The Blooming Love
1120 Words
"You can't tell the villagers to come directly to the palace kitchen. Do you think that it is everyone that can enter the palace, much more where the meals for the royals are being made? You've been here for one week. Haven't you noticed that the chefs don't like to have people near them? You are lucky I'm telling you this now before you get yourself fired."
"I think I shouldn't talk because I keep getting myself in trouble when I open my mouth."
Agatha nodded. "That is just the solution. Now, focus on sorting out these items and don't talk to me."
"Do you hate me?" Shanna blurted out.
Agatha sighed and turned to look at her in shock. "What is wrong with you? Are you the goddess of emotions or what? First, you tell me that I like Brood even when I tell you that I don't. Now, you tell me that I hate you. I should have been paired with another person. This is getting annoying."
"Do you like me?" Brood asked as he joined them, unnoticed by the two ladies.
He had overheard Agatha's grumble and didn't mind asking her about how she felt about him. The ladies hadn't even known that he had joined them, a proof that the tension between them was thick and that was why he decided to talk and make his presence known before Agatha said something that would Shanna cry.
He could tell that Shanna adored Agatha even if she didn't see it and didn't want Agatha to be hated, which was what would happen if she kept talking down on the younger maid regardless of how angry she was or right her opinions were.
Agatha gasped at the sound of his voice and groaned at his words. "Oh no!" She flashed Shanna a dirty look.
"Do you like me, Agatha?" Brood asked again, curious about her response.
Agatha swallowed and couldn't say a word. She couldn't confess to liking him and didn't want to lie to him that she didn't like him either.
Brood sighed. "I thought you did. If you do, dance with me tomorrow at the festival." His heart beat faster in his chest as he hoped that she would agree to. He had noticed her the first day that she got to the palace and had been enthralled by her beauty.
He had also overheard her telling someone that she had applied for work at the palace to make more money and wasn't interested in anything else.
He hadn't thought that a lady like that would want to be in a relationship with anyone and certainly not with him who had been a lower guard at the time.
He had worked hard and proven himself to his superiors till he got promoted to one of the guards protecting the king and handling major palace affairs. He had wanted to impress Agatha.
He had avoided looking into her eyes because he didn't want her to see how he felt about her and reject him before he could confess.
He was shocked at the moment that she cared about him the way he did. He wanted to laugh at how much time they had wasted because he had been afraid to look at her.
If he had been bold enough to look at her all those times they had run into each other, he would have seen how she felt about him.
Maybe they would be planning their engagement at the moment or would have gotten married.
He felt like a fool and hoped that she wouldn't reject him. She didn't respond on time and the extra one minute that she hesitated before giving him her answer felt like eternity to him.
His legs shook and he winced at the cramp in them. His throat felt dry and he swallowed, praying that she would talk and ease his tension.
"I will dance with you." Agatha blurted out.
"So, you do like me." Brood chuckled and walked away, acting like he hadn't wanted to faint few minutes ago when he thought that she would reject him.
His heart pumped with elation and he walked back to his post with a huge smile playing out on his face.
"Am I really going to dance with Brood tomorrow?" Agatha turned to Shanna, her eyes shining with excitement and disbelief.
She couldn't believe that had actually happened. She knew she was going to play that conversation in her mind repeatedly all through the might.
"I thought you want me to keep my mouth shut if I don't want to be fired from the kitchen. I don't think I'm allowed to talk about your love life, senior." Shanna pouted.
Agatha snorted. "Don't be petty."
"You are welcome." Shanna chuckled.
"What?" Agatha asked, staring at her in confusion.
"You haven't thanked me for making Brood ask you out."
"You didn't do that."
"Would he have asked you out if he didn't hear that you like him? Would he have heard that you like him if I hadn't said anything?"
Agatha sighed and rolled her eyes. "Thank you."
"You are welcome."
"Let's be done with the task so I can get ready for tomorrow's festival."
"I will help you look pretty." Shanna offered.
"Thank you." Agatha smiled brightly.
"I hope we don't have to stay here till the end of the day."
Shanna chuckled. "It's amusing to hear you say that. I thought you were resigned to staying here till the end of the day."
"It's because I have something to look forward to."
"The royal festival is always something to look forward to for everyone in the kingdom. I'm sure that is why everyone wants to be involved in one way or the other."
"Now I really have something to look forward to asides the general entertainment and abundant food."
"I can't believe you like Brood."
"I can't believe you still dare to tease your superior."
Shanna sighed. "Are you still pulling that card out?"
Agatha grinned. "I will let it slide just for today. Why won't I like Brood? He walks in a cute manner."
"He walks in a normal way." Shanna snorted.
"Because you don't see him."
"Oh, I do see him." Shanna chuckled.
"Not the way I see him." Agatha smiled, her heart hoping to see Brood one more time before the end of the day.
As much as she didn't want to stand there anymore, she didn't mind villagers still bringing their gifts in if that would make her see Brood again.
She winced as a nasty thought whispered in her head.
What if Brood didn't show up for the dance and he had only made a fool of her?
- Writer
