Royal Outcast

Chapter 7: [REVISED]

[REVISED]

Seri’s POV

I watched over the kids as they entertained themselves while we waited to be called for the visitors’ arrival.

I automatically smiled as I watched them playing happily with each other.

“Seri”

I turned around to look at who called me and saw Mr. Adams coming our way.

“Yes, Mr. Adams?” I replied.

“We have received news that his highness is almost here. Are the pups ready to meet them?” Mr. Adams asked. I nodded with a small smile.

“Yes, sir. They have been ready for a while. I have properly briefed them of the situation and reminded them to be on their best behavior for the visitors today” I told him.

Mr. Adams nodded in with a look of satisfaction.

“That’s good to hear. I knew I could count on you, Seri. As always” he said as he gave me a pat on the back. I smiled.

“Thank you. It’s good we have you here, Seri” Mr. Adams added.

“It’s nothing, Mr. Adams. I’m always glad to be of help” I said, and Mr. Adams smiled.

“I’ll head on out now to wait in front for the visitors” he said, and I nodded.

Before Mr. Adams could leave, he turned his back to look at me.

“Is there anything else, sir?” I asked attentively.

“You look very beautiful today, Seri. I’m sure our visitors will be pleased to meet you as a precious and important member of this family” he suddenly said.

I blushed and smiled gratefully.

“Thank you, Mr. Adams” I said shyly, and Mr. Adams gave me a genuine smile as he left.

We waited for a few more minutes before someone else from the orphanage staff came to get us to proceed to the garden where the visitors will meet the kids along with everyone else.

I held the hands of the 2 youngest pups in the orphanage as I along with other older members of the orphanage guided the kids out.

Just as we reached the garden, a younger member of the orphanage stood beside me.

“Hi, Kate” I greeted her with a smile.

“Hi, Seri” she greeted me back with a smile before we both looked at the kids as they started to occupy the garden.

“Thank goodness it’s pretty calm here. The kitchen staff seems more stressed out in the back” she blurted out and I looked at her.

“Why? What happened?” I asked feeling worried.

“They had just found out that his highness dislikes the dish they had cooked up, so they are currently trying to come up something else for the prince’s consumption” Kate explained.

I bit my lower lip at the thought of this situation causing conflict.

“Can you please watch the pups for a while? I’ll take a look at the situation in the kitchen if I can be of help somehow” I said.

“Sure, Seri. Go on ahead” she said and took the 2 pups that I was holding from me.

I rushed to the kitchen and immediately saw the kitchen staff in a circle seemingly in a meeting as they threw one suggestion after another.

“Uhm…hello?” I tried to get their attention,

Everyone stopped talking as they all turned to look at me.

“Seri, what are you doing here?” Mr. Baines, the head cook, and Annie’s dad asked me.

“I heard that you guys were having a hard time back here. May I be of help?” I asked.

Mr. Baines smiled as he motioned for me to come closer.

We talked it out and I suggested some other dishes that I thought would be a good fit for the prince.

I helped Mr. Baines cook and it took us about half an hour to finally finish which left us a whole lot more time before lunch could be served.

“This seems more than good enough. I thank the Gods that you decided to come here, Seri. What could we have done without you?” Mr. Baines said.

“You flutter me, Mr. Baines. I’m sure that even without me, you could have come up with something else to satisfy his highness” I told him.

Mr. Baines shook his head.

“I don’t think so, Seri. We were all in a state of panic and couldn’t even think straight. We were overthinking it too much before you came and mediated the situation” he said.

I smiled shyly and Mr. Baines gave me a pat on the back.

“Thank you, Seri. You might have just saved all of us from the embarrassment of serving an unworthy dish for the prince” he added.

“Anytime, Mr. Baines” I said.

After that, I told Mr. Baines that I would be stepping out to return to the garden where the kids were and that’s exactly what I did.

I walked through the hallways and went back to the garden where I saw the kids still playing with each other.

As soon as I was back in the garden, Kate saw me and approached me as she carried Sachi, the youngest pup from earlier.

“Seri. How was it? Did everything get settled in the kitchen?” she asked. I nodded.

“Thankfully, yes. Everything has been settled” I told Kate as I took the young pup from her.

Kate sighed in relief.

“Thank goodness. The visitors are actually making their way to the kitchen now to meet everyone else. You literally just missed them” she said.

“Did I?” I said as I swayed side to side while embracing the pup I was holding. Kate nodded.

“Yeah. You should have seen his highness. He was so dreamy and charming and cool and ugh! He’s so very Prince like” Kate swooned.

I chuckled.

“Was he?” I said and Kate nodded enthusiastically.

Kate talked about the prince more and I just found her adorable as she continued to swoon over his highness at their first encounter.

I learned from her that his highness’ name was in fact Lucas.

Prince Lucas Alaric-Grey.

Kate also told me that his highness came with 7 royal escorts. 4 were royal guards. The other 3 of them being royal warriors.

“And oh boy if you had seen the prince’s right hand. He was such a hunk” Kate said.

I chuckled as I shook my head.

“You better not let anyone else hear you say that. You’re only 15, Kate. I don’t think that’s very appropriate to hear from you” I reminded her.

Kate pouted but nodded in understanding.

I smiled and gave her a pat on the back.

Then, we were told to proceed to the food hall.

“Kate, go on ahead and help the others guide the younger pups. Sachi is asleep so I’ll bring him to the quarters first.” I told Kate.

“How about you? Aren’t you planning to join us for lunch?” she asked me.

“Maybe later. I’ll eat once Sachi wakes up from his nap. I’ll feed him and join him then. I’ll be alright so go on ahead with the others.” I told her. Kate nodded.

“See you later, I guess” she said, and I nodded.

Kate and I went our separate ways. They made their way to the food hall while I made my way to the sleeping quarters while carrying Sachi in my arms.

I arrived at the sleeping quarters and laid Sachi on my bed then surrounded him with pillows before sitting down beside him.

Then, I grabbed a book from under my bed and started reading it to pass time.

After a while, Sachi woke up crying, so I picked him up and tried to comfort him to no avail.

“What’s wrong, Sachi?” I asked worried as if he would be able to answer me when I knew very well that he could barely say a few words.

I sighed and decided to step out to the back of the orphanage with Sachi but before I could do go out, I grabbed my ukulele along as I thought of doing something to make Sachi feel better.

Sachi and I went out and I walked over to the fountain with him in my arms.

Sachi continued to cry so I sat him down on the grass in front of me and took out my ukulele.

“Hopefully this works” I sighed.

I took a deep breath and then I started playing. As soon as Sachi heard the ukulele, he started to calm down as he stared at me.

I smiled and proceeded to hum as Sachi started to smile and giggle to the music.

I kept playing with a smile on my face while focusing on Sachi.

Midway through the song, I felt a bit of tingling sensation inside of me. I ignored that feeling and continued playing until I finished the song.

Sachi giggled in delight, and I smiled as I leaned down to pick him up.

I picked Sachi up to go in so we could join the others inside.

It was then that I finally noticed someone else’s presence with us.

A man.

As soon as our eyes met, his eyes gleamed a golden tone, and it was as if all the oxygen was sucked out of my body as my heart raced rapidly.

”Mate!” an echo sounded at the back of my mind.

“Mate…”