I waited outside the door for the prince to signal that it was safe for me to enter King Lucien’s office. It is impossible to hear a single thing they say since the room is soundproof. Until Mr. Osiris opened the door, which have served as a cue for me to go inside. As I moved near King Lucien’s desk, my hand became restless. I stopped walking and lowered my head in respect.
"Your Majesty,"
"Gemma, I wasn’t expecting to see you so early." As he reclined in his chair, King Lucien began to speak. "You don’t seem to be in good shape.
"Y-your majesty, please forgive me for breaking our agreement and for coming back to beg for your help once again. It’s just that I don’t know of anybody else who may be able to help." I took a deep breath and continued. "My younger brother, Allerick, had an accident, and the doctor determined that he needed surgery, which would cost almost a million pesos. I’m well aware that I don’t have the right to do so, but we cannot afford my younger brother’s surgery. So I believe that returning to this position as the prince’s personal maid will help to extend my brother’s life."
"It’s not about money, Gemma. I can provide you with what you wanted, but are you prepared to deal with a prince like him again?"
"Yes, Your majesty. To keep my brother alive, I will go to any lengths." I responded.
"All right," he said as he placed a piece of paper on the table, which turned out to be a check for a million pesos. "I’m making certain that your brother will be alive, Gemma."
My joyous tears gushed as I repeatedly bowed my head. "Thank you, Your majesty, for your kindness. We owe you our gratitude for saving my brother’s life."
"I’ll ask Mr. Osiris to have the check sent to the hospital where your brother was hospitalized," he said. "I will send someone to find out how your brother’s surgery is going, and I’ll let you know.
"Thank you," I said, nodding.
I switched my attention to Prince Augustus, who seemed to be grinning at the same time as I was.
"I’m going back to my room right now." Prince Augustus excused himself as he turned away from me. I see you’re happy; thank you; if it wasn’t for you forcing me to be your personal maid again, I’d be struggling to pay for Allerick’s surgery. The fact that you put aside your anger for me in order to save my brother shows that you’ve changed a lot. This good deed you do will make King George very happy. This is how it should be.
I was on the phone with Mishelley since no one, not even Prince Augustus, had asked how I was . The hospital has already received the payment in the form of a check. Allerick is set for surgery tomorrow, and according to the doctor, the procedure will last anywhere from 3 to 5 hours, depending on the underlying condition being addressed.
"Don’t worry, I’ll keep you updated on the status of the procedure. Just keep your attention on what you’re doing." Mishelley said that, and I agree.
Mishelley and Gabriel were the only ones who were left at the hospital, while Mama and Kuya Samuel returned home for a brief period to pick up supplies they would need while in the hospital.
"By the way, I just got word that Queen Elbereth will return, which I found out earlier today."
"I don’t know."
"You are in the palace, and you should be aware of this. I can’t blame you; you’ve had a lot on your plate right now, so Queen Elbereth’s homecoming isn’t that important to you."
Someone knocked on the door, which caused our chat to come to a halt. "I’m going to go now. Someone is at the door."
I hung up the phone before turning around to see who was pounding on the door. "Mr. Osiris?"
"Gemma, I’m sorry for bothering you when you were supposed to rest. It’s just that we could use a little more help in getting ready for Queen Elbereth’s visit. Could you perhaps lend us a hand?"
"Sure, that’s OK. I think it’s better to be busy than just be in the room."
"Thank you very much, Gemma."
The next day is both the day when Queen Elbereth will come and the day that my younger brother Allerick will have surgery. Mishelley keeps me apprised of everything that happens in Allerick’s surgery, and she never leaves me in the dark. Because of that, I can’t take my eyes off the phone, and when Mishelley stopped updating, that’s when I became concerned and restless.
"Please, Mishelley. Please respond by text message." I mumbled to myself.
Cellphone chirps
Mishelley Alvez:
Gemma! Allerick’s operation was a success; he will continue to be examined, but for the time being, Allerick’s status is stable.
I felt icy tears begin to trickle down my cheeks, but they weren’t tears of sadness, but tears of delight. I stepped out of the room and into the prince’s room, which was a short distance away. I’m eager to give him the good news.
