5

That night at the palace was the saddest, most silent one ever to be experienced. Myan didn’t have to bother with going to fetch Achu like the last time. He had come on his own accord at a time he knew was going to be free for him to wander without questioning.

Kassy refused to eat nor talk to any member of the palace. She was strong headed and had placed a strict warning that nobody came to her room without invitation. The king had agreed to this order, wanting his daughter to have enough time to herself, only being able to imagine what she could feel like at the moment.

Myan stood outside the fourth princess’ room while she bawled into her lover’s arms. “Achu, I have no idea what i'm supposed to do now.” She sniffed. “I thought he would allow me decide. He thinks that just because he is big and stupid, he can just go ahead and be a controlling bastard.” She wailed on the top of her voice, venting her anger on him like he was the source of her current problems.

The poor man tried his best to calm her down but he was just as devastated. A beast was trying to claim his most possessed jewel and he felt like the most helpless soul in the regards of saving her.

“Keep your voice down my love, you don’t want to be heard neither do you want me being in trouble.” He reminded her, running his fingers through her hair.

“How am I supposed to feel better? For all I care, anything can happen and I wouldn’t even give a fuck.” She snapped at him.

“I might have an idea that could work.” He looked afraid to voice his suggestion but at this point, anything that could help him from giving his love up would most certainly work.

Kassy sat up straight and siffed, waiting for him to speak. “Okay?”

When Myan was called in, she knew something that would work against her was going to happen especially after realizing that the princess was no longer crying and that could clearly mean something evil.

“Yes fourth princess?” Myan narrowed her eyes at Achu as she bowed her head before the princess.

“Please sit down.” Kassy ordered her and extended her hand in the direction of the bed.

Myan's suspicions were immediately confirmed. There was no way that Kassy had just offered her a comfortable sitting position and in the nicest possible way. Without arguing though, she sat on the bed and waited patiently for an explanation.

"Myan dear," Kassy came to kneel before her.

"Fourth princess, what are you doing?" Myan gasped and tried to get her to stand to her feet.

"Let it be. Achu and I have found a way out of this mess and the only way it can be made possible is with your help. You have been with me through many tough times and you have always been there for me. You have come through countless times and I can't express my gratitude enough." She sighed. "This is that last favour I need from you. I'll owe you forever."

"Fourth princess, you know I'll do anything as you as long as you're safe." Myan certainly did6nt like where things were headed and wished they would just cut straight to the point.

"We have decided to elope…"

"Fourth princess!" Myan cut her off, standing to her feet sharply. "You can't take this action. This would…"

"You have to consider me." Kassy wore her most pleading eyes, standing as well and then placing her hands on Myan's shoulders.

"Please. You know you don't really want this for…"

"I'm sorry fourth princess, but I have listened to you a lot from my childhood. I have served you and I never decline your offer, not even for a minute. But this time around, I'm not with you. I don't want you to be in trouble because you are carried away by this man…" she trailed off when  Kassy snapped at her.

"Don't use this as a chance to disrespect my Achu, don't get carried away. I'm still your princess." She scolded her and reduced her tone, "I haven't even told you what I have in mind." She said.

"I'm sorry your highness. I still am not in this with you, I'm sorry." Myan retained her stand. "If you remain adamant, I'll have to tell the king." She threatened in the most polite way she could.

"Myan please." Kassy began to sob and reflexively, Myan seemed to be unable to hold her own tears back. "You have to do this for me."

"Do what, my princess?" Myan sighed, wiping her tears off with the back of her hand.

"The lord is adamant and he would never allow me to slip. You heard what the man said, if the wedding doesn't hold, he will tear the palace down." She gripped Myan's shoulders and shook them as she spoke.

"Exactly princess, it is too risky to disagree with him and just do things your own way." Myan proved her point.

"Hear me out. I'll elope but the wedding will take place." Kassy continued to speak.

"How's that possible?" Myan squinted her eyes.

"You will be the bride." Kassy stared into her servant's eyes in fear, wondering what the outcome of the conversation would be.

Myan shook her head hard and began to take slow steps away from Kassy. "N..no." she uttered.

"Myan.."

