Disguised for Love

Part 9

Keeping one's distance from someone who keeps on disturbing the serenity in you is not easy.-

"Faye falls asleep on the instant that her head touches her pillow and only awaken with the smell of the food. She opens her eyes and stretched her body.

Yawning, she turned herself on the opposite side and saw Draco looking at her with a boyish smile on his face, sitting on a chair near the head part of her bed. Chubb was on his lap while he caresses his fur. She smiled shyly at him after it gets into her mind that he had seen her again in one of her vulnerable moments.

He put Chubb down on the floor and stands up and said, "I have been waiting for you to wake up so we can eat our dinner," he comes near her and bends on his knees and was going to touch her face but she got up abruptly, to avoid his touch and asked, "Don't you have work?"

"At this time, no one will look for me. Come on, we will wash our hands; "Draco stands up and holds out his hand to her.

She ignored his hand and stood up on her own. She then went to the basin at the top of the cabinet near her door while he looked at her back, shrugged his shoulder, and then followed to wash his hands too.

They eat their dinner without a word to each other.

After she and Draco had finished their meal and tidied her room, he stands up near her close window, checked on the latch, and then said," I will be traveling next week and will be away for a week."

Faye who sat at the foot of her bed just looked at his back and when there was no comment from her side he turned around to walk towards her, sit down beside her and then get her hand to hold in his palm and resume his talking, "Faye, I want to spend time with you before I go."

She looked at him and then answered, "But I am busy lately with all the preparations for the gowns of the Ladies in Opal Hall. Surely you are busy too."

"What I mean, spend our dinner together and then talk like this."

They stared at each other eyes as if trying to read each other mind, but then a furry creature squeezed in between them. Startled, they looked down and saw it was Chubb; both raised their heads and then smiled broadly to each other. He reached out his hand to her and repeated what he had said earlier, "I want to spend our dinner together and talk."

She wanted to say no, but the words that came out were the opposite. She tried to take it back, but when she saw Draco looking so happy, she doesn't have the heart to disappoint him.

He then stood up and said, "go back to sleep," he looked at her pet that is still on the bed, "come on Chubb let's go out and let Faye sleep again."

Before he left, he kissed her forehead, and then he and her pet were both gone.

On the next day that she went to the stockroom, she expected that her colleague would all let her explain of what had happened the other day. To her surprise, only Lara asked if she is alright. It seems like the others had no clue that she fainted, and Draco brought her to his room. Honestly, a Pantheocelesian deity can do magic well. Anyway, it is also suitable for her so no one will talk about the incident. Besides, she doesn't want Audrey to interrogate her about knowing the Pantheocelesian royalty.

Serenade Palace

For the past three nights, their routine was for Draco to come and bring her to his place. She has no idea where it is, let alone its name only that it is his room. After eating their dinner, they sit down on the couch in the sitting area with her head in his shoulder, Chubb, settled on his lap while they talk about their day. Once Faye yawn, Draco brought her back to her room, kissed her in the forehead before disappearing with her pet.

By the next day, Faye was early in going to her designated area. The pathway that is usually busy with maidservants going to and fro their work is now quiet with her only treading it. Its silence turn a whisper of her name into a shout, which made her, looked around the walkway. She then saw Kendra at the sidewall of the stockroom, where no one passes it.

Kendra turned her head around first as if making sure no one is around and then said, "I have something to tell you, but I don't want anyone to see me talking to you."

"Why?"

"Well, you know the intrigues in here; I want to warn you. I heard from the other maidservant that Princess Isabel is looking for a girl with ebony black hair that went to the open theater during the masquerade event. I remember that we were there at that time and with your hair. "

"I did not hear about it yet." Faye immediately interrupted.

"I only heard it yesterday before we went home; they said it was the head of the lady in waiting of Lady Cassie, who was asked by those from the Saffron hall. Anyway, I have to go now and don't worry. I will not mention you," Kendra walked back first to the walkway and turned her back and waved at her.

Faye waved back and whispered, "Thank you." When Kendra turned to the corner going to her assigned area within the Palace, that was the time Faye went to the door of the stockroom.

Recalling that day in the open theater and wondering if Princess Isabel had seen Draco helping her before they vanished in a blink of an eye.

On the other hand, what is Princess Isabel's reason to look for her when she was only with a guard? Still, she rather not says anything so as not to be embroiled in their interest. She wants to finish her two years without a significant mishap, and if ever her fiance and her path did not cross in the two years she is here, at least she will not be surprised by what her life will be when it's her time for them to marry.

Upon entering the door of the stockroom, she noticed that the three are not around yet. She went to the working table in the middle of the room, opened its cabinet and removed the list of the things they need to prepare. She was still reading the scroll when Lara and Audra came inside. They greeted one another, and then she resumed her checking the list.

