The Voice in My Head

I sat down outside in front of the royal house lost in thoughts, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that my father abandoned me without blinking an eye. Even as he left and I laid sprawled on the ground hoping he'd look back and see how miserable I was because he was leaving but he didn't even glance back for once. It actually made me feel like he truly wanted to get rid of me.

"Maybe he did," Arla stated and I huffed still not wanting to come in terms with that even when the truth was staring right back at me in the face.

"You know I'd appreciate it if you don't scream the truth out in my face. I'm miserable as it is already and the last thing I need at the moment is more painful truths."

"Well the more you come in terms with the painful truth the more easier it would be for you to edge forward."

I rolled my eyes, scoffing. "You're one to give advice. Why didn't you apply this when Damien rejected us?"

"You don't have to bring up the assholes name again!"

"I was having fun being the matured and wise one with you being the weak and pathetic one," she spat out, mocking me.

"What!" I screamed out loud, attracting stares from people. I literally forgot that I was outside.

"You….."

"What? Does the truth hurt that badly?" she interrupted me and I gritted my teeth angrily.

"I guess it does." I felt like strangling her and I might really do of she doesn't stop talking.

"Look here Imelda, Alpha Raiden has left us and he is not coming back for us. The best thing you can do for us both is to get your ass up and take your place in our new home. Let's show him that we can survive and strive on our own without him. We are no weaklings and we are not going to become one because we were rejected or abandoned. You are IMELDA STONES, The first daughter of ALPHA RAIDEN STONES. Act like the boss that you are and not the weakling sitting out here, mopping and getting pitiful stares from the maids."

I looked up and truly as she said the maids walking past me kept giving me pitiful stares while some just pretended not to notice me as they walked past me.

Reflecting on what Arla said, she was right. I was IMELDA STONES, and the Imelda stones that I know of is no weakling and I was definitely not going to become one because Dad suddenly decided that he didn't need me anymore. I was going to prove to him that I didn't need him anymore either.

I stood up, my pitiful face clearing as I turned to look at my new home, a mischievous glint in my eyes. "Time to make this place interesting to live in."

"Now that's the Imelda I know," Arla cheered gleefully, happy that she got me out of my pitiful state. As much as I didn't want to admit it, Arla was the one person I'd never be able to do without.

"It doesn't mean I have forgiven you for calling me a pathetic person." She rolled her eyes, unmoved.

"Well I did what I had to do to get the real Imelda back plus you were being really pathetic."

I clenched my fist, biting down on my lips to stop myself from spilling some words I would rather not say. If I continued battering with her, things would only get worse and having my stubborn attitude, she wouldn't back down.

"Fine you win," I stated reluctantly, backing down.

"I thought you would never say that," she sassed, all smiles and I ignored her. I would let her gloat in her victory for the time being.

"Urgh, I'm so hungry I can eat this entire building." My stomach grumbled in agreement.

"You're a soon to be princess and as much as I hate to tell you this you'll have to reduce your food in-take and tone down a little on your weight."

I grasped, horrified at what see was trying to say. "I'm not fat!" I yelled, stomping my feet on the ground, upset.

"I didn't say you were." Arla giggled and I groaned. Arla was clearly out to frustrate me and I was making it pretty easy for her.

I stomped into the royal house, frowning with my stomach still growling at intervals.

Different maids kept walking past me and bowing their heads at me in greeting. I mustered a thank you to all of them with a forced smile on my face. I wish they would just ignore me and go about their duties or better still give me something to eat rather than offering me greetings. It was getting pretty exhausting.

I kept moving, without any particular destination in mind. I just kept following my instinct.

The palace ground was quite vast and huge, one could get lost in it if not careful. All the doors looked similar and it made me wonder how they were able to differentiate them. Not only was the palace huge, it also smelt like flowers and every floor seemed to have its own special fragrance.

The entrance of the royal house had a lavender fragrance missed with lilacs. It was welcoming and settling. Walking in here with my dad I hadn't noticed it at first but walking around now I could feel all that fragrance hitting me like the wind from different directions and it made me smile in contentment.

Staying here wasn't going to be as hard as I thought it would.

I kept moving forward, getting myself familiarized with the royal house. After all this was going to be my new home. It was only right that I knew every nook and cranny of the building because I was going to get real busy very soon.

After what seemed like hours of walking around, I eventually got to the kitchen and saw maids trooping in and out, their hands busy. They bowed and greeted me like the others and I waved them off. The only thing on my mind now that I had found the kitchen was food.

I stepped into the kitchen and my mouth dropped open in awe.

Stepping into the Royal House kitchen was like stepping into a realm of culinary enchantment. It felt as though I was in paradise. I thought our kitchen back at my pack was exquisite but looking at the paradise in front of me, it was nothing close to this.

