Princess Rubella's Sickness

Freya squatted down and swept the floor. Her body was shattering like glass. Her back and arms hurt as though daggers pierced them.

The king ordered her to clean the whole third floor by herself. He was punishing her for opening her mouth, but what could she do? Two things in her life she couldn't control them. Her love for food and the other was her honest speech on someone or something despite the others' dissatisfaction.

The morning passed in torture and pain. Freya 'finished' half her task and walked to the first floor to bring more cleaning derivatives. Catching a glimpse of two maids whispering to each other in the hallway. One of them was familiar. Isn't the taller one, the new head maid in her quarter? What is she doing here? Freya frowned and tiptoed near them.

"I am telling you. There is a maid in the queen quarter that resembled the ki—"

"Katy? Is that you," Freya yelled, getting the maidservants' attention. The two maids turned their heads, and Katy gasped as her face paled. "I need to talk to you about something," said Freya, her heart pounding. She forgot the maid had seen her working in the king's quarter and saw Felma.

Katy wobbled in her direction; she grabbed her hand and went to a far corner.

"What are you doing here?" asked Freya. Her voice was cold. The last thing she wanted was unnecessary trouble.

Katy gulped and asked, "Y- you… Who are you?"

Freya narrowed her eyes. "Katy, you are a pitiful maid. You had to care for your children alone while your husband lived comfortably in the house, enjoying his wife's wages. You don't want to lose your job, right?" asked Freya. Katy shook her head. "So shut your mouth and do your work in silence. I know you are sensible and don't want to have the same fate as Nara. If you did as I request, you will be rewarded." Freya looked at the twinkling eyes of Katy as soon as she mentioned the reward.

"I will never make this mistake again," she promised, smiling greedily.

"What are you two doing?" the other maid with curly, short hair asked as she walked toward them.

Freya raised a brow. "Don't say anything about what you see to anyone or…"

Katy nodded and ran to the other maid.

"Why are you talking to her? Don't you hate her before?"

"She asked about the work in the queen quarter. Don't pay attention to her, let's talk about something else."

"What were you about to tell me earlier?"

"I–I forget…" their voices faced in the vast hallways.

Freya glared at their retreating backs. 'I need to find a way to fire Katy.' Seeing the greed in that maid's eyes, she knew what type of person Katy was. Her loyalty was to those who paid more. She couldn't risk anyone to know her identity.

Freya sighed. She worked her body and head in the past three weeks more considerably than in the last three years she lived in leisure. Luxury life had its price, indeed.

Adding to her misery, her tummy growled. Freya ignored her body's begging for food as it wasn't time for lunch yet and went back to the king's working room.

She turned around, crashing into the king. Freya stabilized herself while the king rushed to the stairs, followed by the nanny of the little princess.

'What happened?' she thought. If the nanny of Princess Rubella rushed over, 'Did something bad happen to the little princess?' Suppressing the urge to go behind the king, Freya went to dust the rooms.

The image of the little princess wearing the flower crown popped into her head. She wiped the wooden furniture absentmindedly. The door was opened, and the king's face was ashen. He kicked the chair, falling on the table with a loud sound.

Freya stuck to the wall and tried to diminish her presence as much as she could. The king was in a rage, and she would never be near an injured animal.

From the king's expression, she knew the situation was far from worse.

"Your Majesty, calm down—"

"How can I stay calm in this situation? I will send a confiscated command to Marquis Veron. I will destroy everything he had," declared King Fraser.

"Your majesty, think carefully. Princess Rubella is sick and isn't poisoned. If you send this order, the nobles will refuse. The Marquis held a large influence on the people's opinion. You don't need any problems when the embassy from the Valian and Lisyum Kingdoms will arrive in a few days' time."

The king rubbed his forehead. "I cannot lose her too like I lost her father," he said weakly.

Freya looked at the king. The first time she saw him broken. He appeared strong and proud, but now he was more human.

"The princess will be fine. She needs a treatment…" Trent said, looking away from the king.

Freya frowned. 'Did anything happen?'

"Send the knights to every healing centre in the kingdom, whether it is small or grand. We need to find the herb," the king ordered. Shifting his icy gaze to her, her heart thumped. "Why are you still standing? Clean this mess," he yelled, going out.

'What's wrong with him? The princess is sick, so why is he angry at me?' Freya shook her head and rearranged the room like before.

Time flew by, and soon it was dinner time. The dining hall was quiet and empty unlike usual. The only one presented was Queen Lira and Rachel.

After waiting for more time. "Go and call the king over," Queen Lira ordered. Freya went out without raising her head.

She knocked on the door, but no one responded. Questioning if she could open the door or not. Freya unlocked the door. "Your Majesty?"

"What do you need?" he spoke to her like he did in the morning.

She walked in. Seeing his back facing her. He sat on the floor, leaning on the bed.

"The dinner is ready. Queen Lira sent me to—"

"I am not hungry." He continued looking at the wall.

Freya bit her lips and turned around. Reaching the door, she turned back. "I do not think that starving yourself will do any benefit to anyone. If the king was weak, from where did the servants and the citizens have power? Forgive me for my blatant speech. I will leave," she said, closing the door behind her.

When she returned, Queen Lira glared at her. 'Your son refused! What should I do? Carrying him into here?'

"You are useless..." Queen Lira said.

Steps sounded from afar...