The Young King's Old Maid

4 - Spell Cliché

Camilla •

I woke up still lying in the carpeted floor. I didn't know how long I was out of consciousness. I immediately stood up, my unbalanced feet got me lightly swayed but I managed.

I looked around the vast room but the royal was nowhere to be found. Thank God for that! I scrambled to get out of there as fast as I possibly can. I sought out Miss Amelia and found her in the kitchen, doing her usual task of ordering people around and making sure they do it properly and perfectly.

She was talking to I assume was a butler. I patiently waited with my head bowed until they finished their talk.

"Oh, Cami my darling. Have you finished the task I gave you?", she asked me, smiling. Her smile is one of the things I love about her. It's so motherly, something I crave for no matter how old I get.

I'm in my mid thirties and I want parents. Go figure.

"Yes, Miss A." I answered briefly using my nickname for her. She smiled warmly again, and was about to say something when she looked behind me and bowed her head.

"Your Majesty! How may I be of service to you this evening?", she curtsied.

I didn't know how to react or what to do. My heart jumped out of its cage. I was palpitating hard. So hard I can barely breathe. But I need to survive and have children. Four, at least.

I curtsied and bowed, not speaking a word. I didn't know the usual etiquette of greeting royals, I only remembered some from watching TV shows which was also a very few times only.

The said royal didn't utter a single word. He just passed by us like we're invisible. I felt so relieved I heaved out a big sigh.

"That's quite a sigh you got there, Cami darling. Is something wrong?", Miss A questioned me but I was quick to deny it.

"No, Miss A. I'm fine", I answered politely, hoping she won't notice how nervous I got earlier.

"Okay, darling. What brings you here anyway? You must have something to ask from me. Come on now, tell me."

"Nothing, really. I just wanted to know if there are other tasks for me to do since I'm done cleaning the chamber", I said. But what I really wanna do is ask her who was that royal and his position in the palace. I might be in trouble for what happened back there. I didn't want to burden her anymore so I just kept quiet about it. I'm sure I'd find out in the coming days. For how long, that I'm not certain.

" Oh, yes. Would you be a darling and water the pots of roses in the garden? The gardener was asleep already and the queen wants the roses to be fresh when she does her nightly walks. After that, you can rest and go to sleep darling."

I nodded my head yes. Miss A showed me to the garden and instructed me how to properly water the roses. Then off she went to continue her tasks. She must be really working hard even in the evening.

I filled the sprinkler with water from the well on the east side of the garden and carefully watered the roses. While I was focused on the task at hand, I felt anxious suddenly. I turned my head from side to side to look if there's anyone around or something's happening but found none. I was getting paranoid for no reason.

I quickly finished my task and went to return the sprinkler in its storage when I caught something in my peripheral vision.

A silhouette of a man, standing beside a curtain behind a glass wall, his body facing me. He must have been looking at me from there. My vision's not that good when I'm not wearing my spectacles but I was pretty sure it was a man. The built, height and posture, that of a man.

A powerful man. Him. The prince in the chamber.

And I took off like a thief in the night. Ran away to our quarters, jumped in bed and hid inside the thick duvet.

I prayed he did not recognize me. Then again, who am I to be catching someone's attention, especially one from a royal?

If someone would say it is possible like in fairy tales, I would laugh at their faces for being ridiculous.

Only nobody tells somebody what's to come. Nobody, then everybody would know.

Everybody, except you.

I wished something that night. For us not to see eye to eye.

I didn't know that time it was impossible. Nobody told me it was impossible. At all.