Chapter 8 | Heat of the heart

Prince Charles felt so hot and uncomfortable as he got into the first floor. 'Who was that girl?,' he wondered as he took the steps going upstairs, the guards and maids bowed at him as he walked passed them but he ignored their greetings as his mind wasn't even on them.

'Why was she so different and why was he reacting to her?.' Still thinking about her, he went up to the second floor and just then his mother and sister came out from the living room and meet him on the stairs.

"You are back," spoked his mother Queen Vicky and his sister Princess Amanda smiled at him as she bowed in a courtesy manner to greet him holding her own horsetail that she held with her right hand towards her shoulder, "Good afternoon brother."

"Good afternoon mom, Good afternoon sis," Prince Charles said as he gave his mother and sister a warm hugs each.

"I have to go and prepare myself, Princess Miranda Wilfred will soon be here as Cassandra already said she had spoken to her not quite long ago," Prince Charles said to them.

"Yes my son. Your father and I agreed that she stays here with us for some few days, so you get to bond with her properly and get to know her better even though is an arranged marriage between you both, just for her to also get accustomed with how we do our things here in the palace" Queen Vicky said smiling.

"Okay Mother, but is it not a contract marriage, am not really interested in getting married for now, you know" Prince Charles frowned.

"No son!, don't say that, we need to join forces with them so we can become as powerful as King Richard, don't you see they are always at the top, having the best and world global recognition."

"I don't care about that mother," Prince Charles replied as he walked passed his mother.

"No you should, what has changed you son?" Queen Vicky questioned him as she stared from him to her daughter.

"Mother you should take it easy with brother, I think leaving this feeling of bachelorhood is what's making him say all these."

"Sis.." Prince Charles narrowed his eyes at her.

"What did I say wrong brother?. You as well as everyone of us here knows the important of having the Ubi kingdom support, as we are constantly loosing our values "

"No we are not, I have to go in and prepare myself anyways, Excuse me mother" Prince Charles said as he walked passed them, going up thru the third stair ways and going up to his chambers on the third floor.

"Oh you should brother," Princess Amanda replied his retreating back

"Don't mind your brother," Queen Vicky told her first daughter. "Come let's go downstairs to wait for Princess Miranda, she will soon be here."

"Okay mother." Princess Amanda replied and walked down the stairs with her mother going to the living room downstairs to wait for Princess Miranda to arrive.

Prince Charles went into his chambers feeling hot and restless, he knew he couldn't stop the arranged marriage as his father and King Richard were long time friends and his father had always proposed marriage to King Richard, saying his son will marry King Richard's daughter. "Hmm," he sighed as he stood running his fingers on his head and thru his hairs.

He finally went out to call a maid on the third floor to come prepare his bath as he wanted to take a deep warm bath to cool himself from all the worry and thoughts that had been running thru his mind against the recent arranged marriage. The maid came and went into his bathroom and prepared his bath, filling the bathtub with hot and warm water, "Am thru my prince" she told him and she left.

Prince Charles went to take his bath, removing his clothes, he tied his tower and went to his bathroom, entering the bathtub, he deep himself into it and took his bath and came out.

Melissa was so happy to finally get a job in the palace, the guard had taken her to the head maid and she told Melissa how things runs in the palace for them as palace maids.

"First you are not to look at the king or queen or princesses when spoken too, you are to look downward as a manner of respect to them, to show you are below them, is that understood?."

"Yes Ma'am," Melissa replied the head maid.

"Second you are to dress like a maid always, not sitting in any of the royal chair or wanting to use any of the princess things. You are to always return back to the maid quarters and mostly check what duty post you would be assigned to for the day, and lastly you are not allowed to leave this palace except the king or queen gives you permission too, Is that understood?."

Melissa face turned pale, how would she take care of her sick mother if she wasn't allowed to leave the palace.

Seeing the girl's face turned pale the head maid spoke to her, "Any questions?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

"Hum yes, I will like to be going home everyday to check up on my mother, she's sick and not feeling to well," Melissa told her.

"Didn't you just heard all i read out to you just now, you are not allowed to leave this palace as soon as you become a worker here. You can get another of your relatives or sibling to look after your mother, or you go back home and look after her, while another comes to work here, is that understood?."

"Yes Ma'am, I will stay."

The head maid eyed Melissa from head to toe. If it wasn't that the guard had told her that the prince was the one whom sent for her to be given a job role in the palace, she wouldn't agree and would have sent her away. How can a girl be this beautiful. She eyed Melissa's skin tone and looked away from her as she stood.

She knew the prince will soon get married, so no matter what had been the true intentions of this beautiful girl to come work in their palace, it will never work as the prince was already engaged to Princess Miranda of Ubi kingdom. The head maid smiled in her heart knowing the prince wouldn't even want to waste his time with a mere maid even though she's the most beautiful, she continued to stare at Melissa, seeing that she doesn't have anything to say next, she told her, "You can leave for today and go back home to process all I have said to you. You can come back here tomorrow morning to begin your duties or better still quit."

Melissa shook as she heard quit. Fear gripped her as she thought maybe if she comes back the following day they wouldn't agree to give her the job again, she quickly respond, "No I will stay."

"Hmm.." The head maid Bimpe stared at her from head to toe again and told her assistant, "Fine, prepare her clothes. You just know that once you start, you wouldn't be allowed to leave this palace as soon as you signed by collecting our uniform."

"Okay Ma'am," Melissa replied.

She knew her mother would be worried about her but she had no other option than to accept the job since the job comes with her feeding three square meal everyday, while her salary was a bonus payment.

The assistant headmaid stood up and spoked to Melissa, "Follow me." And Melissa followed her from behind and they both walked into the maid quarters and going to.the seamstress place.

Reaching in front on the seamstress room the assistant maid opened the door and they both went in, she spoked to the seamstress, "Here's our new maid, do you have her size of uniform?."

The seamstress looked at Melissa from head to toe as their eyes meet, she was taken aback by this new maid, she turned to stare at the assistant headmaid, "Are you mistaken, did you say she's our new maid?."

"Yes, Or didn't you heard what I just said to you now?. Please give her a uniform am out of here," Tope stood up and left the two of them in the room.

The seamstress looked back at Melissa again, after the assistant headmaid left them. She was confused and she stood up from the sewing machine and went to bring a uniform she thinks will match Melissa's posture and size.

"You can sit and wait for me, let me check the uniform size," She told Melissa.

"What's your name?" She asked again.

"Melissa Davis," Melissa quickly replied.

"Oh that's a beautiful name, do you know you look like a princess," She told Melissa and she blushed as her cheeks shone bright redder colours.

"You're really beautiful, I had thought Tope was joking when she came in here, anyways don't mind her, she actually acts heady attimes," The seamstress spoked to Melissa.

"Am Jenifa Ephraim, nice to meet you," She introduce herself to Melissa as she stretched forth her hands for a hand shake. Melissa shook hands with her and she smiled back.

"Here test this one, it will fit you," Jenifa said as she hand over the uniform to Melissa.

"Wait let me measure to be sure it your size, although am not sure about the heights but it will size you anyways." She quickly rounded her measuring tape around Melissa's waist as Melissa stood up.

"Yes it your size, you can wear it," She told Melissa whom picked up the uniform to wear it in the room, but as she was about removing her own clothes Jenifa stopped her, "No, not here," and she pointed to the changing room.

"Okay," Melissa smiled at her and went to the changing room to change her cloth into the uniform.