Still yawning Audrey entered the stockroom and greeted them, "good morning everyone," she walked to the chair in the middle of the room, sit down and then placed her head at the top of the table and added, "I'm still sleepy, let me close my eyes for a wink first."

They ignore her and continue with their work, but then they hear her mumble some words, and not one answers. She made her voice louder, "Faye,"

She turned around and answered, "Yes, I thought you want to sleep," while wiping a vase that is at the top of the cabinet.

With eyes still closed, Audrey raised her head and said, "I heard last night from a lady in waiting of Lady Cassie that they want to know those working inside the Kosher Palace who has an ebony black hair. I don't know the reason, but they mentioned you and Lara's name as well as the other three," She then opens her eyes and start to work too.

Faye remembers what Kendra had said earlier, and then it came into her mind that princess Isabel is seriously looking for that deity, and it made her wonder the reason behind it. But surely it was not her, as she was not the only deity who got black hair on that event. After almost wiping the vases, she heard her name called again.

She turned her head to where the voice was and saw Mistress Bethesda in the doorway and then answered, " Good day, Mistress Bethesda, what can I do for you?"

"Come with me outside, "she turned around and went out without making sure if she follows or not.

Faye left the vase she was holding in the top of the cabinet and walked out fast to keep pace with Mistress Bethesda. She wondered where the head of the maidservants would bring her. They had passed several chambers within the Palace until Mistress Bethesda opens a door.

The aroma of sandalwood with a touch of apples and lemon is what Faye smells upon entering a spacious room. Tall columns adorned by intricate decorative features supported the beams of a high-ceiling room. On her right side is the sitting area where she is sure the visitors sit down and the windows adorned by curtains in a scallop-shaped style, overlooks a garden. She can almost feel the soft breeze that comes in through the open windows and lightly moves the curtains.

She was still looking outside when she heard Mistress Bethesda greets, "Your highness," that made her turned her head towards the center of the room and in the far end she saw a broad shoulder Supreme Being sitting in a golden chair, concentrating on what he is writing on a scroll at the top of a table.

She immediately curtsied and said, "Your highness," before the Prince can punish her for not greeting him properly.

"Raise your head and tell me your name."

She did as told. It was then she saw that Prince Celcius is a handsome one. No wonder that a lot of women are striving for his attention even with three consorts already. He has curly brown hair tied at the back, with some loose strands that escaped and touched his collar. His eyes are the exact shade of Draco except that Prince Celcius is a smiling one, which made him look so carefree. Currently, those eyes look intently at her, but the half-smile on his face made her uncomfortable. Still, she answered, "I am Faye Wildlight from Camdenland."

"Have you been in the masquerade event at the open theater more than two months ago?"

Faye thinks that today everyone is preoccupied with that topic. She doesn't know what to answer. To tell the truth without knowing the reason or lie and be found out, but surely both have its consequences, only the severity will differ. In the end, she decided to tell the truth and hope for the best, "Yes, I was there at that time."

If Faye can only read Prince Celcius’s mind, she will know he was thinking of his brother knowing her for a while already. That there is no doubt; she is the ebony black haired deity that Princess Isabela is looking." Of course, she has no power to read his mind, so she only heard him telling her, "Alright, I have read in your papers that you are already engaged, and as far as I know in Camdenland, couples mostly married their partner because of love. Are you also one of them?"

"It's true that in our Kingdom to love your betrothed is important to marriage, but in my case, it is an arranged one."

As if her answer surprised him, his eyes widen but on for a breath of air. Faye's thought by his reaction was that" he shouldn't be surprised because even his older brother's, The Crown Prince's also has an arranged marriage.

"What if you fall in love with someone else, not from your kingdom? Will it be alright with you to break your engagement and be with the one you love?

His question left her speechless at first. Then when his question finally sinks in, she answered, "I don't want to cause conflict in both families, but as the one who will be living with another being for eternity, I will choose to marry the one I love. However, I am trying my hardest not to fall in love with someone else, and the best way I can do is to avoid being close to anyone," the last sentence she said was with Draco in mind.

Unbeknown to Faye, Prince Celcius approves of her for his brother. Because not only she has an exquisite face but also knows what loyalty means. His mind even becomes preoccupied with picturing his brother being busy pursuing her while she tried to avoid him.

"Accompany her back to where she was assigned and then come back here again as I need to talk to you," Prince Celcius ordered Mistress Bethesda which made Faye took a deep breath as he looks at the scroll on his table while telling them they can leave and then resumed his writing.

They curtsied together and then went out of the room.