Chapter 11 - The Fiancé
The next day had started off with me waking up to the sounds of maids rushing about in the hall. It was rather unusual for them to be so loud in the morning, so I found myself getting up in confusion. There was nothing to be noted going on in my room...
Except maybe for... the shivering body beside me, which clung to me for their dear life under my duvet.
"Victor? Why are you here?" I said in an uneven morning voice.
He lifted his finger to his lips, signalling for me to be quiet, "they're looking for me", he replied ominously.
Whose looking for you? I furrowed my brows. And then, as if timed, a shout was heard from the halls, loud and booming.
"Young Prince! Where are you?!" Came a loud screeching sound from Martha. She sounded angry.
"Any updates?" Came another voice.
"Not yet, but I know he's here. I can smell him".
I felt the shiver that just ran through Victor with equal fear. I wasn't going to be held accountable for this, was i? I don't even know what's happening!
No- No. They wouldn't hold a one year old-.
"I bet he's with the princess!" I could hear the chilling smile that accompanied those words.
I gulped.
"Oh that troublesome child will need a good punishment for something this scheming!" Martha's voice was loud and unfortunately, very clear.
Victor immediately jumped, turning to me with wide fearful eyes. He grabbed my small pudgy hand with an apologetic face, and then as if not taking into account my size he started to hide behind my small body.
It was a pathetic attempt...
The door opened and Martha caught sight of us, clicking her tongue at me in disapproval.
What? It's not my fault? I knew that well, but I was still shaking at her monstrous figure.
"My, my, the prince hides behind the little princess, does he? Whose scheme was this?" She leaned down towards us, onion breath pouring from her mouth right into our faces.
"N-Not mine".
Victor was quick to abandon me. Traitor.
"I'm only one", somebody please understand this!
"Ha! That's a good excuse princess, but that ain't going to work!" She lifted both me and Victor under her surprisingly beefy arms.
What the hell is wrong with the people in this book?!
Soon enough we were both washed up and dressed by Martha. She was pretty talented to do this to both of us simultaneously. I will give her that. My dignity, however... that was another matter.
"Now. Behave both of you", she said, after we both had breakfast. Edmund had joined us soon after, it seems like he had been awake quite early.
"What time did you wake up, Edmund?" I asked out of curiosity, my eyes were skimming over the maids who placed chairs outside in the garden through the nursery windows.
Just what was going on?
"At five".
"F-Five?!" My eyes widened as I turned to the quiet boy. He was startled at my surprise and looked a bit mad at it.
"Why? Is there a problem?" He pressed with narrowed eyes.
What's the matter with him?
"Nothing. Kids your age should get enough rest is all", I turned back to the window.
"What do you mean kids my age? You're younger than me!" He started to argue, stomping his foot in the floor.
"Yeah and I slept for a while didn't I?"
"Hmph. You always treat me like I'm younger than you", he complained. I just opted to ignore him.
"What's going on outside?" I asked, more to my self than anyone at the sight of carriages coming to a stop outside the mansion.
"There's a tea party", Victor said, just as his tower of blocks fell.
"Ooh".
That made sense...
Well then, I guess we stay in the nursery for a long while then. But it was unreasonable to assume three toddlers could stay put for hours and hours. In reality, it had only been two hours but that was long enough.
"I'm hungry", Victor held his stomach with a pout.
"Me too", Edmund groaned.
I was pretty hungry too.
Staring outside for two whole hours was painful, watching all those people walk in with beautiful clothes and bright smiles, eating away at savoury and sweet dishes, whichever they preferred. My mouth had started to water.
"I'm going by my mommy", Victor stood up and moved to leave so easily, the thought of being in trouble not at all occurring to him, Edmund followed after him blindly. But I waited. Knowing full well if I showed up I'd get reprimanded.
Edmund had looked back at me just before he left, "I'll be back soon", he quickly shut the door, leaving my request unheard.
"Please bring me some food".
Yeah. Let's hope they heard that...
Edmund had lied. Another two hours had passed since they left, my stomach was left a rumbling squirming mess. And I, I was withering away.
I couldn't just die like this. I had to survive.
Tiredly, I crept to the door, opening it and peering out into the hallway. It was empty. I stepped out, walking towards the stairs that lead downstairs silently. But the hallway was long with plenty of twists and turns and soon enough, bright skirts made appearances.
They brushed across tailored pants, giggling so much they didn't notice the toddler that crept beside them.
Then more appeared, and more, and then it was way too dangerous. There was no way Mallory's power of never being noticed would work with so many eyes watching.
I jumped into one of the many rooms of the mansion without checking to see what or where it was.
I breathed a sigh of relief the moment I got in. That was close.
"Who?" A voice spoke out behind me, making me flinch. It was a young voice belonging to someone who was probably in their teens.
"Eh?" I turned around with a look of shock only to be petrified at the face I saw.
Light brown lock with streaks of purple and dark ebony eyes. A description so unique, it only described a single man.
Duke Raphael Harlow. He was a war hero, but had witnessed so much he was barely left a human at the young age of 16. He had been forced to take part by his father and when he returned was gifted the Dukes title. His broken mentality however, caused him to want for much more and he would later commit treason against royalty.
One of the Main villains of the story, who surprisingly felt nothing for the heroine.
Mallory's evil fiancé.