The Dragon's Flame Queen ✔

✔XXXVI - They aren't Real

Catherine's eyes wandered everywhere as she walked into the kitchen.  Today, she would finally say it to Princess Zenith. For a few days it had been hard as whenever she came around Celia was there to block her. And she was now sure that Celia was also a wizard!

Otherwise, how could she be able to stop her at every step? Celia must have known that she would be telling it to Zenith that's why...

The sound of footsteps made her squeak and jump, the way her round self shuddered it seemed as if she was experiencing an earthquake.

"Oh! Miss Catherine!" Said another maid as the head maid released a sigh watching her colleague walking by.

"Greta! Oh! How wonderful it is to see you—" and she halted as Celia entered as well with a smile.

"Hello, Catherine!" She greeted and went to greet the head maid as she stepped back. Her blood ran cold at the nearness of the wizard maid.

"Ce—Celia... Hello!" Catherine's voice came out as a shrill cry which resembled a dying hen and gulped as sweat formed on her forehead and Celia scrutinized her. 

No! Now she must be suspecting her and would stop her again!

"Are you alright?" Celia asked, "you've been sweating a lot. I think, you should see a physician... lately, you seem so weak."

"I— I'm alright," she chuckled nervously and said, "I must prepare for Her Highness's morning tea..."

Celia smiled and said, "Don't rile up now... I've already made it..."

Catherine went still. Why would Celia want to prepare everything for Princess Zenith, all of a sudden? Was there some hidden motives behind it? Or did that wizard she had been looking after had suspected something? They weren't suspecting about Catherine to know everything about them, were they?

"Umm... Catherine?" Celia asked holding the beautiful tea set and waiting for her response while Greta looked between them. Even she could feel the uneasiness between them. 

"Oh! Yes... Tea... Morning... I—" With the lightning speed, the maid snatched the tea pot and the tray from Celia's hands and dashed away leaving behind the two shocked maids in the Royal Kitchen.

"Did something happen to her?" Greta asked.

Celia shrugged, "I don't know. She has been acting weird lately."

Greta narrowed down her eyes at the head maid's way and said as she clapped her hands. "That must be it!"

"What?"

"I think, she must be thinking you are taking her place as not so long ago after she informed Princess Zenith about your herbal tea and she was very impressed." Greta said remembering the moment about their secret orders in Princess Zenith's chamber. It must be because Celia was excellent in her work even when she was young but Catherine was already reaching her mid age and never got any praises from any of their superiors even when she worked hard to maintain her position.

Celia portrayed a worried face and said, "I only serve my princess and I am planning to serve her for the rest of my life." She smiled. "She doesn't have to worry about it. I would never take her place and honestly..." Celia chuckled, "I can never have her place."

Greta shrugged as she barely cared about any of this and she didn't find any unusual behaviour in Celia. She was poor and needed money for her family and she certainly didn't want to entangle between any of this.

As Catherine reached the doors of the chambers which belonged to Princess Zenith she released a sigh. Finally her moment had come. 

She knocked and Princess Zenith's voice bloomed, "Come in."

She entered and bowed her head low as Zenith said, "Ah! You came! I was tired of waiting for the tea." 

She tilted her head and found her princess was still in her morning robe. She had no ornaments and stood with a bare face which also looked as stunning as ever. 

Catherine eargerly walked to her her and set the tea cup on the table and Zenith took a seat on the chair as Catherine poured the hot liquid and instantly the room was filled with the fresh aroma of mint leaves with lemon. Zenith smiled, her face lit up and her shoulders relaxed.

The head maid gave her the cup and she sipped on it. "Wonderful!"

Zenith praised which was unusual as Catherine had neever heard her praising anything other than the jeweler and the royal dressmaker.

Catherine sat on her knees as she said, her heart banged loudly against her chest, "Your Highness..."

"Yes..."

"I had kept my eyes and ears open around the human princess and the maid as you had asked."

Now that made Zenith a bit interested, "and did you find anything?"

Catherine gulped as she nodded, "I heard their conversation the other day."

Zenith sat straight as her eyes glinted with a devilish hue, "Pray, tell me, what did you find?"

"It is as you had said, your Highness." Catherine looked at her with a horrified face as Princess Zenith's eyes narrowed at her her.

"They are not the real princess and maid." Catherine recalled their conversation, "They are wizards."

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