NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 12: The crown prince
"Martha, you need to listen. please," Matteo was literally begging her, but the old lady didn't want to hear it.
Iris couldn't even open her mouth to beg her. The woman's judgement had already taken all of her confidence away.
"No way, Matt. I've had girls who aren't half as beautiful as her and they had caused nothing but problems. Try to seduce the prince or even acting superior to their fellow workers." The woman spat. Her frown doubled the wrinkles on her face.
"I promise you ma'am, I wouldn't do no such thing,"
"Tah! That's what they all say." Martha wasn't having it.
She walked past both Matteo and Iris.
They both exchanged a reluctant glance before going after her. Iris stared at the surrounding if there was anyone looking at them. But all the girls were busy working.
"Please ma'am, I just need a place to stay," She reached out to touch Martha but she took a few steps away from her.
"This is the Royal Castle of Aestheria. Not a shelter for homeless whores."
She didn't let Martha's words affecf her much. She just needed the job.
"Matteo, please take her away from here," she fired.
"Please, Martha. Don't be mean." Matteo said.
"Take her, or else," he frowned.
"Or else what? Are you trying to threaten me son?" she frowned. But Iris could see a hint if fear in her else.
"I would never threaten you." Matteo said.
"But for her, I wouldn't mind," he pointed at Iris.
The woman's once rude gaze turned to something between fear and annoyance.
"At least keep that shiny hair out of sight!" The woman pointing at Iris's waist long strands which slid across her back.
"You'll help Sarah's team with the dishes." she pointed at the far end of the kitchen where basins for dishwahing were kept.
"Yes ma'am!" Iris exclaimed, shocking herself at her own excitement.
She quickly took her scarf off, tied her hair in a bun, then covered it with the scarf again.
least she's decently dressed." Martha stared at the long baggy maids uniform on her.
"Now, get to work!"
Iris took of immediately.
"I'll see you around," Matteo waved a goodbye, leaving the kitchen.
"Thanks," She mouthed before bending infront of the basin filled with dishes and joining the three other girls who were dedicatedly scrubbing.
There was no hi or hello everyone was just bussy with their chores. So she followed the pattern and worked her ass the whole evening.
Night came and after washing the dishes for dinner, they eat the left overs.
Martha came later that night and led her to a room where the other girls slept.
Morning came and she sprung up, greated her room members then made her way to the kitchen.
The dirty plates basin was completely empty because they had already done the dishes the previously night and breakfast plates were yet tocome in.
She stood by an empty corner watching the girls in the serving area.
They were having some sort of bickering, and she could only wonder what was going on.
"Hey! New girl," A tall brunette amongst the girls called.
"Me?" Iris pointed herself.
"No, the person behind you." the brunette snarled.
"Of course I meant you, dummy. Come here."
Iris took a deep breath. She knew if she ignored the girl, it'll cause trouble and Madame Martha would claim her previous accusations right.
So she walked towards the girls.
"What's your name?" The brunette asked.
"Iris," She said, avoiding eye contact.
"Okay, Iris, I'm Lily, This is Isabelle, and Mary," The tall brunette introduced her friends.
"Nice to meet you," Iris said.
"Here," Lily shoved a tray in her hands.
"You see, Isabelle here forgot to add this in Princess Myrine's breakfast tray," She had an evil grin as she spoke.
"Be a good girl and take it to her, Iris," She added.
"Why me? I work in the dish waahing section."
"I don't care where you work. Go and serve the princess, then come back to your dishes. We don't want this kitchen crumbling this cold morning."
Iris bit back a retort.
Why don't theh do it themselves. It's their job by the way.
But the voice of Martha rang in her head. She didn't want to cause trouble.
So she took the tray and asked for directions.
"The Crown prince's Chambers," they had said. But she had no idea how to get there.
After asking about ten different guards, she got to the chamber.
"Breakfast for princess Myrine," she smiled at the guard in front of the door.
The door opened after a light knock.
What she saw was something she hadn't expected to see.
The table had seven chairs that were all occupied by all the kings children.
They were saying something before she walked in and now all their eyes traveled to her.
She gulped.
Her feet suddenly felt too weak to carry her.
She walked towards the tables.
"Good morning your highnesses," she bowed.
No one gave her an answer.
Hell, they acted as if they didn't even hear her.
Each one of them faced their foods.
The air felt stiff.
Stiff with aura,
Sophistication,
Power.
These were the rulers of the Five Kingdoms.
Her eye traveled to two girls seated opposite each other in the table.
Each had a gloomy frown on their faces.
She had totally forgotten that they had just lost they're father.
She suddenly felt bad. The urge to give her condolences covered her, but she shrugged it off.
"Your breakfast princess Myrine," she kept the tray in front of the princess with brown hair and a golden crown, embedded with green diamonds.
"Myrine?" The princess said, as if she had just been insulted.
That was when she realized she had gone to the wrong princess.
"My apologies," She rushed over to the other side of the table.
She could feel the eyes of both princess glaring at her.
The men, where however too busy chatting while they ate.
Except for one.
His eyes bore even deeper than that of the princesses.
If looks could pay, she'd be the wealthiest woman in town.
Hesitantly, she raised her head towards his direction.
Those same eyes.
The dark thick hair.
The sharp jawlines.
And he was the only one seated on the high table.
The man she had bumped into twice, the one who had stopped her first escape attempt, was the crown prince of the five kingdoms of Aestheria.