•Two•

Jacqueline was in the castle gardens when Philippa found her, talking with the blue-eyed man she saw in the dining hall. When Jacqueline noticed her presence, she waved her over and introduced him as Prince Roderic of Nubet. Philippa bowed low and raised her brows at the Princess in a silent question. "Of course, my parents know! They want me to get married to form an alliance."

Philippa raised her hands in surrender and went to a bench a short distance away so she could watch the two while also giving them privacy. Jacqueline laughed at something the Prince said and he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The maid tilted her head slightly to one side, finding their interactions like the King and Queen's when they were younger and before their little girl grew up before their eyes.

She was brought out of memory when the Prince leaned toward Jacqueline. The Princess was frozen in confusion and shock, unsure of what to do. Philippa jumped to her feet and stormed up to the couple, pushing Roderic away with a glare. He opened his eyes and looked around. Upon seeing the maid, he understood. "It was just a kiss!"

Philippa shook her head violently, pulling Jacqueline behind her. It was clear she was protecting her charge to most people, but Roderic grew upset. Before he could say anything, Philippa pointed a finger at him in warning, creating the idea that she was a mother of a child and he was the evil man who was going to ruin her child's life.

"I am free to do as I wish, maid!" he growled lowly. "The Princess is old enough to tell me to stop and shouldn't be treated as a child!"

"Prince Roderic, it's okay!" Jacqueline said hurriedly, defending her maid in the only way she knew how.

"It is not right, Princess! She is below you and should not be acting like your mother!" Roderic glared at Philippa with hatred. "Speak! Apologize to me and you future Queen!"

"She can't- "

Before Jacqueline could reveal Philippa's abnormality, the maid clapped a hand over her mouth and shook her head. The Princess's eyes were wide and apologetic, remembering how much the maid liked the hidden secret and how afraid she was of telling certain people. But if Jacqueline didn't say something, her maid would be punished for something she was ordered to do by not only her parents, but by Jacqueline herself: protect against any intimate contact with the opposite sex until it is decided she was to marry them.

From apologetic, the Princess's eyes turned fearful right before Philippa felt her hair being tugged harshly and she fell backwards. Her arse hit the concrete ground painfully hard as Roderic took her place in front of the Princess. "You dare touch the Princess without permission!" he growled.

Eyes wide, Philippa stared at him in fear and confusion. Why was she being hurt for following orders? Why isn't he listening to Jacqueline who was trying to explain? Why is he so handsome looking, yet so cruel?

Someone gripped her arm and she looked up to see a guard on each side of her. Behind Roderic, Jacqueline had tears in her eyes and pleading the Prince to release the maid, but he heard nothing as he ordered the guards to follow them.

Silently and quite forcefully, Philippa was hefted up and dragged from the gardens and into the castle behind the Prince and Princess. She didn't try to fight, knowing how useless it would be, and started to imagine what was in store for her in the next few minutes of her life.

King Bardulf was about to head to the stables and take a ride into a small town not far away when he saw Prince Roderic, Princess Jacqueline, and two guards holding up a small figure between them. For some reason, the Princess was in tears and Roderic looked livid. The King silently wondered if the Prince saved the Princess from an attack and was slightly disappointed, he hadn't let her be taken away or killed.

Since she was alive, Bardulf sighed and was about to continue when he caught sight of a midnight blue dress and shimmering black hair. He turned and looked at the figure between the guards. His eyes narrowed in confusion at the sight of the maid. He couldn't see her face, but it looked like she got pushed around from her ragged dress and messy hair.

Then he heard Princess Jacqueline's shaky voice say, "Please, Prince Roderic. She did nothing besides her job! Let her go! She doesn't deserve this!"

Bardulf watched as the Prince halted their walk and turned to the Princess with a soft expression, pointing at the maid with an accusatory finger. "She is beneath you! A maid is not allowed to intervene a conversation unless to bring food or drink. A maid is not allowed to push or shove a Prince, but respect and always bow to them. Most of all, a maid is not allowed to lay a hand on her mistress unless she is dressing her. She will be punished for her crime, Princess. She will not make the mistake of breaking these rules again."

"But-"

The Princess was cut off by Roderic's mouth crashing onto hers in a possessive kiss. Being King and having learned the customs to kingdoms besides his own, Bardulf knew this was not allowed and if either of Jacqueline's parents knew of this, he'd be forever banished out of this land or dead.

"Not to interrupt," Bardulf said in a casual voice. Roderic looked over at him, keeping Jacqueline close. Between the guards, the maid didn't move a muscle. Bardulf gestured to the unruly woman and said, "What is going on?"

