Chapter 4: The struggles

"I will not be humiliated like this" Jocelyn fussed but Bradford looked the least disturbed, he hit the cane against the floor.

"Let's retreat before she infests us with her snobbery"

"Elliot" Bradford mumbled with a dark smile

"I pray you, King, that girl is a disease," He said.

Jocelyn was perspiring like a dog and folding up the blankets, who knew they were so heavy. She groaned falling back to bed with the heap.

"Hmm, you missed that one" Lucinda pointed at a white sheet by the locker, leaning on a chair,

Jocelyn's blood boiled no longer able to control her temper, she tossed it on the bed and felt a pinch on her nail and looked down at the broken nail, her fingernails were as brittle as a dry leaf. She wiped her forehead and Lucinda imitated her adding to her irritation.

"You know, my father used to say_"

"Who cares about your father?" She said wiping her ears in lethargy leaning back to scan the room.

It looked less messy, the edges of the blankets tucked in were nonetheless out of order. She shoved the plate closer.

Jocelyn's eyes lit up, she had never been so pleased about food before, or merely the sight of it, she grabbed the plate wearing down on the turkey and fed on the rice.

"I need some water" She blurted

"Satisfied?" Lucinda asked arms folded.

"Quite right, yes"

"You eat like a swine and yet look at you" She eyed her slender figure in spite.

"What do you expect when you deprive me of sustenance for hours on end and have me work like this?'

She brushed off the grains and licked her fingers.

"You're going to clean that aren't you?"

"Again?"

"That's what the broom is for, clean up"

"When your 'king' mentioned " solace" I didn't think you understood that, I wouldn't expect much from an uneducated literate"

"I warn you, princess, hold your tongue!" Valerie clenched the broom shuddering.

Jocelyn's lips curled "I'm glad that you're starting to acknowledge me"

The scoundrel king instructed that she had to supervise, maybe she would make this a little bit fun. "Oh well"

****

In the real sense, a king was meant to be held in awe and at the same time feared. He was despised but he did not hold it against them, he didn't choose to be king of Agrama-thawne either, as far as wealth goes, he reached a point where he couldn't even enjoy it anymore, his indecisiveness tormented him for a very long time before he could find the vigour to do something.

Kidnap the king's beloved or go to war, frankly, he wouldn't want to cause a disturbance, Agrama-thawne was a feared country until this moment.

The odds were formidable but he didn't have a choice. He tied his hair up and put on his crown when he was informed that more visitors were coming, he didn't expect less after his latest scandal, it was clandestine among nobles.

...

Henry paced all about, how had he not received a word from the king, he heaved a sigh after a long thought, maybe he was jumping to conclusions too fast. What if he was wrong? But what if he was right?

How embarrassing it would be for him once he found the letter in his stock. He wiped his sweaty forehead and tried to relax,

His beloved Irene wept for the third day their Jocelyn went missing, it was heartbreaking to be home and not know where your only child was. Or who would have the heart to take her in their own villa?

She was devastated but she would hold on to hope and plead for her daughter's return.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it, I bid you that it better be news about the princess"

"My Lord, it prevails"

He softened and signalled them inside and the certain maid who suffered a huge deal under Jocelyn's constraint.

She shivered when she stood before the king and blabbered.

His eyes widened "I pray you! Speak up child!"

She rubbed her hands bowing "M_my king, I_I enc_countered Princess Jocelyn the night of her coronation."

Irene sat up "Where is she, where is my daughter!?"

...

Jocelyn worked hard to tidy up her kilt, if she didn't dress it right, it would have bumps everywhere like last night, she didn't sleep, nor did she have the decency to do her hair up again, she had dark circles under her eyes.

She felt itchy all over from the cheap clothes she was forced to wear.

"Why is this so difficult!?" She held her fingers after and hissed as the doors opened and she simmered at the redhead maiden who came in to drop a platter with rye bread and tea.

"Good morning, princess"

"Have you come to make a mockery of me!? Get out!"

She fell out of the room and recoiled at the food that came next splattering everywhere. The door closed and she rubbed her knuckles and snuffed swabbing the floor of tea and crumbs before anyone saw this mess.

Jocelyn kicked the vase aside and pondered about the carriage leaving the gates as they opened, she hardened at the thought of the king and how he dared put her in here.

He was reasonable yet left her to suffer days here without an explanation, was he planning on torturing her before she knew what was going on?

She marched to the doors and found them loose and marvelled at a hint of freedom, the maid must have neglected locking her in. She looked around and grabbed a veil placing it over her head.

She tiptoed to the drapes and hid inside listening as two maids spoke with each other giggling, she had a stroke of luck at the source of light that led to the veneer and huffed, the heat from this dress was uncomfortable, she stepped back when guards marched through and winced at the bump on the small of her back and gasped at the stone dragon statue and stepped out the drapes to move on.

She covered her lips with the veil and looked around waiting for the hall to empty, she stopped at the large photo of the king and the unsmiling look on his face getting to the door, she opened it tasting freedom and gasped at the balcony overlooking the terrains of Agrama-thawne.

Stepping back, she turned around, it was like the universe was tainting her, she frowned "Very well, I'll find another way."

She checked the double doors and pulled with her might, she groaned as it barely moved and leaned on it, stumbling in and turning back at them "Hmmph!"

"Where is this place?" She looked around at the giant vases with exotic blooms on each side and the arched ceilings with golden beams meeting at the centre with a chandelier truly bringing it together.

It was bright and appeared bigger on the inside and she gasped at the king-sized bed and canopy, the marble floors gleamed and she walked around grinning at the vanity mirror and putting her rough, waist-length hair in order.

Assessing the baths, she concluded that she was tired from all the running and hiding was putting her on edge, she found a tray of chocolate and popped some into her mouth wearing down on the rest till she was satisfied.

She kicked off her shoes and sat on the bed then her lips curled tracing her fingers on the mattress and laid over it melting into the warmness. She sighed falling asleep easily.

...

The hours had come for him to retire after the meetings at the hall in the central province, of course, the elders didn't know but he found the general passing glances at him.

The people were starving and they didn't have a place to stay, the sanctuaries were rejecting them because of the overflow and now there were homeless people.

He whisked his cape off around him and could not wait to lay back, he uncuffed his uniform and spoke rapidly to the servants.

Something was unsettling about the way the room was, he checked the mirror and raised the platter grimacing at the balls of chocolate, only the dark chocolate ones were missing. He let it fall back clattering on the desktop and heard her faint snores, flicking the light drapes open,

He raised an eyebrow at the empty bed but saw her silhouette, turning to the other side.