13 XII. Fast asleep?

Aälna walked towards the chambers of the queen with short and fast steps. The torch in her hand burner brightly, illuminating far ahead. She wasn't surprised when she walked into her mistress's chamber and didn't find her there because Nä-ræl was always on one late night expedition or the other.

Nevertheless, Aälna was worried upon finding nothing save for a bolster in the middle of her mistress's bed. She had searched for the commander in chief of the kingdoms army as he always knew where Nä-ræl was when he didn't follow her on her expeditions, but not finding him, she knew it was either of two things.

He had followed her or he himself was looking for her as a guard must have alerted him about the princess's disappearance.

Aälna approached the double door of the Queen's chambers and the guards, upon sighting her did not hesitate to open the door or ask her what she wanted from the queen.

She walked in through the opened door and curtsied to the sobbing queen and to the king who held his wife lovingly in his arms whispering words of comfort to her. "Your majesty," she paused looking at the king and queen.

The Queen's head shot up upon hearing that voice and Aälna came face to face with her distressed queen who had bloodshot eyes. The king looked at Aälna with a little bit of hope. "Has she been found?" The queen asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Yes your highness."

"I am so going to speak some sense in that child's head. Going out late at night to only näbouɠh knows where." The queen said standing up from the bed in a haste. "And spreading unease."

"Milady," Aälna began, knowing what Nä-ræl's reaction would be when she sees her mother's furious eyes. "I'm afraid the princess is fast asleep." She said nervously playing with her fingers.

"Nevertheless, we must see her. I want to make sure myself that no harm came to her." The king said, standing up and walking towards the double door with his wife.

"I can assure you your majesty," Aälna began once more.

"Is there a reason you don't want is to see her?" The queen said, narrowing her eyes at the chambermaid as she turned her head backward.

"Not at all your highness," Aälna muttered following behind.

*+*+*+*+*

The double doors of the princess's chambers were opened in sync by the guards who always wore a blank expression on their faces.

The king, queen and Nä-ræl's most trusted chambermaid walked in to Nä-ræl's soft snores. The queen walked over to her daughter's bed and sat at at the she of it, placing a hand in her daughter's fore head.

"Nä-ræl," the queen whispered softly stroking her daughter's hair while the king sat at the other edge of the bed holding the princess's hand in his.

The queen began to whisper more soothing words to the ears of a fast asleep princess while Aälna stood, her hands behind her back. The king kissed the back of his daughters hand and kissed her forehead before standing up from the side of Nä-ræl's bed. "Tell her to see us tomorrow morning. Before doing anything." The king said to Aälna who gave a small nod.

"As you wish your majesty."

The queen stood up from her daughter's bed and kissed her daughter in both cheeks lovingly before heading towards the still opened door and exiting the room with her husband.

A few minutes after the duo had left, Nä-ræl burst into a fit of laughter while Aälna tried to conceal her laughter behind a cough.

"Oh my," Nä-ræl snickered behind her palm as she sat up, placing her feets on the cold floor. "I was really fast asleep."

"Remember you have to see them first thing tomorrow morning milady," Aälna said to the still laughing princess.

"Do I?"

"I'm afraid so, Milady."

*+*+*+*+*

The morning sun put its lukewarm fingers through the window of Nä-ræl's chambers and rested it on Nä-ræl's still sleeping figure. The birds chattered excitedly amongst themselves in the trees, the sky was a mixture of orange and blue as the day was still young. In general, it was a beautiful morning that every creature would love to wake up to.

Nä-ræl yawned and stretched loudly, trying to untangle her legs from the comforter in which she lay under. Seeing as she wasn't making progress, she used her hands to yank it of her body roughly.

She placed her feet on the cold floor and used the bed as an aid to stand up. She stretched her limbs once more and walked towards the window to look at the young morning upon the hilltop.

Hilltop!

She suddenly remembered the conversation Captain Œrlan had with Rapha in the garden last night.

They were going to do a duel!

Excitedly, she yanked her clothes off and proceeded to take a wash.

*+*+*+*+*

The princess's chambermaids chattered amongst themselves, waiting for Nä-ræl to finish washing and drying.

No longer than a few minutes, the princess appeared with her wet brunette hair that was darkened as a result of the water.

Upon seeing her, her chambermaids stopped whatever they had been talking about and curtsied, then proceeded to surround Nä-ræl for the daily dressing routine.

Înfah, the maid in charge of the princess's hair sat her down on a chair and grabbed a towel out of no where and began drying her hair. When that process was done, another maid took the towel from Înfah's hands and replaced it with combs while another brought out pins for the princess's hair.

Înfah, used the comb to untangle the wet mess from Nä-ræl's hair then began dividing it into various sections to enable her to braid it easily.

When Nä-ræl's hair was made neatly into a crown braid, the chair was wheeled around to help her moisturise her already smooth face.

"Milady, what would you like to wear to see your parents this morning,"

Nä-ræl snorted at the statement. She wasn't going to see her parents that morning. She didn't feel like listening to her mother's lectures about being a proper lady. She was tired of hearing the same words all the time.

"Find me something suitable for the hilltop." She said to Ƴûan, one of the numerous maids responsible for her dressing.

"Hilltop?" Aälna echoed and so did every other maid echoed as they were confused by their princess's word.

"Milady," Ƴûan began, the king and queen would like to see you this morning so I suggest something more..."

Ƴûan didn't even get to finish whatever she had to say before Nä-ræl wheeled the chair around and sent her a glare before cutting her off. "Do I look deaf? I heard Aälna clearly the first time and I'm sure you heard me the first time. Find me something suitable but beautiful for the hilltop."

"As you wish milady," Ƴûan muttered.

Deep down, Nä-ræl felt bad for shouting at Ƴûan, but she said nothing more.

*+*+*+*+*

"You there," Nä-ræl said, pointing to a male servant with bushy eyebrows and a flat nose which had hairs sticking out of it.

"Milady," the servant said, smiling widely that Nä-ræl was sure that his cheek was hurting him. "At your service."

Nä-ræl fought the urge to roll her eyes. After all, it was an unladylike thing to do according to her mother. "Do you have much to do today?"

"Nay Milady," the servant said still smiling widely.

"Good to know. I would like you to fill in for a servant named Rapha. You shall be the one to collect fruits today."

"As you wish milady," the servant said bowing.

"Here," Nä-ræl said, offering him a small sack.

"Milady," the servant began. "This is not necessary at all. Obeying your commands is enough to ask for."

"Well this is a command, take it.", She said, pushing the small sack forward I to his hands. The servant accepted the bag of coins shakily and muttered thank you, adding "Milady" to it.

"I want to implore you to stop using milady in every sentence while speaking to me."Nä-ræl said.

"Yes Mila..."

Nä-ræl's glare shut him up. The servant bowed once more and scuttled of, probably to tell his fellow servants of his fortune.