The strange familiarity

Alicia's POV

Lady Dia wandered in before I could utter a word. She was fluttering like an edgy kitty. Her exquisite face was now clouded with fear. She rushed to me and squeezed her hand with mine.

With an unwilling smile, she stammers "I ha..ve no idea why the Prince had suddenly summoned you, but you need to understand my reason for maltreating you." She whiffs shamefully.

"The first time he acknowledged me was the day he told me to take very good care of you. I was bedazzled by my obsession and hadn't taken his instructions earnestly because I thought your beauty might have overshadowed mine even in your less pricey dress. I still wonder how he saw you when you were not inside the venue" She bites her lips and I gazed at a frozen Bona who has her palm on her mouth in stupefaction.

"If the harbingers see you in this situation and tell the Prince, it's the end of everything for me and my family" She shudders her head and quivers once more. I abruptly had the notion to embrace her and that everything would be alright but I didn't want to risk it.

"I had disobeyed the order of the next Emperor, Alicia. For the sake of, God" she whimpers and shakes when someone bangs at the door "My father is on an appointed journey and you know my mother is deceased right? You just have to lie that you don't want to leave your friends behind and demand to stay here but I had treated you specially among the others. It's lame but I know you can convince them." She gulps and stares me right in the eye without having that usual despised expression as it was superseded by a desperate stare.

My typical self agreed to her plea even though my inner mind was feeling sorrowful at what awaited me.

Aside from that, what's the essence of holding grievances with someone when I don't even know what I'm going to face shortly?

I nod my head and caress her hand in reassurance. She hugged me and brushed away her tears before rushing me out of the quarter.

Her guess was right.

The Royal messengers were shocked as they surveyed me with their bull-eyes.

I bowed in respect and emphasized my contentment regarding the way I live but they weren't shaken by my words.

"It's a shame that you think we are so stupid to believe such pathetic lies. Nevertheless, your beauty still overshadows your appearance. You can't go with us with such a look and I beg your pardon, for the sake of us and if you don't want to end up like a dead horse of our opponent on the battlefield, never act so immature in front of his Highness." Their leader cautions with a stern voice.

I suddenly felt a rush of outrage as I stared at them, "If you have so many rules for the appearance of a mere outcast, then what do you want from me?!" I fired angrily.

My eyes were probably red.

Lady Dia and the other maids quickly knelt while tremblingly and stammering pleas on my behalf "Don't take her words seriously!!!" They cried out.

The leader chortled at my weirdness" The minister's daughter is to dress you up." He announces with a straight face "You don't want to waste my time!"

Lady Dia jerked in fear and whimpered as she urged me toward the direction of her room and like I flash, I was dolled like a totally different person. Like a recognised noble lady.

My eyes became soggy and I almost bawled at the thought of my days when I was still Alicia.

Without any more contemplation on the reality of my journey to meet the so-called Prince, I relieved my heart with silent prayers and stepped on the staircase of the carriage with the assistance of one of the maids.

I glimpsed at a tearful Bona for the last time and entered the carriage.

The trip wasn't exhausting as we halted at a house.

A major cabin.

A guard surged out of the house and informed the harbingers of the change of plan. He mutters it quietly while I strain my ears to get a clue.

I only heard "She needs to disguise as a maid".His voice lowers after that as if he knows that I was listening to him.

I bite my lips in curiosity. What could they be up to?

I was demanded to go into the house and I was assisted by a lady to dress like a royal maid. A thought suddenly crossed my mind that it would be easier for me to poison the Prince in revenge but I quickly shook the thought away.

I was handed over to the guard.

He was the only one that accompanied us while we trekked. I keep glancing at his half-burnt face. He looks familiar and I couldn't recall where I might have seen him. He was no doubt younger than I am but he already inherited wrinkles from fixed scowl on his face.

Huff.

