CHAPTER SEVEN

“You really didn’t have to do this Prince. This is too much. I doubt I will be able to wear all of these clothes,” she expressed admiring the clothes which were kept in the closet and the jewelry in the jewelry armoire.

“Hope, all this is yours to do what you please with them. If you are worried about these then what about your coronets?” he pressed a button under the shelf and the glass door automatically opened up and magnificent coronets came up to her view.

A gasp left her parted lips.

“Do you want to play around with them? Everything in this closet and in the room is yours Hope. All yours to do as you please. You will never run short of anything in this palace. Whatever you wish for shall be granted. Now do you want to try out some?”

She shook her head with a chuckle. “No maybe later.”

“Hmmm,” he glanced at his wrist watch. He had a meeting to attend with the King and his brothers regarding their family business. “I will leave you now.”

“Wait!” she caught his wrist. “I have something for you. I mean I got something for you from the shopping spree. It’s nothing compared to what you have given me. I noticed that you didn’t get anything for yourself so I found it wise to buy something for you,” she reached out to the paper bag on the bed and put out a two jewelry boxes. One of them had a watch and the other a gold chain.

“Give me your hand.”

Lucian stretched it out and she helped him put on the Rolex watch.

“Bent down for me a little,” she stood on her tip toes as he leant closer for her to be able to put the chain around his neck. “There it is done,” she took a step back.

He was touched. Her simple action had melted his heart and made it skip a beat like the first time he saw her. She had left him stunned and lost of words. He wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer in a hug.

“I hope this isn’t too fast?” he husky asked and she just lean into his touch her hands around his shoulders.

“No.”

They stayed like that for a longer minute before he disengaged from the hug but didn’t break their closeness. He put his forehead against hers with a smile on his face.

“Tell me why do you do these things? You barely knew me when you defended me and protected my honor from my father and brothers. You paid your respects to my mother, the one whom people find ways to put down and today you bought me a gift. If you continue like this I won’t be able to hold back nor control my feelings Hope,” he whispered.

“I thought as a friend I should gift you something. You have already done enough. You have provided a roof over my head and made sure I am served well. You deserve as much.”

“The Queen might send an invitation for you to join her for tea and snacks. Every Wednesday the ladies of the house gather together to get along and know each other better.”

Hope frowned. “The queen? Would she invite me considering the fact that I was a servant and now the fourth Prince’s wife? I doubt it. That woman is as bitter as a gourd. In case I am invited is there some things I should know?” she steps a bit away creating some space between them.

“You already know the Queen. There is Princess Ada; The first prince’s wife, Princess Roselle; The second Prince’s wife and lastly Princess Odette; The third Prince’s wife. You and her are the newly Weds so I reckon she will be informing you about the rules today.”

Hope moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue as she took the information in. “Tell me how do feel about Princess Odette?”

His eyebrows knitted and his lips pressed to a thin line. “Nothing. I am indifferent. I was never in love with her. It was a deal I made with my father hence I was willing to get married to her.”

“What do you mean?” she was stunned by the revelation. The Queen had told her that he loves the princess and that he wanted to marry no one but her. Now he was saying something different. “You don’t love the Princess?”

He laughed throwing his head back. “No. I never did. I am incapable of love Hope.”

“Are you? Just because people say it, it doesn’t imply that you should be it prince. You have every right to live your own life. A life based on your perspectives and not of others. That’s what my mother told me before she passed on,” she sadly said and hung her head down.

Lucian cuffed her chin and made her look up at him. “I know it is not going to help much but I am sorry about your mother.”

She gives him a lopsided smile. “I am sure the prince has lot of surprises. They say you never smile and I have seen you smile not once or twice but several times and not only a smile I have witnessed you laughing as well. See you can be what you want. People don’t define us rather we define ourselves.”

“Perhaps you are right my lady,” he smiled at her and she gave him a dramatic bow. “I must leave now and take care of yourself out there,” he said and gave her an awkward kiss on the cheek and literally run out of the room with color on his cheeks.

Just when he left a knock came from the door and she beckoned the person in. It was a royal servant.

“Greetings your highness,” she bowed and it felt weird. Some time back even she used to do this and she found nothing wrong with it. Now her fellow colleagues were bowing down to her, it felt wrong and weird.

She gave them a tight smile turning her back against them.

“Your majesty the Queen request for your presence in the courtyard for their afternoon tea.”

“In the royal courtyard? Alright please lead the way.”

The maid took her to the courtyard surrounded by gorgeous range of flowers; roses, daisies, daffodils. Carved hedges depicted strange shapes all around the space. The Queen and the three princesses were all already sitting under the flowery canopy. Were they waiting for her? How long have they been waiting?

“Your majesties,” she honored and took her sit.

“Spare us the respect. If you can disrespect the queen by coming late then you mustn’t show any courtesy,” the queen snarled at her. “Don’t you know that the Queen shouldn’t arrived before you?”

“The queen could excuse me with the consideration that I haven’t been trained properly nor do I know the ways of the palace.”

“The queen may forgive you,” Princess Ada looks at her. “But for us to forgive you, you must pay a fine of ten gold coins.”

