The Prince’s Favourite Maid
SEEING Alina at her door at that odd hour was really uncalled for, she slowly came out of the room, closing the door behind her.
“Yes?” She asked folding her arms and resting on the door.
The hallway was as usual quiet and well lit.
Alina didn’t reply, she was just wickedly glaring at her, chewing on her lips, and fuming.
“Is this what you came here for?” Rina asked, chuckling.
“I am not here to mince words Rina”, she finally let out her anger. Rina sighed.
“I, Alina, I am the favourite maid to the Prince, and no other dares crosses my path,” she paused.
“Huh?” Rina said more like in a whisper.
“I don’t know what business you have with him, but whatever it is, I would like to tell you in your own interest to cease it, let it stop…”, she paused and gave a dry laugh, looking directly into her eyes.
“You are at your own risk if it doesn’t”, she turned and walked away.
What! What nerves? Rina thought as she watched her walked away. She hissed.
“She isn’t even ashamed of herself, coming to tell me to stay off the Prince, is she his wife? Just a maid like me”, she laughed and opened her door, then walked in.
At the instant she locked the door, the buzzing of her phone startled her and she rushed forward to get it.
She unzipped her purse where she had kept it, then took it out. Peeking into it, it was her mother.
Oh wow, she really hadn’t called her or Zaina since she reached the palace. It was a hectic day though.
She picked up the call.
“Hey momma”, she smiled, flopping down on the bed.
“Hmm Rina, are you still on the way?” Selena asked.
She laughed.
“No momma I…”.
“Then why haven’t you called? And I told you to”, her voice seemed distressed. Rina noticed it.
“Hey mom I’m fine, don’t panic”, she said, licking her lips.
“So how was it today?”
“Today… I mean just this evening was hectic, just these few hours already spent in the palace”.
“Huh? Hectic? Do you mean to tell me the job is too much for you?”
“Oh no mother, that isn’t what I mean. Just hectic like every other, and fun as well. I had fun today”, she laughed.
“Oh I see. That means you are enjoying your stay there right?”
“Right mother”.
“Have you had dinner?”
“Come on mom, why not? I had a wonderful dinner this evening, more like a dinner party”, she rolled her eyes.
Selena laughed.
“Dinner party you say? Have you called Zaina?”
She rolled her eyes.
“Oh, not yet momma, I will do that”.
“Please do, she’s been calling and asking if you have called”.
Rina smiled.
“Alright mom, I will do that”.
“Good night baby Rin, take care of yourself and don’t get into the ways of the royalties”.
Rina laughed.
“You have started again mom, I heard you anyways”.
“Have a good night rest”.
“You too momma, I will call tomorrow”.
“Alright”, and the call ended.
Rina checked the time on her phone, it told her it was 8:45, she decided to ring Zaina. It wasn’t too late for that, she knew she was gonna pick up.
Zaina picked up at the second ring.
“Palace girl”, she said on picking the call.
Rina laughed.
“Oh please Zaina, stop it. How have you been?”
“As you left me.”
Rina could detect the pain in her voice, she smiled.
“I am sorry baby Z, I have been so busy, today has been hectic”.
“Huh? Just this evening?” She asked.
“I didn’t mean a lotta work, don’t get me wrong, meanwhile I knew you would still be up watching TV, so that’s why I called, just finished speaking with my mom.”
“Oh. So you said you didn’t mean a lotta work, so what do you mean then?”
“Baby Z, you wouldn’t believe what happened today.”
“Oh really? Please, I’m all ears, I would believe.”
Rina laughed.
“Today, just today, I met the Princess, like face to face, I saw what she looks like… .”
“What took you to her chamber?”
“I took her her dinner. The Prince and Princess doesn’t take dinners at the dining, so I heard”.
“Oh, alright, continue.”
Rina laughed.
“She asked me if I remembered meeting her before, like she mistook me for someone else, and I saw happiness in her eyes as she asked.”
“Really? So are you sure you haven’t met this our Princess anywhere?”
“How could I and wouldn’t tell you? How? Look, I’m damn sure I haven’t met her anywhere, hundred percent sure.”
“Hmm, if you say so then. You know, these royals they can detect,” she said.
“On my way back from her chamber… guess what?”
“Please I can’t guess, my ears are itching”.
“I… bumped into… the Prince.”
“What!” Zaina shouted so loud that even Rina had to take the phone off her ears.
“The Prince? Oh my? How is he? Does he look muscled? Handsome? Hot? How is he talk to me?”
Rina laughed.
“Hold on, I thought you were never nuts about the Prince whenever we talk about him”.
Zaina laughed.
“Yeah you are right, but since my best friend bumped into him, she should tell me what he looks like.”
Rina laughed.
“Well he is very cute and handsome. You know I fell and fell atop him, he made me rest my head on his chest.”
“Oh my! Is that love I’m seeing right there Rina?”
“Oh cut that crap off. This is Vidya’s groom remember?”
“Shit, fuck that up,” she said.
“Speaking of Vidya, how is she? And her friend, what’s her name again?… Roshni?”
Zaina sighed.
“Can we talk something more important now? We are talking about you and the Prince.”
