Anxiousness

Freya passed the day in utter frustration. The fear growing inside her reached the sky. An unexpected incident drowned her plans into the deep sea. Her only hope to run from the palace without being noticed was bleak. She lost a huge amount of coins that could never be replaced. Her secret identity was endangered, and by the next day, she probably would be caught.

Tears welled in her eyes as she wiped the window. Being trapped as the king's maid and living her life inside her quarter caused her heart to hurt. She turned and glanced at the king, who worked calmly like usual.

Freya clutched the cleaning rug and walked in front of the king. "Your Majesty…"

"I need to confess something to you. I am the queen," she stated, thinking that confessing was the only option she had to save herself from death.

Although deceiving the royal family was also a crime punished by death, she had a tiny hope that the king would not kill her for the sake of the peace between their kingdoms.

"You said what?"

"I told you I am Freya Delphina Frowhire, the queen. I disguised as my maid Felma and sneaked to see the capital when we first met." Freya gazed at the king, who stared at her.

"You dare to lie to me. I will handle you today," he said, standing up, pulling a dagger from the desk's locker, striding while waving his dagger in her direction.

"Aaah," she screamed, covered her eyes and protected her body with her hands.

"What are you doing?" Freya opened her eyes to see the king looking at her strangely; she coughed and hurriedly fixed her posture.

"Are you crazy? Why are you shouting?" he sneered and dropped his head. "If you are not well, have a physician to treat you."

Freya nodded and shuffled to the door. "Where?" King Fraser asked.

She turned around. "I will look for a physician," said Freya, walking out, letting the king ogle at her.

'I am going crazy for real! How can my head fabricate a scene like that?' she murmured then walked toward the training base. The sun was going to set, but the place was crowded.

"Move faster. Didn't you eat your fill? Why are you running like old men? Move your body faster." A shout echoed in the training ground, mixed with the heavy breaths of the knights and their steps on the ground. Matilda stood in the middle instructing the men who seemed on the verge of fainting.

Freya stared at her for a while then turned her body around. "Felma!" she looked back to see Matilda heading toward her.

"Did you change your mind? Are you going to join us?" she asked, shaking her body.

'Even if I want to enrol in the imperial knight, after watching their harsh training, I will refuse!' she thought.

"I just want to meet you. I did not have anyone to talk to as the other maids didn't like me. You are the only female who treated me well," Freya said, forcing a tear to drop and then wiping it.

Matilda gasped and hugged her till she felt her back was going to break. "Have a rest. I will be back for a while," Matilda ordered, and the knights dropped to their knees. Freya sent them a sympathetic glance.

"Let's go to my place and have a nice conversation," she said, dragging Freya to a great hall then they walked along a vast and long hallway.

"The quarter is so big. At first glance, you would not notice the layout is huge," Freya said.

"Yes. It is. It had to accommodate to the knights' work and their …" Freya stepped slowly and stared at the rooms. "I see you like the place. It's a good sign. If you join in, I will take care of you. I will show you the place. Look, this big place is the canteen." Freya looked at the large hall with multiple wooden tables lined up and chairs. "The food here is much better than the one distributed to the maids."

'I suspect.'

"The rooms beside the training ground were for storing weapons, training bodies and other things. The enclosures on the second floor were mainly recruits and rest chambers. The knights' captain's working place is at the end of the hallway." Matilda pointed at the room. As they passed a room, she saw a knight coming out where boxes with protruding parchments were in the ground.

"There are also the stable far out there. Felma!" Matilda nudged her arm. "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing. I am listening continue."

Matilda went in, and she followed, sitting beside the opened window. Freya gazed at the small messy room where cards scattered over the table and on the floor.

"Sorry for the view. I prefer working this way so…" Matilda said, tidying the room.

The door was opened, and the man she saw exiting the room earlier went in. "Captain, we hid everything we sized." He handed her the iron-rusted key and went out. Matilda took the key and placed it on the table.

"I will help you." Freya stood and arranged the cards. "I come to look for you to get my frustration out. I worked day and night to help my brother in his treatment, but all I got was a disgusting stare. I know that I'm from the kingdom which waged war with your kingdom for years, but I am innocent…" She spoke her heart out, pushing the key to fall.

"Wars generated nothing but suffering. I was happy when the king made peace with the Valian kingdom. On the contrary, most of the nobles were displeased. Don't worry about how others see you. In the next years, people will forget their enmity and will find that they were foolish in their thoughts."

Freya looked at the smiling Matilda. "I wish so," she said, sighing. Squatting on the floor, she grabbed the key, tucked it in her shoes and then continued helping.

With their hand in hand, the room seemed cleaner.

"Thank you for helping me," Matilda said, smiling at her.

Freya shook her hands. "No need for that. It is time for dinner. I will go fast."

"Wait."

Freya's heart thumped as she turned around.