48

Noah
“Is this necessary, my Prince?” Daniel asked while leading me through the dark passageway that led to another route, of the palace.
“Yes, it is. ” I stuffed the bread that Gordon pushed into my arms in the morning. While we walked slowly, I remembered that breakfast was dull and slow. My mother didn’t say a word while eating, it seemed like she had a lot to say. Ruby on the other hand was quiet at the table and kept asking for more food.
Eli and his wife, Eugene ate at their cottage but Rose, I tried to speak with her by passing an apple and making jokes but she ignored me and went towards the royal garden. I was certain that she skipped breakfast with her parents.
A servant was kind enough to tell me that Matilda was still asleep and I didn’t get to see my father at the table as an added perk.
It was much better that I didn’t greet him in the morning because he might begin to pick on everything, from the way I bowed to where I was headed.
I also didn’t see Madam Clarissa but I told a servant that I was going to be with Daniel at the hunting yard which was quite far from the palace itself.
Everything seemed to be going in my favor until I remembered the bouquet of roses that I asked Daniel to deliver.
“Did you ensure that the bouquet was delivered to the bakery?” I asked.
“Yes it was, your highness,” I heard Daniel respond, “Are you interested in a woman in that bakery, sir?”
I cleared my throat instantly, and one of my hands balled into a fist as I beat it against my chest.
“Are you alright, sir?” Daniel halted on the stairs, looking back to check on me.
“Perfectly fine. Keep on moving,” I urged him with a smile.
The passageway was dusty and quite small. Who on earth built such a place like this? I rubbed the back of my palm against my nose, walking slowly.
“What do I say if the Duchess asks of you, sir?” Daniel asked eloquently. I admired the way he spoke. It was fresh, jarring, and motivational.
“Tell her I’m hunting, ” I shrugged, “-and don’t tell her where.”
“Yes, my Prince,” he answered.
I remembered the royal secret service and wondered if my mother still had them around Mrs. Ping’s bakery. I shrugged the thought off, my hands pulling into my pants while thinking of Ashley.
I wondered how she felt seeing the bouquet. Was she emotional or shocked?
I rubbed my hands across my hair, a smile forming around the corner of my lips. A flash reminder of our last encounter made me bite my lower lip subconsciously.
I didn’t know what I did to deserve that silent treatment and the fact that she didn’t want to explain it was even worse.
Maybe she didn’t want to. I wondered why women were like that. Sometimes when Diana, my ex-girlfriend felt a bit annoyed, and even when I tried to pacify her, she wouldn’t bulge until after some hours.
But this woman was different.
She was fiery like a hot soup and I wanted so much to drown in her.
***
After walking a few streets, I turned towards Mrs. Ping’s bakery, pushing up my spectacles and putting my hands in my pockets. People walked absentmindedly, some with their phones in their ears while some kids jumped around with their parents trying to control them.
I told Daniel to drop me off, hoping to find out the figure who was staring behind my back, the other day. But I saw no one, alas.
I swiftly walked into the bakery, stopping to greet Alfred, Lucas, and Damien in the kitchen. I tried to steal a cookie but they didn’t let me have it.
They playfully shooed me away with their large spoons while I walked towards the aprons where they were kept and took one, tying it the way Ashley did, on the first day I arrived.
I took a cloth and began to wipe the tables, singing a song that I and Ruby sang as kids. I heard footsteps walking towards the bakery and Emily’s voice so I walked briskly towards the counter, hid behind it, and waited, hoping to start the day with a bit of mischief.
When the door opened, I jumped out and screamed.
Emily was the first to let out a yelp, running straight towards me to bang her knuckles against my chest screaming;
“You scared me! ”
I let out a low chuckle, looking at her cute expression and basking in it. I lifted my eyes to notice that Ashely had walked in and was staring at me with the umbrella perfectly in her grasp.
My umbrella.
She gripped it the way I would have wanted to hold her hands.
