THE HANDMAID

CHAPTER FOUR

"I want to be friends with you" Oliver said and my eyes shone brightly at her.

A princess and a maid? That's impossible.

I bowed my head immediately and knelt down "my princess, you can't be friends with a filthy thing like me" I refused politely.

"You are not filthy" she said trying to help me stand up "I really like you and I want us to be friends" she added.

"Oh my princess, please" I pleaded refusing as I shook my head.

"Why?" Oliver asked.

"I am a maid" I replied.

"And a human" Oliver said.

"I can't be friends with you, my princess. What will the king say?" I complained.

"I'll talk to father. I really need someone to talk to. I can't talk to mother, she is busy helping father with the kingdom affairs. I can't talk to my sister either, she is so busy with her betrothed. I don't have a friend, please be my friend" Oliver pleaded.

I took in two deep breaths before I stood up slowly before fearfully saying "okay"

I accepted because I knew what it felt like to not have anyone to talk to. I knew what if it felt like to have so many things to say but no one to listen. I wished I wasn't making a bad decision. I wondered how much trouble I was going to get into when anyone finds out that I am friends with the princess.

Oliver jumped up happily and hugged me, I was shocked, I didn't hug her back, I wondered what it will feel like to hug her. Oliver stopped hugging me and smiled at me, I forcefully smiled back at her.

My heart didn't stop pounding in my chest, I couldn't shake off this guilt I was feeling.

A knock came at the door immediately.

"My princess lunch time" someone announced at the door, I guessed it was one of the maids.

"Coming" Oliver said.

I bowed at her before she left the room. My hand found it's way to chest as I kept exhaling like I was holding my breath since.

After sweeping and arranging, I left the room and walked to the back of the castle. I saw Maisie hanging clothes on the line, some maids were also busy going about different chores, I wondered how many we were before I walking up to Maisie.

"Hi Amelia" she greeted, I forced a smile at her.

"Hey. Where is Grace?" I asked.

"She should still be cleaning" Maisie replied as she squeezed water out from the cloth in her hand and spread it on the line.

I sighed.

Maisie turned to me "what is wrong?" She asked "you look scared. Did anything happen?" She asked.

"Well nothing happened. Just the princess asking me to be friends with her" I said as I facepalm myself probably regretting the fact that I accepted.

"The princess asked you to be friends with her?" Maisie asked in whispers.

"Yes" I replied in whispers too.

"Did you accept?" Maisie asked.

"I did" I confessed.

"Whoa. We can't be friends with the royal family that against the rules" Maisie whispered.

"I know. I know. She really needed someone to talk to" I said.

"Which of the princesses?" Maisie asked.

"Princess Oliver" I replied.

"That weird one" Maisie whispered as she adjusted the clothes on the line.

"Why did you call her that?" I asked with keen interest.

"Because she is weird. Even king and queen thinks so" Maisie said "every Royalty in this castle has a handmaid and personal body guard, she has none. They left because they were scared" she added.

"Scared of what?" I asked whispering with keen interest.

"I don't really know. But the rumour has it that she tells scary tales" Maisie said.

"So they are scared because of scary tales?" I asked.

"Yes that is what it appears to be at first until she told a tale one day of a guard missing only for a guard to get missing few days after. Even the king and queen fears her, she also told a tale of the castle being on fire, it happened several days after, luckily no one died" Maisie said.

I looked shocked at her. I didn't know of all these happenings.

"She has been locked up for some days after that incident. She was released recently because of her sister's engagement. You should be careful with her" Maisie said, by then she had hanged all the washed clothes on the line.

We walked away from the line and towards the castle. I was surprised by all these information. Maisie couldn't be joking with such information, she had lived all her life in the castle, she was definitely not lying.

I remembered how princess Oliver had begged me to be friends with her. She looked so innocent, I doubted she was the one doing those stuff. There must be more to this story. There is more to this princess that meets the eye. I didn't think she will purposely hurt anyone, maybe being friends with her wasn't a bad idea, I could get to know more about her.

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