Trying to avoid trouble

Apologies for the late update. I would try giving an update routine that I can stick to so you know when to expect chapters. For now, if you are still reading this book, you can show your support by commenting or voting. It would truly encourage me and be well-appreciated. Thanks.

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Melina entered the main palace, heading for the servants' quarters when someone pushed four heavy pouches her way.

"You can offload them," Tynan told her as she arrived near the stable region.

"Thank you," she thanked him, while shrewdly gauging his blank facial expression. Was he really serious when he said what he said earlier? She could tell he wasn't joking because he didn't look like he wanted to speak to her at all.

"You should leave before the prince meets you here," he told her without looking at her while patting the horse, seeing that she wasn't moving from there.

Hearing the prince's name, Melina immediately turned around to the direction she was just coming from, making sure the person she now dreaded wasn't in sight before sparing Tynan a glance and leaving the place.

Though she could walk fine now where one wouldn't know she was injured in her knee, she could still feel the pain there and the scar created was still visible.

Considering she had walked a long distance, it made sense that her knees were now throbbing.

If only she could just have a break from this stressful life of hers, she was sure she would heal properly and her skin would be back to normal again.

But she was certain that with the way her daily life kept going, her wounds would not only never go but more scars would also be designed on her body. She didn't doubt it.

Bodily scars were inevitable for servants but she could at least reduce her possibility of getting one by avoiding trouble to a sensible extent. She didn't know how possible it was but she would try her best. Prevention was better than cure from what she knew.

She entered the kitchen and put the food items in their respective places before exiting the kitchen to her room. She cleaned her body properly when she got to the bathroom, making sure she didn't reek of any odour and when she finally came out from the bathroom, she saw the scarf Tynan had given her earlier which she left on the bed when she was rushing to bathe herself.

She picked up the scarf that was slightly tainted with blood from the meat the man gave her and once again, her mind drifted to the creepy-looking meat seller.

She placed her hand on her red hair when she remembered his awestruck reaction to it and for a brief moment, she began to think if she wasn't a normal child.

Why couldn't she just have black or blonde hair like every other person? Why was she so unlucky and always drawing people's attention? Undoubtedly, she had wronged someone in her past life and they had cursed her into this life, she reasoned, feeling so many surges of emotions surface her.

This was the first time since Aunt Paloma left that she had the opportunity to think like this, isolated and all alone without someone to interrupt or assign her and she didn't want to misuse this brief moment.

Slowly, she sat on the wooden bed that had a delicate mattress lain over it. She looked at the scarf again and remembered how Tynan had given it to her. It wasn't because he was obliged to do it. She understood he was just being kind and didn't want those men to stare at her with contempt or misunderstand her and her heart fluttered at the thought of Tynan being kind to her.

'Melina! You're being delusional!' she scolded herself at her childish thought. There was no way Tynan would like her. He was simply acting humanely which meant absolutely nothing! She kept telling herself and shaking the thoughts out of her head but even she knew deep down that she yearned for him to have feelings for her too... 'deep down'.

Sighing at her persistent heart, she told herself that she would wash the scarf and give it to him when she had the chance.

"I would not talk to him. Just give it to him and thank him. That is all!" she spoke out loud to herself as she demonstrated with her hands what she would do.

And then, her mind drifted to the one that established so many questions in her head. Her parents...

Did they abandon her like Tynan said his parents did? But why couldn't she at least have a memory of any of it? At least, a piece of it would do. She shrugged internally.

She didn't even know her origin or family. All her memories were built inside this castle with Paloma, but today when she had the opportunity to see how ordinary people lived their lives, She was tempted to discover more or somewhat have knowledge of her family...even though she didn't know how she was going to do that.

Then she remembered Berlin who had disappeared into thin air. It was as if she had only seen the girl in her imagination and it was stressing her out. The vision she had seen that day in the dark alleys raised questions in her head but she tried brushing it off to be an illusion.

After spending a few more minutes in her room, she turned to the washroom and hastily washed the scarf before spreading it in the sundeck of the servant's quarter where the sun could dry it fast.

Furthermore, she resumed her distasteful life, heading to the arena where her fellow maids amassed.

She heard Ms. Carlos speaking with someone, "Tynan has gone to the camp with Prince Leon. I may need another guard to help me control these novices and assign them properly," she explained to the person.

"I will send a reliable one soon, Ms. Carlos," The man she was speaking to gave her a nod before leaving the premises and Ms. Carlos turned to the present maidservants.

"Word has reached me that there will be an enthronement of Prince Leon on the day after tomorrow," she paused and looked around, taking in their appearance.

"It would be held in the village square and every single person is to be there. I am aware a lot of you have never left the palace before so I am forewarning all of you here to be on your best behaviour that day." She scanned through their faces and saw them nod.

"I do not want to punish anyone on that day because it is a special day for the Kingdom. So I want all of you to listen to this list of instructions, anyone who goes contrary will be punished..." her voice trailed as she opened a scroll before continuing, "...Not by me but by the King himself," and she noticed the slight trembling the maids showed.

Melina was not planning to be punished by that man especially not when he was currently going to be King so she was going to do her best to prevent trouble.

"To start with, you must all listen to Tynan's orders since he will be the one leading you there." came the first rule.

"Furthermore, no one must leave the queue of servants or wander away. If you make us have a search for you, you will pay dearly," This time, the rule sounded like a warning.

So there was no exploring for her then, Melina thought to herself with her head drooping down in disappointment.

"Moreover, after the initiation, you would all be returned to the palace for the feast so I want a diligent service of the refreshments to the guests. No mistakes!" the woman said sternly and Melina frowned. Some of the maidservants also did the same.

There was going to be a feast again? These people sure had no care in the world for servants.