“A fine? I am afraid I have no dime on me.”

Princess Odette scoffed. “Why? Hasn’t the prince given you some gold coins? That’s ridiculous of him.”

Hope clenched the hem of her cloak. She had understood now. They did this. They purposely sent the maid to call her late so that they could humiliate her.

Princess Roselle hissed in mockery. “What to expect from Lucian? He might be a prince but he is poor, isn’t him? There must not be enough gold coins left on him.”

Hope squinted her eyes and snorted to calm herself down. “It’s the gold coins you want right? Gold is nothing compared to a diamond,” she pulled down her glove revealing a diamond bracelet the prince brought for her in the morning. She took it off and dropped it on the table. “That’s my fine. Gold may define you but diamonds are what my husband bathe me in. Now I am not petty hence you can have the bracelet. I have plenty of those in my jewelry armoire.”

Now that she mentioned it was then Odette realized how well dresses she was. Dressed in a fabric of silk and lace, a simple yet elegant diamond necklace with matching earrings and what made her green with envy was her diadem; gold with eye catching shiny pink stones. Princess Odette couldn’t help but compare her looks with hers, she was nothing compared to her. It irritated her to know that a mere servant had succeed in making her insignificant.

She gripped on her necklace which had one diamond piece. How can this possible? How can she dress so lovingly and better than her when she was the third Prince’s wife? How did it happen?

“I can see he takes care of you,” the queen’s voice interrupted her sour thoughts. “Enjoy it while it lasts. You never know when he will turn Beasty again.”

“I doubt he ever will. I was quite gob smacked when I found what that the prince is not whom you described him to be,” Hope glared at her while the queen sipped her tea with a pleased smile on her face. “What I don’t understand is why the Queen would do this? Nevertheless I am happy where I am and I hope everyone is as well.”

“As if he will ever love you? One can only fall in love once,” Odette bragged. “He was in love with me. Very much in love.”

“Was he? How certain are you about that? Was he really in love with you? Well…that’s not what I heard from him.”

“What do you mean to say?” came her high pitched voice.

Hope shrugged with a smile. “Nothing. I am just asking you what I heard about you two. Please don’t take offense princess.”

“That’s enough everyone. I called you hear for tea and snacks and to inform the newly weds of what is expected of them,” the queen cleared her throat. “Fighting amongst each other is not going to help rather it wastes our time. Thankfully times have changed. We don’t have sit down here and tolerate each other. The King has created a book that governs the behavior of a princess consort. I will have it sent to you this afternoon. Another important thing is the newly wed princesses will be joining their princess training starting from tomorrow at eight in the morning till late in the afternoon,” she announced looking at each and everyone one of them and they nodded their heads in agreement. Pleased by their answer she beckoned them to continue their tea time whilst she excused herself to take care of something important.

️️️

Odette was raving mad like a crazed bull. With her gown in her hands she stomped her way into the third Prince’s private chambers. When she got in she took the nearest vase and slammed in against the wall. The smashing of the glass was accompanied by an angry animal screech.

“That was my favorite vase. I bought it from France,” Prince Klaus stated nonchalantly before closing the file he was reading a minute ago. He looks at his wife and shakes his head in sort of amusement. “Tell me beautiful who has offended you. I shall chop of their hands if it may please you.”

“She is nothing but a servant yet she dresses more than a Queen! I felt like plunking my eyes out by the sight of her. I want to get rid of her. I honestly do. Everything she was wearing was suppose to be mine. MINE! He loved me first. He chose me first and I deserve everything that wretched girl has. I mean I am princess yet I dress like a pauper!” she tore her diamond pendant from her neck followed by her coronet throwing them both to the floor. Angry tears streamed down her cheeks. She was brewing in fury.

The third prince scowled stepping closer to his wife to be sure of what he was hearing. He couldn’t believe she was still thinking about his forgotten brother.

“Who are talking about Princess? Who loved you first?”

Her eyes waved over to him and a ridiculous laugh left her thin lips. “You? The Queen was high and mighty that this kingdom belongs to you but by the looks of it, it seems the fourth prince is wealthier than you. She promised that silver, gold, diamond and fabric of silk and wool will be mine! Above all the favor to sit upon the throne as future Queen but look at me! I look nothing like future Queen to be. Nothing!”

Heat immediately climbed up Klaus ’s neck to his cheek. He felt dazed by her requests, perhaps he should tell her the truth that until he ascend the throne and he has a son he is entitled only a small portion of his father’s wealth. His fingers balled into fists, pride forcing him to man up and prove himself to his wife. That son of a mistress was not better than him.

“Tell me what is it that my love desire?”

“Diamond,” she demanded. “I want a coronet made of diamonds. A coronet much better than that servant. I also desire the best of designer dresses, gowns and shoes to be delivered to me. If I am going to be queen I must look like one.”

“I will see to it that you get what your heart passionately want,” he pecked her forehead and bent down to kiss her lips as well but she turned her head to the other side like she just got burnt.

“Till the prince fulfill his promises he shall not lay a finger on me and my body,” she declared before storming out of the study room and once she was outside a wide smile spread on her face. “Now we will see who is going to envy the other tomorrow.”