The Emperor's Killer Bride

9.

The evening sun cast long shadows on the ground. The slanting rays of the setting sun gave a warm orange tinge to the sky. If her mood hadn't been soiled by the guard from that morning and the so called Lord Ashton then Regina might have thoroughly enjoyed the cool evening breeze blowing around underneath the big peach tree she was sitting.

She had just finished the last batch of her work. Glad that everything ends today and she gets to see what exactly happens tomorrow and why the hunt was being hyped this much by everyone.

She groaned, her stomach rumbling loudly due to hunger. She wished the maids here had at least given her something to eat, rather all they did was walk past her giggling and talking in hushed voices. Now, she was waiting for Madam Gisella to come get her, like she had been doing ever since she started coming to the Prime Minister's manor to work.

Maybe a long bath and warm food in her stomach would lessen the fatigue she felt, she thought dreamily, imagining a large bowl of warm beef soup being served and a loaf of warm bread that had just left the oven. The thought made her salivate even more.

"Now, what are you doing here?" A high pitched voice spoke. Regina's eyes quickly flew open to see who the person intruding into her day dreaming was. 

Standing before her, was a tall, dainty woman. Long blond hair. brown eyes pin pointed nose and wide luscious lips. Regina made her assessment in few seconds and needed no one to tell her that the woman before her, was of noble birth.

She was dressed in a long, flowy red gown that left her shoulders bare except for the shawl she had draped over her. Her hair was braided sideways, a silk band tied at the edge. She was breathtaking.

"Aren't you going to join the other girls by the lake? What are you still doing here?"

"She's not a maid here, My Lady," one of the girls standing behind her with large, dark doe eyes and wild raven hair. "She was sent from house Farlan to work at the warehouse."

"Oh, she's part of the hunt then?"

"Yes, My Lady." She replied, bowing her head, then sweeping her gaze angrily at Regina. "Show your respect, slave!" She boomed, her gaze narrowing.

Regina scoffed, wondering how a mere maid would show this power. Even the lady didn't try to sound as authoritative as the maid had been. So, instead of paying her respect like the maid had demanded, Regina stared square in her eyes, then back at the Lady. She had no intention of following the command of a common maid who is in way of higher status than she is.

"Oh my!" The Lady chuckled, clapping her hands as though she's an excited little girl. "I already like you. Don't mind Serena. What is your name?"

Now, this was what I'm talking about, Regina thought with an unsupressed grin. Pure courtesy without regarding the fact that she was of lower class than the noble woman before her.

"Regina, My Lady," she replied with a smile, curtsying a little to show her respect.

"Rise. And I'd like for you to join me by the lake, alongside the rest of my friends. Would you be so kind to do so?"

Regina was shocked. All her life, she had never met a noble human this kind. The woman before her acted as though they've known each other for ages, ignoring the fact she's even of lower class, and if Regina's guess was right, she must be referring to her maids as her friends.

"But My Lady," the other maid began, but the lady quickly dismissed her with a wave, then grabbed Regina's hands in a tight hold.

"Please, say yes. Just until house Farlan comes for you. I promise you'll enjoy my company. Won't she, girls?" She turned to her maids, and both nodded with a genuine smile on their faces. They adored her, Regina noticed.

"Of course, My Lady. It would be a huge pleasure. However, I'm afraid that my s..."

The loud rumble of her stomach stopped her mid sentence. Regina wished their was a well, or anything else she could hide her embarrassed self from this ladies. They are all laughing, plus, the noble woman was trying to hold her laughter, she bow down, holding her stomach as her Beautiful hair swung in the braid.

"That...that...wa...ss...funny!" She managed to say in between laughter.

Regina looked away, her cheeks heating up in embarrassment and anger at the same time. Her stomach wouldn't have rumbled that much if they had considered to feed her. But no, they didn't and were now laughing at her misery. Just great.

"I'm so sorry for that, Regina. It's just that, hearing you make that sound was funny. I couldn't help it. However, that is enough reason for you to follow us as there is lots of food there and I would allow you eat to your satisfaction. How's that?"

Regina's face lit up at the mention of food, and she nodded her head happily. Who would dare refuse food while being hungry?

She fell in line with the maids, as they walked towards the lake. All through, the woman kept talking non stop, with her maids joining in and laughing from time to time. Regina thought if it was possible for the woman to go a full minute without speaking. She hardly thought so.

"I told Ash I'd win that bet, he didn't believe I would. So, when I did, it came as a shock to him and I shouted 'boomer' to him as I poured the cold water on his shirtless chest!" She burst into another fit of laughter and the maids joined in.

Regina couldn't help but wonder who exactly she was and what her role in the manor was.

"Oh, forgive me," she turned slightly towards Regina. "I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Lucinda. The lady of this large manor," she introduced, flaring her hands in a proud gesture at the large manor.

