Rude

Richard and Livius are outside the sickroom, (A place where the injured workers are treated.) walking down the hallway with Richard's two personal guard following behind them. Richard and Livius were talking about the things Steve told them about the new maid, Yoddal.

"I've never heard of her in this palace." Richard said. "In the town either." Livius also said in deep thought.

"Who exactly is she ?" Richard asked as he was also thinking deeply. "The maid." Livius answered.

"What?" Richard asked, confused at Livius' words. "You asked that 'who is she?', a maid. She is a maid..." Livius tried to explain his answer but was quietened by a glare from Richard.

Richard pondered on Steve's word about the 'Yoddal girl' distracting him from his work and duties. "How is she able to distract him from his duties? Steve is a very serious man when at work." Richard could not help but to say out the question on his mind.

"A witch, maybe?" Livius answered with a question. "That must be it." Richard said unable to find a better explanation on the effect the new maid.

"We should investigate the maid." Livius said to him. "Of course, we should." He replied. They both continued walking.

...

Mena walked out of the ballroom and stopped in front of King Richard and General Livius, bowing down to both of them.

"Your Majesty," Mena bowed to Richard, "General," She bowed again to Livius.

"How are you, Mena?" Livius asked with smiles on his face. Mena was swooned by the charming smile on General Livius' face as she shyly smiled back, "I'm fine,General Livius. Thank you."

"So Mena, who is Yoddal?" Richard said, going straight to the point.

Mena raised her head up, "She is one of the Queen's handmaids. She is new here. I hope that there is no problem Your Majesty?" She said as she was confused on why the King is asking for the new maid.

She wondered if the girl had offended the King in anyway. The young girl was quite rude. She carries herself elegantly with an air of 'can't touch this' or probably 'me' in this case. There was something about the girl that kept unnerving her and it made her to doubt the girl's identity as being an ordinary maid from where she came from.

"It's nothing for you to worry about. The girl should be with Queen Rita right now, right?" Livius said not wanting Mena to know more than she should.

"Yes, she is." Mena said.

"Hmm, you may leave now." Richard dismissed her. Mena bowed one last time to both of them and went back to the ballroom to resume her supervision.

...

Queen Rita was in her bathtub when King Richard and General Livius walked in with King Richard's guards. Livius and the guards immediately bowed down to avoid seeing their Queen's nakedness.

The maids that were attending to Rita stopped to bow down to King Richard. "Hmm." Richard gave out a hum as a reply. The maids raised up their heads and continued helping Rita with her bath.

"Who is Yoddal among you all?" Richard directed his questions to the maids. "Oh, she left." Rita said with her eyes closed, enjoying her bath.

"Where did she go?" Richard asked in curiosity. Rita sighed in exasperation as she was tired from all the questions Richard was asking. Can't someone have their bath in peace?!

"She went to attend to Steve." She said. Richard's face scrunched up in confusion, "Why would she need to attend to him when Thimon (Royal Physician) has already checked on him?"

"How am I supposed to know? Why don't you just go and check her in the Sickroom instead of stressing me with these foolish questions?" Rita said, her tone rising with each word with her eyes shining with annoyance.

Richard nodded his head and left the room. General Livius immediately followed him and so did the guards.

Rita closed her eyes back and relaxed in the bath.

...

A young girl placed a food tray on the table beside the bed in which Steve was sleeping. She tapped him on the shoulder gently in order to wake him up.

Steve opened his eyes and on seeing her, tried to sit up hurriedly which caused pain to shoot out in his abdomen, (the place the arrow hit) and he groaned in pain.

"Be careful." The young girl said with concern written all over her face while she used her hand to support him up.

"What are you doing here, Yoddal?" Steve asked after sitting up, looking at her with suspicion. "To give you your food." Yoddal placed the food tray in front of him.

He looked at the food with uncertainty as if he was unsure whether to eat the food or not. She noticed his hesitancy and said, "Don't worry, I did not add something bad to it. Trust me." she finished while placing her index and middle fingers that were crossed together on her chest and smiled.

Something about her smile made him to believe her. It looked so innocent and adorable. He nodded his head at her and he picked up the spoon. He was about to take it into his mouth when she stopped him.

"Wait!" She quickly said. Steve stopped himself from taking the bite with a confused look. 'Did she not bring the food for me to eat?' he wondered.

She brought a bottle out of the pocket of her uniform. She uncocked the cover of the bottle and sprinkled a little out of it into his food. "What are you doing?" He asked confusedly. She smiled at him, "It's to help your wound heal quickly." She closes the bottle back.

He looked at the bottle that was left by the Royal Physician and it was totally different from the one she brought out. He was confused as to the one he should use. "Why is it diff-" A bang was heard and they saw Richard and Livius coming in.

Steve tried to sit up greet them respectfully but Richard stopped him knowing that it would cause him some pain. Yoddal was angry at Richard for interrupting her conversation with Steve and was unknowingly glaring at him.

Richard saw this and frowned at her, obviously angry at her rudeness. Steve gave her a gentle elbow to make her stop her glaring and to greet the King respectfully.

She felt the elbow from Steve and looked at him. She was about to ask from him the reason he elbowed her but when she saw the look he was giving her she realised that he was trying to pass an information to her.

She waited a few seconds to understand what he was trying to convey and when she finally did, she immediately turned to Richard and bowed slightly to him. "I am so sorry, your Majesty. I did not mean to be rude to you. Please forgive me, I will..."

"Who are you?" Yoddal's words were cut short by Richard's question.

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