03: FORCED.

Emilia POV.

"I'm not going anywhere mum," I said angrily as I dashed off to my room leaving her and dad in our little living room.

"Whether you like it or not, you are going to the palace," My dad shouted for me to hear.

I closed my door loudly for them to hear as I sat on my bed sobbing.

I never wanted this in my life, I never wanted to be a maid.

I'm the kind of person who gets so angry and annoyed with every little thing.

What if they do something to me that I don't like and I burst out angrily.

I know the palace too well, My friends do get excited working there as maids cause most of them to want to see the handsome prince.

Well, I don't care the fuck about who he is, I only know he is a cocky arrogant prince who is nothing but a spoilt brat.

Why do my parents do this to me always?' I questioned myself angrily as I slumped on the bed covering my face with my palms.

Things have been really difficult for my family, we hardly have enough to eat and my dad heard about the offer made for bringing new maids into the palace.

I was boiling with anger.

How dare he?

I'm old enough to do some petty jobs now but he insisted on me going to the palace.

I heard a knock on the door and I sat up immediately on the bed wiping my tears away.

I wouldn't want them to see me this weak.

"Come in," I said sternly staring at the door angrily.

It was Asher my younger brother.

He was the only one who understood me and always stood by my side. He is so protective of me even though he was still a little boy.

"Big sis," He said as he walked into my room and sat on my bed.

"Don't wanna talk about it," I shrugged as I crossed my legs on the bed.

"It's okay if you don't want to, but I would have loved to try out new things also," He said.

" Are you also supporting dad," I glared at him?

" No, I'm not. I know how it feels being a servant but one has to try it." He said childishly.

" You know nothing," I chuckled.

" How about you end up being the queen in the palace," He said seriously.

I blinked at him for some minutes before volcanic laughter came out of me as I held my stomach laughing seriously till tears came out of my eyes.

"Me! A Queen, c'mon Asher being a servant is not applying for some royal stuff and besides am not fit to be a queen," I smiled as I drew him closer to me.

" And what if you become one?" He asked.

"Well I will be helping a lot of people especially the poorer ones like us," I smiled sadly.

" Then you will be one," He assured me and I rolled my eyes.

" That's not going to happen and besides the prince won't want to have anything to do with commoners," I said disgustedly as I stood up from the bed.

"You are not positive at all," He pouted.

Asher was my one and only favorite brother, we were just two and we did a lot of things in common.

He was always the positive type and has a strong mind.

I was five years older than him, well I'm 19 so he's 14.

He's a bit tall that you will hardly know he's of that age and he had emerald green eyes just like me.

I'm the plump type, don't call me fat and I have an hourglass shape which makes guys drool for me but I wasn't ready for such moves now.

I share the same color of eyes with my younger brother and I was average tall.

My hair was ebony and very long to the extent, it reached my buttocks.

I don't like short hair and I was lucky to be gifted with a longer one.

What worries me most is that if at all, I ever agreed on going to the palace does that mean I will have to cut my hair.

I won't, I will just bond and pack it always.

Mum said my hair was a powerful gift that will bring good tidings and favor but I was too arrogant to welcome it.

There are countless times when men will bring gifts to the house so they could see me but I was the type in breaking hearts.

I always rejected every single one of them, not that they are not good-looking but I don't have any kind of feeling or connection with them.

"Will you go to the palace?" Asher asked interrupting my thoughts.

" I don't know yet," I shrugged as I folded the mat from the floor keeping it by my little cupboard.

"Maybe you should do something that will at least make dad happy with you, you are always grumpy with him," He stated.

" That's because I can't be following the crazy rules all the time," I shot back.

Asher sighed and laid on my bed.

' What if I leave and try something new in the palace' I thought weirdly.

"I will go," I said unexpectedly.

"Huh!" Asher said sitting immediately.

"I will go to the palace," I said with a smirk.

" Woah! What a change of mind so fast," Asher said smiling at me.

" What makes you think of going?" He asked.

" I don't know but I feel like leaving home and try some stuff outside the home," I said.

" Mind you, going to the palace will be nothing less than a prisoner cause you won't be able to do as you wish," He informed and I grabbed the pillow on the bed threw it at him.

"Jeez! Just a joke," He laughed catching the pillow.

"Whatever, at least I will make new friends, it won't be that boring you know," I said.

" Yeah!" He smiled.

" Let me inform Dad about it," I said running out of my room.

I was going down the stairs when I heard my mum arguing with dad.

"How will you collect the money from the chief maid when you know fully well Emilia won't accept being a maid," My mum said angrily.

" It's not my fault either, I needed the money so badly for your health," He gulped.

" See my daughter is more important than my health and I won't let you just make her go against her wish," My mum said fighting for me.

" So what do we do now?" My dad asked staring at my mum.

I hid well so they won't be able to see me.

' What's wrong with mum,' I thought worriedly.

"Return the money, I will be fine," My mum said as she coughed seriously and my dad rushed to his side to get a cup of water for her.

He looked so worried as he wiped his tears, I've never seen him like this before.

There must be something they are hiding from us.

"We can find better options to get money than giving our daughter away," Mum said and dad nodded immediately.

Mum always cared for us and despite what was wrong with her which I was unaware of she made her family her priority before herself.

' I'm going to the palace,' I made up my mind.

"Dad!" I called out as I walked into the living room.

Mum turned her attention to me and smiled wearily.

I stared at him and sat on the cushioned chair which was a bit torn.

Everything about us needs a change and if at all I have the means am changing everything about it.

I was about to speak when I heard a knock.

"Oh no! It's the guards, they're here for Emilia," He said worry lacing his face.

" No! They can't come now," Mother said as she tried to stand up immediately.

Dad went for the door immediately and opened it.

"Where is she?" One of the guards asked.

"Uhm! My-my daughter isn't..." He wasn't able to finish his sentence when the guards pushed him aside and came into the sitting room.

I stood there looking bold and fearless as I glanced at mum with tears on her face.

"Is she the one?" the guard asked scanning me from head to toe.

"Please can you give her some minutes more, she hasn't decided," My dad begged?

The other guard chuckled as the former turned to him.

" You should have known that before accepting the money from the palace," The former said.

" Dad, I'm going," I said firmly as my dad looked at me with shock.

"I can return the money," He said.

"This is all your fault," My mum pointed at my dad.

"No mother don't blame him, he's doing this because of you, use the money to take good care of your health and stay strong," I said as I kissed her forehead and hugged her.

She hugged me tightly as she sobbed.

Asher came downstairs looking all confused as he stared at the royal guards.

"Goodbye Asher!" I said as he moved closer to me.

" I will miss you," He said and hugged me tightly.

" Me too," I muttered before the guards drew me away from him.

I broke free from their grip and eyed them before turning to dad with a smile.

"Everything will be fine," I said and he nodded.

I went out of the house, to leave my home a place I grew up and always learned to love to become a servant in a freaking palace.

"Such a tough type," One of the guards chuckled.

They opened the door of the car and I got in as my parents and brother stood in front of the house waving at me till I got out of their sight.