Regina cowered a little, stopping in her tracks. It seemed as though she had over stepped her boundary. Although she was yet to see what the Prime Minister looked like, she was sure that the young woman before her was too young to be his wife. Why then, had he married her?

"Are you really sure I can join you in your little gathering, My Lady?"

"Of course, yes. Don't be silly. Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No, My Lady. It's just that..." 

"Then that's fine. We're here already."

They rounded a corner and came face to face with a beautiful set of three tables and chairs all round. Beside the table was a small lake. Flowers of different types grew all around and Regina couldn't help but marvel at the beauty before her.

As they moved in more, Regina noticed three other maids standing there, with lots of trays filled with different varieties of food. She swallowed hard, already imagining the food going down her throat.

"You like it, don't you?" She heard Lucinda say so close to her.

Regina soon noticed that she had been standing by a chair, with Lucinda right beside her. "Take a seat. We're going to have fun! I bet you'll love it since it'll probably be the last time you enjoy yourself properly."

Regina's heart sank at the words Lucinda just said. What exactly was this hunt all about?

"I'll make sure I enjoy myself alot, My Lady."

And that she did. She ate to her hearts content. Savoring the flavor of each delicacy she had tasted, wishing she'd live the rest of her life eating the same thing over and over again. From time to time though, she joined them as they laughed over silly things, and groaned when they said things that made no sense to her. Either way, she was still baffled at the idea that the Prime Minister's wife was this young and was also interacting with her maids freely. This was the first time she had witnessed something like this.

Her former master, Lady Christina, hadn't been this way. She was always angry, with her hair tied in a tight bun that always made her look as though she had spent the entire night crying. Or perhaps, she had.

She remembered how she and Valeria always laughed at her secretly, sometimes, even mimicking the way she walked and spoke. Now, however, she was experiencing something different. Something she had never known existed between the nobles and their servants. For that, Lucinda had earned herself Regina's respect. Regina was sure...

"Are you okay?" She heard someone ask, tapping her shoulders.

It was then she realised that everyone was looking at her, as she had drifted into her world of thinking. Smiling shyly, she nodded her head and said softly, "I'm sorry, my mind drifted somewhere else."

"Thinking about your man?" Lucinda asked with a childish grin.

The goblet Regina was holding, which had some wine in it nearly dropped. "Excuse me?"

"Come on, be free with us. You can tell us who you were thinking about. Your boyfriend? Are you sad you won't see him anymore? Is it one of the guards at house Farlan? Or..."

"No, My Lady," Regina cut her off quickly, her cheeks heating up once more and a tiny shade of red appeared. "I was not thinking about any man as I don't have one and..."

"You don't? Despite looking this beautiful with long waves of ginger hair?" One of the maids said in shock. 

"With those large green eyes?" Another asked.

"And that petite body frame with each curve perfectly fit?" Lucinda interjected.

Regina was overwhelmed with all the compliments she was getting, but at the same time, also getting uncomfortable with where the discussion was leading to. So, she quickly told them what exactly she had been thinking about.

"I just wondered how you, as the Lady of the house, seems so free with her maids and all. It just baffles me that a Lady of high status like you, with the Prime Minister as your husband act this free and comfortable with your maids."

"What?" Lucinda's gaze swept to her in shock. Then her eyes shifted to her maids, before loud, bubbling laughter filled the air. "You, Regina, are one amazing person!" She managed to say in between her fits of laughter. "Who said I was married to the Prime Minister?"

"You said you are the Lady of the house though, so, I assumed..."

"I said that because I'm the only Lady of the house. My mother is late. So, as the only daughter of the house, I became the Lady of the house."

Regina found herself embarrassed once more. What had gotten into her this evening?

"Your voice is so annoying that I wish father would marry you off at any moment so I can have the manor to myself," a deep voice drifted through the air, landing in the ears of the laughing ladies.

"Ash!" Lucinda said with a smile as she stood up. "What are you doing here?"

Regina's snapped towards the direction she had heard him speak. His eyes were on her, just like she had expected them to be. So, she looked away quickly and stuffed her face with a bunch of strawberries.

"I see you've also met her," he replied, ignoring his sister's question.

"Who?" Lucinda asked in confusion before she understood whom he was talking about. "You've also met Regina?"

"I did. She put a guard in his rightful place this morning and I couldn't help not talking to her."

"She sure is unlike most of the slaves. I wish she wasn't part of the hunt, I would've made her my maid."

"That won't be necessary. I'm going to make her mine." His voice was slow, commanding and gruff at the same time.

Yet again, Regina choked on her food. But before she could say anything or ask what he meant, a guard announced that house Farlan was here to take her home.

So, without thinking or saying anything more, she curtsied before them, picked up her gown and walked away hurriedly. She had had enough craziness for the day.

But even as the carriage drove away with Jade beside her, Regina found that his words kept jeering at her. What had he meant by that?