CHAPTER THREE

Her body was sore and swollen from the beating she got from her father last night. She dare call him father. He has never been a father to her not even once. He saw her as a mistake. He is just a man who had a hand in her existence. Just because she hit his precious daughter he almost killed her. Damn him.

She limped her way to the garden where the music ceremony will be taking place later in the evening. The basket of flowers in her hands wasn’t making things easy for her, it made it difficult for her to walk. She purses her lips as a wave of pain hit her, her eyes were sparkling with tears as she sat on the edge of the pond.

“Mom,” she whispered in despair. “It hurts mom. I can’t take it anymore. I have tried and tried now I am tired.”

She let the tears fall. For the first time since her mother passed she let the pain consume her.

“Hope what are you still doing here? Who will do all the work if you sitting idle and enjoying the sun!” Saida’s demanding voice rang out and she just ignored her. “Hope! Get up!”

“Enough Saida,” she whispered. She really had no energy to deal with her right now. She just wanted to cry and hallow in her pain and misery alone. Why couldn’t Saida understand that?

“You don’t get to order me around. You are no princess. You’re a servant in this palace and I am the boss. Now get up from there and move it! Get up I say!”

“I SAID ENOUGH!” she roared finally revealing her red teary eyes to her. Saida gasped and flinched at her expression. She was murderous. “Enough already! I heard you at first, you need not repeat yourself! I am sick and tired of you and everyone else! Yes I am a servant but I am not your door mat. You are servant as well head mistress or the queen’s personal helper you’re still a royal dog Saida. If I can do the dirty work even you can do it. Just leave me alone!”

Saida gulped straightening her blouse and held her head high. “You should start working we don’t have much time,” her voice was high pitched in fear and she cleared her throat to make it sound better. “I also wanted to tell you that you will be one of the dancers in the music ceremony tonight.”

“Wh…what? Me, part of the dancers? From where will I get the money to purchase the outfit for the dance?”

“That’s not my business to worry about. Your father is one of the royal elders, isn’t he? Your sister Angel is also part of the dancing crew she said she would be able to afford it. I don’t see how you won’t be able to.”

Hope scoffed wiping her tears struggling to get up. She silent hissed in pain when she straighten her slump shoulders.

“Sister? Of course Angel will be able to afford it but not me. Though the same father our lives are difficult. I actually have to work and tolerate an unbearable and annoying woman like you to put food on my table. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon nor do I bathe in diamonds and gold like Angel. We are different from each other. Very different. I have no money to buy the dresses nor do I have the fabric of silk to make myself one. How am I going to be able to perform?”

“It was the Queen’s order. Dare defy it and you won’t like the consequences. The Queen can be brutal sometimes,” she smugly said and left Hope feeling hopeless and feeling sorry for herself.

“Tobias,” Lucian looks over at his royal guard and personal helper.

“Yes your highness,” he bowed.

Lucian’s eyes trails after Hope who was limping her way to her destination. He was having an afternoon nap in the hidden place in the garden when he was woken up by a woman’s roar of anger. He didn’t expect to find her brewing in fury and he was quite fascinated and excited to see her fierce form. The last time he saw her she looked innocent and meek but now she was an angry storm ready to destroy anything on its way.

“What did she mean she’s different from her sister? Angel, I have heard this name before.”

“My prince Angel is the daughter of the royal elders Sir Bernard Williams. He is favored by the King making him the richest elder among others.”

“ Is that so?” he thoughtfully muttered playing with his royal ring. “Then care to explain why the two sisters are different.”

“Your highness I apologize for my bluntness I would say her story is similar to yours.”

The Prince sharply takes a breath and held the flute of wine tightly that a small crack was formed in the process. Tobias saw it and gulped down , he had to careful of his words from now on. He knew his master. Yes he wasn’t entirely what people say he is but indeed he could be a beast if he wants. He has seen him fight. He can slay an army of hundred soldiers and won’t blink an eye in doing it. He would come out alive and unscratched. He has earned himself the name; The God of War.

“Only that she has no refuge to run to. Her mother passed when she was young and she was left to the hands of her vicious stepmother who is also her aunt. It is rumored that her mother was her stepmother’s elder sister. Her father Sir Bernard Williams, wanted to get married to the younger sister but according to tradition the younger sister can’t get wed before the elder sister. Somehow down the marriage process the parents got the elder sister married to Sir Bernard who later refused to acknowledge her as his wife and went ahead and married the love of his life soon after. Hope Bernard Williams was born from him but she was never given the right of the first daughter and doesn’t enjoy the luxuries of her father’s wealth like her younger sister.”

“And she’s been working in this palace since when?”

“A preposition my lord. The King gave Mr Williams a preposition. One of his daughter could either be safe from serving the royal household. He chose Hope to be the servant.”

“All this is happening in the kingdom and the king himself is aware of it and does nothing about it. This man you call your king is going to be the death of you one day.”

“If not of your highness I believe that would have happened a long time ago. The kingdom of Khumalo is known of it’s riches and power, enemies want to conquer it but because of his royal highness; the fourth prince of Khumalo kingdom that has never happened and till the prince is with us we shall fear not.”

Lucian smiled sipping his wine. “Spare me your flatter Tobias. I am no God for you to praise me so much. When I go into war I am just like any other soldier. God is the one who assures my victory and protect me and my comrades. Praise him Tobias for without him we would be dead like our enemy,” he looks up at the clouds. “Tobias, for the dancers of tonight’s ceremony send the dresses to them and all that is needed,” he concluded and walked away from the balcony.

“Hope,” the old man grinned. “You are truly hope for my master. He hardly shows his human side.”

