King | j.b

VIII

It was only the first session and Ariana had already had enough of the day. Too many things had been going on lately. First, the kiss with the king, second, her finding out her father had been a servant, and third, she saw the woman from the king's party last night. In all honesty, she just wished everything would go away. She wished she would forget everything that had happened in the castle and start fresh. To her, it felt as though everything revolved around her.

She took a deep breath as she prepared breakfast for the king. She was making the usual cheese omelet; the king's favorite. She took a deep breath as she cracked four eggs into a bowl. She had to admit, she was a bit nervous. She hadn't seen the king since he kissed her. It was like he disappeared; was wiped from the kingdom. It was quite odd.

She wondered if he was thinking about her. But she shook her head. He's a monster. He has killed countless innocent people. And now that she thought about the kiss again, she thought she might throw up.

Finally, Ariana and the other servants finished preparing breakfast. Her heart leapt and a nervous sensation was sent through her body.

She was going to face the king.

She grabbed a tray and placed the meal she made on it. She followed the other servants as they walked towards the dining room. Her heart thumped quickly in her chest.

They all finally approached the tall doors and opened them with a loud creak. Ariana's hands shook so much, she thought she might drop the tray.

As she peered inside, she saw the long table. The people at the table were busy in conversation as they awaited their food. Then Ariana looked towards the head of the table; the place the king always sat. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. Did the king make the other servants this nervous?

But when Ariana looked towards the king's usual spot, he was not there. The seat was empty.

That's funny, she thought. Where would he be? He was always here in the morning. Was he still sleeping?

Curiosity overwhelmed her as she placed the tray on the table. The people sitting there payed no attention to Ariana or any of the other servants. They continued their conversation as if they weren't even there.

Once everyone had placed their tray on the table, they scurried back to the kitchen to clean up.

But Ariana slowly trudged behind them. She remained puzzled at the fact that the king was not present. Where was he? Where could he be?

But Ariana hated herself for worrying so much about where he was. Who cares?

Soon enough, the session was over and Ariana had a free session next. She knew exactly what she was going to do. She was going to the library. She had to find out more about her father.

As she walked along the dark hallways, she couldn't help but keep wondering where the king was. But she shoved her thoughts away as she approached the large library.

It was empty, as it usually was unless the king had guests over. Every step Ariana took, echoed through the large area. She remembered exactly where she had found her father's journal.

She walked towards the shelf which he had found it and traced her hand along the books that were lined up. She stopped when her hand reached it. Her father's journal. Her heart leaped and a mixture of curiosity and excitement filled her. She slid the book out of its place and held it in her hands.