"GET OUT!"
After kicking an egotistical, rude (albeit gorgeous) jerk out of her store, Cassie thinks she's seen the last of him.
Too bad he's a prince.
And that she's his maid.
Thank you to @Stillwith24k and @GirlofMiracles for helping me with the German in this chapter!
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I waited for a shrill laugh accompanied by a jovial "just kidding, you silly peasant!"
It didn't come.
I watched Queen Klara carefully as she leaned back and analyzed me in turn.
"Well?" The Queen finally asked. "What do you say?"
"You're serious?" I gawked. "Um, you—your majesty?"
"Of course I'm serious. I wouldn't be so cruel as to taunt you like that."
I couldn't understand why. I was just her son's maid. Even if she was right and he did "fancy" me, there really wasn't anything going on between us. We weren't dating, or even close to that! Moreover, wouldn't she discourage a relationship anyways? Wasn't she supposed to go on a tirade about how I was only a peasant and I needed to back away from His Royal Highness?!
But perhaps she was taking a craftier route. Perhaps instead of banishing me, she was more subtly trying to get me away from Prince Coleman. Something could go wrong at the Autumn Festival and I could be framed and engulfed in scandal! I already knew that there was no way that my souvenir-shop parents had offered some grand incentive to the Queen of Aregano. Whatever her game, I was fairly certain that she wasn't just offering the queen maiden honor out of the goodness of her heart. Queen Klara had a plan of some sort—I could practically see the scheming wheels turning behind her emerald eyes.
And yet...
"Thank you so much for this opportunity!" I exclaimed. "I'd love to be your queen maiden." I already knew that it could be a great opportunity for myself, and I wasn't going to spoil it. Besides, I rather liked the idea of wearing pretty dresses and going to a ball and garnering all sorts of attention.
Sue me.
"Excellent." Her emerald eyes narrowed slightly and a smile grew on her face, giving me the distinct impression that I was like a naïve doe walking into a cunning hunter's trap.
I heard the whoosh of the huge golden doors behind me brushing against the carpet, and turned my head to find Prince Coleman entering the room. He wore a crisp red blazer over a white collared shirt with a few top buttons undone. His eyebrows lifted when he spotted me, and I suddenly remembered my poor appearance. I whipped my face forward, partly because of my looks, but mostly because I was unsure of what to do or say. Suddenly, memories of my rescue in the forest flashed through my mind—the feeling of his warm, strong arms around me, the rhythm of his heartbeat, and the tickle of his soft voice vibrating in my ear.
