Drunk...

"What were your orders to the maid, Samuel?" Andrew asked.

For a minute, Samuel thought he might faint as he was caught off with that question.

But he maintained his balance and walked steadily and sat down besides Andrew, pretending as if he hadn't heard the question.

Seated down, Samuel picked up the napkin that had been filed nearly and kept on the table beside the plates and cutleries, unfolds it neatly and spread it widely on his lap.

"My Prince, were you talking to me?" Samuel asked the question.

"Don't act as if you didn't hear me!" Andrew snapped.

Samuel patiently answered;

"It must have been when I was talking to the maid my Prince, my deepest apologies...!" Samuel said as he bowed his head from where he sat.

Andrew just followed his head movements with a deep frown on his face as if he wasn't satisfied with the apology.

Sneering, he said;

"Where is the the maid...!" Andrew asked.

"Which of them My Prince...?" Samuel asked, but was cut off.

"The one you spoke to!" Andrew waved him off as he went back to his food.

"Mariam!" Samuel called.

"Yes Sir...!" The maid whom Samuel had spoken to answered as she made her way towards the two men seated at the dinning table.

"My Prince...!" She bowed deeply.

Andrew didn't even notice her, talk much more of even answering her.

Though, she hadn't received a reply yet, she assumed the Prince was in deep thought as to what had happened in the courtroom not quite long ago.

Turning towards Samuel, she also bowed deeply as she asked;

"Sir Samuel, you requested my presence?"

"Yes, uh, the Prince requested your presence..." Samuel replied non-chalantly.

Mariam was surprised.

"Oh, uh...!" Mariam said as she turned to face Andrew.

Bowing again, only slightly, Mariam asked;

"Sire, you, wanted to see me...?"

Andrew still didn't respond to her and he played with his meal with the spoon in his hand.

"So, are you trying to say, you never noticed me sitting here...?" Andrew asked angrily.

"Sire...?" Mariam asked shocked and afraid.

Samuel looked at him, without saying anything.

"Do I have, to repeat myself?!" Andrew asked angrily.

"I...I...I'm s...s...sorry...m...my...p...p...Prince...I...d...didn't mean it that way, I thought...!" Mariam stuttered.

"Sorry for yourself...!" Andrew snapped and waved her off.

Mariam quickly used her hand to cover her mouth.

Looking at her up, down, Andrew ordered;

"Quick, take this food and wrap it up for me...!"

As she was taking the food from the table, Andrew yawned lazily and added;

"I'll take on my trip with me...!"

Samuel quickly objected;

"Um, Sire, I don think that would be necessary...!"

Andrew eyed him.

"Why not?" Andrew asked.

Clearing his throat, Samuel responded;

"It was the King's order to...!" Samuel was cut off.

"This is my trip...!" Andrew said as he hit his hand on the table.

Mariam flinched a little, while Samuel stared sharply, yet blankly, at him.

"I order what to take, what to have, what I'll wear, and others...!" Andrew said ignorantly.

"The King doesn't decide for me, I decide for myself!" Andrew roared.

Having said that Andrew waved his hand, a sign that Mariam should go.

Having understood the sign, Mariam bowed and asked;

"Would there be anything you would like to have Sire...?"

Andrew reclined in the chair lazily with his eyes closed.

Having heard her question, Andrew felt like it was a burden to answer, so he just groaned.

Looking at Samuel, he motioned to her to leave. She hurriedly left, without making a sound in order not to make a sound.

But mid-way, Andrew, with his eyes closed, called her back.

"Mariam, what did Samuel tell you to do?"

Having heard her name and heard the question, her eyes bulged.

Slowly turning around, as if being caught doing something wrong, Mariam slowly answered;

"Sire...?"

Groaning loudly, Andrew turned his head sideways and replied slowly;

"Do I have to repeat myself...?"

Andrew smiled, a smile that was very creepy and sent chills down the spine of Mariam.

Standing straight and turning to look at Samuel, who, didn't look at her but faced his food, ignoring whatever happened between the Prince and the maid.

But when that question came out the mouth of Andrew, Samuel's spoon that had been making some 'clink!' 'clink!' sound, suddenly stopped.

When that happened, Andrew smiled, but as if Samuel didn't want Andrew to suspect anything and win, Samuel continued eating five (5) seconds after he stopped.

Standing straight, not shaking on the outside, but in the inside, she was trembling as she looked at the Prince straight in the eye.

Taking in a deep breath, Mariam spoke;

"Sire, when you approached the table to eat...Sir Samuel came to me and..." She was cut short.

"Yes, yes, I'm aware of all of that, just get tell me what he told you!" Andrew hurried, already, not satisfied.

Allowing the Prince not to suspect anything, Mariam took a deep breath and claimed her eyes briefly, before opening her eyes to reply;

"Sire, Sir Samuel orders me to get a drink for you!" Mariam said straight-forwardly, without blinking even.

Andrew watched her every move.

Still watching expecting something more from her, but nothing came, Andrew's hand that had been on his chin,was still there.

"If Sir Samuel just ordered you to get the drink for me, why were you inhaling and exhaling?" Andrew asked.

Still taking in a deep breath, Mariam answered;

"I was inhaling and exhaling because I thought I was in trouble...!"

"Trouble...?" Andrew asked with a smile in his face.

Mariam stood there with a shy expression of her face.

"What kind of trouble did you think you were gonna be in...?" Andrew asked.

"Nothing!" Mariam responded shyly.

"But you said you thought you were afraid if getting into trouble... isn't that what she said now Samuel...?"

Andrew then asked for Samuel's opinion as if nothing had happened between them.

Samuel didn't look up from his food that he too had been playing with.

But he answered;

"Yes My Prince, that was what she said...!" Samuel didn't deny it and just admitted it.