The Royal Maid And The Lost Kingdom

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

I woke up the next day and a part of me was praying that the past few days had been a dream. Even though I knew it was not, I couldn’t believe what I had just uncovered. My real parents were royalty, the King and Queen of the lost kingdom. And they were murdered by the very man I was serving, King Edward’s father. The thought of it broke my heart into a million pieces.

I felt betrayed and couldn’t trust anyone anymore, especially not the Princes. I couldn’t help but distance myself from them, especially Prince Edward whom I had just begun to get closer to. One day, Edward confronted me about my sudden change in behavior.

“Alice, what’s wrong?” He asked, looking concerned.

“Nothing, Your Highness,” I replied, trying to avoid eye contact.

“Don’t lie to me,” He said, placing his hand on my shoulder. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” I said, still not able to look at him. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” He asked, genuine concern in his voice.

“No, Your Highness,” I replied, shaking my head. “I just need some time.” Prince Edward could tell I wasn’t ready to talk about it, so he didn’t push further. But I could tell he was hurt by my distance. Prince Andrew also noticed my changed behavior and confronted me about it.

“Alice, what’s going on?” He asked, a worried look on his face.

“Nothing, Your Highness,” I replied, trying to avoid the conversation.

“Don’t lie to me,” he said, sounding frustrated. “I can tell something’s bothering you. You’ve been distant with both Edward and I.”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” I replied, looking down at my feet. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” He asked, a hint of desperation in his voice.

“No, Your Highness,” I replied, shaking my head. “I just need some time to figure things out.”

Even though I didn’t open up to them, their concern and kindness still touched my heart. But I couldn’t bring myself to trust them, not after what I had discovered.

As I walked into the kitchen, I was greeted by the sight of the three maids who had always been envious of my relationship with the princes. They were gathered around the table, their faces twisted into sneers.

“Well, look who decided to show up,” one of them said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“I heard you’ve been avoiding us and also the Princes,” another chimed in. “Maybe the princes have already had their fill of you.”

That was the final straw. I could no longer stand their cruel taunts and insults. I let out a loud sigh and walked over to the table. I stood there for a moment, my anger boiling over, before I lashed out at the maid who had spoken. Silence reigned as I struck her across her face brimming with anger and frustration.

“You have no right to treat me like this,” I said, my voice trembling with anger. “You’re all just jealous of what I have with the princes, and its time you stopped acting like children.”

The maids laughed in response, their laughter echoing off the walls of the kitchen.

“Oh, look at her,” One of them sneered. “She thinks she’s so special, just because she’s the princes’ little plaything.”

“Well, I have news for you,” Another added. “They’re just using you. They’ll get tired of you soon enough, and then you’ll be back to being just another maid in this castle.”

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I refused to let them see me cry. Instead, I straightened my back and looked the maids in the eye.

“You’re the ones who are stupid,” I said, my voice filled with disdain. “Not even the rats in the dungeon want anything to do with you.”

Just then, Meredith walked into the kitchen, her eyes scanning the room. She quickly assessed the situation and walked over to the table.

“What’s going on here?” she asked, her voice stern.

One of the chefs quickly filled her in, and Meredith’s expression darkened. She looked at the maids, her eyes filled with anger.

“You three,” she said, her voice ringing out loud and clear. “Leave the castle at once. You’re fired.”

The maids paled at her words, and I watched as they quickly gathered their things and fled the kitchen. Meredith turned to me and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“Are you okay, Alice?” she asked, her voice filled with concern.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

I nodded, grateful for her support. “I’m fine,” I said. “I just couldn’t take their taunts anymore.”

Meredith nodded, a look of understanding on her face. “You don’t deserve to be treated like that,” she said. “You’re a kind and gentle soul, and you deserve only the best.”

With that, she gave me a hug, and I felt all of my worries and fears melt away. I was surrounded by friends who cared for me, and I knew that no matter what happened, I would always have them by my side.

As Meredith hugged me, I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. I had a secret that I couldn’t keep from her any longer, but at the same time, I didn’t want to put her in danger by revealing it to her.

I wanted to tell Meredith everything, but at the same time, I was filled with fear. What if she went to the king and turned me in? I didn’t want to risk losing her friendship, but at the same time, I couldn’t keep this secret to myself any longer. I took a deep breath and pulled away from the hug.

