida and Vennett.” She awkwardly chuckled. “Do you know where they’re staying?”

“Oh, the head servants. They are at the hall's kitchen. They are busy preparing for your breakfast, your Grace.”

“Oh, nice. Thanks guys, you sure helped me,” Chelsea said.

Confused, the servants stared at each other once they learned the way how the Princess talked pretty much weird and different from the usual.

They found the princess more confusing when they saw how she walked on the alley while skipping childishly. For them, it seemed that the Princess is not mourning from the heavy news that the whole kingdom received.

Chelsea mirthfully went downstairs. When she reached the kitchen, she immediately saw the V-maids. They were moving in rush as they prepare a banquet of meal all placed at the long meal table that is also found at the kitchen area.

“Your Grace, the breakfast is about ready. You may now take your seat while I am still cooking your favorite corn soup,” Venida suggested when she saw the Princess by the kitchen’s entrance.

Amazed by the feast of food waiting for her, she silently sat on one of the table’s chairs. She swallowed the lump on her hungry throat as she craved for the scrumptious, warm food all placed in her front.

There were breads, cheese, meat, milk, chocolate caramel, green leafy vegetables, a whole baked chicken and many different varying meals.

“Here is your corn soup, your Grace.”

When Venida placed the bowl of corn soup at her front, the aroma of it rose and tickled through her senses. Suddenly, she felt her stomach complaining from hunger. She scooped a spoonful of the soup and succumb through its delightful taste.

“Wow! This is … this is the best soup I ever tasted!” Chelsea exclaimed.

“I … am totally fluttered from that compliment, your Grace. But … I’m … uh, worried by your uh … behavior, your Grace,” Venida quickly replied.

When Chelsea looked at her, she saw how troubled the maid was.

“Why?” she asked while loudly chewing a good amount of corn from the soup. Her voice was muffled. “I just complimented you, and you don’t like it?”

“That is not the case, your Grace. I am more troubled by your … table etiquette, that is.”

“Oh,” Chelsea reacted.

Remembering that she is not Chelsea anymore, but a high and noble princess, she realized that her etiquette and graceful manner of doing almost all of her movements is a top-notch importance.

That can be her biggest problem. She got no hint of idea of what an elite royal’s etiquette should be. Worse, she had no idea how to move in a graceful, princess-like manner. She attempted doing the graceful movements impromptu, but then she felt embarrassed when she knew she looked like a rusted robot trying so hard to move.

From that, the V-maids sighed in secret frustration.

“Ah, I remember, I have something to ask to the both of you,” Chelsea opened so that she could not feel the awkwardness of her being a fool.

“What is it, your Grace?” Vennett asked, raising her left eyebrow.

“About the bad news you have been telling earlier.”

“What about it?”

“I don’t know what it is. I don’t know what the news is all about,” Chelsea straightforwardly answered.

From that, the V-maids both gasped in shock.

“Holy God in heaven, the Princess must be ill!” cried Vennett.

“Vennett! Keep your mouth zipped!” Venida said as she tried to calm down her sister’s panic.

“But how could she forget her father and her brother’s sudden death because of assassination? How could she forget the death of the King and the Crowned Prince when she is the King’s daughter and the Crowned Prince’s beloved sister?! That is … that is …”

“I get it,” suddenly, Princess Demeter interrupted.

Vennett realized the stupidity of her mouth who kept blabbering things without further thinking. She pursed her lips because of regret.

“I must have been mourning so hard that the pain of their death had made me forgot the reason why I was mourning.” Chelsea stood up. She smiled bitterly as she wiped the tears falling off from her eyes.

She had no idea why she suddenly have the urge to cry. Hearing the news of their death, of the said King and Crowned Prince, it seemed that her body sent her signal to cry and feel the despair of the news. The real Princess Demeter must have been crying by now because of what she has learnt.

“I’m …. terribly … sorry, your Grace,” said Vennett.

“Your Grace, it was yesterday when we received that grave news. You cried so hard on your room that you did not even bother to eat your dinner. That is why I understand why you are acting up differently this morning. On behalf of V-Vennett, she is terribly sorry from her atrocious words,” Venida explained.

Hearing that, Princess Demeter nodded.

“I understand the situation,” she unenergetically replied. “I have no strength for now. I think I have to be alone in my room.”

The pain and sadness were still unexplainable for Chelsea.

“We understand, your Grace. But … I hope you would still eat your food for lunch and dinner later. You need to have strength and would need to tidy up yourself, for tomorrow, the royal guards will come here and would escort us to the castle,” Venida pleaded.

Now, aside from the unexplainable emotion Chelsea was feeling, the news that Venida uttered about the coming of the royal guards has added more to her bag of colossal problems.