30 Remains A Puzzle

"shhh,"

Marlowe found herself instantly keeping shut on Marionette's command.

She didn't even know why they were here in the first place when she remembered telling her that it was a bad idea.

"Erm, Your Highness…I don't think this is right," sparing no effort to remind her, Marlowe persisted once more.

"They will hear us," she whispered, bringing her index finger to her lips.

Stretching forward, Marlowe tried to see the guards on duty, stationed right outside the Castle's entryway.

She looked behind to see the tense face of her maids, Merkin and another she wasn't too familiar with.

Their expressions, visually telling her, "Don't do this, Your Majesty,"

But she sighed, as if relaying she could do nothing.

"Let's go," the prompt order from the Princess startled her, making her follow suit in accordance.

Chest up, chin straight, Marionette confidently walked up to the guards with Marlowe by her side.

As expected, they were halted by the Royal guards.

"Please, stop, Your Highness,"

Marionette immediately turned to them with an annoyed facial expression.

Of course, Marlowe knew too well why they were asked to discontinue their movement.

"The Queen is not allowed to step outside," came the straight reply from one of the guards.

"What do you mean? We are going to the modiste, how can you deprive a woman from shopping?" Marionette dramatically inquired.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but the orders were strictly administered, and I can't break it." there was definitely no room for negotiations or arguments.

Marlowe could ostensibly tell that she was the reason for this.

"I'm not seeking your permission, Mr. I'm going out with the Queen, my sister-in-law, and you dare to stop me? I can tell my brother, the prince about this, you know?" hoping that her threat will work, Marionette went harder at it.

There's no harm in trying; people will always say.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I cannot allow that, this is an order from the King himself,"

The guard's statement finally elicited a reaction from Marlowe as she immediately hauled her attention his way.

'The King…himself?' her brows bent downwards in thought.

'Could it be the King was in the Castle presently? Could that be it?'

Meanwhile, Marionette was caught off guard that she had failed and forgotten to hide the flash of fear in her eyes when she heard what the loyal guard had said.

Once she had taken control of her emotions after staring wide-eyed at the guard, she blinked frantically with a profound exhale.

Her gaze convulse, as she uttered, "Fine then! I'll go speak with my brother, myself!" she harrumphed, grabbing hold of Marionette's hand and swerving to return.

Absentminded the whole time, it only dawn when she felt Marionette grip, pulling her away.

She silently allowed herself to get dragged along, until they arrived at a stop at the lobby farther away.

They were still able to sight the guards from afar, behind the pillar that shielded them.

"Your Majesty, this is a very bad idea," Merkin suddenly butted in, signalling the warning to Marlowe before hand.

Everyone within the Royal Castle was well aware of the third Princess's mischievous ways.

She was renowned for her mischief since little.

They all saw it as her own mechanism of coping with loneliness, because she was the lonesome of the Royal siblings without anyone to accompany her except her maids.

Yet they found it weird whenever she's in trouble or was denied what she wanted, she would always use the Prince's name, Prince Arius, to fend for herself.

When in actual truth, they weren't that close physically.

Or were they?

It'll always be a puzzle.

"Shush it, maid," Marionette abruptly quieted Merkin; which was exactly not to their surprise.

"Merkin," Marlowe uttered.

"What?" perplexed by what she was talking about, the third Princess hastily polled.

"Her name is Merkin," Marlowe immediately made her distate known to her.

"Oh, okay," wading it off like an unimportant matter, Marionette quickly got to the chase, not acknowledging the look of seriousness on Marlowe's face.

"We have to switch dresses with the maids," her suggestions stunned Marlowe.

She began wondering if she had ever unknowingly groused to the Princess that she was tired of staying trapped throughout?

Why is the Princess so hellbent on taking her out of the Castle?

"There's actually no need for tha—"

"Don't you want to be free just for a day?" Marionette's temptive words made her sentence halt, uncompleted.

"Don't you want to feel the breeze of nature anymore? Walk by the busy street, do things unrestricted?...just for a day?" she tried to convince, her gaze gauging Marlowe's expression as she watched it narrowly shift.

It seems her plan is working.

"But—"

"They are no 'buts', sister-in-law." she urged in a smooth and soft voice.

"Take them off," without waiting for Marlowe to come to a decision, Marionette immediately ordered one of her maids present.

Who sharply obeyed with no hesitation, as they both swapped their different attires.

"What are you waiting for? Take yours off as well," she glanced at Merkin and the other maid with a frown.

Relaying they should help Marlowe take hers off and exchange it with their maid's outfit.

They were reluctant, before the other maid rushed to pull Marlowe off her Royal stress, whilst Merkin took off her maid's dress for Marlowe to don.

In no time, they were both ready, looking like Palace maid's of Valcresh.

Marionette looked jealously at Marlowe, "You look good in that, sister," she complimented. Which sounds genuine. Her eyes tracing all the curves in Marlowe's body with mild envy.

The maid's clothes was fitted, though it appeared loose on Marlowe's slender form in some parts; judging that Merkin was more fleshly than she was.

But overall, it still looked undoubtedly good.

"Ready?" Marionette asked with delight brimming in the depths of her grey irises.

The thrill was what got her ecstatic.

"—yes," Marlowe breathed a response after seconds of silently pondering.

Spotting her hesitant readiness, Marionette rushed to grab her hand, as they strolled towards the entrance for the second time.

Marlowe had her heart in her mouth already when she fretted on the thought that they might get caught.

Because one; her hair color was a rare one existing within the thousands of servants in the Royal Castle.

It was so glaringly shouty that she knew it was impossible to not get noticed.