TRAVEL

Chapter 3

“Oh? But, where have you heard of those terrible rumors? ” I said with a surprise tone. Of course my surprise was fake, I already expected her to bring up this topic.

“Haven”t you also heard? This news is popular! ” She exclaimed, once out of her fan and fanned herself while laughing.

“Of course I haven’t heard of it Princess.” I said calmly with a smile.

“Then you”re-

“If you didn”t see it with your own eyes or heard of it with your own ears, don”t invent with your small mind or gossip it with big mouth. Princess Belle. ” I said emphatically to her. “Well? Have you asked me directly why I drowned? You didn”t even ask me if I”m okay. Oh dear, what a Princess! ”

I heard the comments of other princesses, they all agreed to what I said and went to my side. This is easy as an adult.

I smirked at her when I saw her laughed turned into a frown.

“I-I...” She never spoke again. I sip my tea and gave her a smile, a smile that made her shiver.

“To answer your questions,” I glanced at everyone. “I am not doing it on purpose, of course. Why would I drown myself? Just to get noticed by the Prince? How absurd, indeed. I value my life too. ”

I saw the others nod. Even I knew in myself that what Belle said was true. I sighed and got up from my seat, I still need to read some books.

“I have to excuse myself.” I said as I took the tissue from the table. “I have many stuffs to do-

BLAG

“OH MY GOD I’M SO SORRY!” I was surprised when I bumped into one of Demitry”s maids, I looked at my dress and it was filled with hot tea. I don’t get burnt because the fabric of my dress is thick so I’m fine.

“HOW DARE YOU TO DO THAT TO THE PRINCESS?!” Demitry shouted loudly and immediately took out the tissues. “APOLOGIZE NOW!”

“I’m so sorry Princess I didn’t mean to do-”

“No it’s fine.” I said while looking at her… wait “Seraphina?”

“Yes, Princess?” She replied.

SHE”S A MAID?!

To be continued…

Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Who is Seraphina?

“Seraphina?”

“Yes, Princess?” SHE”S A MAID? WHAT ?!

Not only that she”s a maid, she”s Demitry”s maid!

She gave me a puzzled look, a question why I know her name. I was surprised when he suddenly knelt in front of me, what the-

“I’m so sorry Princesss, Please don’t punish me!” She begged.

I stopped and thought for a moment. She”s Seraphina Clement? Right? The future Queen of Gem Empire? But why is she a maid of Demitry? I thought she was a foreign princess from another country.

“Princess?” She asked me with a scared voice, I always wanted to hear this kind of voice from her before. But I don’t have time to punish him, I need time to think about who he is and where he came from.

I don”t really have information about her before since her information is limited. All that is stated is that she is a foreign princess from another country and she was a daughter of a wealthy family, did they lie about those information?

Who covers the information though? Dang it! Why was I focus from the competition anyways !? I should have focused more on the participants!

I knelt down and stared at him for a long time, I might look weird right now but I need this.

Seraphina as Queen has blonde hair, this maid have brownish hair. Weird, does she have a twin or something? She wear large glasses to cover her excessive beauty.

Same name and same face… hmmm.

“Do you have any relatives?” I asked in a calm voice, other people busy with broken plates and discarded food. But I was busy examining this girl. Something”s off.

“N-none, Princess”

“What is your Family name?” I asked again

“Ma-maids don’t have last name, Princess.” He replied. Oh yeah I forgot, maids that aren”t born decent doesn”t have any last name, like Maddy.

“Oh I forgot, you’re beautiful.” He was surprised by what I said.

“A-are you going to punish m-me? Im so sorry your majesty. ” I was shaken. As much as I want to hurt you right now… I just can”t. You didn”t do anything to me, yet. It would be unfair too.

“Of course not, it was an accident.” She heaved a sigh and thank me again and again.

I got up. Also shake off the remaining crumbs of food.

Seraphina and Demitry left first, Demitry dragged Seraphina into the palace. Many princesses have returned home and only a few are left.

“Princess! Are you okay? Are you hurt? ” Maddy rushed to me and checked everything. It is forbidden to let the maid of another Princess in as long as there is a tea party.

“I am fin-

“THE PRINCE OF THE GEM EMPIRE IS HERE.“Well s**t. What is he doing here now?

“What happened here?” he immediately asked when he saw the big clutter. He looked at me from head to toe. “Did you get into a fight?”

I heard the remaining Princesses whisper from each corners. Dang it, this can cause bad rumors again. Belle will get gossip or weird rumors from me, then I need to defend myself.

“No, your-

“Did you start this mess?” I raised an eyebrow at him. Maybe you saw that there were some things in my dress, right? Is this guy for real? Blaming me in front- s**t. “Can”t you behave like-

“No, your majesty. I did not cause this mess. There was an accident. ” What is he even doing here anyway ?! He was supposed to be busy. Why is he here, does he have a business with Princess Demitry?

