CHAPTER FOUR

“What you did back there was despicable prince. Leaving your bride to be and running after a common maiden like a man deprived of love!”

“Love? I am surprise you have that word in your dictionary father,” he jeered with a straight face while his mother snickered besides him.

“Sarah do you hear your son speak? I will not cajole this in my palace. He humiliated the royal family before it’s guests and made a mockery of his future wife! Or perhaps you have an illicit affair with that woman!”

“If that’s true then the king shouldn’t find fault in it,” he states. “Afterall I am the king’s son.”

“Never! You can never be apart of us Lucian. You will always be an outsider. A sin. Just because the royal elders came to an agreement to give you a place to stay in this palace it doesn’t mean you belong with us,” Prince Aston grumbled.

“Oh I second that brother,” Prince Daniel added. “I agree that father doesn’t favor us anymore but a son of a harlot to be classified as family I will never support that.”

Lucian gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists. He stared murderously at his half brother. If not of his mother who was constantly caressing his hands to calm him down the study room would be painted with his brother’s blood by now.

“You people are making a deal out of nothing,” the third prince butted glancing between them. “Whether Lucian is a family or not that’s is not the point,” he turns and looks at the king. “Father, you want such a man to marry Princess Odette? You want the poor innocent woman to get married to a man who will always see her as a second option? A man who is capable of anything but love? Tonight has proved that this relationship means nothing to him when he abandoned his bride for a pathetic low life of a servant!”

Lucian mockingly smiled, his eyes mirroring those of his elder brother. “It’s a pity. I feel disheartened for you brother afterall I am about to marry a woman dear to you and desire to have as a wife. For the first time the king didn’t act selfish and denied his beloved son his passion to acquire the Princess. Trust me brother if I had a choice I would hand her over to you. A wise woman once told me choices of a warrior are like a spear of an enemy that one time he will have to look them in the eye hence I have to be careful with my choices. Princess Odette, is not who I seek nor find closure in. She’s just an ordeal.”

“You ungrateful bastard!” Klaus growled preparing himself to charge at him.

“That’s enough Klaus !” the Queen made her stand her eyes pleading with her son to arrest his feet and hold back. “The king has made his decision and we have to accept it. Lucian, it was unacceptable of you to do what you did to Princess Odette. Do you have any idea how angry King Usiad was? Not to talk of Odette, poor girl couldn’t handle the humiliation.”

“With all due respect your highness I didn’t abandon the Princess! It’s indeed shocking that matters like this are not brought before the King. That girl has been starving for days and she was brutally beaten by her father. She needed food and rest in abundance. I did what I thought was right at that time. You all are reading more into this matter unnecessarily. I either have any illegitimate affair with the girl nor planning to have anything with her. I am not the King!”

“Dare you Prince! How dare you talk to the King like that? Apologize this minute!”

“Umm…your majesty he is just a child and governed by his emotions please do forgive him. I am his mother and I will see to it that he never speaks in such a manner in the future,” Sarah submissively requested and that seemed to please the man. “If the king permits we would like to be excused.”

He raised his royal stuff. “Permission granted.”

★★★

Hope’s nightmares jolted her out from her sleep. She was breathing heavily and her heart was frantically beating against her chest, threatening to escape out of the ribcage. She looks around at the unfamiliar surrounding.

The walls were painted in white and gold, the bed she was sitting on was big with satin bed sheets. The wall above was adorned by a beautiful chandelier. She felt like she was in paradise.

Her eyes traveled around the room till they set on the woman sitting on the chair beside her with a book in her hand. Pride and prejudice was the title of the book.

In her perspective the woman was gorgeous and screamed of royalty. From her hair pin, to her jewelry and to her dress.

“You are awake. You have been long gone for hours now no need to worry you needed the rest,” she said with an angelic smile glancing at her. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

She was the forth prince’s mother! Seeing her now she understood as to where the prince got his good looking looks from. This woman was ridiculously attractive, there was no way the king would have been able to keep it in his pants with a woman like this alone with him in his chambers.

“I see I have surprised you. It happens to most people when they see me for the first time.”

Hope jumped out of the bed and bowed before her. “Your royal highness my apologies for showing my weakness to you.”

Sarah hearty laughed at her behavior. “I am no queen nor am I royal child. No need to give me the respect.”