When she noticed what I was staring at, she hid the umbrella behind her back, making me smile.
“Good morning. ” I greeted.
She didn’t respond, she simply walked towards the kitchen and then picked up her apron. Emily had walked into the kitchen, laughing with Alfred so I took that opportunity to strike up a conversation with Ashley who was about to clean the tables.
“I cleaned that, already. ” I stated, watching her halt on her heels with the clothe in her right hand and the other, a disinfectant.
She then continued walking and then started to clean, taking no heed to my words.
“Why did I even bother to say anything?” I looked at the tip jar, bored and slightly frustrated.
I looked at the way her blonde hair was perfectly tucked behind her ear while the rest tumbled down her back. She wore a tulip skirt that couldn’t hide her figure while her shirt strained against her chest.
I shut my eyes briefly and rubbed my hands against the sides of my face, embarrassed by the fact that I was badly so attracted to every inch of her.
And she already was in love with someone else.
So why would she care if I looked at her, all day?
I was probably invisible to her. She paid no attention when I opened the tip jar and began to count.
I had reached my height of frustration when she started to sing the anthem of Midon. Her voice was sweet, I felt like it was capable of seducing any man with that voice.
“Can I have my umbrella back?” I asked loudly, hoping she would get the hint and respond.
For a couple of seconds, she didn’t say anything. She kept cleaning vigorously and partly aggressively as if something had clicked her off.
I was about to ask again when she dropped the clothing on the table and her fist came second, the impact louder than I expected.
“What do you want?” she asked, “Your umbrella is just beside the door and yet you are asking me for it?”
I tilted my head, swallowing a globe of saliva.
“You are supposed to give it back to me and say a word of appreciation. ” I countered back with a smirk etching on my lips.
“Is that what you wanted?” I heard her say teasingly, “Thank you, Leo. Thank you very much. ” she shouted.
“Why are you getting upset at me?” I yelled back, “I should be the one who is frustrated with you. You didn’t respond to my greetings, neither did you thank me for the umbrella and not even the bouquet-”
“What bouquet?” I heard her ask softly, “Did you-”
She was unable to complete her statement when Emily walked in, bearing a smile on her face.
“Mrs. Ping came yesterday and she asked of you. You weren’t here but you would eventually get a pay cut. ” Emily lifted her shoulders.
“Why? I had an emergency.” I voiced out hurriedly.
“You didn’t call or say anything about it. ” Emily answered.
I turned, rubbing my fingers into my hair and remembering that I didn’t give anyone my cell phone number apart from…
Ashely.
My head whipped to look at her but she had begun cleaning, not paying little or less interest in what Emily was saying.
“That was silly of me but a pay cut isn’t that bad. It makes me feel a bit motivated to work better.” I chuckled nervously.
“It should.” Emily winked and tied her hair into a bun.
I was about to speak when Nadia stepped in, holding an empty tray. Emily moved slightly, her right leg moving first.
But Nadia was focused on smiling at me that she didn’t see Emily’s leg thrust out right in front of her.
I was about to call out to Emily but it had already happened.
Nadia fell to the ground in an instant, the tray making loud noises. I rushed towards her but Ashley was faster, holding Nadia by her right arm.
“Are you alright, Nadia?” Ashley asked in concern.
Emily had her palm around her lips, still in shock over what had happened.
“I didn’t mean to trip you over. I didn’t see you there. I mean-” Emily rambled on and on but Nadia cut her off.
“I’m fine. ” she firmly stated but then grunted in pain while holding her right hand.
In an instant, I reached for it, trying to see if she had sprained it but as my fingers tried to move around her hand, I noticed a scar below her knuckles. I felt my heart race when I observed that it was in the shape of a moon.
My mind began to race in desperation, knowing that I had seen it before and while I was still holding Nadia’s hand, the realization slapped straight into me like an open book.
This was the woman who bumped into me at the palace.
The one wearing the sun- straw hat!