Jacqueline opened her mouth to answer, but Roderic beat her to it. "She was disrespecting her higher class and never apologized. We are going to see that she gets punishment for her behavior."

"No!" the Princess cried. "She was doing her job!"

"Princess, her job is to stay out of the way and clean! Not roughly move you!" Roderic sighed with frustration.

Bardulf glanced from the man to the woman and back again. "Let Princess Jacqueline go, Roderic."

He opened his mouth to object but realized just in time that Bardulf had more authority, and shut it. His arms unwound from the Princess's body and he stepped back. Jacqueline rushed to her maid and knelt before her, cupping her face. "Oh, Philippa! I'm so sorry!"

"Princess-"

"Enough out of you, Roderic!" Bardulf growled. The Prince and Princess both looked at the King in surprise. His next words were spoken to the maid. "Look up at me, mi 'lady."

Slowly, those hazel eyes appeared, and the woman looked scared to be in his presence. Then, she disappeared behind Jacqueline who said, "She did nothing wrong!"

"I'd like to ask her a few questions. That's all," Bardulf said calmly. When she still didn't move, he softened his voice a little, "Please, Princess. I am not without reason. If she answers my questions truthfully and hasn't done anything wrong, you have nothing to fear. If she did something wrong and tells me, I will make sure the punishment isn't harsh. If she lies and I find out, then you better pray for her life."

"Please, King Bardulf. She's my friend! I don't want to lose her!" In her eyes, he could see desperation and fear for the maid's life. It made her vulnerable and more like a woman than when they met.

He said, "What are you willing to give if she is in the wrong?"

"I'll take whatever punishment for her. Please, just don't hurt her."

Behind the Princess, the maid shook her head and weakly struggled in the guards' arms. "Fine."

Jacqueline blinked and clasped her hands together, hesitantly moving aside. "Thank you!" she whispered with her head down.

He ignored her and looked at the two guards. "Release her." They obeyed and Bardulf flinched when she fell to the stone ground. He knelt in front of her as she sat up and started trembling. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"She's-" Jacqueline started but Bardulf held up a hand for silence, still looking at the maid.

Philippa stared at the man kneeling in front of her and didn't know what to do. He wouldn't let Jacqueline speak for her and she was afraid if she didn't do something, he'd be like the Prince. She could feel the cold seeping through the linen and into her skin as she made no move to say or do anything.

The man tilted his head to one side and narrowed his eyes. "Did something happen?"

Philippa nodded once, wanting to disappear into thin air and not have to be in this situation.

The man's eyes softened a little. "Can you show me what happened?"

The maid's eyes widened as she realized he knew her secret or suspected it. Slowly, she looked behind him to the Prince and wished she hadn't. He was giving her a death glare that made cold shivers run up and down her spine. Philippa shifted away from the man as to not be in arm's reach in case he'd hurt her.

"What's her name, Princess?" the man asked.

"Philippa."

Nodding, the man said, "Philippa, you do not need to fear anyone in here. I will not let them touch you. I just want you to tell me what happened. When that's finished, we will figure out the next step."

The maid swallowed and raised one finger to the blue-eyed man then the Princess. The man nodded to show he understood and encouraged her to continue. Philippa gained confidence and pointed back to the gardens and made a silly imitation of the Prince trying to kiss Jacqueline. She then tried to express the importance of the Princess's safety and what her orders were to protect her. She showed the man she was only trying to protect the Princess and ended up here.

The man nodded again when she finished and said, "Tell me if I'm wrong, okay?" Philippa nodded. "You saw Prince Roderic trying to kiss the Princess and stopped him, shoving him away. Then, when you tried to protect her, he shoved you back and started yelling about punishment."

Philippa nodded vigorously, pleased he understood. The Prince however scoffed and stepped forward and said, "The Princess is not a child to be looked after!"

The man stood up and faced Prince Roderic, keeping Philippa behind him. "You are correct, Prince Roderic. But, there are laws that protect a woman from a man's intimate touch in this kingdom that are under strict order. If that law is in place and you are here, you are not allowed to touch the Princess or any other lady until marriage or until the parent's consent. Kissing applies to that rule and therefore, you have broken the law."

Roderic gaped and crossed his arms. "No one told me of that rule! We do not have it in our kingdom."

"You should have learned who you were allying with before entering this land, before even speaking to the King and Queen."

Prince Roderic glared at the man and then at Philippa. "So, I'm in the wrong? Me? Royalty! She's a blasted maid who does not know her place!" He seethed and looked straight into Philippa's eyes when he said, "She'd be dead for even thinking of shoving me if she were in my kingdom!"