“Though not queen or bestowed with royal blood a woman like you who has given birth to a son like the fourth prince deserves the honor and respect. Our people may not say it but deep down in their hearts they see your son as a hero. I see him as a legend. Hercules perhaps.”

“If that’s what you believe then I can’t say otherwise,” she softly chortles. “I can see that you are now fit for duty however be careful with the bruises on your back.”

Hope stilled at the mention of that and Sarah saw through her tensed form and gently gave her a smile and a nod.

“Its okay, no one will know. You may resume to your duties now.”

“Thank you your highness,” she bowed and this time Sarah didn’t bother to correct her because she knew that she won’t take back the word or stop addressing her like that. She watched her silhouette as it left the room and grinned joyously.

“This is going to be an interesting love story to watch. On the other hand it is my son who is stubborn and doesn’t believe in love and on the other hand it is this innocent damsel who has no idea what it is she feels for my son. Is it respect or love? God what game are you trying to play with these two? I can’t wait for it to start,” she giggled in delight.

•••

“There you are! Oh I am so glad that it wasn’t anything serious. I thought you were sick of a very terminal disease when you fainted last night,” Saida stressed.

“Erm… Saida has anyone came forth to ask of me?”

“Pfft! Who would come looking for you? You are no one special.”

“Oh…,” came a disappointed answer. What was she hoping for? For her father and aunt to come running to her and hug her like how any normal parents would? She never learns. She knows that her father doesn’t care about her and would rather be glad on the news of her death than mourn over it.

“Err…what did you need me for Saida?”

“What? You are actually willing to do something out of your own will? This is a first.”

“Is there anything you need me to do this morning Saida?” she irritably asked her and she rolled her eyes at her.

“Yes today is the day the prince finally takes up a wife. It’s a miracle indeed. Hopefully his wife will be able to tame the beast. Now take this and go wash his feet for the day to go smoothly,” Saida dumped the equipment in her arms and walked away.

Hope cursed her making her way towards the stairs to the forth prince’s chambers. She knocked on the door and she was grated entry.

She walked into the room with her head down. “Good morning your highness I am here to give you a foot massage.”

He sighed enjoying the morning view from where he was standing. “I don’t need it, you can go back.”

“I am sorry my prince as much as I don’t want to do this I can’t risk not doing it either,” she mumbled rolling her eyes. Why won’t he understand? She must wash and massage his feet or else she would be punished. She’s not fond of this as well but she has to do it today as a way of saying thank you for helping her last night.

Her reply caught his attention, with an amusement look on his face he swirled around and a radiant smile spread across his face when he saw her.

“May I know why you think like that?”

“….”

“What you just said,” he explained. “May I know why you feel like that?”

Hope bit her lip. That was unintended. He wasn’t suppose to hear that.

“If I do tell would the prince then allow me to wash his feet?” she witty said.

He was forced to let out a soft chuckle. She was smart and good with words. She was cajoling him to allow her do it by smartly saying it. He shrugged and sat down on the bed. Hope knelt down and placed his feet on the bowl.

She reached out for the Luke warm rose water and started the feet wash.

“According to tradition every morning the princes must be given a feet wash with rose water, milk and honey. Then massage them with Jasmine oil it is believed that it will sweeten his life. Once that is done rose petals should be showered upon his feet. It is a must and the servant sent to do the task must fulfill it or it will be considered defamation. I personally don’t want to brought before the King,” she states as she massaged his right foot and finished with it. “However in my option, rose water, milk with honey and the oil they don’t really sweeten anyone’s life. How one lives and treat people, that defines how his life will be. That’s it , moreover I am not a fan of touching and washing people’s feet,” she expressed standing up.

Lucian admiringly looks at her. “Where do you get all this information from? How do you do it Hope?”

She gasped in shock. He remembered her name. He is a Prince and has important things to remember and not a name of an insignificant being like her. She swallowed down her shock.

“Maybe I am blessed. Honestly I have no idea. My prince the feet massage has been completed with your permission may I attend to some of my chores?”

He nods rubbing his chin. “Of course you may.”

                                ~~~

“Mother tonight is Lucian and Princess Odette’s wedding ceremony. You have told me to keep waiting and that you will do something to make sure that I acquire the princess. Mother tonight is the day that son of a mistress takes away what is rightfully mine!” Klaus whined to his mother who was relaxed and eating the finest grapes.