But today is supposed to be a tea party, Maybe Demitry won’t have a tea party if the prince is going to go to her?

“Then who caused it?” He asked me and crossed his arms.

“A maid cause it, your highness.” My eyes widened as Maddy answered. I don”t have any plans to tell him what happened here today.

“Where is this maid now? She must be punished. ” I was slapped on the forehead. THIS IS NONE OF YOUR FREAKING BUSINESS! Why would he meddle on something he”s not involve on ?! “Are you ok? Were you hurt? ” he asked me.

I gave him an annoying look. I do not wish to see him any day of the week or month! In the past he didn”t even appear to me for years. Not even in his father”s funeral, he”s clearly avoiding me. I just saw her again in the Queen Candidate.

This is new

“No, it was an accident your highness. No need to make a huge fuss about it. ” He glared at me when I answered. What? He wants to punish Seraphina? His future queen and wife ?!

I have mixed feelings, I don”t know If I want him to see Seraphina or not. I don”t know if this is jealousy either and Im not sure if what I feel is true. I promised myself to stop… chasing for him.

“I asked if you”re ok Ash…” He said with a warning voice. I stopped thinking when he said my nickname back from we were just kids. I have never heard of it since my childhood.

I missed that nickname, the past where I call him Al And he called me Ash. He gave me a nickname, it”s a little close to my real name but at least he gave me a nickname.

But he stopped calling me that when I saw him again. Memories hurt a lot. I wished to be called by that name again, in case I was annoying according to him daw. He was so harsh and mean, I don”t know why he changed.

Maybe I’ll find out what really happened? To him? To us?

No wait, stop. You”ll end up dying again. He won”t save you just like before, he didn”t love you right? will you waste the second life you have been given?

WHY AM I OVERTHINKING ?!

“S-stop” I said with a nod.

“What?”

“STOP CALLING ME THAT!” I snapped at him, I can feel the tears building up in my eyes.

He was surprised when I shouted, no- some other people were surprised.

I ran and wiped away my tears. I was about to enter one of the carriage cases when suddenly someone pulled me.

“I-I”m sorry Ash. I didn”t-

“C-can you just stop calling me that nickname?” I don”t want to remember… anything from the past.

“But you like it when you I call you by your nickname.” I withdrew my arms and approached her.

I tapped his shoulders and whisper:

“Not anymore.”

Chapter 5: Promises are meant to be Broken

I sat outside the palace where there were many flowers and trees. I always loved this place, its peaceful and I am the only one here.

But it is still not enough to give me calmness when I remember what happened to Alistair and me. It”s been 4 weeks? Wow time flies fast, the entrance is near

I don”t want to see him though, I”m used to not seeing him but why can”t it be that way instead?Bat he always comes here to the palace? He doesn”t have any business here except checking the garden. He kept checking the garden like every 3 days of the week, this never happened in the past.

But today is the day he is busy. I can go out and have some peaceful tea time with myself. I always stay inside my room when he is there because I don”t want to see him or talk to him or feel his presence in any way.

When he is there, you always need to greet the prince. And me who didn”t see him for 4 weeks made an excuse. It’s just that he can’t be seen.

“Princess.” I looked at the speaker, it was Maddy. She was bowing while calling me. “The King informed me about the course you want to take in the Academy.”

I sighed and answered “Continue”

“I have all the schedules you need to attend this Monday, it will be next week Princess.” Hmmm, next week is the entrance? I have 2 years to study in the Academy. I thought deeply when I remembered that the dear King had died.

Wasn”t the king murdered before the competition started? It will be in 2 years? When was the exact day? Wait

I remembered, someone was screaming. It was at a party, they found the King dead in his own room. They never told me any details because we aren”t that much involved in the party. It was rumored that he was stabbed and other rumors said he was poisoned.

Clearly I didn”t want to get involved but it was the King, the one who raised me. I will probably avenge his death, or much better, prevent him from getting killed. But is this going to be enough to change me future?

“Princess June?” I immediately looked at Maddy.

“Ah- sorry, I was bu-busy. Thinking. ” Maddy was surprised by what her boss said.

���The princess never thinks of anything except paying attention to the prince” Maddy thought. ���What happened?”

“What was it again?” I asked him while drinking coffee.

“You will be arriving early at the dormitory at school, Princess. We will travel tomorrow, we are already busy packing today. ” I sighed at what Maddy said.

The Academy is so far from the Empire, there are also many other students from other empires. Not only here at Gem Empire, I might meet familiar faces again. The famous group at school and some famous people too. Of course don’t include Alistair since he always tops the political course.