An Important Encounter (Edited)

Next day.

The girl wakes up hearing a bird's chirps and folds her blankets neatly. She places it in her chest where she had kept her things and goes to take a bath.

Soon the maid enters bowing hurriedly "Sorry Ma'am! This maid came late! I will fill the tub with warm water soon!".

The girl stops the maid "Wait! You don't have to do this. I am not used to have maids".

The maid insists "Ma'am. Its this maid's work-".

The girl smiles faintly and asks "What's you name?".

The maid gets startled as no one from Royal family ever taked to servants with this respect. Even though The Crown Prince was angry at her, that doesn't mean his wife isn't Royal!. She answers bowing "Answering to Ma'am. This maid's name is Sarah!".

The girl laughs lightly "Why are answering so long instead of saying just your name?!".

The maid twitches her lips "Answering to Ma'am. This is our servants' ethics while we answer their Masters' questions!".

The girls sighs "Sarah! You would have already known! I am an unwanted Ma'am here! So you don't have to follow the ethics".

Sarah shakes her head vigorously "This servant wouldn't dare to disrespect her Master!".

The girl looks at her surprised "Seems you are very loyal to the Crown Prince?".

Sarah bows still looking at the floor "Answering to Ma'am. Yes Mam! The whole servants here swore on their lives to be loyal to our Crown Prince !".

The girl raises her eyebrows surprised and asks "Then you would follow my orders?".

Sarah nods earnestly "Answering to Ma'am. Yes Ma'am! I am your personal maid here and wouldn't dare to not follow your orders in this lifetime!".

The girl didn't know whether to laugh or cry!

'The 'husband' of mine just abandoned me by sending somewhere far away from his Palace and here his maid is swearing on her life to serve me!'.

She smiles "Then I order you not to help me in some chores! Like things I have been doing in private".

Sarah stood stunned "Ma'am! This..".

She doesn't know how to respond. Every Royal family would whip the servants around them even if it for chasing a fly away.

The girl says sternly "Now leave and wait for me out. I will come after bathing".

Sarah goes out bowing without a word.

The girl comes out after bathing. She looks at two chests.

One is filled with her country's traditional dresses and on the other her 'husband's' country's traditional dresses.

She couldn't sigh thinking how much they differ! She looks at the clothes she had worn yesterday.

'Why did they put the veil on me? Was this his family custom? I was anxious so I didn't pay attention and I literally couldn't handle his presence. ..He was dangerous. I am glad that I didn't see him'.

She drapes an elegant saree. She steps out even though she felt cold and notices Sarah stood surprised.

The girl asks noticing her shock "What?".

Sarah says almost whispering "I haven't seen Ma'am's face. Ma'am is very beautiful!".

The girl sits ignoring her to eat. 'Everyone says that. And I am aware of it. I wish I could match up with my mother when it comes to beauty...I wish I could see my father..and ask about what he meant by those words... Just because of those words, I was tempted to leave my country...'.

Sarah couldn't help her curiosity while looking at the girl and asks hesitating "Ma'am...If I may ask...".

The girl chuckles "Why are you scared? I will not eat you, will I?".

Sarah blurts out nervously "May I know your name, Ma'am!? I was trying to ask before but..".

The girl laughs "So you were scared to ask my name?".

Sarah stands blushed. No one in this country dares to lift their head to look at The Crown Prince not to mention even imagining of questioning him! And being His Wife...How could she even dare?!.

The girl asks "How old are you?".

Sarah says "Answering to Ma'am. I am 18 years old, Ma'am".

The girl clasps her both hands excited "Sarah! Even I am 18! Why are you calling me Ma'am!? Just call me Maya!".

Sarah shakes her head "This servant wouldn't dare!".

Maya rolls her eyes sighing "Alright!" and starts eating her breakfast. Even though it was different from her country's food, she liked it!. At least, it's sweet. She wasn't sarcastic! Truly. 

She gets bored and walks out to stroll. As she heard from Sarah while the breakfast that the garden here is very beautiful!. Sarah also mentioned that Royals would like to stroll in their free time.

'Why not try being a Roya, if fate is fortunately in my side?'.

Maya walks around the garden almost mesmerized by its beauty! They walk so far away from her Pavilion and almost reached the outskirts of the Imperial City. As an unwanted wife of Crown Prince, she was secluded from the Imperial City of the Country.

SOB!

She stopped in her tracks abruptly hearing sobbing sounds.

Sarah notices Maya's face and bows sincerely "Ma'am! I will see what's the matter!".

Maya didn't wait till Sarah's return like Royals would do. She too follows hurriedly as she heard some children's wails too.

"Please forgive your mother my children! Mother couldn't feed you all as this sudden war made poor people like us to die in hunger! I am so sorry, my love! I couldn't fulfil your father's last wish. I am so sorry! I am a terrible mother to poison my own children!".

Maya and Sarah stood at the door of a small and pathetic hut with worried face. They heard every single word! Hearing the voice faded, Maya gets anxious and knocks the door. No sound!

Maya gasps feeling her bad instincts "Help me break the door!". As the door was not strong like they would be in palace, two of them were enough to break it.

Both enters breaking the door and stunned to see the mother feeding two children ...Poison?!

Maya swats poisoned food from the mother's hands and fumes "How can you be so heartless!? How can you kill your own children!?".

The lady looks wryly staring at the food wasted on the floor and glares at Maya. She laughs coldly noticing the girl in front of her from head to toe, as if she turned mad "Who the hell are you!? Can't you leave us to die peacefully at least?!".

She might have guessed her Royality by her dressings.

Sarah furrows her eyebrows and warns "You dare to raise your voice at Ma'am?! Don't forget you are talking to Crown Prince's wife!-".

Before she could continue the woman stands viciously and tries to pound on Maya with killing intent, screaming "Crown Prince! He is the reason for our condition! You!".

Maya was startled by this sudden move and tries to dodge. However, Maya trips and falls back hurting her hand.

Sarah seemed to have some strength as she surprisingly held the woman before she makes a move. Maya gets back her wits and asks coldly "How is this related to Crown Prince?! Aren't afraid of the penalty to slandering the Crown Prince?!".

The woman grits her teeth and fumes "How is he related?! He is the reason for the war! If not for his arrogance, the country would have been peaceful now! If not for his ambitiousness of conquering, this current war wouldn't have happened! He made the whole country to suffer this famine!".

As soon as Maya heard this words she stood without words. She never expected the whole country is facing famine! She had no idea!.

The woman snickers "You Royal people would never understand us! Your single day's expense can feed my family for whole month! The whole country is dying but looking at you people ..so shameless to drain our poor people's blood! So what he is the Crown Prince?! I am not afraid of him! Could he feed my starving children with his war?!".

Maya couldn't help but say "I can-".

The woman looks at her disdainfully "What would you can do?! Even the Emperor is in death bed! No one can change our fate-".

Maya insists "I don't know about them. I really don't know what I could do. But I really want to help you now!".

She looks at Sarah ignoring the woman completely and asks "Can we take them to the Pavilion?".

Sarah bows "Ma'am can order this servant anything!".

Maya orders "Then take them to Pavilion at once. Wait for me in my chamber. I would come later". Saying so she walked out.

Two ladies stood in a daze looking at Maya walked out elegantly in her own way. The woman stood rooted after hearing Maya's words.