“I promised you that you will get married to the woman you love didn’t I son? If there’s someone to marry the princess tonight it is you and not Lucian. I won’t sit down and watch the King do this. First of all you are elder to Lucian and you should marry before him and that’s what is going to happen. You just relax and let your mother take care of this for you. You will get that what you desire my dear.”

“How will you do it mother?”

She gave an atrocious smile ogling at her golden rings in admiration.

“Lucian is going to get married alright but not to the princess. The King will never accept the marriage if he marries anyone but the princess and that’s none of our business. You will get married to the princess, your father will accept anyone who marries her and you my son will prove yourself worthy of the throne by producing an heir to the throne. A son and then just like that the kingdom will be ours to rule. Lucian, will never become king and I will make sure of that. You will produce a son with Odette, won’t you my dear?”

“Yes mother I will. You just give me the princess and I assure you the riches of this kingdom will be yours forever. You shall be known as the Queen mother.”

“Then the princess is yours to love and be glad in for infinity.”

Klaus relaxed after his mother said that. He was finally going to get married to the woman of his dreams. He has been fraternizing about her for a long time now. He has been dreaming about her since the first time he laid his eyes on her at the royal ball in Husbat kingdom and now his dreams were going to turn into reality.

Hope grumpily made her way to the bride’s dressing room. Saida had personally given her the task of helping the princess prepare for the ceremony. She pauses in front of the door and plastered her best smile before knocking. No answer came from inside. She knocked louder the second time maybe she didn’t hear the first time. Still no answer came. She frowned in confusion. Did she get the wrong room? But she was sure Saida said this was the room. She knocks again and no reply came.

She was having a bad feeling about the silence so she crept the door open stepping inside.

“Princess? Princess Odette? Your highness?” she calls her eyes darting about in the room until they fell on the wide opened balcony window. Her mood damped causing her to rush over to have a look. A rope was left hanging from the balcony and it didn’t take her long to realize what just happened.

The princess has ran away from the wedding!

This was a huge problem. What was she going to tell the King and Queen and most especially the bride groom; Prince Lucian? Does she run out and inform the Queen? How can she approach this problem?

She was going to inform the Queen. Yes! Only she will know what to do. With anxiety on her face she made her way to the door which was just opened revealing the Queen who had a smile on her face. It instantly disappeared when she saw Hope’s troubled face.

“What is it? Is the princess sick?” she demanded searching the room warily. “Where is the princess? Is she in the bathroom?”

Hope shook her head into no, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

“Say something servant! Where is the princess? It’s her wedding day tonight and the groom is waiting for her at the isle. Princess Odette? Princess everyone is waiting for you outside please come out from there.”

“Y..your highness…actually the…the princess is not in the room.”

“Not in the room? Where is she then?”

“Forgive me your highness I…I have no idea where she is.”

“What do you mean? Did the princess get kidnapped in your presence and you did nothing about it?”

“No! No your majesty. I just got assigned to the princess just now. When I came into the room she wasn’t in and then I saw the rope hanging down from the balcony. The princess was not here when I came in and I was about to go to you when you walked in.”

The Queen’s face paled. “No. No this can’t be happening. She can’t run away like this. Not when we need her to marry the prince. She was our only hope to tame the beast and now she has ran away. No! No Lucian must not find out this or he will go crazy.”

“But hiding the truth from him proves to be even worse your majesty. He deserves to know that his bride has run away from the wedding if indeed she has.”

“You don’t know who we are talking about, do you? He wanted to get married to the princess and now she is not here. He is going to go berserk. He will kill all of us if we don’t give him his bride. He is going to unleash all of his anger upon us! This kingdom! Dear,” she held Hope’s hands. “You have to sit at the isle in the princess’s place.”

“Wh…what?” Hope chocked and released her hands from the Queen. “No! No! I will never do that. That’s deceit your highness!”

“You would rather face the monster’s wrath than hold it for a while? Listen you have no idea the havoc he will create once he finds out his bride has deserted him!”

“It will be even worse to deceive him like this. He might consider not killing you but he will surely end my life on the wedding night itself. I am sorry but I can’t do this my Queen. I can’t trick him.”

The Queen’s face changed from pitiful to grim. “You will sit at the wedding dais as the princess’s replacement. That’s the queen’s order. Do you dare to refuse then?”