Enter the Ivory Palace: the third step I

"Ugh! What a job, you should have make her stay. What if she already left by tomorrow?", Ethan grumbled.

"I have ordered the Chief Guard to lock the gates of the city so that no one goes out of Melan", Sylvester said, " She can't leave the principality without the guards noticing her"

"I thought you said that you don't want to take her freedom away from her", Ethan arched an eyebrow at his brother.

Sylvester looked at him with a dead look before saying, "Just do as you are told. She must be here before noon tomorrow", Sylvester walked away from him to his bed.

Ethan released a sigh and got out of the Grand Prince's chambers.

...

The next day...

"How about me working for you to repay your money?", Cordelia asked Jael as Jael poured ale into the cups for the customers. Cordelia had been trying to convince Jael and make her believe that she truly danced with the Grand Prince last night but it proved abortive.

"No, you cannot work for me and pay for the gown with my own money. You have to work outside on the streets", Jael said with finality. She cannot have Cordelia to work in the pub house and make her pay for the gown with her own money. That would be like paying for the gown twice by same person.

"How do I find work and what kind of work can I do?", Cordelia mumbled while squeezing her face.

"Any work. You don't have to pay all the money at once. I'm not demanding you to pay on time", Jael responded.

Cordelia left from her side and went to the door. Before she could place her hand on the doorknob, the door opened. Cordelia's eyes widened as the person from outside came in. The men bowed their heads while the ladies curtsied to Prince Ethan. It did not take long for the women in the pub to be fawning and going gaga over the Prince's beauty.

"...Gods, Prince Ethan is here...", one of the women whispered to her friend.

"...he is so handsome, I am happy to see this day...", another woman said in a low tone. In as much as they gushed over the Grand Prince, they also can't help but admire the Grand Prince's younger brother Prince Ethan. He was also a very handsome man but he can't hold a candle to his elder brother's beauty.

Ethan flashed a killer smile at the women, showing his beautiful set of snow-white teeth before winking at them. The women giggled within themselves.

Ethan recomposed himself before he set his gaze to the woman before him. He raised the drawn picture to his face while glancing at Cordelia.

"It is a good thing I found you on time. You must be the woman in this picture", Ethan said and turned the picture for Cordelia to see. Cordelia stared at the drawing of her face. She looked exactly the way she looked like last night. 'Whosoever drew this picture must have the fingers of God', She said in her mind.

"Are you not?", Ethan asked again when he received no response from her.

"Yes I am", Cordelia replied, taking her eyes away from the picture to look at him.

"Good", he remarked, "Lady Cordelia, You've found favour in sight of His Royal Highness, Grand Prince Sylvester Avery. You are hereby summoned to the Ivory Palace by the Grand Prince himself", Ethan announced for everyone to hear. Everybody had a look of surprise on their faces. Some even gasped. Cordelia faked a surprised look on her face. Jael also looked shocked.

"What me?!", Cordelia interjected, placing her hand on her chest while her eyes stretched wide as of she couldn't believe what she just heard. Whereas she knew this was coming all along.

"Yes, you. I would like you to follow me to the Palace now, so as not to keep His Royal Highness waiting", Ethan replied, " I hope you are not busy at the moment",

Cordelia looked over her shoulder to Jael, giving her a I-told-you look. Jael gestured with her hands to her to follow the Prince. Cordelia turned her gaze back to Ethan,

"I am not busy, Your Highness. I will follow you to the Ivory Palace", Cordelia said.

Ethan had a skeptical look on his face about what she called him but quickly brushed it off, "The carriage is waiting outside", he said, turned to the door and opened it, "Ladies first", he spoke to her, while gesturing with his hand for her to go outside.

Cordelia walked out to see a blue Royal carriage adorned with touched of gold here and there. A smile pasted on her face. At last, she was going to the Ivory Palace.

"Please, get inside", Ethan said to her when he figured that she haven't entered the carriage yet. Cordelia quickly entered the carriage and sat and Ethan entered after her.

The coachmen snagged the reins of the horses which caused the neighing of the horses before the carriage began to move.

After the Prince left with Cordelia, there was murmurs of people in the pub especially the women. The men didn't care less; they were tired of the monarchs' fan girls fawning over the Royals as though they were the only men in the world. The women looked passed, wishing they were the one the Grand Prince summoned while cursing Cordelia. Jael had a bemused look on her face as she thought over the events that happened lately since she took Cordelia in.

'Could it be that Cordelia's goal was to get to the Ivory Palace after all?, she asked herself.