A Dangerous Game

"How could she be so evil? So it was her who put my clothes down the well? That is so despicable. If she wasn't my mother in law I would've cursed her. Ugh, how could she have done this to me? Am I not her daughter in law? The moment I've walked into that house, I've noticed she had a problem with me. Why me?"  Lady Morenza stands in one of the vacant bed rooms in the mansion, fretting over newly shed information as her maid stands idly in front of her. "I'm sorry my lady, I really thought you should know. I know I'm not supposed to be telling secrets, I hope you don't punish me my lady." Maid Rosalina says, bowing her head. "No, no I won't. I just have a lot to think about... like what will I wear for the celebration now? There is no way Ahmad will believe me about his Mother, and I don't want to confront her in fear that she'll turn him against me." "...Permission to speak my mind, my lady?" "Yes, I won't prosecute you." "I think you should tell Ahmad, if his heart is true, he won't use it against you. A man must put his wife above all else... but that is only my thoughts my future Queen. Don't take it as me going against the family, even though I have told you of what I've seen of your Mother in law." Lady Morenza sighs, placing her fingers over the bridge of her nose. "I know, I must tell him. I just wish it wasn't in these circumstances... Thank you Maiden Rosalina. Please leave me to think." "Yes my lady." She bows once more and leaves the room, closely the door slightly behind her. "This troubles me... my own Mother in law is actively trying ruin my marriage to Ahmad... Why is she doing this? Why me, why can't I just have my wedding without this pettiness?" Lady Morenza says in sadness.  She sits at the edge of her bed, playing with her fingers. "Maybe I should just... cancel the day. Should I really risk Ahmad's feeling for me leaving just because of this? What if he takes his Mother's side?... No, no that won't happen. I can trust my future husband." She stands up and walks to her dresser, playing with her hair while her eyes look over her tired face in the mirror. Days of preparation, down to the custom made gowns she was envisioning herself in at her event is now down the drain.    She rolls her fingers through her hair, trying to calm herself down. She jumps as her door squeaks from being opened. "This room is occupied-"  "Hello Lady Morenza." Klaus strides through with his hands in his pockets. Morenza's expression instantly sours, not wanting to deal with anymore problems. "Klaus. I've had enough foolishness for today, leave my room now." "Oh, I just thought I should stop by to visit the future queen. Ha, it rolls of the tongue so strangely. You becoming queen seems so... preposterous." He chuckles, grabbing one of the little decors on her dresser. She snatches it back. "Have you really come here to insult me? You're a dog with no manners whatsoever."  "At least this dog can bite. You're the one hiding in your husband's mansion all day, threatening to throw me away and lock away the key, but you haven't done it. I wonder what's keeping you my lady." He stares daggers into her eyes as he smiles contently from her scowl. "Maybe I should just get it over with. You're a nuisance and shouldn't be talking to me this way-" "I'll talk to you however way I want to. You're not special in my eyes, no matter how much you look down at me." "I look down at you because you act like dirt!" "And you're filth." He spits back and she throws her hands up in the air. "Ugh! You're just... you're so unbelievably... I don't even have words to describe you! I don't have time for you," She says as she pushes past him to her wardrobe, "I have so much going on with my event and you're always in my business! If you hate me so much then why don't you just leave me be and never return? If my fiance were to find out that his best friend is constantly doing this to me-" "But you won't tell him, won't you? Because you won't be able to see me again." He steps behind her, and she can feel the heat radiating of his body on her back. Her breaths hitch in her throat as his fingers touch her hand, but she collects herself and quickly pulls away. She turns around in fury. "What are you doing? Are you crazy? Are you mad? Is this some type of game to you, where you enjoy me being upset? If that's the case then you are the worst human being on the planet!"  "I'm just stating facts. You would miss me too much Morenza."  "I would miss you as much as that fly I swatted this morning!" She scoffs. She closes her wardrobe and walks past him, pulling the door open.   "Leave now."  He looks to the door, taking a step towards it with a smirk so infuriating that Morenza has a thought to slap it off of him.  "Alright, I suppose I should go. I mean, I guess you don't want to know why I really came here. Oh well, maybe-"  "I could care less about what you have to say." "Hm, I guess I'll just keep the information about Ahmad's mother to myself. Have a great day future queen." He takes a step out as Morenza's eyes widen.  "Wait, wait. What did you say?"  "Hm? You wanted something?" "You just... you just said something about Ahmad's mother. What is it you wanted to tell me?"  "Oh, I'm sorry my queen, I thought you wanted me to leave. I was happily going to go to some bar to carry out the rest of my afternoon. Have a good day." Klaus replies, turning back around until she grabs his arm. With desperation in her eyes, she frowns while biting her bottom lip.  "Wait, seriously. I... if you have any information for me... please tell me."  "I don't know... I think I'm going to need something from you first."  "What?" She says reluctantly.  "I'm going to need you to give me a kiss on the cheek." He leans in and Morenza scowls, smacking the arm she was previously holding. "You're such a pervert! Stop with this nonsense! If you were just playing with me again then I want you to leave and never look at me again. God, I'm going through so much stress and you are constantly messing with me, what is wrong with you? I'm not playing around anymor-" "Alright alright," He smiles, raising his hands,  "Fine, I'll stop playing with you. But my info is not for free, you know that. If you want it, you will have to... hm... to tell me how amazing, handsome, and awesome I am."  Morenza scoffs as she folds her arms in front of her, contemplating whether the information would even be worth it.  "You are far from any of that Klaus."  "I guess I'll just be leaving then-" "Alright, alright! Klaus... you are" She swallows, looking away from him.  "You are awesome and amazing..."  "And?" He says.  "And...you are handsome. There. Now this info better be worth it or I will curse you."  "Great, now I am satisfied. So, Ahmad's mother." He takes a seat on her vanity chair.  "I think you can already suspect her great disdain for you, even though my friend is quite blind to it. For a smart man, Ahmad real lets things fly over his head. However, I can understand why she has those feelings towards you-"  "Get to the point."  "There was something I overheard while she was on the phone with someone. I believe she was talking to one of her higher up friends. She mentioned Ahmad and how she wanted him to be with a specific woman, probably her friend's daughter. She wants nothing to do with you, and wants you out of Ahmad's life."  "... God, that much I know." "Let me finish. She also mentioned a plan, I didn't really hear all the details but I think I got the gist of it. She is planning on revealing some information about you at a party that she says will surely make Ahmad fall out of love for you."  "What? What information is this?" Morenza says dumbfounded.  "I don't know, as I said before I didn't hear everything."  "Of course you wouldn't hear the most important part of her phone call! Gods, what am I going to do? Some information about me? At a event? She surely doesn't mean the upcoming-"  "New age celebration? Yes, I think that's one she's talking about." Klaus shrugs,  "Welp I've told you everything I heard. I need to leave now, but I'll see you later Queen." He bows and winks, placing his hands in his pockets as he walks out the door. He's at the end of the hall when Morenza calls out to him.  "Wait! Klaus, why don't you help me? Maybe talk to Ahmad! Surely his best friend can convince him to go against her-"  "Not in my pay grade. Also, I like his Mom. See ya!"  "Ugh, you little-!" Before she can finish, he's already out of sight from turning a corner. She frowns deeply and again sits at the edge of her bed, looking at the mirror on her vanity.  "Why me? I feel so alone, how could this have happened? I just want to get married to Ahmad, but now the only thing in the way is his Mother. This is terrible."  She sits in silence as her thoughts slowly break her down.