“Meredith,” I said, my voice trembling. “There’s something I want to say.”

She looked at me with concern in her eyes. “What is it, Alice?” she asked.

But as I opened my mouth to speak, I suddenly changed my mind. Instead, I just said, “I just wanted to say how much I appreciate you. You’ve been such a great friend to me.”

Meredith smiled and hugged me again. “I appreciate you too, Alice. You’re like a sister to me.”

I felt relieved that I hadn’t said anything about my secret, but at the same time, I knew I couldn’t keep it from her forever. I would have to find a way to tell her soon, or the weight of the secret would be too much for me to bear.

I had learned the truth about my past and realized that the king was responsible for the death of my parents, I began to distance myself from Prince Edward even more. I couldn’t trust any of them, and the thought of being close to someone who was connected to my parents’ killer was too much for me to bear.

At first, Prince Edward notice my change in behavior but he kept quiet and endured it. But as the days went by, he became more and more frustrated. He would try to talk to me, but I would avoid him, not wanting to face the reality of my situation.

One day, as we were walking in the gardens, Prince Edward approached me. “Alice,” he said, “I’ve noticed that you’ve been avoiding me lately. Is everything okay?”

I hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to respond. “Yes, everything’s fine,” I lied. “I just have a lot on my mind lately.”

Prince Edward looked at me skeptically. “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

I forced a smile. “I know. I just need some time to think.” He looked hurt, but nodded and walked away.

The next day, Prince Edward tried again. “Alice, can we talk?”

I sighed. “Edward, I told you yesterday, I just need some time to think.”

He ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated. “I understand that, but I can’t help feeling like there’s something you’re not telling me. Something’s different about you, and I just want to help.”

I shook my head. “I’m fine, Edward. I just need some space, okay?”

He looked defeated as he walked away, and I couldn’t help feeling guilty for pushing him away. But I knew I couldn’t risk exposing the truth and putting myself in danger. I just had to keep my distance and try to protect myself.

I continued to distance myself from Prince Edward, my focus shifted to exposing the king for his evil deeds. I knew I needed to be strong if I was going to succeed, and I was determined to do so.

One day, while speaking with Meredith, she mentioned that the king’s birthday was fast approaching. I saw this as an opportunity to reveal the truth to the world.

“Meredith,” I said, “I want to help with the preparations for the king’s birthday.”

She looked at me in surprise. “Really? Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I said, determination in my voice. “I want to make sure it’s a celebration he’ll never forget.”

Meredith nodded, a smile on her face. “I’m glad you’re getting involved, Alice. I think it’ll do you good to have something to focus on.”

I also spoke with some of the other maids, including Roxane, about the preparations for the king’s birthday. They were excited to have my help, and I used the opportunity to gather information and resources that would help me in my mission to expose the truth.

The days went by, I grew more and more confident in my plan. I was determined to use the king’s birthday celebration to shed light on his evil deeds and bring justice for my parents.

The King’s birthday party approached, I found myself torn between my feelings for Prince Edward and my desire to expose the truth about the King’s actions. On the day of the party, I put on my best dress and made my way to the grand ballroom, where the celebration was being held.

As soon as I stepped into the room, I was struck by how magnificent it looked. The walls were adorned with glittering jewels and ornate tapestries, and the tables were covered in luxurious linens. In the center of the room was a massive birthday cake, surrounded by the courtiers, who were dressed in their finest attire.

I spotted Prince Edward across the room and my heart skipped a beat. He looked so handsome in his regal attire, and I felt a pang of guilt knowing that I had been avoiding him lately. As I walked past him, he turned to me, a hopeful look in his eyes, and tried to catch my attention. But I walked away, not daring to make eye contact with him.

As the evening wore on, I heard the Queen ask Prince Edward if he had done anything to offend me. He replied that he had no idea what was wrong and that I had been avoiding him for no apparent reason. I felt guilty for the way I was treating him, but I knew that I had to stay focused on my mission.

Finally, it was time for the King to make his speech. As he stood up to address the crowd, I took a deep breath and stepped forward. In a loud, clear voice, I declared.

“You are a murderer! You killed my parents, the rightful rulers of the lost kingdom.” The room was thrown into stunned silence as everyone turned to look at me. I had just committed a grave offense and my life was now in danger. But I was determined to make sure that the truth was heard and that the King would pay for his crime