The Hidden Secret

Chapter 8

Cordelia glanced at Tessa, as if trying to read her thoughts. Tessa, as if an instinct, shielded the Princess from the approaching guard. For a moment, she squeezed her eyes shut. She could almost see what the future held from both of them. Tessa wasn't worried for herself as much as she was worrying for Cordelia. She knew that if the guard spread the word about the Princess being away from Palace grounds, the Queen would eventually find out. Even though she was a Princess, Cordelia's punishments for mischiefs were severe. They were nothing like the little scolding a girl her age would get.

While Tessa weighed the possible outcomes of the Princess's punishments, Cordelia, herself trembled a bit in fear. She was terrified of her mother or her father finding out what she had been up to. She was more scared of her mother than her father, however. She knew that her father wouldn't stress a lot on her punishment, but simply increase security. Her mother on the other hand, if she could, would have chopped Cordelia's arm off for disrespecting her mother's orders.

It was times like these that made her wish her brother was there to save her from situations like these. Thinking about her brother, she felt a pang of loneliness in her heart. She knew that she was caught. She knew that there was nothing that she could do or say that would get her out of such a situation. All she hoped for was her brother to come and protect her from her mother's wrath.

As the guard neared, Tessa noticed that it was the same guard she had seen in the market place the first time they had met Zen. Remembering how the guard hadn't recognized the Princess back then, made her sigh in relief and smile at Cordelia who look puzzled at change in Tessa's behavior. She shook her head and signaled for her to relax a bit.

"What are you doing here, Zen? And you brought company. Do you want to get caught, mon ami?" Zen gave out a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. The two young ladies looked at the guard and then at Zen before settling with confused looks on their face.

"I am sorry. I just wanted to show them this beautiful place." Zen said, extending his arm to the beautiful garden. "Oh, and this is Miss Tessa and Miss Dalia. They are new to the Kingdom." The two young ladies curtsied politely.

"If you get caught here, your chances of getting enlisted shorten. I hope you realize that." The guard said with a small smile, as if this was what he had expected out of him. Zen chuckled once more. "Good evening ladies." He smiled at the two but when his eyes met Tessa's he felt himself freeze a little. He had remembered her. He had seen Tessa in the marketplace before and remembered that when he had laid his eyes on her, he couldn't look away.

She was beautiful. She reminded him of a Goddess. He connected the warmth that he felt when she smiled politely at him to that of the sun. And to be more precise, the warmth a new born baby felt after spending 9 months in his mother's womb. He noticed every little detail about her, right from the way her eyes crinkled a little when she smiled, to the way she awkwardly looked away. He knew that she recognized him.

"I am Joseph Claud, but please, call me Joe." He bowed a little. "As you can see, I am the palace guard, so I will have to ask the three of you to leave. Pardon my rudeness, but nobody without connections to the royalty is allowed this close to the royal palace." Tessa couldn't help but relax a bit. It wasn't common for her to see the common royal guards - those that don't necessarily work beside the royal bloods - take their work seriously. Rather, she was used to them goofing around from time to time. It was something that deeply scared her. If something were to happen, she wasn't sure the common royal guards would be of much help.

"We understand." Cordelia said with an easy smile.

"Will you be able to join us soon?" Zen asked, looking at his friend with hopeful eyes. Joe smiled and nodded.

"Soon. I am on duty for another quarter of an hour."

"That isn't very long." Tessa remarked before thinking. The second she opened her mouth, she squeezed her eyes tightly, hoping for the gentleman to not take it the wrong way.

"Yes, it isn't very long." Joe agreed with a smile.

"How about you join us at Ms. Zelda's tavern? It has been a while since we've visited her and she surly misses our presence."

"She misses scolding us and nothing else. But alright, I shall join you there." And with that he marched back to the Palace front where other guards stood, chatting with each other.

As Tessa, Cordelia and Zen turned around to head to the said Tavern, Tessa couldn't help but look in the direction Joe had marched off to. She saw him smile and greet a few of the other guards but unlike the others who stood chatting and not doing their job, she saw him stand in silence, observing. She scowled at the other guard's behavior. There was no doubt that ever since the Prince had left, the guards had been slacking off in their work.

She needed to set aside her feelings for the Prince and report the guards who didn't do their job, which was guarding the palace. The job was important. If anything was to happen to anyone of the royalty, she knew that it was the guards who had to be blamed.

"Miss Tessa, is everything alright?" She heard Zen ask. She quickly turned around and smiled at him.

"Why, yes. I was just wondering why the palace guards weren't doing their job, that's all." Zen's lips curled in distaste for a millisecond before easing up.

"The royal officials sure know how to pick the best guards, don't they?" His tone was cold and bitter. Cordelia winced the littlest bit. Tessa didn't say anything the whole walk to the Tavern.