Betrothed To The King

Chapter26

“We have been waiting outside here for hours to get a chance to sneak in, but we haven’t even seen any possibility of entering. This task is so difficult to be done in two days!” Zuko, the head guard, muttered as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“I am famished, and I don’t think we brought enough food to sustain us while this mission lasts,” one of the guards said as he yawned tiredly.

“We have to be serious with this task. We all know what King Theodore can do if we come back without the queen. We must keep our eyes focused to achieve this. No sleeping!” the head guard shouted at the already sleeping fat brunette guard, who immediately jerked up, making the rest of the guards laugh out loud.

Queen Zinnia walked into the kitchen as all the maids turned to see her, and they all bowed in surprise at seeing her there.

She doesn’t have any business in the kitchen as a queen, so it was shocking to see her there.

“My queen, do you need anything? Did a maid delay your order?” the head maid asked curiously as Queen Zinnia rolled her eyes at her and walked to the kitchen counter.

“Don’t I have the right to be here?” she asked expressionlessly as her eyes scanned through the kitchen. It was new to her.

“No, my queen, you’re welcome.”

“Where is Sage?” she asked as Sage walked out of the storehouse with some coffee beans. She was about to make Pearl’s coffee.

“My queen, you want to see me?” Sage replied bluntly as she kept the beans on the counter and took the boiling water.

She hasn’t stopped disregarding Zinnia, and Zinnia wondered why she still didn’t want to give her the respect she deserved even after the punishment.

“Uhm… Add this to your mistress’s coffee. It would help her stop sleeping and being too weak. Not to worry, she knows about this, and she approves it,” Zinnia lied as Sage nodded and took the small bag that felt like it had seeds inside.

“Okay then, that would be when the coffee absorbs it,” Sage said and faked a smile as Zinnia walked out, hoping she would add it.

“I wonder why Queen Zinnia had to come to the kitchen herself to give you whatever it is when she could simply call any of the maids,” Irene whispered as Sage sucked her teeth.

“Me too. I’m shocked. I will just do as she has instructed and put this stuff when I get to my mistress’s room,” Sage said as she took the steamy cup of coffee and headed out.

***

“Guys! Guys! Wake up! Look over there. Some guards are going in. Why don’t we follow them and act like one of them?” one of the guards whispered.

“Nice idea, Steve! Let’s go, guys! We don’t have to let them see us. This is our only chance,” the head guard said as they all rode carefully and joined the guards.

They kept their horses in a secluded place and hurried in to mix up and find their way.

“Be careful, you all. If you see the queen, make sure to get her unconscious before bringing her out.”

“Leader, I would advise that only two guards enter and fetch the queen while the rest of us stand out here and act like security guards. Going in there together and splitting up will make it difficult to return,” the brunette guard said as the head guard nodded in approval.

“Zuko and Steve, you both should go in and successfully get the queen. We do not have much time left.”

***

Sage walked down the hallway with the steamy hot coffee as she entered Queen Pearl’s room with a smile curved on her lips. She didn’t know why, but she gets happy when she sees her mistress, and it is rare. Most maids do not like their mistresses, but Sage’s own was different. She could probably kill for her mistress if necessary.

“My queen, you look beautiful tonight as usual,” she said as she kept the coffee on the table, watching her mistress try to sit up with her heavy belly, but it was kind of hard for her. “I will help you,” she said as she gave her a hand.

“Thank you, Sage. I don’t know what I would do without you in this situation. The baby seems to be stressing me more by the day,” Pearl said as she exhaled heavily. “Oh geez, I should be in the king’s room now! He hasn’t released me yet!” she muttered as she made to stand up.

“No, no, my queen, relax. You can go after taking your coffee. It’s really important to your health, you know,” Sage said as Pearl calmed down and took the coffee into her mouth as her face wrinkled.

“I think I am getting bored of this everyday coffee. Can’t I just take a few days break?” Pearl said, dropping the coffee back on the table, not wanting it.

“Okay, I will give you a week break then, but just finish this one,” Sage smiled as Pearl took the coffee and gulped it all at once. “Uhm… My queen, where are your friends?”

“They have gone to the guest room to freshen up. Please, I quickly need to go back to the king’s room before he comes for me,” Queen Pearl said and made to stand up as a knock came and the door was opened after some seconds.

“My queen, the king said I should inform you to sleep in your room. He has a woman with him tonight,” the guard said as he bowed and left.

A woman on his bed, a mistress or his wife? Well, that’s not a new thing anyway. Once a ladies’ man, always a ladies’ man.

“My queen, please wait for me. I will go keep this cup and get hot water to bathe you as the weather seems cold,” Sage said as Pearl nodded.

***

I don’t know why, but I just wanted to know the woman in his bed. I am not supposed to be worried, but I am, and I don’t like it.

Maybe I will pretend as if I came to take something so the situation won’t seem weird. Maybe I will go take my new anklets.

I tried standing from the bed as I felt a sharp pain in my waist. Yeah, that was the recent development with this baby bump. This is the fifth month, and it is already giving me much stress.

I tried hard to stand as I successfully got to my feet and headed out of my room. I feel like a nosy person. Why don’t I go back and rest instead of thinking of who the ladies’ man is sleeping with.

***

Zinnia came out of her room, about to sneak into Agent Fox’s room as usual, when she sighted the seeds on the floor.

“Wait… Is this not the seed I gave to Sage to put in Pearl’s coffee?” she thought to herself as she bit her lips, confirming that it was.

Zinnia was so angry because the seeds were rare and expensive. Sage could have just told her she wouldn’t put it in instead of wasting it.

The seeds were meant to cause Pearl a miscarriage, but Sage ruined the plan once again. Sage isn’t a fool to put something given by Zinnia into her mistress’s coffee after knowing Zinnia for years and knowing what she is capable of doing.

She knows that Zinnia can never change and can never like Pearl. Zinnia acted nice to Pearl as it was a plan between her and her lover, Fox.

“Look, Zinnia, I don’t think all this we are doing will help in any way,” Fox started, seeing how angry Zinnia was. She was upset because the king chose to ride home with Pearl instead of her.

“So what are you implying? That I should just leave her and sit watching her take my husband?” Zinnia said, almost yelling.

“Calm down, Zinnia, I can never say that. I have a very clever idea this time,” Fox said as Zinnia sighed.

“Just spill it out already.”

“All you have to do in this one is to act nice to Pearl, treat her kindly, and make her feel free with you.”

Fox made her do all that, and she didn’t even enjoy acting fake. She also hated Pearl’s friends for reasons known only to her.

“That girl is a bastard,” Zinnia muttered angrily as she left for Fox’s room.

Pearl walked down the hallway slowly in order not to fall as different thoughts ran through her mind.

Maybe she should go back and have a hot bath that suits the weather and sleep instead of checking up on a man that doesn’t care about her.

Suddenly she felt like she was blacking out. Her eyes were blurring as she fell, not reaching the ground. A strong hand held her, and she hoped it was King Archer.