Chapter Five (Draft)

. . .

Mina entered the palace of Gredella, and as she looked around, she couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity.

The palace seemed to mirror Leighnia's very own.

For a brief moment, she allowed herself to take in the beauty of the palace.

The sound of her shoes tapping on the white-marbled floor was music to her ears. Her eyes were filled with admiration as she scoured the wall decorations. Ornate tapestries and paintings of previous rulers of the kingdom hung in precise order.

Despite its beautiful interior, Mina knew that danger lurked around every corner.

She had to remain vigilant and keep a low profile.

Mina noticed that the palace was bustling with activity. Servants were scurrying about, and guards stood at attention at every corner. If it weren't for Mina's childlike appearance, they would not be so lenient.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the halls, and Mina could hear the distant chatter of courtiers and nobles.

Despite the flurry of activity around her, Mina remained focused on her mission.

She had to find Lady Jasmine to inform her of their arrival. Or else, both she and Celestine would become a pair of unsupervised girls waiting to be kidnapped and sold off as slaves.

Mina shivered from the thought.

So, she continued down the hallway, her eyes darting from one room to the next, searching for the court lady.

As she turned a corner, she caught a glimpse of Lady Jasmine standing behind a wooden door. Mina quickened her pace, feeling a sense of relief that she had finally found her.

"Lady Jasmine!" she called the woman.

The court lady's eyes widened, her lips twitching sideways as if from embarrassment. When Mina approached her, Lady Jasmine smiled at the other attendants present outside. They smiled and curtsied back before watching the lady pull the girl to a corner.

"Where's the princess?" she asked, her voice sharp and shaky from worry. "You're not supposed to be here. What if somebody sees you?"

Mina slowly pushed her hands up and down to calm Lady Jasmine. "Don't worry. I left the princess outside. She's in such a secluded place, I doubt anyone would find her there."

"What?!" the court lady exclaimed, unable to control her voice. Her sudden outburst drew the concern of other maids. So with a fake smile, she assured them everything was alright.

Deep inside, she was about to burst like a bubble.

"You left the princess all alone?" she said in a low but sharp tone. "We both know that girl can't sit still!"

"I made her promise not to go anywhere! The princess will keep her word, there's nothing for us to worry about."

The nerves inside the court lady's eyes almost bulged from the deep glare she directed to Mina. "You made her promise you?"

Mina nodded.

"Really? Then did you ever let her finish? Did you hear her promise you herself?"

"Ah...that one..."

"For heaven's sake. We've gone through this a hundred times!"

In the middle of their conversation, a platoon of guards came marching into the halls. They were following the orders of an old butler. They seem to be looking for someone.

The look on Lady Jasmine's face was enough for anyone to know how much of an overthinker she was. Her mind was already filled with the worst scenarios.

"The princess!" she said, her hands pulling Mina toward the commotion. "Something must have happened to the princess!"

Mina bit her nails. This was one of the moments when she'd want Lady Jasmine to calm down but every word she says usually made everything worse. She decided to keep quiet instead.

The doors of the royal chamber opened and everyone stopped in their tracks. The maids started to kneel, and the guards stopped marching.

The butler who lead the soldiers also forged his urgent business to offer his respect. The queen of Grendella was standing right outside the door of her chambers.

Mina's eyes went wide when Lady Genevieve followed. She almost pointed the madame from too much excitement, thankfully, Lady Jasmine was fast to push her finger down.

"What is this commotion about?" the queen's voice echoed around the halls.

The butler's wrinkly hand nudged his monocle up. "Your Majesty," he said, "The prince is nowhere to be found. The ceremony is about to start in half an hour, and all the guests have arrived."

It was obvious how the queen found this news unsettling but instead of following the hysteria, she remained calm and collected.

"Fret not," she smiled, "The prince might have lost track of time. Where was he headed earlier?"

The butler's eyes were unsteady, but in front of the queen, he did his best to hide his anxiousness. "The garden. The prince said he wanted to stroll the garden."

Mina's eyes widened. She cupped her hands and whispered in Lady Jasmine's ears. "The princess is also in the garden. What if the guards question her while searching for the prince?"