"Fourth princess, that is a self induced death sentence…" Myan fell to her knees and began to cry her eyes out. She bowed her head and pleaded, "please reconsider your decision your highness, the lord will know I'm not you and he will kill me, I just know it."

"No he won't. You know how the wedding traditions are here, the bride is veiled until the wedding night. The lord and everyone else wouldn't even know I'm not here. By the time they find out, I'll be long gone."

"But what happens when they find out?" Myan sobbed, "and where will you go?" She asked.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. It's too risky and if you get caught, you'd be tempted to reveal." Kassy explained in a pitiable voice.

Myan remembered Hilda's comments and cried some more. "Fourth princess, I'd rather you beheaded me instead." She told her. "I can't do this."

"I didn't want to tell you this before," Kassy went on her knees and lifted Myan's chin. "But you leave me no choice." She said. Myan lifted her head and waited for Kassy's words.

"I'm pregnant, and it's well over a month. I planned on hiding it from my family for as long as possible. Myan, if I go ahead with this marriage, I'll be raising a child without its father, I can't afford that." She sobbed even louder, "this is the only chance I have to make things right." She took Myan's hands in hers, "and you're my only hope."

"Fourth princess, how are you pregnant?" Myan knew that was a stupid question so she shook her head, "why didn't you tell me? How long did you plan on hiding this..."

"It doesn't matter. All I need is your consent, will you do this for me?" Kassy was eager for a response.

Myan stared long and hard between Achu and Kassy for a few minutes before exhaling in defeat. "Yes, your highness." She bowed her head again and let her tears fall to the ground.

*

The next day, the whole palace was busy with the preparations. Three days was too small to hold a royal wedding. It was usually the talk of the town but this particular wedding had their world shook. Every kingdom of fire had heard the news. Lord Ash was getting married to the fourth princess.

The dressmaker woke Kassy up from her slumber and anyone who cared would have been able to tell that poor Myan had suffered from a sleepless night especially thanks to her eyes that were swollen from having cried too much but who cared about a mere servant?

"Your highness?" Myan walked into Kassy's room and bowed her head in acknowledgment. "The royal dressmaker is here."

The old woman with at least five measuring tapes wrapped around her waist followed Myan into the room where Kassy refused to budge, her thick blankets still coating her.

For a second, Myan's heart skipped, worry filling her as she thought of the possibility that Kassy could have carried on with her plans already. She sighed in relief when there were stirring movements on the bed.

"What?" Kassy groaned, stretching and then sitting up in bed.

"The royal dressmaker is here." Myan announced a second time.

"Oh." Kassy yawned, "okay." She turned to look at the woman dressed in the weirdest outfit that resembled a helpless combination of flowers, peacock feathers and dried grass.

"Apparently," the dressmaker picked a measuring tape from around her waist and walked towards Kassy, "three days are too short to make you a proper royal wedding gown, so we have to make use of what we already have and just make a few adjustments, fit it to your size and boom we are good to go."

"Whatever." An uninterested Kassy rolled her eyes and stood to her feet.

"Where are you going?" Kassy asked Myan when she turned around to leave.

"To assist with the preparations." Myan lied. She wanted to be far away from every preparation.  She couldn't help but feel like the preparations were being made on her behalf, they were.

"Okay." Kassy didn't argue. Myan nodded and continued to walk away. She hugged her arms when she was out of the bedroom and kept to herself as she walked to the servant quarters.

There was no servant in sight and that was a relief. They were all out to assist with the palace preparations.

Myan slipped out of her service gown and brought her small clothing piece that served as a sleeping space and spread it on the concrete floor. She folded her hands and used them as a pillow.

She kept a blank face but tears kept streaming down her cheeks without control. She needed an escape route from all of this.

"Why do you seem like you're the one whose happiness is being stripped from her?" Hilda's mocking voice came from behind her. Carefully, Myan wiped her tears with her hand without moving her body.

"What do you want Hilda?" Myan sighed, sitting up.

"I know something is up, tell me what it is." Hilda ordered.

"How can I be fine? The princess I've served all my life is getting married and me? I'll he here." Myan hugged her knees to her chest.

"Silly." Hilda chuckled, "a princess' servant will go off with her wherever she is, marriage or not. You should consider yourself lucky, you'll be a resident of a whole lord's quarter."

"I'll be a resident of his quarter alright." Myan sighed.