                               ★★★

“The forth prince has given these dresses to all dancers,” Saida announced to them as the dresses were passed among the dancers. “The Prince has once again proven that he is not what people say he is. He can actually feel. When you see him thank him for this.”

Hope sighed staring at the piece of clothing in her hands. The dress was beautiful but it had a slight problem. It was backless and her back isn’t pretty at the moment. It looked like rotten blue cheese.

Someone nudged her arm and she raised her head to see Amanda her acquaintance.

“I still can’t believe that the fourth prince sent these for us. He didn’t leave anything out and I am sure the piece of jewelry is worth forty golden coins. I am shocked, no one expected him to be so human. Even the news of his marriage shocked the entire kingdom. Everyone was sure the monster was going to die unmarried.”

Hope grimaced like she just swallowed a bowl of bile. “Monster? How can you call him that? I know there are so many rumors surrounding him but hasn’t the poor man proven himself enough? In my honesty he is the only one fit to sit on the throne.”

“Only him? Then what about the people’s favorite? The third prince; Prince Klaus ?”

Hope bit her lower lip. The third prince was someone she admired and fancied about. She wasn’t sure if she idolized him or romanticized him. He was also a capable candidate to being King. He was warm and kind to his people. He was also very smart, intelligent and skilled. He simply had qualities of a king unlike his other two brothers Prince Daniel and Prince Aston those two are useless like used toilet paper. All they knew was getting drunk and marrying as many women as possible just so they can produce a son with them with the hope of ascending the throne. However their wish hasn’t come truth and Hope prays they keep on producing daughters because she feared of what they will do to the kingdom the moment one of them sit upon the throne.

“Well…?” Amanda brought her back to reality.

“No doubt that the third Prince is everyone’s favorite but that doesn’t grantee him the throne. Is he skilled in combat like the forth prince? Though cold and ruthless he is good at protecting the kingdom. Furthermore I don’t think he is as people define him. Remember he did show me mercy when I ruined his royal cloak. If a man like him can forgive me then I don’t think he deserves those names. He might be a son of a concubine but he has proven himself worthy of the throne and I would support him anytime. So Amanda I would advise you to choose your words careful the next time,” she gives her a look and walks away.

“What did I say wrong? I was just expressing myself,” Amanda shrugged. “No wonder no one wants to be friends with her, she’s unpredictable.”

Lucian crept out of the shadows the moment the girls went their separate ways but his eyes stayed on the path Hope had taken. Her words had cut through his cold heart and soul. He was afterall getting married tomorrow and he wondered what Princess Odette thought of him. Was she as simple and honest like Hope? Will she just see him as the forgotten prince? The forbidden one? The one everyone calls a sin?

He just wondered. Will he fall in love with her? He had so many questions and he had no answers to any.

••••

Hope snorted staring at herself in the mirror. It was like staring at a stranger. The girl staring back at her was so beautiful and flawless with less make up, beautiful kept hair and nice clothes. She even wore less jewelry. The single gold necklace and earrings complimented her looks.

She used her dupatta to cover up her back nicely.

“Okay ladies it’s time for your dance. Hope, you are the lead alright? I hope you have memorized your steps.”

She beguilingly nodded keeping her head down. She was in pain, needed rest and she was hungry. Because of Angel’s drama last night she didn’t get anything to eat even in the morning she was deprived the enjoyment of breakfast. She just wanted to go home and rest however she had no choice but to do this.

She muster all her courage and strength towards the stage positioning herself in the middle of the other dancers. With every step and move she made her body was screaming at her to stop but she didn’t. She kept moving, she kept dancing.

The pain was visible on her face as she twirled around with the song imitating the steps she learnt earlier on.

Lucian who was sitting besides Princess Odette was feeling rather bored. His wife to be was ridiculously shy. She hasn’t spoke a word to him even today on their musical ceremony, the last ritual prior to the wedding day. If she was like this before their wedding then how was she going to be like when they finally get married?

He tried to say something to her but she couldn’t make up a word without stuttering and blushing. It irritated him and he would do anything just to get out of there but his mother made him promise that he would endure it, for her sake.

When he was certain that he was going to break the promise he made to his mother when his eyes fell on her. His heart pleaded him to sit and he did. In a normal day he would never agree with it but today he had to. She was magnificent. Splendid.

She looked like she was enjoying herself and lost in the world of music and dance. His eyes never left hers throughout the dance. He saw only her.

A smile threatened to crept out of his face and he knew he won’t be able to fight it so he covered his mouth with his hand and leaned against his chair.

“She dances beautifully,” Princess Odette managed to say and he hummed with a simple head nod. “She should have been one of the dancers on our engagement day as well. I would have been pleased.”

He looks at her. “Really? Tell me something are you this demanding?”

She gasped biting her lip. “Erm…no! No!”

Lucian shook his head and turned his attention back to the dance and when he did he heart sank and the floor felt like it had fallen down.

She was laying on the floor like a dead person and everyone was looking down at her. They were calling out her name and trying to wake her up but she wasn’t moving. Just once. Once he took his eyes off her and now she had passed out cold on the floor.

It was considered stupid and crazy for a man to act on his instincts and impulse but he didn’t care at the moment. He stood up from his chair and trotted over to the dancer. Unlike his brothers who were just on their feet standing afar he went down there and knelt down.

It was unworthy and not royal for a prince to kneel down before a commoner so when he did it the crowd gasped in shock and when he lifted her up in his arms it almost died.

He didn’t care. He did what he thought was right and he wasn’t turning back on it. With the thought that anyone can think what they wanted he walked out of the ceremonial hall with in his arms and his mother after him.