The kitchen transcended the ordinary, a sanctuary where flavors and aromas converged into a symphony of delight. As I pushed open the heavy, ornate door fully and crossed the threshold, I felt a sense of awe wash over me once again, as if I had entered a world of culinary magic.

How could a kitchen be this magnificent?

The first thing that struck me was the sheer size of the kitchen. It was vast, with high ceilings adorned with intricate, hand-painted frescoes that depicted bountiful feasts and lavish banquets. There were flowers everywhere that adding to the already tantalizing aroma filling my nostrils. The walls were lined with shelves holding an impressive array of spices, exotic ingredients, and gleaming copper cookware. The hushed hum of activity filled the air as the kitchen maids kept doing their magic.

I stood there for a moment, taking it all in. The central island, an expanse of white marble, served as the epicenter of creativity. It was strewn with a profusion of colorful vegetables, glistening seafood, and succulent cuts of meat, waiting to be transformed into culinary masterpieces. The kitchen maids who felt like angels right now to my stomach moved about with precision, chopping, sautéing, and simmering, their movements almost like a choreographed dance.

How were they able to work with so much harmony? I thought watching them as they did their magic. Everyone knew what to do without asking plus it all felt as though they were communicating telepathically because I still didn't understand how they were able to work this well together without uttering a word.

"You should close your mouth. It's been opened for quite a while now," I heard a voice giggle in my head, throwing me off balance.

I looked around trying to see who it was in my head but couldn't tell who it was.

"Who are you? And why are you in my head?" I demanded.

"What do you think?" She asked and I could feel her smirking.

"Get the fuck out of my head!" I shrieked, screaming out loud and everyone grasped, pausing whatever it is they were doing; their eyes all fixed on me, horrified.

"Oops, I'm out." And like that the voice disappeared and I was left alone with the million eyes fixed on me.

"Ok, what's going on?" Arla asked, baffled.

"No idea."

"What's going on here?" An elderly woman, wearing a face mask asked walking into the kitchen.

She looked funny and comical with the mask on her face. It made me wonder if she checked herself out in the mirror before going out because I don't understand how she could walk in here with that on her face.

"There's a possibility she has a bad breath and is very considerate about those around her," Arla pointed out and I chuckled, breaking the silence.

The fat lady turned in my direction and I could feel her glaring at me. I wonder what I did wrong.

"You're not part of the kitchen staff, so what are you doing here?" she inquired, her voice sounding muffled because of the mask.

I made to reply but she raised her hands, stopping me. "You don't talk in the kitchen, you'll contaminate the food with your saliva."

"Ok, what?" I squinted my eyebrows at her. Was she insulting me or was that a rule?

"I'm sure you heard me clearly, do not make me repeat myself. It is against the rule to talk when cooking is going on."

"Then why are you talking?" I gawked at her, and the kitchen maids gasped gasped again in horror as I talked back at her. She glared at me, looking at me as though I was dumb.

"The mask," Arla grasped in realization.

"Ooh, the mask is the criteria for….."

"Stop talking and get out!" the fat lady growled in annoyance, interrupting me. I frowned, displeased with her attitude but didn't say anything more as I walked out.

Weirdos

"Get rid of all the food and start making new dishes," I had the fat lady order as I walked away and I paused in my tracks, my stomach growling again.

"Just walk away Imelda and don't disgrace yourself any further," Arla said, trying to stop me from going back inside because that was what I planned on doing. How the hell could they waste so those food when I'm this hungry?

"Too late."

I raced back into the kitchen, pushing the fat lady out of the way.

"Where do you think you're going?" she yelled at me but I paid her no attention.

I grabbed a tray of barbeque fish and made a run for it.

"What are you doing standing there, stop her!" She barked at them and they all raced after me as I ran for my dear life, holding the tray tightly.

"Take the left turn," I heard the female voice from the kitchen in my head again. With no time to question her, I obeyed her, taking to the left.

"Take the stairs and enter the third room on your right." I did so immediately, running faster with the kitchen maids still on my tail but they were nowhere close to me. If there was one thing I was good at, it was running. It's quite surprising how they were still able to keep up.

I found the third door she was talking about and immediately barged in, closing it quietly so as not to alert them that I had entered a room.

"Where did she go?" I heard one of the maids ask from outside.

"I think she went in that direction." Once again, they began running, their thudding fading away till I could no longer hear them.

"That was close," I crashed on the ground, sighing in relief, my eyes closed.

"Didn't know prince's betrothed was a thief and troublemaker."

I immediately froze in my position. Why didn't I notice that someone else was in the room with me?

Tearing my eyes open, I grasped in surprise seeing who was in front of me.

What the fuck!