Royal Heartstrings

Chapter 22- A trip to the forest

Valerie's POV:

I sat opposite Mrs. Bertha with a smile, feeling a sense of warmth and comfort in her presence. She asked, "How are you, dear?"

"I'm fine," I replied, meaning every word.

Mrs. Bertha smiled warmly and said, "That's good." She raised the large napkin covering something on her desk, revealing a delicious array of pastries - flaky croissants, sweet Danish, and fruit-filled tarts. My eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow, Mrs. Bertha! You didn't have to go to so much trouble!"

She chuckled, her eyes twinkling. "It's your break, isn't it? Let's dig in!"

I felt a surge of emotion, my eyes welling up with tears. "Thank you so much, Big Mum."

Mrs. Bertha teased, "Ah, Valerie, you're going to make me cry too!" I laughed, wiping away stray tears, and we began eating. As we savored the pastries, Mrs. Bertha mentioned, "You know, Valerie, you'll be taking on more duties soon. You'll be responsible for Princess Evie's room, not just the prince's suite."

I nodded, my mouth full of croissant.

Just then, a knock on the door broke the cozy atmosphere. The door opened and someone stepped in.

Mrs. Bertha smiled but it didn't quite reach her eye. Curious, I turned to see who it was and my pastry almost fell out of my hands.

Lord Alex stood there in all black, his dark hair tied behind his head, a smirk on his face. I felt a surge of nervousness immediately.

"Big Mum, how have you been?" he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Mrs. Bertha's cheerfulness seemed forced as she replied, "Alex, long time no see! I'm doing well, thanks for asking."

I sensed there was more to their exchange than met the eye. I tried to leave, but Lord Alex's gaze locked onto mine. "Don't go anywhere, Val. This concerns you."

I hesitated, my heart racing, and sat back down.

He turned back to Mrs. Bertha, his eyes gleaming with determination. "I want Brownie here as my personal maid." He gestured to me.

My heart almost stopped. Why was he calling me Brownie?

Mrs. Bertha's smile remained fixed on her face. "I'm not sure that's possible, Alex."

"Why is that?" he pressed.

Mrs. Bertha sat up straight, her expression firm. "Because Valerie already has a lot on her plate. I can't just remove duties from others and reassign them without a good reason. The Palace needs so much care, especially now that we'll be hosting guests soon."

Lord Alex raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Then who will be assigned to me?"

Mrs. Bertha's smile faltered for a moment before she replied, "Ariana will take care of your needs, Alex."

Lord Alex looked unsatisfied, but forced a smile. "Very well."

I watched the exchange, my mind racing with questions. What did Lord Alex want from me? And why did he keep calling me Brownie?

As if reading my thoughts, he turned to me and said, "I would love to have more of your coffee, Brownie." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me feeling uneasy and confused. What did he want from me? Prince Nova's warning to stay away from him lingered in my memory.

I turned to Mrs. Bertha, who had a bright smile returned to her face. "Shall we continue with our meal?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with warmth.

I looked at her, still trying to process the tension that had just dissipated. Then, I smiled back, knowing we were going to gloss over the uncomfortable exchange.