6 Clash

"W- What did he say exactly?" Freya stuttered.

"The king ordered Felma to go to his palace," Joe said.

'What did he want?' she thought, biting her lips.

"Joe, come with me," Freya said, grabbing Joe's hand and rushing in her room's direction.

"But I need to find F—"

Freya stopped abruptly, causing Joe to bump into her. "Bring me one of your maid robes and follow me to the room. I will tell you everything later." Seeing her maid's retreating, she hurried to her bedchamber.

As soon as she entered, she sat in the chair, facing the vanity mirror. She opened her treasury box and then dropped the potion into her eyes as their colour changed slowly. Rubbing her eyes, her gaze turned blurry for a moment before clearing.

She took the changing powder mixed it with coconut oil and applied it on her hair. Soon the silver hair turned red.

Freya changed into the black robe Joe brought.

"Ma'am, why disguising yourself? Are you going out?" Joe asked, helping her to zip the dress.

"No, I am going to meet the king," Freya said, looking at her final appearance.

"Good! He finally asked for your presence, but why are you going to wear a maid's robe? I need to find a beautiful dress—" Joe clapped her hands happily.

Freya sneered and turned to look at her maid. "When I went out some days ago, I met the king and revealed myself as Felma, that's why he asked to meet me," she explained.

To think that her maid would be happy for a mere meeting was hilarious. She and the king were like fire and water.

Joe stopped her search and frowned. "I did not understand."

"There is no time to explain more, I will tell you everything when I come back. Let nothing happen in Felma's reach," Freya said, seeing Joe nodding she hurried out.

Facing the enormous building, her heart ached. The king's palace was ten times bigger than hers. Protruding windows with bright multicoloured glace, white walls carved with foreign cravings.

As she climbed the three steps and entered through the wooden door, a clear scent of rose welcomed her. The crystal chandeliers hanging on the ceiling brightened the door. Every corner of the palace was clean. The sophisticated pieces of furniture were as if they were designed for that place. Simple yet elegant was what she described the palace.

The head servant greeted her and took her where the king was. Freya ascended the stairs to the third floor.

Her heartbeat rose with every step she took. The door was opened, and she went in. She clutched her sweating hands together and gazed at the man sitting behind his working table, his gaze focused down at the piles of documents.

"Greetings to the sun of the Frowshire Kingdom," Freya said, holding her robe and bowing her head. As soon as she raised her head, two red irises looked back at her, making her hurt thump. She looked down at the reddish-brown carpet and bit her lips.

Afraid of being caught, Freya clutched her robe. Despite changing her hair and eye colour and avoiding interaction with anyone inside the palace for three years, she still couldn't avoid feeling panicked.

"Leave us alone," he said, his tone was cold. The head servant excused himself and left. Her heartbeat rose a little. 'What is he going to do?'

Time passed, and the king never talked nor glanced at her. Freya checked him for a second. He was writing something. Strands of his silky black hair fell on his eyes, covering his forehead. His skin was white. He looked more like his mother, Queen Lira. The only difference lay in his strange eyes' colour.

They said all the Frowshire's royal descendants had the same red colour. Many rumours about them being cursed spread, but they were suppressed in a day.

Her thoughts drifted to the time after their wedding finished. He stood far from her, gazing at the opposite side she stood.

'You know the reason for our marriage, so expect nothing from it. Have notes that stay here and don't play the role of my wife. It will be best if you do not appear in front of me. Do not look for me either. I know what kind of people you and your brother are.' His voice was colder than a coldest winter night. Full of hatred and rage. He turned around and walked out.

From that time, he never showed up, and she didn't look for him either. It was not like she was afraid of him but what would she seek from a person who loathed her to the core? 

Only by one meeting, she found he didn't differ from her brother in the slightest.

Freya's legs were numb. She stood waiting for the man to say a word, but he continued to work, leaving her. As her eyelashes dropped, she nearly yawned. 'It was time for my afternoon nap,' she thought, sleepily.

"You are still here."

Freya shifted her gaze to the sound and pursed her lips. 'What did he mean by saying that? I am not invisible.'

"I checked all the information you gave me," he said, posing a little and then he continued, "And it was surprisingly true."

Freya bit the inside of her mouth until she felt pain. She wanted to shout, "Why it will not be true?" The maids never talked when their master didn't allow them to so she forced the words in.

"Especially when I found you were the Queen's lady-in-waiting before," he said.

"May I ask why?" Freya asked. She could not help but argue. She was always honest and expressed what she felt about someone in his face.

"You are quite courageous. Are all the maids from the Vakion Kingdom like this?" he said, his footsteps going closer.

How can he say something like this? The vakion signified a deadly decease in her kingdom's language!

Freya's fist balled up! "I do not know about the others, but I am like you described. And it's the Valian kingdom, your highness."

"So confident! I had not a bit of trust for that woman or anyone on her part. I regret not wiping the 'Valian' royal family. Their king is so cowered that he sent his sister to me, his worst enemy. That woman is nothing but a lamb waiting for her slaughter," he said, mockingly.

Freya's lips trembled, and her desire to smack his face rose to the sky, but she knew that all her patience over the past years would vanish like air if she did that. "Her Majesty the Queen isn't an animal, but a human being with emotions!"

She could not use violence, but she could use words! And for years, she learned words were sharper than swords.

"I worked for Her Majesty the Queen for years, and she allowed me to visit my family. Her Majesty is kind and considerate," Freya said, raising her head, a bit angry.

He hummed and walked to his working desk, "Why did she demote you? You were the queen's lady-in-waiting, but you are just a low-ranked maid," he asked, looking at the piece of paper.

"I was accused of stealing," Freya murmured.

Freya remembered when she put her diamond necklace in Wilma's belongings, months ago. She had no other choice but to do that, to get rid of her brother's spies. Felma begged her not to fire her because she was the only one helping the family.

"So, did you steal?" he asked.

"No," she answered, tightening her hands over her black robe, and lowering her head.

The guilt she felt that day caused her to live nearly a month with nightmares and insomnia. She had no other option other than to do something bad.

"You are a princess. Whoever wants your doom, take him before they take you down," her brother's words echoed in her mind. She felt that the more she stayed in the palace, the scarier it would be to perform.

"So why did she punish you when you were innocent? Weren't you bragging about her being a kind lady?" he stepped closer to her. The scent of pine entered her nose. "Before lecturing people, adjust your principals first," he said, scorn printed on his face.