Chapter 8 - Saved by a prince.
2356 Words
Julius
“Safe travels my dear.” My mother greeted Anna.
“Thank you, your highness.” She smiled back as though she would see her again.
“Prince Julius.” Anna smiled at me.
“Princess Anna.” I didn’t smile. Anna curtsied at both of us, then climbed into the carriage, followed by her handmaiden. It was early morning, and they hadn’t even had breakfast, but Anna was adamant that they had a long road ahead and needed to leave early.
“You just let that poor girl get onto the road without so much as a bread crumb in her stomach!” My mother stormed off as soon as the carriage disappeared.
“Mother, you tried to get her to stay for breakfast, and she refused.” I waved at the carriage disappearing in the distance. “Well, now that that is over, I can concentrate on my work. Have a lovely day mother.” I perked up, kissed my mother on the cheek and nearly skipped my way back into the castle like a teenager!
“Ugh! The stupid boy has no idea what he has just done!” My mother angrily shouted on her way to the parlor for her breakfast. I went straight to the kitchens. My steps are heavy, but happy coming down the stairs.
“Good morning Cook. The wicked witch of the west … Or wherever is gone. Did you see it? Now, where is my darling Emily?” I grinned.
“I’m afraid she is not available today, your highness.” Cook did not look like herself. I saw tears forming in her eyes.
“Cook, please, tell me what is going on?” I rubbed the side of her arms.
“I don’t think she would like you to know your highness. She asked to be left alone.” Cook dabbed her eyes with her apron.
“Cook, you either tell me or I will dock your pay!” I threatened, making Cook’s eyes grow wide. I looked very serious, and she was not going to take that chance.
“She is in her chambers in the servant’s quarters, your highness. Let me show you.” I followed her down the maze of servant’s quarters until finally, we reached Emily’s room. Cook knocked on the door.
“Emily dear?” She called out.
“Hi Cook, I told you I didn’t want to see anyone.” Emily’s voice was sad and sounded as if she had been crying.
Emily
Flashback to the previous night
“You wretched girl! You could have had a Prince! Yet you choose for me to live in this squalor! Do you wish your father to suffer like this?” My father screamed.
“Father, the Prince has done more than enough for us and where did you hear all this nonsense?” I frowned.
“The girls around here gossip and I needed some company. How could you do this to me? You might as well have just ripped my heart out and left me to die in this hole!” My father shouted. He had been shouting so loudly that I was scared he was going to wake the entire castle.
“Father, please calm down. I am not a princess. The Queen would never have allowed such a thing.” I sighed as I tried to help him.
“Did you even try? No, you didn’t. You just thought about yourself! You wrenched girl. You have always just thought about yourself! Blaming your mother and me for putting food on the table all those years ago. Now you make me suffer because you don’t want to do your part in looking after me. I did not ask to be in this chair, you know!” He was getting angrier no matter what I did.
“Father, please calm down.” I tried again, feeling the tears burn the back of my eyes.
“This is on you! This is your fault.” He said before he died. Why I would never know, but he took a knife and stabbed himself in the heart.
End of flashback
“Emily, it’s me.” Julius said from behind the door. “May I please come in?” Nothing mattered anymore. I walked over to the door, unlocking it.
“Your highness.” I curtsied when opening the door. My eyes were red with tears.
“Emily!” He immediately took me in his arms, feeling me go rigid at first, but then I put my arms around his neck and cried. Cook disappeared as soon as I opened the door, to give us privacy. He stood there holding me, until my cries subsided, and I had calmed down. I pulled out of his embrace, turning my back on him, I wiped the tears from my face.
“I’m so sorry your highness, I should never have …” I stepped away.
“Emily, look at me.” I didn’t turn around. He walked up to me, putting his hands on my waist, and he turned me around to look at him. “Why did you not have me called immediately? Why are you still running away from me?” I looked up into his eyes, his arms around my tiny waist. Sadness filled my entire being.
“It is not of importance to the Prince. It is the death of a mere commoner.” I looked down again, trying to move away from out of his hold.
“Emily, please.” Holding me tighter against him, he lifted my chin with his index finger. Something in his beautiful eyes pulled me closer, he lowered his lips and softly kissed me. I hesitated.
“I’m sorry.” He was ready to pull away, but I put my arms around his neck. Knowing it was not right and couldn’t happen. The moment overtook all other thoughts. I kissed him back. Soft sad kisses at first. He nipped at my bottom lip and I opened my mouth freely for him to explore. Pulling me closer, I could feel his arousal hard against me. The world spun away from us and for that moment it was just the two of them. No castle, no titles, no sadness. Everything had to come to an end, however. I broke the kiss, realizing what I was doing, and pulled away.
“I am sorry, highness. I should never …” Shock in my eyes, I ran past him out of my room. Calling after me, he tried to follow me, but I was out of the kitchen door so fast that he couldn’t even see me when he reached the outside of the castle.
Julius
“Now what happened!” Cook threw her hands in the air.
“We kissed.” I looked confused.
“You did what?” She exclaimed, looking shocked.
“We kissed Cook.” I shook my head, looking puzzled. “Please let me know about the funeral arrangements for her father. I would like to be there for her.”