"You'll be fine, don't worry." Hilda tried to sound nice, "you should be out there helping."

"No." Myan lay back on her sleeping space, "I  need all the rest I can get now, who knows when next I'll get one? If I ever get one."

"Speaking in riddles, whatever it is, don't be a fool." Hilda shrugged, turning around to leave, "go ahead and take a rest. You need it. You won't be carried in your princess' carriage and I believe it's a long walk from the palace to his quarter. I hear he lives in the mountains." Hilda laughed in mockery and took her exit.

Myan paid no attention to her, she would be in a carriage so the ride was no issue. Her wedding day could be her death day after all.

She kept up with her thoughts until she eventually slept off.

*

It was the D day.

Myan had gotten up before the cock crowed and had snuck into the princess's room to assist with packing. Achu was present, having taken his ever secured route, the same way they were going to leave.

Kassy wasn't going to leave until it was time to get dressed. She looked so happy to be going on with her plan, managing to have avoided being caught during the whole encounter.

"This should go well." She commented as she smoothed the lines on her bridal dress. The dressmaker had done a really good job with making it look like it was especially sewn for this event. "I have told father I'd like to get dressed on my own so that part is clarified. I have no idea when Lord Ash will be here, but I'll be leaving early just to play things safe." Kassy said, handing her last dress to Achu who folded it neatly into his goatskin bag.

"Okay." Myan nodded.

She thought her heart would fail soon with the level of anxiety she had.

"Thank you so much for doing this for me." Kassy smiled and cupped Myan's cheeks, reaching forward to kiss her forehead.

"Please be safe your highness." Myan bit her lower lip, trying her best to refrain from having to cry.

"I'll be. I have Achu and my powers." She reminded Myan.

"Sit still so we can hurry to get you dressed." She said. She was completely serious with taking things on.

Myan felt like today would be her last day on earth. Ash was the lord and although their traditions truly didn't allow for the evil to be unveiled until it was night time, Ash was a man of his own world. What if he wanted to see what Kassy looked like underneath all that attire?

"I wish you the best on your journey my princess." Myan dried a tear.

Kassy hadn't shed even one tear. More than anything, she was super excited to have things work for her.

"Please be careful." She only added because it felt like the right thing to say. She took the wedding dress out of its hanger and stared at it, "this would have been a pretty thing to wear." Kassy sighed in admittance.

"And you'll wear if for me one day, my love." Achu kissed her neck. She closed her eyes in reaction and did a soft moan. Myan wanted to hit them for having the time to include a little romance in this situation.

"Hmm." Kassy agreed, pulling away and then concentrating on Myan. "I don't need to bother with the make up, that is unnecessary since no one is expected to see your face."

She started with the light gown. It was plain red and see through. Myan was just as slender as Kassy with an even tinier waist but her curves were just as invisible as her waist, bringing out a large difference between the two women.

The gown was an elastic one and was the first step. "Hurry out of your clothes."

"But sir Achu is h..." Myan blushed in embarrassment.

"You're a servant, it doesn't matter." Kassy frowned. It was as though Myan was taking too much advantage of this situation and was forgetting her status. "Achu can look or look away if he wants."

Achu nodded in understanding and turned his back on the women, giving Myan a little comfort space.

The elastic gown fit perfectly and then she slid into the forcible iron like material and wore a huge purple skirt over it. It gave it the roundest flair and Myan was already feeling like royalty, yet, they had only just started.

Three more attires and Myan was clothed from  head to toe. All that was left was the round crown that was placed over her messy bun. It had a fence of beads in linear form all around it that served as the facial shield.

She was ready.

She felt burdened by the heavy wedding attire but who was she to complain.

Kassy gave her one last hug, "be strong for me." She said after pulling away. Both Achu and Kassy disappeared from sight afterwards, leaving the 'bride' by herself. Myan sobbed under that attire and watched her princess leave.

Ceremonies happened in the courtyard and Myan waited patiently to be called upon.

The door eventually came open and the royal entourage arrived. "Fourth princess? The lord is here, it is time." The head of them announced.

CHAPTER DEDICATED TO MIA PACE. Thank you for your reviews. If you would like to see the schedule for this book, please check my Facebook page  Author Faith Odulesi