You Like Her?

Freya stayed all night awake. The news she heard was heavy like a mountain. Months passed, and she was kept in the dark.

Years of being in the palace took away her freedom, happiness and heart. Her simple life was complex in a strange way. For over three years, she lived them doing nothing but reminiscing about her old life.

She only hoped to succeed in her plan.

Freya shuffled to her wardrobe and put on her usual robe. Sitting in the chair, she faced the vanity mirror. She dropped the potion in her eyes as their colour changed slowly. Rubbing her eyes, her gaze turned blurry for a moment before clearing. She opened the wardrobe, took the changing powder, mixed it with coconut oil and applied it to her hair. Soon the silver hair turned red.

As her mother said, it was hard to change her hair colour. The glowing silver hair had, the sign of the Kurba royal descendants, stood up from afar. It was because of her hair that her brother recognized her.

She combed her hair into two braids and went out. The morning passed messier than her thoughts. The huge impact of the news made her feel like she didn't deserve the leisurely she lived in the past years.

"Bring the red book to the third shelf," the king ordered.

Freya put the cleaning rug on the nearby stand, walked to the third shelf, took a book from there and handed it to him.

The king glared at her. "I ordered you to bring the red book. Why is it the green one that you brought?"

Freya sighed and changed the book to the one the king wanted.

"What happened to you?"

Freya turned her gaze to the desk. The king's red eyes darted into her. She shook her head and continued to sweep the floor.

Halfway, she looked from the opened window of the king's workplace. The tree branches danced with the gentle breeze.

Her memories drifted to eight years ago. Mr. Eferhon stood beside her Teaching her how she would take a pose. She rested under the trunk of a tall tree while sharing a conversation with Mr. and Mrs Eferhon.

Those were her happiest days. Those were her precious treasures.

"What are you looking at?" the king voiced his disagreement again. She wouldn't turn to see the frown on his face.

Freya sighed and continued her work. She wasn't in the mood to talk or reply to the king.

Lunch break arrived, and she walked to the garden instead of the kitchen. The garden in the king's palace extended for a long space. In every corner, there would be a masterpiece done with flowers, trees, a fountain, a flower dome resting area, and a maze with bushes.

Freya discovered the small maze when she came to the garden with Rubella. Its height reached her waist and its shape resembled two crossed brackets.

As she sat inside, her chest felt tighter. Taking a deep breath, her tears fell over. Freya wiped her tears and leaned her head on the green bush-like wall.

Her emotions twirled since the time she worked as a maid. Fearing her identity would be discovered and fearing something would go wrong with her escaping plan. She had to handle a wincing king and encounter other people who treated her well while the others maltreated her.

Always, thinking of a way to sneak into her room. The tears she shed earlier were cumulative to the anger, dread, humiliation and pain.

Looking at the clear sky extending higher and higher, she closed her eyes and let the cool breeze, caress her warm cheeks. Slowly, she felt no pain nor anguish as darkness surrendered her, letting herself sink into sleepiness.

…

Fraser returned to his workplace after having his lunch accompanied by Rubella. As soon as he stepped in, Rubella shook his hand.

"What do you want," he said, squatting down.

Ruby pointed at the outside, and he sighed. Although, he had worked he had to do, let his niece guide him to the garden.

'It seemed that Rubella liked the garden, so what if I insert the same garden into her palace?' While he thought of ways to copy the same design to the princess's garden, Ruby slipped from his grasp and ran deeper into the garden.

Fraser fastened his steps in fear that the princess would fall and hurt herself. As he neared his niece, he caught a glimpse of a red hair inside the maze.

He frowned at the thought of his maid sitting in his garden, forgetting her job. The princess went ahead of him and shook the sleeping maid.

'And she is sleeping too!' his dissatisfaction rose to the sky. 'What an ignorant maid.'

The maid stirred in her sleep and then opened her eyes, rubbing them. "Princess! What are you doing here?" she asked, then shifting her gaze to him.

"I should be the one asking that," he said sneering.

The maid opened her big eyes. The blue colour seemed clear and lighter than usual. 'Is it because she is facing the sun?' he wondered. Her eye colour had always differed. Sometimes they were light, and sometimes they would darken. Her eyes were a secret.

"I apologize for my lack of seriousness," she said, rising from the ground.

"Bring delicacies and tea to the garden," he ordered, taking the princess in his arms. Looking at her back, he frowned. Fraser walked to the resting area in his garden and sat with the princess.

"Ruby, will I fire that maid," he asked, and she responded by shaking her head. "Why?"

Rubella stared at him with her red eyes and pointed at him. "What do you mean?" he didn't understand what she meant.

She pointed at him with her thump and the coming maid with the other thump and tied them together. "Do you mean I resemble her?" he asked, and she surprisingly nodded.

Fraser frowned. Rubella smiled at the maid and held her small hand to her chest. 'You liked her too?' he murmured.

Gazing at the maid who smiled at his niece, Fraser raised a brow.

It seemed that he needed to teach his niece not to trust people easily!