“I will your highness.” Cook said, knife halfway in the air, stunned at what she just heard. We kissed. I kissed her and she kissed me back! I walked back up the kitchen steps with my shoulders hanging. Was she ever going to trust me? Was she ever going to believe that I could want her for my Queen? It hit me like a bolt of lightning! Yes, she would. It was time I got my house in order. The nobles had to be held accountable for their atrocious behaviour. I would start by finding out who killed her mother. Back at my office, I sent a guard to call for Friedrich. A knock on the door alerted me to his presence.
“Fredrich.” I waved him in.
“You called your highness.” He curtly nodded.
“Yes, I need to find out how the nobles get away with killing servant girls. And more specifically, I need to find out who killed Emily’s mother. I need your help.” I frowned.
“I don’t know how much help I will be highness. All I know is that they buy servants from the merchants in town. I have heard the stories from the girls, but they are just stories.” Fredrich frowned.
“Then we start in town. Are there any merchants currently selling girls, do you know?” I was worried about Emily’s safety.
“Your highness, there are always girls for sale. You might even find one or two of our own. The merchants have no mercy.” Fredrich shook his head as he explained.
“Have my horse prepared. I want to leave as soon as possible.” I instructed.
Emily
I ran to the town to get away. Not thinking, I ran right into a merchant, knocking his drink out of his hand. Coming to a standstill, I looked up at him with shock in my eyes, seeing the fury in his.
“I’m so sorry sir, I should have …” I started to apologize.
“Yes, you should have girl!” Grabbing the front of my dress, he slapped me across the cheek, leaving a bright red burning mark behind. “Who do you belong to!?”
“I belong to the Prince,” I cried.
“HA, a filthy little wh@re like you? I doubt that very much. You will just have to pay for what you just made me spill. Luckily for you, I am busy at the moment.” Dragging me to the back of his wagon, he pushed me inside the wooden structure, cuffing me with a set of steel cuffs and locking the door behind me.
“No, no, no!” I cried. I shouldn’t have run! What was he going to do to me? I was going to be one of those girls that just disappeared and, with my father dead, nobody was even going to notice that I was gone. Looking down at the heavy steel cuffs, already scuffing my skin, I started crying again. I heard a noise outside, and stopped, trying to hear what was happening through the walls of the wagon. People in town were excited. The merchants all tried to get attention. It must be someone important. I had to keep quiet. The merchant might just decide to make a profit off me and sell me to the nobleman who was outside. Listening until the excitement died down a little, I tried to find out who the gentleman was out to buy a new slave girl. Discussions on girls and prices, the voices came closer, until finally … Julius! Why would Julius be buying slave girls? Julius! Julius was here!
“Julius! Julius, help me! Please!” I shouted to no avail. The noise in town was too much and he couldn’t hear me. I kept shouting, hoping he would hear me while he was standing, talking to the merchant.
Julius
“Your highness.” Friedrich pulled me to one side. “Emily is in the wagon.” He nodded in the direction of one of the wagons.
“WHAT?” I shouted.
“I heard her call for you. This merchant has her captive in the wagon.” I was furious. How this happened I did not know or care. Who dared hold my Emily captive? Storming up to the merchant, I grabbed him by his collar, nearly strangling him with his shirt.
“You dare put your future Queen in the back of your wagon, as if she is a common slave girl?” I shouted, not thinking straight.
“Your highness? I don’t know what you are talking about? There is nobody in the wagon.” He tried to smile, but little droplets of sweat were coming out all over his brow.
“Friedrich, get a guard to open the wagon!” I shouted, furiously keeping my gaze on the merchant.
“Highness, she is just a common street wh@re. She is not the future Queen. I assure you.” The merchant quickly changed his story.
“How would you know who she is?” I shouted as Friedrich helped Emily out of the wagon, her tear-stained face, wrists raw from the scuffing of the steel cuffs, nearly making me lose my last bit of control. Fredrich un-cuffed her. Picking her up bridal style, Fredrich carried her to me.
“Highness, you take care of my lady. We will bring the merchant to the dungeons.” Fredrich frowned. I punched the merchant when I saw the state of Emily.
“Thank you, Friedrich.” I walked over to my horse. While my guards grabbed hold of the merchant, I climbed up. Friedrich handed Emily to me. I held her tight and rode back to the castle.
“You are okay, my love. You are safe.” I tried to comfort her while we rode.
Emily
By nightfall, Cook started getting seriously worried that I had not returned. She knew I would not be this irresponsible even in the emotional state I was in. Cook had no other choice. She had to speak to Prince Julius. Taking the servant’s passages, she knocked on the door, going through to his office. No answer. Taking the chance to look inside, there was no sign of him. She wondered if she could take the chance of going to his rooms? She started panicking, deciding to go back to the kitchen.
“Cook!” Friedrich made her nearly jump out of her skin. “Prince Julius requires you upstairs to his rooms.”
“What? Why?” She was so confused and concerned about what was happening. She followed Friedrich, not sure if she should mention my disappearance to him. Walking into the Prince’s room, she saw me on the bed. Julius was standing by the window, while I was crawling up in a bundle, crying.
“Oh, my dear girl. What have they done to you? Who did this? I will kill them!”
- Writer
