Revenge, Rejection and Regrets

SIX

Zelda

The next morning, I was showed to my new room in the servants quarters of the castle. I was to share the room with Anna. Anna was a petite brunette and she didn’t look like she liked the idea of sharing a room. She showed me my space and did not bother to be all friendly and chatty with me. Madame Elizabeth told me she was just unusually quiet and I had nothing to worry about. I really hope she is right. 

I wasn’t given a tour of the castle like I expected, I seem to always forget that I was a servant here and some places were off limits to me. I knew that the King’s abode was an adjoining building in the castle. Except I was summoned, I had no business there. 

Prince Leroy occupied the whole of the top floor. A room had now been created for his bride to be in the same floor, Madame Abigail explained as we took the elevator to his chambers. 

Definitely I could not handle cleaning of the whole floor on my own and there would be other servants too, but I was to attend to the future King’s personal needs. I find that really disturbing but I was doing a good job keeping a straight face and smiling occasionally when what I really wanted to do was scream and run.

When we got to the third floor, my heart beat had doubled four times over and I don’t think this is good for my mental health. She showed me around the place. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The walls were sparkling white with pillars running across the sides. His office was just across from the room which was now designed for his future wife. I wasn't allowed to go in because according to Madame Elizabeth, he was usually very busy during these hours. 

Walking further down the hall, there was a small staircase leading to his bedroom and a rather large parlor. The place was quiet and I liked it, it was nothing compared to the royal castle in Atlantis.

There were three large windows on the eastern part of the parlor. I bet I could see the whole of Auradon from there if I looked close enough and another two windows on the western side. A large shelf resting on the wall just beside the window housed several awards and medals and next to it is a royal chair. It looked like a throne but I knew this was not the throne of the king. I didn’t need Madame Elizabeth to tell me never to seat on it even though she kept on emphasizing on it.

We didn’t go upstairs to his bedroom and I was low key itching to see what his room would look like. I noticed two bodyguards at the entrance when we arrived and Madame Elizabeth told me if I was unclear about anything I could ask them.

She goes on to explain to me how the Prince likes his coffee every morning. Usually, the whole family have their breakfast together at around 8 A.M but the Prince takes his coffee as early as 6:00 A.M before breakfast after which he goes to work in his office. 

I was already gathering a lot of information about the Prince and how the household is run. The palace was on another floor and that was where most of the meetings were held. I was trying so hard to listen to Madame Elizabeth and take in everything she was explaining to me but it was quite a lot because my wolf was suddenly at alert and I start to inhale his scent. I closed my eyes briefly. He was close, he was coming. My heart sunk as I heard the bodyguards greet him. 

Within seconds, he was inside and walking towards us. 

“Your highness, ” Madame Elizabeth bowed and greeted him, then she rushed to take his coat from him while I just stood there, eyes glued on him.

I had a clearer view of him now. He was quite tall. If my guess is right, about six feet four inches or even taller. His curly dark hair was calling me to run my fingers through them. He looked so strong, his muscles were quite obvious from the shirt he wore. You didn’t need anyone to tell you he was soon to be alpha and king of Auradon. He was confident, and proud and he had the most perfectly carved pink lips I’d ever seen. I bet they are soft, what would his lips feel like against mine? 

He cleared his throat then, bringing me back to reality. I could feel my cheeks burning red. The two of them were looking at me, apparently waiting for an answer to a question he had asked but I didn’t quite catch it because I had allowed my mind run wild. Snap out of it Zelda! I cautioned myself. I feel so embarrassed right now. I should hate this man standing right here,  his family has caused me so much pain. Yet, here I was, drooling over him.

“Your highness, ” I greeted, totally avoiding his eyes.

“What is your name?” he asked. It’s the first time I would be hearing his voice. The authority in that voice…

“Zelda, ” I quickly responded.

I heard him smirk “Zelda? what kind of name is that?” 

Anger surged through my body. What an arrogant bastard. 

“Excuse me?” this time, I brought my eyes to meet his and held him in a long stare. He looked amused at my embarrassment. Somebody hold me before I do something I would regret.

“What sort of a name is Zelda? ” he repeated.

“Do you have a problem with my name, Prince?” I said with sarcasm, stressing on the ‘Prince’

“Zelda!” Madame Elizabeth all but screamed “Have you gone insane? Apologize at once, ” she reprimanded but I didn’t say a word.