"Are you in there, Prince Augustus?" I inquired as I put my ear to the door. I’m not getting any responses, but I knew he was there. "As planned, Allerick’s surgery is done, and everything is going as planned. I believe you deserve to know what’s been going on. Thank you; I owe my brother’s life to you."
"Gemma, what are you still doing here?" Mr. Osiris appears out of nowhere. "Shouldn’t you be downstairs meeting the queen?"
"I’m sorry, Mr. Osiris. Just now, I spoke with the prince and mentioned something really important to him."
"Oh, that’s OK."
"I’ll go first, then."
"Hm," As I made my way downstairs, I could hear Mr. Osiris repeatedly banging on Prince Augustus’ door. Perhaps the prince does not want to meet Her Majesty, the Queen. They don’t get along, as Prince Emmanuel said back then.
We, along with the royal guards, maids, and other members of the palace staff, were on the sidelines. Lined up in honor of the Queen’s homecoming, with King Lucien and Prince Augustus in the midst. The monarch has a grin on his face, but the prince is hunched down, his gaze fixed elsewhere. People heard the sound of a trumpet, which meant that the Queen was coming into the palace. Her beauty took my breath away for a brief second, especially when she moved gently in the center. However, it wasn’t only Queen Elbereth who was strolling; she was also accompanied by Prince Augustus’ two other sisters; I mean Prince Emmanuel. They are Prince Ameerah and Princess Beatrice.
I was astounded to see that their lineage was unquestionably perfect. It’s a pity that Prince Emmanuel isn’t in attendance. In front of the Queen and her two daughters, the king lowered his head a little more than usual. "My queen," King Lucien said, taking her hand in his and kissing it.
"There has been no change in you, nor has there been any change in the palace, King Lucien, but it is great to be back."
The princess embraced their father, as well as Prince Augustus, but he swiftly backed away from the embrace. "Didn’t you miss me at all, huh? Even though it’s been a year since we last saw each other, it’s still difficult for you to get along like you used to."
"I implore you, Ameerah, to have patience with him. Recently, your brother has been quite busy, so he is behaving in this manner."
While their family cheerfully welcomed one another, Prince Augustus only cast a glance down the floor at the ground under his feet. Their chat continued as they sat down for their meal. It seems that they no longer want my services, and I would have returned to my bedroom if the King not requested me to join them. I had no option but to take a seat as well.
Because of this, I’m beginning to feel ill at ease around their table. I glanced at the prince, and I could see that he, too, was uneasy.
"I’m not used to referring you as King Lucien, father, so please excuse me. Why can’t I just refer to you as ‘father’ in the manner in which other children refer to their father?" Princess Beatrice said. Blythe and she, I believe, are around the same age.
Queen Elbereth made a sound with her throat. "Those manners of yours, Beatrice, are a little sloppy. You must understand that your father is the king, and that addressing your majesty as father is insulting."
"Put an end to the father-issue discussion. Let’s get right to the point of why I contacted you. I’ve planned a huge royal ball for tomorrow night, which will be hosted in the palace." King Lucien said.
"Your Majesty, you are under no need to plan another ball solely to welcome us back." Princess Ameerah said.
"I’m sorry, Ameerah, but this isn’t for your return." Said the king in reply.
"So, what exactly is the point of the ball?" The Queen asked.
"It’s all about Augustus."
"Don’t make it seem like you’re going to carry out your plan to put him next to the throne." The Queen placed her cutlery on the table. "Why not give Emmanuel a shot? It’s clear that Augustus can’t be the next King, and everyone knows it."
"Your Majesty," Princess Ameerah grasped her mother’s hand, but she didn’t stop, and she became even more out of control.
"Lucien, your bastard can’t possibly be the next in line! Your legitimate son has the right to ascend to the throne."
"Mother, please! Stop!" Princess Ameerah rises to her feet. "Neither Prince Emmanuel nor Augustus are interested in being crowned king. So what’s the point of arguing about it?"
Prince Augustus stood up at the table. I, too, sprang to my feet. "If you want the throne, it’s yours; you can have it all." Says the prince, coldly. "Now, if you excuse me, but I’m completely stuffed."
Before beating a hasty retreat, I paid my respects to Queen Elbereth and King Lucien before following the prince. He will be shown to all the people. His life will begin to alter even more as a result of this. I’m certain that this will encourage him to be more rebellious.