A Royal Love Triangle

Four

As usual, it is another morning to serve breakfast to the royal family and the only difference in today's routine is the fact that Reina is a server too. She cleans her hands on her white apron as she picks up the tray of fruits after exchanging glance with her mother who has had her eyes on her ever since.

Her hair is packed in a very simple way but because of hat fact that the barest minimum literally makes her look her more attractive—her mother watches it. The last thing she wants is a helpless servant girl being the biggest attention in the royal dinning where the jealous queen is present.

Reina and other servants begin to walk on a straight path heading to the royal dinning. She hasn’t crossed these parts before and the extravagance is truly bewitching. The walls, ramparts, carpets in velvety skin—the volume of royal wealth was in sight for all to say.

  In front of her is Rudwick who stands behind her holding a tray of similar fruits too. She squints her eyes as she looks at him, even in his servant clothes he seem to be standing tall and straight.

“Looking like some knight or could seemingly pass for a prince if she didn’t already know of his status.”

The doors of the dinning open and they file in; Reina raises her head high as she walks in. She can hear the conversations of the room, a giggle and another authoritative voice which she calculates to be the King’s voice. As the servants begin to serve, it is her time and she does like her mother has told her.

She places the fruits on the serving platter and stands behind like the rest of the other servants. Reina avoids contact with anyone, but she can tell they take second glances at her. It not shocking to her, many of told her she had he looks of a princess, one with vast riches and many people to serve to her bidding.

“Her eyes have no sort of emotion; she does not plan on looking desperate or hungry for riches even when she is.” Reina has the poise of decisiveness and confidence; she heard men would fall stupid for women with confidence.

 She folds her hand on the apron as the royal family begins to eat.

"So unladylike of you, Constance! The queen says as she hits her glass for a refill." The servant beside Reina quickly attends to her and refills her up, before walking back to her station.

"There is nothing unladylike in telling a man that you want to wed him, I'm just cutting to the chase." Do you expect me to behave naive and dumb? The princess's voice is loud and arrogant.

Reina cannot believe a princess would have this kind of demeanour; it is shocking that not even the princess is pretending to be gracious or virtuous.

Really? Perhaps that is what men's are looking for in women, naive and docile. "Just like how you are on a hunt for a strong and brave man." The queen, Catherine replies her blunt daughter in the same manner.

What about you brother? Is that the same for you? Constance says to her brother beside her.

"I don't believe it applies to all men, you have to be yourself." He answers without an air of care.

Reina feels like she has heard that voice before, she almost raises her head to witness the owner of the voice, but she remembers where she stands so she resists her curiosity. If any of the royal were to even catch her eyes on them without being called, she would involve her mother in their discipline.

Andrew, don't tell her that! The Queen says.

"It's the truth." Be yourself sister. The prince says.

"Thank you, brother." Constance replies.

"I'm your mother Constance, how else do you think your elder sister was able to marry into the west?" The king of Gemantha took her hand the moment he set eyes on her. Catherine replies barely touching her food since it was served.

Mother, do you fail to remember that he has fourteen mistresses? Constance asks.

"My sister is Queen only because she is the daughter of father; it is a luxury that belongs to her." He dares not to take her hand! Constance voice has authority, a pitch that shows she is a blood of royalty indeed.

"Enough of this chit chat so early in the morning, someone pass me some berries." The King's voice resonates in the dining hall.

Reina sees this as her call and she steps forward. She steadily and quickly places berries onto his plate. She is about to step back until she hears another order.

"I would like some to."

She looks forward unintentionally and what exactly where the odds that it would be no other than the stable boy who she gave a smack on the face and apparently shared a kiss with, and even saw her in a distressed state where she almost lost her life. Reina trembles but she manages to look calm in front of everyone, at least she thinks.

She gathers the berries into the plate and walks over to his side before placing it beside him.

Such a shame! His mother hums as she begins to eat her food and Reina can tell that she's the reason for the Queen's comment. It wasn't the first time that someone would make a comment about her pretty face, but poor background.

Reina resumes back to her post and swallows the urge to be ashamed of herself, like it was her fault she was born in such scattered home. After an hour of listening to the Kings and his family conversations, she and the rest of the servants exit the room and she is left in the corridors of the castle since she has nothing to do.

Andrew?

Dirty stable boy who she gave a hot slap!

No!

She places one hand on her head and regrets her actions; she regrets it so badly that she digs her teeth into her lips. Reina stomps her foot against the floor and groans at the small sting.

Don't tell me you hate your life again? Reina panics at a voice that she heard not too long ago.

Reina makes no answer. She holds her chest and contends whether to run and how far she can go if she decides to. The man who she gave a slap without a second thought proves to be a prince, he could lock her up in the dungeons and she would rot in there and no one would say otherwise.

And as she is torn in the thoughts of her recent actions, she doesn’t perceive the other presence in the room. It is when she catches her breath and thinks she has enough to make it to her room without stumbling in fear that she readies herself to move.

Reina pauses in great shock, surprise that her heart escalates and later burns in fear as she finds no other than Andrew, dre3ssed in princely wears...standing five feet from her.

"I don't want to come too close, my cheeks still hurt from yesterday." Andrew says, both of his hands is behind his back as he holds a smile knowing he was teasing her.

"Prince Andrew..." Reina says as she spins to his presence.

I...I'm so sorry! She pleads and dips her head.

Reina cannot believe she met the Prince Charming she had been hoping to meet, slapped him and insulted him, fell into water and thanked him. Definitely not the impression she wanted to make, life was really so cruel to her.

And this is something she prayed for every single day since she saw her won beauty, how would she play in this scene?

Andrew nods still keeping his distance.

"I didn't ask your name the last time." Andrew says and Reina slowly raises her head, rubbing her palms and wondering what he wants to do with it.

Give it to the guards and throw her in the dungeons?

Reina.

She quietly says.

"Sounds like the name of a princess." He tells her.

"Please forget everything I said earlier, Reina says immediately but then she hears his compliment and it touches her heart." She raises her face back to him.

How can I forget? In that little time, I got slapped, cussed at, saved someone's life and also had my first kiss. "Well, in an attempt to save you...he says"

Reina's heart beats as she hears him speak of it. "I didn't mean to take advantage of you..." She says.

"No...you did it to save me." Thank you. Andrew says and cuts her off and offers his appreciation with a warm smile.

She turns away and steals another glance of his face and without the dirt; he is just like the one she envisaged in her dreams.

Oh, what a sweet dream she would be having tonight!