The Courtier

38

THE COURTIER
♡ Ugene ♡

The palace was raided by maids that were making sure the evening was prepared for tomorrow's ceremony for Bridger and Serena's wedding. My arrival through the kitchens, the maids hurriedly make their ways around me- fear wrecks through their expressions of last time I was down here.

Beth Castings is in my line of vision as she folds clothing and it feels like deja vu all of a sudden.

Her back is to me, but she tenses when she feels me behind her. She turns, finding my eyes and tries to break out into a run, but I clutch her upper arm in my hold, squeezing it as a warning.

"Sit. Down."

Nodding, she sits down as I let her go. She rubs the pain from her arm, then twiddles with her nails.

"What do you want from me?" She begins to question.

I lean over the counter, feeling eyes on me from the other maids whom wish to hear the gossip. "The truth."

"What truth?" She laughs a bit, but it dies down when she notices I am not in a funny mood this evening. I am here for one thing and one thing only.

"Do not play the fool. Remember the events from the last time you tried to play games with me?" I lift my chin to her hair. "I will not be as generous this time."

She swallows. "I honestly do know what you are talking about."

"Alright..." I trail, nodding. "Rafe Velmont."

Her face pales, and it has me smirking. "I-I-"

"No need to make excuses, Miss. Castings. I already know the truth."

"Then why do you need it from me?" Her eyes water, lurking around to find a few maids watching us.

"Because I wish for you to say aloud what you have done." Leaning in, she clenches her jaw and looks away from my stare. "You have caused a man to go mad, that is what you have done."

"You love her," her voice breaks as she tells me- herself. A tear slips through her eyes, falling upon her cheeks as the truth brings forth in her mind. "You really do love her."

"Wow, you are smart," I whisper sarcastically.

"I-I am sorry, I did not mean for it to end this way. For it to go this far," she utters out, crying. She wipes her face as my nose snarls up in disgust. "I just wished for your attention."

"Well, while you wished for mine, I wished for your sister's," I mock. 

"Do not hurt me," she pleads.

"I will not touch you." I shake my head. "But you will tell Josephine that she has your blessing."

"Blessing for what?" Her voice breaks again. She knows what I wish for.

"She will only listen to you," I grit out. "You must allow her to be with me once again. You must. You are only hurting your sister, and that makes me very angry. Do you want to make me angry?"

She shakes her head now. "N-No, I never wish to make you angry. I-I do not wish to hurt her neither."

"Then you know what you must do."

She looked at me with such hatred-she did not wish to do as I ordered, but also knew the consequences of her actions if she did not.

"Our mother would never approve of you." She holds her head up high with a smirk. "Even if I give her my blessing, our mother will never."

"You think?" I tilt my head in a teasing manner and her smirk dies down. "That is truly funny, she seemed so welcoming when I met her- even gave me her blessing to ask for Josie's hand in marriage."