Unmasked

Chapter 21

~unedited~

Chapter 21:

Feeling like I had nothing else to do, I made my way back to where Mariah led me from. Incidentally I find an empty kitchen instead and Mariah sitting on a stool by the counter just staring off.

"I thought you said it was too busy to be doing nothing,"

"These are one of those rare moments where it isn't, and I don't believe I said that," she answers without looking at me. This time I actually get a look at her, she looks tired. Very tired. I suddenly feel guilty for the comment but say nothing.

"There's a party going on right now so the right now I don't need to worry, but God knows how much longer that will last," she sighed heavily and slumps, finally looking at me.

I remember the lady telling the girl something about a party going on, maybe that's where they were going, where he was going.

"I came across some of the house guests," I paused for a moment, "and the prince."

"Ah, did you stay out of his way like I said?"

"Yes."

"It seems like he got plenty to worry about, especially now when a girl is added to the picture," she lets out a low laugh, "can ya believe it?"

"What is he worrying about, exactly?" I didn't mean to ask, but I did. I thought she'd yell at me, to tell me to mind my own business, but doesn't.

"You know why we've never seen the prince until now?" She looks at me again.

I stayed silent, shaking my head.

"Rumor has it, he doesn't want to be king," she looks down, a face of disbelief, "that he's trying his hardest not to be."

I look away, not knowing how to feel about that accusation.

"What do you think?" I ask her.

"My family line has been serving them for years. I've been through it all and I've heard them all," she explains simply to me, "not once did those kinds of accusations come ever afloat."

"What I think?" She stands, about to walk past me when she stops at my side, "he's either a coward or a very smart man."

She begins to walk, immediately I turn to face her, "what do you mean?"

But she's gone before I can finish the word.

~*~

The next day I try to be more careful, though I doubt I'll run across him again. I can't help but feel a tiny part of me wants to run into him again, but I know that if I do I'll just hide.

This time I go through rooms that I haven't before, which to my surprise, there were many.

Why all the rooms? She never did tell me.

As I go through the last door, which seems to be a room for an art class (again, very odd), my mind wanders to him and I quickly bring myself back.

Stop it.

"You there," an unfamiliar man's voice is suddenly behind me and I turn to see a middle aged man dressed up too nicely.

A royal?

"There is more help needed up ahead further, go fill your position there," he orders sternly and then walks on passed me.

I hold back my words, but I belong here. I remember Mariah's words, obey. So I follow the man, further into the maze.

"Sir?" I call out to him too lowly so he doesn't hear me. So far we've only walked straight ahead with only one turn to the right, I hope to myself that I remember that turn as we continued walking until we make it out into a massive clear. I assume it to be a living room.

The floor is carpeted with a softer, fur and a deep shade of purple, and in the center there are twisted staircases, two massive ones, with titled paths that lead to them. I'm amazed with its size and mentally compare it to my mother's.

I gaze for a moment hen I snap back to attention and realize that I lost the man that I was following. Now I'm alone without knowing where that man said I should be.

Panicked, I rush up one of the staircases, just pretend I know where I'm going...

When I make it to the top I immediately notice the difference in the halls, this indeed is where the family walks by the most. My heart begins to pound again and I push myself forward, through the hall.

Maybe... Perhaps... I can-

"You!" This time it's a woman's voice and when she appears from the corner I was about to come to, I see she's wearing a maids outfit as well. I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Yes, Miss?" She looks older than me by a few years, and yet looks like she's experienced two lifetimes in one, that's when I begin to get worried again.

"You're one of the new ones, I can tell," she grabs my arms and pulls me to where her cart stands. She places my hand on the metal handle, "you can handle only the family's rooms since you're new, I have too much, just too much to do!"

And with that she leaves and I'm alone again in the corridor, confused, dazed, and almost afraid, I try to piece together what has just happened in the last few moments.

Only the family's rooms... Does she mean...?

I look out to the now empty corridor ahead of me. The atmosphere is different now, I can't just wander the rooms now, I now feel as if I do something wrong it will be the end of me. The thought of it made my legs stiff and my heart race.

Then I hear his voice behind me.

"I don't have time for that now," he says urgently and he rushes past me and into the third door from me, a man tries to follow him in but the door shuts on his face, so he knocks.

"Sir, you're being unreasonable, you'll be king soon and you must hold that responsibility in your hand!" He stops knocking after a while and finally notices I'm here. He looks at me and I at him, he wears a suit with a golden pin, and his hair is brushed back; I don't know who he could be.

"The maid is here needs to attend your room next!" The man says suddenly.

"But-" I cut myself off.

Don't say anything, remember. Do what they say.

Luckily the man didn't hear my attempt to argue, he knocks server all times and then looks over to me.

"If he doesn't come out then you're free to skip his room, but try to get him out," then he walks back the way he came, grumbling as he did and just like that, I'm left alone again but with an opportunity.

I began to feel my heart pounding in my chest. He's just beyond that door and I'm supposed to make him come out, but how can I without revealing myself?

As my heart pounds faster and my breaths shorten, I rest my head against the wall to calm myself.

Breathe, I tell myself, breathe.

I lift myself up and make my way over to his door. Hesitantly, I knock on his door too softly, my heart's pounding sounds louder than my knocks.

After a minute I begin to make my way past the room, I breathe a sigh if relieve but my heart still races because he's in there, that's where he sleeps, and eventually I'm going to have to go in there.

Then I hear the door open behind me and I freeze, I wait to hear what will hopefully be him walking away, but I don't, instead I hear him say

"Please excuse me for that scene, you didn't have to see that..." I swallow but still don't look back, so he continues, "um, please don't let me get in the way of your work, you can clean here if you need too."

I nod though still turned away from him and begin to pull the cart back, look down the entire time so I wouldn't have to see him. I respectfully bow to him and then enter but I didn't expect him to enter with me.

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Sorry for the long waiting in between each chapter everyone, school is too much and dreadful but every chance I get I write so hopefully we can get to ending this story soon!

Have a nice day everyone! :)