“What has come over you?” she sighed “I’m very sorry my Prince. Please pardon her insolence. I understand if you do not want her anymore. I would have her dismissed immediately if-”

“It’s fine, ” The Prince snapped. His eyes met mine again and I could feel the tension in the air, the sparks flying here and there, “get to work, ” he ordered and with a few strides, he was already walking up the stairs to his room. 

“You have no idea what you just did, ” Madame Penelope faced me. It was obvious she was scared for me. Give me a chill pill. I know I was supposed to be the servant girl here, but no one makes a mockery of my name. No one.

“You promised to be of good behavior. Do you not have any manners?”  she was getting mad at me. Madame Elizabeth is a good lady and I needed her on my side if not anything, so I apologized to her.

“I’m sorry Ma’am, ” apologizing to her was easy, so long as it was not the prince.

“Whatever. Just get to work. You can start from the living room and work your way to his room, that is if he would want you there after what you have just done. I’m sure the future queen would want her room sparkling too. If you need help, you can use the land line there, the number to call is 288,” she pointed to a white office phone that rested on a stool close to the door. “Not many servants are allowed in here but Anna usually helps out,” she told me. “And I do not want to hear any negative feedback about you. Trust me you do not want to get on Prince Leroy’s bad side. That’s if you have not already succeeded in that,” She finished and marched out of the door.

I went into the guest toilet to grab the cleaning equipments. This was a lot of work and I don’t really think I can do much. I’m not sure if I can trust Anna yet but I definitely would be needing help. Damn, I miss Charlotte already. She would have done the bulk of this work.

I rolled up my sleeves and got on my knees ready to scrub the expensive floors when I heard footsteps and Princess Kimberly walked in. She was wearing a red floral dress. Her fingers were well painted and her hair tied up in a bun at the middle of her head. It was still early in the morning but she had on a full make up, just like a typical princess.

“Who are you?” She asked, scrunching her nose like she had just seen a rat.

“ I’m just here to clean,” I responded and go about my business but she sucked in her breath sharply.

“Is that how you address your future queen?” She shrieked.

“Leave her alone, would you?” Leroy’s voice. I turned to see him at the top of the stairs. How long had he been there? The sound of his voice made my heart flutter again but I felt terrible. How could he be getting married to her? Did he not know we were mates or was I the only one feeling this way?

How could he look at me so casually, his eyes devoid of any feelings and his face so expressionless? What sort of monsters were the DiCaprios?

“Honey did you just hear how she spoke to me?” Princess Kimberly complained again.

“Give it up Kim,” he said casually “let the girl be,” I think it was anger I heard in his voice but I’m not sure.

Kimberly hesitated, then took several steps away from me and start to walk up the stairs.

Anger, bitterness, jealousy, I was feeling a whole lot of emotions surge through me. How could he be my mate and be comfortable seeing me on my knees scrubbing the floor while his mistress talked down at me? 

These people were plain evil and it would be my pleasure to take each and every one of them to their early graves, just like they did to my father. 

“I missed you my darling. I waited for you in my bed all through the night but you never showed up,” I heard Kimberly tell him as she made her way up the stairs to meet him.

“Is that so?” He responded back. I couldn’t look up at them. I tried to focus on the floor I was cleaning and convince myself that they did not matter. The Prince was an arrogant bastard and a murderer and I would do anything I can to make them pay. Do I feel like crying right now? Hell yes! But I would not give either of them the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

I tried not to look but I couldn’t resist the urge to. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and his hands were on her waist. He turned and looked at me the same time I looked and our eyes met again. My face heated up and I quickly averted my eyes.

“Come in, lets go inside,” He tells Kimberly who giggled like a baby and He led her into his room.

I dropped the rags in my hands in frustration. I can’t do this, I can’t watch him in her arms. This is just torture, why was he doing this to me? Was he really that heartless? I thought mates were not supposed to hate each other? Did it mean that all the stories I heard, all the books I read and even the movies I watched were all a lie? 

Why was I the only one feeling this way about him? Much as I tried to deny it and remind myself how much I should hate him, I felt very hurt seeing him with another woman.

I picked up the phone by the door and dialed 288. I couldn’t do this alone. I needed help and one way or the other, I was going to make Prince Leroy pay for causing me so much pain. I could use Prince Lorde to get back at him, after all, he did say he liked me. Definitely, Leroy would feel something, we were mates and I can’t be the only one feeling this way.