We were given easy access into the grand palace of Genovia after he showed them a designated staff that indicated the permission of the Royal Prince. I guessed because the guards had panicked at the sight of the thing. If not for my loathing towards the Ruthless monarchy family of Genovia, I would admit that the place wasn't different from the description of heaven in the holy book.

I forced myself to look down and clasped my hands on each other in tension. The bottom of my heart was beginning to pump even though I had pledged to myself not to be intimidated by the sight of those in power.

The Royal Family.

I'm only in the surroundings and I was almost peeing in my garment.

I tried my best to meet the hasty steps of the guard till we got to an enormous gate of a manse that was a bit low in size with the one in the middle.

The guard suddenly halted and I bumped into him from the back "Get a hold of your silly self, or I might hit the bottom of this sword on your head!" He yelled angrily.

I gulped and nodded my head in understanding and followed him. After an unending walk of passing through corners into different parts of the magnificent building, we arrived at a chamber.

Without any information, I understood that I was finally at the place of the person who summoned me. I swerved with my arm vertically placed on my knee, exactly the way the guard greeted him.

"What took you so long?!" The anonymous hollered in a cold and mightily tone. His broad back was facing us while his hand caressed the fur of a cat sitting on a golden stool.

"She was struggling to escape your highness" the guard lied and trembled. I opened my mouth to deny it but a word couldn't come out of my mouth.

His Highness? He is the Prince!! What was I thinking?!

My mind screams.

"Still as fragile and unreasonable as before" The Prince nodded his head in agreement to the guard's statement and it made me wonder why he referred to me like he knew me from somewhere.

My brain and mind bonded automatically at the familiarity of the voice. It was distant and frigid but held a domineering and commanding tone.

"You are dismissed" The Prince muttered blankly.

"I had wanted to summon you after I ascended the throne but I guess I was preordained to see you before then," He mumbled in a hushed tone that if I hadn't strained my ears well, I wouldn't have heard him.

"This low-life citizen is not worthy of being invited by His Highness" I downgraded myself to make him feel his worth.

I know that it's what they love most. I guess hatred made me this bold.

"Low-life?" he chuckled.

"Do I call someone who knows the location of an ore mine that could change the life of a whole country for many generations a low-life?" He snarled in his formidable tone.

I felt an adrenaline rush of outrage instead of fear. I raised my head to stare at his back without a second thought of the repercussions of looking up while his Royal Highness spoke. "I have no idea what you are talking about!" I scream.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me if you don't want to meet your end like that of your parents'' he muttered rudely and stared at his side.

I jerked back at the resounding harshness.

He faced the window again and said "You told me this on a sunny day, Alicia. You had bragged about it and now you dare deny it? You are here for a reason and I don't mind dealing with you mercilessly if you dare to defy me. Be an obedient puppy like the way you have always been."

On a sunny day? Did I tell him? The Prince of Genovia?

At that moment three things clicked. His voice, his words, and his name but then again my assumptions can't be true.

No, never!

"Where is the location of the ore mine you told me about fifteen years ago?" He inquired as I watched his leg motion to motions closer to me.

With my eyes blinking, and the pulse of my heart in slow motion, I gradually raised my gaze to his face. As if the planet froze, I lost balance at the sight of him.

The one I had waited, prayed, and wished to meet after so many years. It was like the gate of heaven opened and I felt the cool breeze that signifies that it was the end of my anguish.

A sincere smile formed on my lips and a tear of joy fell from my eyes. I stood up with trembling legs and a vibrating body to meet him. "Arnold!" I exclaimed and embraced him.

I didn't mind that he didn't reciprocate the hug. I blocked all thoughts on how he ended up as a Prince of the country that had treated us badly.

Being with him was enough.

I held on to him for a long time until I felt my buttocks hit the golden-tiled floor.

I was shoved away by my lover.

I stood up with the thought that I might have stumbled on something due to my overjoyed self until my eyes met with his dark and perilous stare.

"The audacity!!!" He snarled and stared at me with extreme contempt.

What is going on?