“Alright, alright.”
“So what made you fall on him?”
Rina laughed, Zaina, she always wants to know everything.
“Well as I was walking along the hallway on my way back from the Princess’ room, I felt a sudden sprain in the head, like a migraine. The pain was killing and I saw myself falling, my eyes closed, the next thing I heard a voice, only to flicker my eyes open, and saw I was in the Prince’s arms”, she explained.
“Just like that? Rina, Rina,” she called.
“Stop it please, there is nothing. A message from him also came at the dining hall when we were having dinner, he sent someone to come give me medications.”
“What!” She shouted again, “he did what?”
“You heard me right,” she chuckled.
“Rin, you were actually right when you said I wouldn’t believe, I really can’t believe this. Just on your first day.”
“What more can I say? Just a few minutes ago before my mom called, someone banged on my door and I went out, only to behold one of the maids, the favourite of the Prince…”
“Does he have a favourite? She isn’t his favourite please, it’s just because apart from the chief maid, she’s the only maid whom the Prince knows her name and personality well. Please trash that, what did she come to do? Warn you?”
“Exactly. She was in the dining as well when the Prince’s personal guard had brought the medication, I guess that got her so annoyed.”
“Please don’t listen to her. The kind you should be thinking of tackling is the likes of Vidya, and not an ordinary maid.”
“Hold on? Did you just say tackling? Why should I?”
“Oh, this girl is something. So you haven’t comprehended the whole thing yet, Prince Raghav is falling in love with you Rina, goodness, I don’t know if you are dumb.”
“Hey please Zaina, hold it. Love me for what? Who am I? What did I even do for him? He just met me today.”
“If you like accept it, if you like don’t. Just get it into that small pretty head of yours that the Prince loves you, period.”
Rina sighed.
“I hear you. Please I want to sleep now,” she yawned, “let me get prepared for tomorrow.”
“I see. Tomorrow work commences fully.”
“Sure. Zaina, I really want to appreciate you, if it wasn’t your efforts, I don’t know where I would have been now, dhanyavaad, thank you so much.”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
“Awwn Rin, it’s nothing though. Only one thing makes me happy, that you are happy, it’s enough.”
“Thank you. Can I sleep now?”
“Sure… sure my princess.”
They laughed.
“Oh please. Good night and I will talk to you tomorrow.”
“Alright, nightie,” she ended the call.
Rina sighed, tossing the phone on her bed. What a long and fulfilling evening, she quickly selected out a pyjamas and taking off the one she had worn, she put on the pyjamas.
Putting out the lights, she flopped on the bed and at the instant her head hit the pillow, she slept off.
? Next Morning ?
Raghav woke to the first ringing of his alarm clock. He stretched forth his hand and put it off, and yawning he turned on the bed.
He flickered one eye opened, then closed it back. His mind drifted to the previous day’s events.
He smiled. Finally, he has found her, he can never forget. That even wasn’t the main issue, what baffled him most was the fact that she was actually the one who had helped his little sister out of the woods that fateful day.
This alone was a very brave act. Though she (Rina) didn’t recognize the person she had helped, maybe because she wasn’t putting on her royal robes and also, she was in a haste to leave the woods.
Well, it’s normal. Thinking about her, he smiled again. Oh jeez, was this how having feelings for the opposite sex was? This was his first time, he had never even went to bed, thinking of someone, and wake up, thinking of that same person, or even had thoughts of someone filling his mind. This was exactly the first time.
He finally opened his eyes and sat up on the bed. He just remembered he had some business to carry out that morning.
Without brushing or freshening up, he picked up his laptop from the dressing table and walked to the dining.
He shoved back a seat and sat, booting on the laptop.
Then he noticed he had an unread mail from someone. He clicked on it and it opened.
He first viewed the sender and jeez, it was Aunt Aarti, his favourite aunt. He smiled, just watch fortune dovetailing with fortune.
For years now he hadn’t received a text, mail or call from her, but just having finally seen Rina, she emailed. Isn’t this a good omen?
He opened the mail and read the lines, anger gripped him, what!
? Greetings Your Grace, Prince Raghav, how have you been teddy?
He smiled, that was the pet name she had given him.
? His Grace, Prince Rudra, my husband, just got a tip off that Her Majesty, the Queen and your mother, Queen Arya is waging a feud against our kingdom, Kuru kingdom, just because of the letter I sent.
? I don’t know if you have gone through the letter Raghav, but I insist you do. It is for your safety. Meanwhile, I emailed to ask for your help concerning the feud, it shouldn’t work. I repeat Raghav, stand against it, it shouldn’t work. Alisha says hi, one love.
“What!” Raghav shouted in total disbelief.
Why would his mother wage feud against a neighbouring kingdom? Not just a neighboring kingdom, but a kingdom in which her husband’s sister is married to? Why?
And that letter? He knew it was something fishy when he saw his mom fidgeting with it, he knew?
He needed to salvage the situation at hand, what was he gonna do now?
A sharp knock came on his door, he ignored glancing at the door. The knock came again.
“Come in,” he sighed, his eyes on his laptop.
The door opened and Alina entered.