The court lady's chest puffed up. After a few breaths to calm herself down, she replied, "Let's use what we have."

"What?"

Lady Jasmine dragged both she and Mina into the middle of the commotion. Her hands found themselves on top of one another as she offered her bow to Queen Beatrice and Lady Genevieve.

"Please let us accompany the guards in their search, Your Majesty. Our princess was also left alone in the garden," she said, "If dozens of guards came marching toward her, it might cause her discomfort as she's not used to being around other people."

Mina's eyebrow mimicked the curves of her lips. "Really?"

The court lady glared at her, and she finally understood her intent.

"Ah! Y-yes," she followed the court lady's lead and lowered her head as well. "Our princess would be so scared. Yes. Scared."

The queen's eyes became questioning. "Garden?" She turned to her maid-in-waiting, "Didn't I pass an order to safely escort the princess into my chambers upon her arrival? Who made her wait alone in the garden?"

A lady-in-waiting stepped forward. "I passed Her Majesty's orders exactly as you've asked me to," she answered. "The guards must have misunderstood."

While everyone tried to pinpoint who was exactly at fault, Mina spoke up.

"We were asked for an invitation so we presented ours to the guards," she said, "And one of them escorted us to an open pavilion. He even said someone will come for us soon."

Lady Genevieve's eyes were unstable when she wrapped her fingers around Mina's arms and pulled the girl up. "What did that guard look like? Do you remember his face?"

"No, Milady," Mina replied while shaking her head, "He was clad in full-body armor. We couldn't see his face at all."

The color drained off of Lady Genevieve's face, but it didn't take long for her to recollect her composure. She smiled at everyone and faced Queen Beatrice.

"I'm sorry, Beatrice," she said, "I might have to leave earlier than expected."

Queen Beatrice held her hand. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Lady Genevieve shook her head. "Please don't worry about me, Your Majesty," she said. "I forgot about an appointment I set with someone. I should head out now or I'll have to let that person down."

The two best friends bade their farewells with Lady Genevieve asking the queen to greet the prince on her behalf.

Mina felt shivers run up her spine when Lady Genevieve gave both her and the court lady one last look before walking away.

It was as if she heard the madame's voice saying, "I'm leaving the princess in your hands," as she always did.

But tonight's delivery was in a very serious tone.

With that, Lady Genevieve's urgent footsteps faded into the distance—leaving everyone confused with her abrupt farewell.

"Listen carefully to what I'm about to say," Lady Jasmine said.

She had started pulling Mina away from the hall while everyone's attention was on Lady Genevieve's exit. Both were quick on their feet while headed for the garden.

"What are you doing, Lady Jasmine?" the girl asked, "Aren't we supposed to wait for the guards?"

Lady Jasmine shoved her to a dark corner, and upon looking around, said, "We must find the princess at all costs, and we must find her before anyone else does."

Mina became more puzzled when Lady Jasmine started undoing her pigtails. The court lady's hands worked fast to alter the girl's appearance as much as she could.

"They've already seen my face," she said, "We can no longer be seen together. They've only seen you once, they won't recognize you with your hair down."

At this point, it was as if Lady Jasmine was only talking to herself. Her words were too vague for Mina to comprehend. As if she was trying to give instructions, but at the same time, convince herself that her plans will work out.

"Who are 'them'?" Mina asked.

Instead of answering, Lady Jasmine held Mina's shoulders--her grip so tight the girl could feel her nails burrowing into her flesh.

"Fredrick came with a mysterious letter for Lady Genevieve earlier," she said. "Do you remember what the armored guard told you earlier?"

Mina nodded her head. "He said that someone will come for us soon."

"Those exact words were written on that letter. The princess is in danger," she said, causing Mina's eyes to widen. "We don't have time to cower in the dark. Find the princess, hide yourselves, and remember to trust no one. Understood?"

Mina didn't even have time to digest Lady Jasmine's words. She felt confused, tears threatening to form in her eyes. But she wiped her face and clenched her fist.

"This is not the time to cry, Mina. Princess Celestine is safe," she murmured to herself. "I can feel it in my bones… there's no way the princess would have sat still."

. . .