Serendipity ✔

IX

"And all I need is to find somebody, I'll find somebody like you."

♫ All I Want - Kodaline ♫

♛

A month had passed since Anna talked to the prince. A month had passed since anyone talked to the prince, admittedly. Ever since that night in the stables, he seemed to have disappeared. Some suspected he was off to look for his princess again, and some said he had succumbed to sadness and was living in a tower all alone. 

As always, rumors passed the halls of the castle.

Annabelle was trembling with fear for the prince. She was lacking off in chores and could not concentrate on anything for more than five minutes.

"You are going to get ill, my dear." Madam Mary always said to the girl but she did not listen. Every night she would go to the stables to look for any signs of the prince. She even visited the garden where they shared that sweet night together. But, to no avail.

The young maid was not the only one who was worrying about the prince, though. The Queen had fallen very ill ever since her son disappeared. For the last week of the month, Annabelle had gotten quite close to Queen Katherine while she was caring for her. The King was often on duty with the Grand Duke, and with her son missing, the Queen had no one to confide in but Annabelle.

"You are a very sweet girl, Miss Anna." The ill Queen had admitted to the girl once in a state of daze. She had to admit that if it was not for Anna's bright spirit, she would have faded into darkness herself. There was something about the girl she could not put a finger on. It did not help that whenever she was dreaming, she saw the same girl dancing with her son. 

She slept a lot, but whenever she was conscious and awake, she constantly asked the young maid about her son. "Are there any news?" seemed to be the words Her Majesty always said to Anna once she saw her face in the morning. 

"I'm afraid not, Your Majesty," Anna would say and was forced to watch the Queen's face fall in sadness. The only words of comfort the maid could provide the Queen with were, "I am sure he will appear soon, Your Majesty."

Late at night, Annabelle turned to her own comfort in the arms of her friend, Madam Mary. "He was just here, and now he isn't." 

 "Stop crying, child," Madam Mary would always say to her. It pained the elderly maid to watch the poor girl cry her soul out silently every night, and not being able to do anything about it.

One night, Annabelle had came to a big conclusion. "I am going to do it, Madam Mary. Once he comes back, I will tell him who I am." 

  ♛  

It was a rainy spring evening when the prince had finally entered the castle grounds. Everybody inside seemed to cheer up at the sudden appearance of him. That was what he always did to people with his presence. 

But, the prince coming back was not the only surprise. Attached to his right arm was a princess.

And, her name was Gwendolyn.

Long fair hair, deep blue eyes and a sense for fashion, the young woman was born to be the bride of Prince Alexander. Though the prince was yet to confirm a wedding, it was obvious on their faces that they were in love. 

Every time Annabelle saw them, her heart felt like it was tearing apart. She cried when she was alone, then quickly wiped the tears away and put on a bright smile. Sometimes, her face looked like she had just eaten a lemon. Sometimes, it looked like she would burst into tears. Luckily, no one noticed that strange behavior except for Madam Mary. 

"Have you seen the way he looks at her?" the girl had asked the elderly maid one night while they were out in the spring air. The maid had had enough of the girl sulking about in the room, she had to take her out for a breath of fresh air.

"I simply do not think the prince could just go loving another girl that fast." Madam Mary said to the teary eyed girl perched up on a big rock. 

"And why not, Madam Mary?" her voice cracked again. "She's breathtakingly beautiful."

In hopes of seeing a genuine smile on Annabelle's face, Madam Mary said, "She is not you, my dear." 

"He doesn't even know me," she admitted the painful truth. "He doesn't know who I am."

A few days ago, she was determined to tell the prince of who she was. But, seeing the fresh look on his face had convinced her that Alexander would be much more happier not knowing of her identity. 

Everyone would just be much happier if he would marry Gwendolyn.

  ♛  

The Queen herself did not approve of the whole scandal, either. Alexander had disappeared and came back with a princess he claimed to be in love with. As a mother, horrifying thoughts came into her mind. What if the girl did strange magic and tricked him?, were the things she kept thinking.

Months ago, he fell in love for the first time. And now, he was talking nonsense about a new princess. It all seemed very strange to the Queen.

Walking up to her son's room, she knocked on his door. He opened the door with a rather mechanical smile. Seeing the face of his mother had instantly relaxed him though, because the smile slithered away from his face.

"I know why you're here, mother," he let out a deep breath. "I need to tell you something."  

On that fateful night, Her Majesty discovered the truth.

Though, she had been suspecting it all along.