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“Um, I can bake.”

“Can you sweep and mop?”

“Yes, I can do that.”

“Why do want to become a maid here anyway?”

Julia gulped and cleared her throat nervously, she thought that getting a job as a maid would be easy but this woman, who she assumed was the head maid of the royal palace, had been drilling her with back to back questions. I guess she should have expected as much, this was the royal palace after all, they couldn’t hire anyone willy nilly now could they.

“I really need the money ma’am,” Julia lied, “and I figured with the royal wedding around the corner, you’d need as much help as you can get.”

The plump woman raised an eyebrow and studied the small green eyed woman, “you would be useful in fitting in the small corners none of the other maids can reach with your size.”

Julia had to hold back a frown, she really hated it when people talked about her height, she was well aware she was a little short, they didn’t have to rub it in. That’s why Julia took pride in her beauty, even though she was small in stature she outshined any of these tall giraffes any day.

.....

“Very well then....”

“Julie ma’am,” the green eyed woman responded.

“Very well Julie follow me,” the head maid turned and walked into the palace through a back door that was used by the workers. Julia followed her down a narrow passage with many doors that she assumed accessed different parts of the palace that the workers used without having to rub shoulders with the royals.

Julia thought to herself.

The head maid stopped at a wooden door on the right side of the narrow passage and turned to Julia, “this is the changing room where you can keep your belongings if you like,” she explained, “let’s hope we’ll find you a little outfit that will fit you.”

*

“Father what are you doing here?” King Burchard spoke as he rushed to the elderly man’s side, “why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I would have sent someone to get you.”

“Oh stop James my legs still work as fine as yours do, and my body is in pretty good shape,” the man responded, “a carriage ride for a few hours is nothing I can’t handle.”

The king nodded respectfully and led his father to the study where they sat down to talk. The elderly man was named Julius Gavaria Burchard, former king of Gavaria before he retired about thirty years ago, leaving his son to inherit the throne.

When Julius had decided to retire, he was still a very capable king, the reason he instead on stepping down was due to the death of his wife that year, she had succumbed to sickness. He always mentioned that he did not want to die on the throne, a stressed man burdened with duties, he wanted to enjoy the last years of his life in peaceful retirement, that’s what his dear sweet wife would have wanted for him.

“How are you doing James?” The man spoke, even though he was in his late sixties now, his voice was still sharp and precise.

“I’m well father, how are you?”

“Ive been better,” the man replied with a smirk, “someone should have told me that after a certain age your own body just down right betrays you.”

The elderly man chuckled giddily, making king James smile. He was very fond of his father, especially since they were the only two remaining in their family, all his siblings and his mother had succumbed to illness. When James was between the ages of nineteen to twenty three, there was a death every year in their family, a very sad time for his father and him.

“How’s my grandson Adam?” The man added on while turning his head left and right as if expectating the young prince to pop up around the corner at any moment.

“Adam is away on official business father,” king Burchard lied, “I’m afraid he won’t be back for a while.”

The king straightened his posture and gazed at the elderly man, “what brings you to the palace father? Is there something the matter?”

“Does something have to be the matter for me to visit my own son?” Julius responded, “I’m an old man James, and my time in this world is running out, I need to be surrounded by family.”

“I understand that father but you didn’t have to come here,” the king stated, “we come to see you in the countryside every end of the month.”

“You always want things to go your way James, and that’s why you never know how to act when a situation is out of your control.”

James Burchard narrowed his eyes at his father, had the old man learnt of Adam running away from home? Is that why he was here? “What do you mean?” he inquired.

“James do you remember the story of an ancient prophecy I used to tell you about?”

“About elves, vampires and other made up creatures?” The king responded, “yes I do remember that, but what does that have to do with anything.”

“You see sometimes made up stories have a little truth to them,” the man explained, “you see, my great grandfather never wanted to be part of the great cleansing, he wanted the races to continue living in harmony, but he was just one man, his word had no effect.”

King Burchard furrowed his brows, was his father trying to tell him that the fairytale of the great cleansing he used to tell him about when he was a boy was all true, and his ancestor had been a part of it.

“Our family has a chance to redeem ourselves my son,” the man added on, “a chance to wash off the blood of the innocent lives lost, and this will be achieved by my grandson Adam.”

“Father what are you talking about?”

“Adam is a Gavarian by birth, but he is something completely different by blood. This will play an important part in putting to rest the long time hatrated between the races and restore peace to the continent, it is his destiny.”

“Something else by blood?” James was completely lost, “what do you mean by that?”

Julius rose from his seat and gave his son a smile, “Don’t hinder him from his destiny just because it isn’t in line with your plans James.” The man spoke as he walked towards the exit, “the time has nearly come, you will understand when it happens.”

*

Ella was sitting by her usual spot near her window looking out at the beautiful flower garden below, her mind was occupied with the thoughts of Jillian still being alive. Would he come to the wedding as a guest? Did he even know that once upon a time they were in love?

In love, oh what a wonderful feeling it was, Ella could vividly remember how he gazed at her with his deep brown eyes, how he always scratched the back of his head when he was nervous. She could recall his breath taking smile, his lips, oh how heavenly would those soft lips feel pressed against hers. She recalled his soothing deep voice and how he called out her name.. Guinevere.. Guinevere..

“Ella?”

The redhead was awoken from her reverie by a familiar voice that was calling out to her, she turned and saw the silver haired prince standing before her with a curious look on his face.

“You seem unusually happy,” Nathan commented as he pulled out a chair and sat across from the blue eyed woman, “you had the biggest smile on your face just now, what were you thinking about?”

“I umm...” Ella put her book down and cleared her throat several times before answering, “I was just thinking about the wedding and how amazing it will be to finally be your wife.”

When Ella pursed her lips and looked away, Nathan knew immediately that she was lying, why would she lie? Now the prince was more curious than ever to know what had been running through her mind.

“Oh I see,” Nathan responded with a smile, “in just a few days you and I will be united till death do us part, and everyone will bare witness to our union, even prince Adam from Gavaria.”

“P-prince Adam?”

“Yes he is the crowned prince of our ally kingdom,” Nathan added on, all the while observing Ella’s expressions intently, “but if you’re still not comfortable with him being around because of last time, I could tell him not to-”

“No!”

Nathan furrowed his brows at her sudden outburst, confirming his suspicions, Ella had been thinking of that bastard Adam, meaning she knew who he was and was probably planning on meeting him at their wedding. He could not allow it.

“I mean, we would come off as rude if we told him not to come,” Ella spoke sheepishly, “he’s probably already on his way and that whole journey would have been for nothing.”

Nathaniel’s eyebrow twitched in irritation after Ella pursed her lips yet again, he needed to remove Adam from the picture, and this time for good. The silver haired prince forced a smile and nodded at his future bride, “of course my love.”

He then stood up and planted a kiss on her forehead before turning to leave, “let me attend to a few things then, I will check on you a little later my love.”

Before Ella could respond, Nathan exited the room and closed the door behind him, a little too rough at that. He was very upset and he could feel his temper rising with each step, he needed to get to his chambers quickly before someone loses an eye.