Your Royal Highness

Chapter Twenty Eight

= Camilla =

I was walking down the steps to the garden after coming out of the library. I picked out a book I've been meaning to read for a while now, and this was my chance for a day off of lessons.

Walking down the wide hall, I was about to pass by the double doors to a study room before I heard voices calling my name.

"But don't you know what Camilla would say if she found out about this?"

"That's the thing. I can't tell her or else she'll misunderstand. Especially if it had something to do with her."

It was Blake and Niall.

"So you're saying that you'd much rather risk her actually misunderstanding than to tell her and have her understand what you're doing?"

Was that... River?

"If I were to tell her about what's been going on, she'll start to get defensive and go after them. You know how straight forward she's becoming. If she were to find out, she would go after them and get herself hurt. I can't risk that."

"And you don't mind getting yourself hurt in the process?" Niall retorted. "You know that this could destroy you both along with the plans. They know that you'd do something like this. They want this to happen so they could work you into their palms. You'd just be another pawn in their stupid games."

Blake sighed. "Well, what else am I supposed to do? If I don't play it this way, they can hurt Camilla. Kill her even. I'd rather her hate me than to die."

I felt my heart begin to pick up it's pace as my breaths began to quicken. What were they talking about? A game? Death? Hate? What the heck is going on?

"That's true. But if you go on with your plan, she would be marrying you because of blackmail. Do you seriously want that to happen?"

"No, that's why I need you two to help me. I have a plan. But we would need some help."

I didn't want to hear anymore of it, so I turned back to where I came from and headed on back to my bedroom. I needed to think.

~*~

I've been cooped up for a few hours now. Blake hasn't come by to visit and I've been staring out the window where the garden was. The sun was beginning to set and I was dazed, trying to figure out what Blake and the others were talking about. A game. A game where they were planning to hurt me. To hurt Blake. Everyone. What did it mean? I still don't get it.

I groaned and glanced back down around the garden where the fountain was. Suddenly, something caught my attention from the corner of my eye. Glancing down to the right where the hall was with multiple pillars were, a shadow seemed to have been floating towards the back entrance where the gate towards the west would be. I tried to find a better way to get a better look at the strange figure. But they seemed to have blended in well with the shaded areas.

Another slight movement caught my eyes and I turned to look to my right. It was a cloaked figure in black. Except, they were talking to a maid. A maid with one of those head pieces. What was it called again? A head band? Or it was more of a cap. A maid's cap with those frills. Except, the maids here don't wear those. The Royals aren't very strict about how the maids did their hair as long as it didn't get in their way or they worked with food.

And besides, the maids here prefer not to wear those caps because they would get warm from working so hard, hence the discomfort for sweating and having their hair getting greasy from the work and sweat.

"What the?"

The maid nodded from what the cloaked figure was saying and they both departed. The maid headed back to the back door where the kitchen would be and then the cloaked figure went the opposite way to the inner palace.

What in the world is going on here?

~*~

I went down stairs for dinner that night. I was going to have dinner with Diana today since she said that she hasn't seen me for a while. Even though the last time I saw her was a few days ago when we were speaking about the Blooming Ball preparations. and her backstory.

The Blooming Ball is in three days, and people are all busy preparing for it. I saw some people decorating the halls leading up to the ballroom. Everywhere was getting decorated besides the areas where the bedrooms were.

Flowers and streamers of all colors were decorating the mantels, staircases, and even the floor had a carpet that led up to the double doors to the grand ballroom. There were two floors of the grand ballroom. The second floor would be where all of the dining would take place as they overlook the people who mingle below. On the first floor, people are able to dance around. On both sides of the ball room, there are glass doors that are opened on the day of the ball, so people would be able to go outside to the garden area and hang out that way. That was where people are able to have fun both indoors and out in nature.

I was about to pass the ballroom itself before I crashed into someone. I yelped and fell back onto my backside and groaned as a shock of pain radiated throughout my lower body. I glanced up at the other form in front of me, who was also kneeling on the ground.

I quickly got up and held out my hand. "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going. Here, let me help you get up."

I waited as she remained on her knees. She slowly rose her hand up to mine to place into mine, but suddenly her hands shot up to my wrist and grasped onto it into a tight death grip. I winced as she slowly brought herself up, still gripping onto my wrist.

She kept her face down and brought her head to the side of mine. "Careful sweetheart, wouldn't want to break something, now would you?"

Her tightened grip then began to loosen and our hands dropped to our sides. She then gave me a small bow as she then swept past me, gone as quickly as she came. I brought up my hand to my chest and wrung it gently with my other hand. I turned to where she had left, my heart beating quicker as I wondered where I heard that voice before.

Then I remembered one thing about her.

She was wearing a maid's cap.