Part 6

The air around the castle was shimmering. It’s a delicate, almost invisible kind of thing. Stepping out of her room and in the living room, Celina noticed a fire in the hearth, larger than the one her family built before going out into the snow every morning. Then again, they lived in a cottage.

It heated the room to an almost unreasonable degree, making steam fog up the windows. She must be in the kitchen, getting ready for her duties instead got distracted by the swinging door—in the corner of room. Despite working for two days she had no idea where it led to. Curiosity got the best of her. 

As she made her way along the winding path, Celina breathed louder. With each step, the air seemed to grow warmer, the crisp snow sagging, icicles losing their grasp on branches and falling to the ground. 

Why would anyone leave the door open? She thought. Reaching the end of the snow line, where the patchy slush trailed off, her heels dug into the mud. Celina gawked at the sight in front of her. 

Its a cave. 

Sheer walls of metamorphic rock cut down deep onto the earth, the mouth too wide for a person, hell a giant creature to easily walk in. Thick tree roots dangled over the edge, on either side hiding the cave. 

Celina gulped loudly. There’s a massive cave in the back of the castle. Something she should have been informed beforehand or during her castle tour. Why did Beth hide it from her? Before she could take a step further, a distinct bell went off. 

The duty call bell by Beth. No one can miss that, or they will be punished. With a sigh, Celina turned around. 

On the way back, she did feel someone staring at her. 

***

Flora was humming something under her breath when Celina shuffled into the kitchen, pouting for not being able to go inside the cave. Also, there’s brittle exhaustion creaking in her limbs, prickling behind her eyelids because of that strange dream. 

“Good morning, Celina” Her friend greeted, sending her a wide smile. She was doing the dishes used to make breakfast. “Everything alright?” 

The new maid shrugged. “Yeah, just tired,” she murmured, heading to the cabinet to pull out a few boxes. Even though she didn’t have to cook, Celina's expected to chop and pull out all the essential ingredients. 

Flora turned off the tap, wiping her hands on the apron before she turned around. There was a concerned look in her eyes. “Why? Didn’t you get enough sleep last night?”

At that question, her mind wandered back to the events of the night. To those green eyes. Something tugged inside her, but she shook it off. Then it hit her that she could ask Flora about the cave. As a person working in the castle for a long time, she most definitely knows about it. 

“Something like that. Anyway, can I ask you a question?” 

The harsh slam of the door against the wall made her jump on the spot. Looking over her shoulder she spotted Avery, walking in towards them with a grimace. Who managed to piss her off so early? As if she felt eyes on her, she-devil looked up and glared. 

“What the fuck is your problem?”

“M-Me?” Celina bit her lip, shaking at her head. She didn’t understand. Why was she being targeted and yelled at? The young woman simply stared at her for one-two seconds too long.

“Avery don't start now. Go restock the shelves before madam Beth yells at you.” Flora warned her. 

The arrogant maid scoffed. “Aunt Beth loves me.” 

She’s technically right, being her niece and all, but even blood relation doesn’t mean Beth won’t straighten her out if she deserves it. That housekeeper can be downright scary. 

With one last roll of her eyes, Avery stormed inside and plopped on the stool. Celina watched her with furrowed brows. For sine reason she still couldn’t figure out why Avery acted the way she did.

***

The Prince refused to have breakfast. At least that’s what Beth said as she walked inside the kitchen with a worried look on her face. Something was going on, and they weren’t being told about it. The other two maids simply nodded their head and got back to work. 

Celina, however, couldn’t stop thinking about Prince Javier. His sharp jawline that could cut diamonds in half, his intoxicating scent which made her knees weak. It shouldn’t affect her, those things, but it did. The maid was distracted the entire time, obsessively checking the clock, waiting for the lunchtime. 

Her prayers were finally answered, and she got to carry the tray to the Prince’s chamber. Beth had stacked it with a lot of meat, bread, fruits and wine. It’s heavy, almost making her regret not asking additional help as she had to climb stairs to reach the room. Flora was right there, doing nothing but making her lunch plate while Avery flashing death glare maybe because the Prince assigned his lunch duties to Celina instead of her. 

She hesitantly opened the doors to the Prince's chambers, but it would seem Javier had disappeared. He was nowhere in the room. Celina shrugged it off and diligently walked towards the empty table and placed the tray.

From the corner of her eyes she spotted a desk which formerly been covered in papers, she was sure, but all that had vanished with the desk’s owner and all that remained was an inconspicuous leather notebook and some spare parchment. Walking further towards the desk, Celina was compelled to open the notebook. She knew its probably a horrible idea, but the Prince was drawn away somewhere unexpectedly, so indeed, he’d be gone long enough for her to peek inside quickly.

She took a chance and flipped it open as she made herself comfortable on the chair. The first few pages were just notes about innocuous things, atleast she hoped cause they were written in French. She also found some poems in the very same language as she skimmed through those. Next to some of the little writing illustrations started to appear, then later there were some whole pages dedicated to tiny poems. The next time she flipped the page, Celina was stunned.

Mon cherie (smile) 

Yours is the smile I think about when I am sad and lost. Why wouldn’t I? 

You have one of those smiles which can warm me up during winter nights, can light up an entire room, is brighter than moon and stars combined. 

Also, it puts a smile on mine.

“What do you think you are doing?”

“Your highness,’’ Celina gasped, jumping out of the chair quickly and pushed it in as if she could pretend to have never sat there, “My sincerest apologies…I…I 

was just putting your lunch down,” She tried in vain to excuse as she gestured back at the tray on the table as if to demonstrate the validity of her blatant lie. Then, giving up, the maid simply clasped her hands behind her back. 

Tilting her head up, Celina peered at the Javier perched near the door with a hostile expression colouring his face. He was also shaking for some reason, holding onto the door frame till his knuckles turned white. 

“It is rude to snoop, don’t you agree?” The Prince inquired as he rubbed at his temples, breathing ragged. His large steps towards in her direction was the most menacing that the servant had yet seen, which she had thought to be an impossibility.

“Yes, your highness” She bowed her head down, clenching her eyes shut for the punishment. 

Javier let out a sigh, walking strangely towards his bed, his steps wobbly. “Never mind. Get out of my room.”

Before she could open her mouth to explain, he cut her off, his tone furious. “Now!”

***

After a night of rolling around on the bed, unable to fall asleep from all the thought running around her head, Celina gave up. There was some pale light coming through the balcony doors. She had been lying awake for the better part of the night, feeling restless and itchy somehow. 

Her strange encounter with the Prince kept her up, making her anxious. Why did he seem so sluggish and tired all of a sudden? Where had he been all morning? She had so many questions that not even two showers had been able to eliminate. 

Celina walked out of her room and towards the first-floor balcony. It’s late. The sun went down hours ago, but there are still lights here and there across the kingdom, illuminating the rolling hills like tiny stars beneath the massive expanse of real stars in the sky. She could see her breath, so cold it hurt her lungs when the maid breathed back in.

It’s surreal, looking out upon the country like this. The young woman stood there looking down at the barren land and let the thoughts surround her.

“You know, you could catch a cold in there” A voice from behind startled her.

***