"Lastly, you must all wear your uniforms and the royal palace seal on it. Anyone who removes the seal will have themselves to blame. The seal is to protect you from the commoners and it was ordered by Prince Leon." she concluded and saw the look of compliance on their faces as they bowed.

She smiled triumphantly before covering the scroll and placing it aside.

"The preparation will begin today," she said and with that, she allotted different tasks to them.

Some were assigned to the kitchen to assist the head chef while some were sent to the garden to clean it up. Others were given randomly chosen assignments while some roamed the palace to be of use to the guests.

Melina was among those sent to the garden for the first time and she was delighted. Having to work on different forms of nature was truly a privilege she barely obtained. On reaching there, she saw the varieties of plants and flowers lined up appealingly. It was a rose garden, she could tell. The pleasant scents that emanated from the wide range of roses filled her nose, calming her nerves

Although she had taken a glimpse of it on the day she was introduced to this side of the palace, she didn't get the opportunity to roam past it as she was doing now.

This prospect was given to only the elites and royalties and servants were only seen here to clean and tidy it up for their use.

She saw the gardener in charge of taking care of the garden who looked buff and in his mid-fifties, allocating tasks to the servants and when he reached her, he stated,

"I hope you know how to prune roses," and saw the dumbfounded expression on her face when he passed a sharp tool that resembled a clipper.

Seeing she was clueless, he smiled at her and said, "Let me show you" which was exactly what he did. He showed her where to prune, demonstrating it with the clipper in his hands and when he was sure she understood, he passed it to her before going to the next person.

Melina would be lying if she said she didn't feel serenity in this place primarily with the way the gardener enlightened them on what to do.

It wasn't like how Ms. Carlos was always sending them glares and unsettling feelings. It was cool-headed and soothing which was what someone like her needed.

She went on with pruning the roses when she heard some voices approach her way. When she turned around, she saw three male elites with a goblet each in their hands, passing the lane that had been paved in the garden.

"We came at the right time, Sir Julian." One of them said as he took a sip from the goblet in hand, passing some of the maidservants, lustful gazes which Melina caught.

"There are more than enough courtesans for that, Lord Ethan," Lord Maxwell who was one of the Juvenile chieftains told his fellow chieftain, looking uninterested in mingling with people of low class.

"Oh I am well aware but there is no harm in exploring. Sir Julian did have a good time with a maidservant who was sent to his quarters to serve him just this morning. He said it was wonderful." Lord Ethan fired back with a smirk and Lord Maxwell turned to look at Julian with a questioning gaze, as if trying to find out if it was true and saw Julian smile.

"There were two of them but the other was unappealing so I sent her away and dealt with the one that caught my attention," Julian rectified Ethan's information and saw the look Maxwell gave him which showed sheer disgust.

"Sorry to say but I am afraid you do not deserve Princess Alice if you keep acting with such debauchery. How does this betrothed of yours accept such behaviour?" Maxwell asked looking exasperated.

Julian hissed, "Oh please. She should have no problem with it." he clicked his tongue with distaste before adding, "I did try to sway her in the past to lay with me but she blatantly refused and claims she wants to be chaste," he laughed in a mocking tone and Lord Ethan laughed too.

"Well, then she is to blame. If she is momentarily not ready to lay down with you, she should be willing to let someone else take her place." Ethan also saw no problem with it.

"You understand my needs, Ethan." Julian smiled at his friend who shared the same mentality as he did.

"At least, do so with a courtesan or someone of value, not a maid," Maxwell felt the disrespect Alice was facing.

"Says the one who claims that we should never belittle people regardless of their status," Ethan snorted at Maxwell who seemed to be contradicting himself.

"Who cares anyway?" it was Julian's turn to reply to Maxwell. "Men are for friendship and women are for warming our beds," his words were crude as he gulped the content in the goblet while still walking away.

They kept talking but their voices turned faint until Melina could not hear a word they said again as they had gone the other way. She could hardly come to terms with such debauchery from people of high status and when it was mentioned that Princess Alice was his betrothed, it caused a pain in her heart for the kind woman.

Though she didn't stare at them, she could see them from the corner of her eyes as they passed her and they all seemed too elegant to speak in such a manner.

"You can go to the other side, girl," the gardener told Melina who was still pruning the already pruned roses.

"Yes, sir," she bowed and followed the other side where the elites had passed.

She did her best to be careful and not crash with them because they moved at such a slow pace and she could now properly hear them.

"He could do all he intends to but I am also aware Alice has no feelings garnered towards him," She heard Julian's voice again and she took note of how he didn't call Princess Alice's name with its title.

"Do not underestimate him, Julian. He is as sly as a fox and also ridiculously good-looking." Maxwell warned.

"Not to forget, Prince Leon's coronation would be held very soon. We are well aware of who his second-in-command would be," Ethan elaborated. "He would be in a higher ranking than you could ever dream of being so if you are planning to keep her with you, then you must act fast."

Melina noticed how the aura around Sir Julian changed and his face hardened.

So he felt threatened by Leon's guard...

"Leon would certainly favour him better than you," Maxwell laughed to provoke him further.

"It isn't like he is any much different from me..." Julian remarked, talking about Matthew's habit of sleeping with women too.

"At least, he doesn't prey on young maids," Maxwell backfired. Using Matthew to justify his extent of profanity was humorous.

When they reached the end of the garden, the three of them turned back, ready to leave when Julian and Ethan noticed the redhead, Maxwell was still sipping from his goblet. Their eyes lingered on Melina for some time while Melina feigned pruning the roses like she was never eavesdropping on their conversation.

Julian grinned mischievously, "I guess I may have just found another prey," he looked at Ethan who returned his smile with a smirk.

I do not have an editor yet so you will likely find some mistakes in my work. Please endure while I try to get one.