Destined Across Time | LadaEarn

Chapter 5 [M]

The preparations for the royal banquet were in full swing, with maids working double time to ensure everything was perfect for the following evening. The atmosphere buzzed with the chatter of excited voices and the clinking of dishes as they were arranged with meticulous care. Earn was no exception, throwing herself into the tasks with a determination that bordered on desperation. She scrubbed, polished, and arranged as if her life depended on it, her mind racing with thoughts she didn’t want to entertain. It was easier to drown in the work than to confront the tangled web of emotions and memories that had taken root since those stolen nights with the princess.

For the past few days, Earn had done her best to avoid thinking about Fahlada. Each time she caught herself reminiscing about their secret rendezvous, she forced her mind to wander to the tasks at hand. She tried to convince herself that she was just doing her duty as a maid, nothing more. But it was impossible to deny that their nightly encounters had gone far beyond the boundaries of propriety. She’d fallen into a rhythm of desire and temptation, a dangerous game that threatened to unravel the carefully constructed lines between them.

As she concentrated on arranging decorations in the grand hall, the scent of fresh flowers and polished wood enveloping her, she suddenly became aware of a hush falling over the room. Fahlada had appeared, her elegant figure moving gracefully through the hall. The princess radiated a quiet confidence, her presence commanding yet warm. She encouraged the maids with a soft smile and a few kind words, effortlessly bringing a spark of life into the bustling preparations. Of course, everyone bowed as the princess walked past, but Earn felt a strange prickling at the back of her neck, as if Fahlada's gaze was trained on her alone. 

Earn tried to brush off the feeling, reminding herself that she was just one of many servants here. Yet, as Fahlada wandered closer, a magnetic tension built in the air around them. It was as if the world faded away, leaving just the two of them caught in an unspoken connection. She couldn’t shake the sense that the princess had come to see her specifically, that this moment held a significance beyond mere duty.

While the princess made a show of observing the maids' efforts, Earn noticed that Fahlada's eyes kept flickering in her direction, her gaze lingering just a fraction longer than appropriate. Each glance sent a rush of heat through Earn, igniting her memories of their private moments. Just when it seemed like the princess was about to make her way towards Earn, Ratee, one of the more talkative and flirtatious maids, intercepted her with a bright, giggling greeting. 

"Your Highness! What an honor to see you so radiant today! Surely, your presence here makes even the dullest task a joy."

Fahlada's polite smile remained fixed, but there was a stiffness in her tone as she replied, "Thank you, Ratee. Your efforts are appreciated." The words were courteous, but Earn could detect an undercurrent of impatience beneath the surface, as if the princess was yearning for something—or someone—else.

Earn suppressed a snort, exchanging a knowing glance with P’Eclair, who had sidled up next to her. “Well, it seems like someone’s trying a bit too hard,” P’Eclair murmured under her breath, a mischievous glint in her eye. “If Ratee doesn’t watch it, she’s going to sprain something.” 

Earn hid her amusement behind her hand, raising an eyebrow in Ratee’s direction. “At this rate, I’d say she’s one curtsy away from proposing marriage,” she whispered back. 

“Oh, please, she'd need a map to find her way out of being friend-zoned,” P’Eclair quipped, stifling her laughter.

Before Earn could respond, P’Eclair nudged her and said aloud, “Earn, we need more fabric for the extra chairs that arrived.” It was a thinly veiled excuse to get her away from the awkward scene unfolding with Ratee, and Earn took it gratefully. As she turned to leave, she caught a fleeting glimpse of Fahlada's expression—annoyed, though she masked it well enough that no one else seemed to notice. The princess's gaze found Earn’s once more, and in that brief moment, there was a silent understanding between them, as if Fahlada had something to say but could not utter it. The weight of unspoken words hung between them, heavy and tantalizing.