The Royal and The Housemaid

Tears and Mason (21)

I can't get that kiss out my head. It's been so long that someone kissed me and I would have never imagined that I would get kissed by my sister's brother-in-law, of all people.

Mom thinks that I'm sick or something and suggest that I take the day off from work. But I know that at work I'll be able to put my mind elsewhere and for at least some time forget about it. I change into my uniform, get myself some breakfast and then go the bus station.

I take the bus to the palace and get off. This I regret doing.

A couple is sitting there on a bench and they're kissing. I at once look away and walk straight onwards heading towards the palace's gate. I feel sick. I walk in through the gates and am about to let out a sigh of relief when my eyes land on a guard kissing his wife who's a housemaid too.

I run in and make my way as fast I can to the washrooms. I shut myself in a stall and lean over the toilet seat as I vomit into it. Once everything's out, I lean my head against the door and take deep breaths to calm myself down.

Once my breathing's even again, I get up and go out to the sinks. I rinse my mouth and go back to the kitchen to hang up my coat. No one is there except the head chef. I greet him and then go out to look for Helen.

I go to Mitchell's office to check if anyone's there. Mitchell herself is there.

"Hella Cassandra." She says from her seat at the desk.

"Hey! Have you seen Helen?" I ask her.

"No. Why?" Mitchell flips through some pages.

"She told that I was on the list of housemaids who're going to the beach house with the royal family. I had to let her know whether I could go or not." I explain.

"Can you?" She asks, not looking up.

"I can." At this she looks up.

"I've already made all the arrangements needed. There is only one little task I have for you. You are going to be handling the luggage. No one except you and the family themselves should be able to access it." She tells me.

"Okay. Can you tell Helen if you see her?" I ask.

"Sure." She replies and goes back to her work.

I'm about to go out when Helen walks in.

"Hi Cassandra." She greets me.

"Hey! I was just told Mictchell that I can go with everyone." I tell her.

"That's great!" She remarks.

"Do you anything for me to do?" I ask her.

"Yes I do. Everyone else is busy with one thing or another so you'll have to set the table for lunch." She tells me.

"Well, I'm back to sqaure one." I mutter to myself but Helen hears me and smiles.

I go down to the dinning hall and start setting out the crockery. I put a pile of plates on the table when the person I least expected to run into, walks in.

"Cassandra!" Mason acknowledges me.

"Hi!" I reply.

"Aren't you Mitchell's assistant?" He asks me.

"I am. But I'm also a housemaid. So, I have to do my duty." I tell him.

"Can I help you?" He offers. This makes me stare at him with my mouth hanging open.

"What?" He asks.

"I...It's just...It's just that you're a prince." I try to explain.

"So what?" He asks me.

"Princes don't help housemaids." I tell him.

"Says who?" He asks.

"That's how it is in fairytales." I say.

"Fairytales aren't real." With this he starts setting out the plates. I give up and start putting out glasses. I look at Mason for a second and last night's events come rushing back to me. I close my eyes to calm myself down.

When I open them again, Mason's staring at me.

"What's wrong?" He asks me.

"Nothing." I lie.

"I may not know what it is but I know that whatever it is, isn't nothing." He says.

My first instinct is to lie but I give in and spill everything.

Once I'm done explaining everything, I burst into tears. What follows is a huge surprise for me.

Mason steps up to me and sweeps into a hug. I bury my face into his shoulder and cry myself out. Once I gain some control, I realize that he just kissed me on the head and he's stroking my back. I should be excited that a prince is doing this to me but for some reason I pull away.

"Mason. I know that you're into me and that you like me but I don't feel the same way about you." As soon as he hears me say this, the loving look in his eyes is switched with eyes full of hatred.

He turns on his heel and stomps out of the room. The reason I don't love him back is because I like someone else. 

Someone I can never have.