Chapter 15

The head-maid led The Queen to room 112. The Queen's three maids followed; two beside The Queen and one behind her. There were two guards as well. One was female and the other was male. On lookers outside room 112 saw The Queen approaching and bowed to her. Before reaching the door, The Queen took in a somewhat deep breath as if she was expecting a revelation. They entered the open door, the head-maid entered first, then The Queen and then everyone else she had come with.

The Queen met the dwellers of room 112. They bowed. The head-maid pointed to Buhle with her open hands.

"Girl, raise your head", The Queen ordered.

Buhle obliged. She still avoided looking at The Queen, however.

"State your name", the head-maid instructed.

"I am Buhle."

The Queen remembered something…

She remembered when she was young and newly married to the present King, who was just a Prince back then. She had sat in the judging of a case about a witch that had killed her only son for falling in love with a non-witch.

The Queen's mind came back to the present. Seeing Buhle in her beautiful form reminded The Queen of the last piece of the curse that she had forgotten. And that was that the cursed baby would regain her beauty at the end of each day.

"Let her stay", The Queen declared and left the room.

The Queen's reaction and handling of the issue baffled everyone. They felt that The Queen was acting rather strange. The guards followed The Queen. After hesitating for a while, The Queen's 3 maids followed her too.

All the other maids dispersed back to their rooms. The head-maid returned to hers too.

The girls in room 112 quietly got into their beds. Each one rolling their eyes in frustration.

The bell rang the next morning, a new day had begun. As per usual, servants rushed around trying to get ready for work at the palace. The girls in room 112 whispered as they argued about whether they should wake the strange girl up. And if so, then who should wake her up. Finally, the third member of the room spoke;

"Alright, I will wake her up."

Her name was Sana. She went nearer and nearer to Buhle's bed.

"Excuse me… Girl who claims to be Buhle?... Excuse me", she called gently as she neared.

Buhle pushed off her blanket, revealing herself. She was her usual peculiar-looking self. The girls gasped. They did not know what to make of the situation. They went to bed with someone else in the previous night, and then woke up with another.

Buhle reprimanded herself in her thoughts for oversleeping and thus not leaving the room early enough to go transform.

"Buhle?" prompted Lebo, the prefect.

Buhle sat up. She did not know how to react to their reaction. So, with an awkward smile, she just greeted; "Hi."

The girls looked at one another, not knowing how to react or what questions to ask. Buhle, avoiding to explain herself, got up, fixed her bed and went for a shower. Left alone, the three girls deliberated on the matter.

"What just happened?" Sana whispered.

Lebo ran to the door and looked out. "She is gone. We do not need to whisper", she reported.

"I did not hear the door open. Not even once since last night. And you all know that I am a light sleeper. How did the actual Buhle get here?" Sana wanted to know.

"This must be some sort of witch craft", Lebo remarked. "I mean, how else can we explain this?"

"We need some answers. I will see if I can ask her some questions", Letho volunteered. "I will ask her during lunch. But mind you, she might not respond."

In The Prince's palace, The Prince had a word with head-maid Kamva. He was discussing the previous night's issue.

"I could not speak with you last night. I was preoccupied", stated The Prince.

The head-maid listened on.

"What happened yesterday with the maid that I brought in? Is she causing trouble?" The Prince wanted to know.

"No, My Prince. There was a different girl. She claimed to the same maid that you brought in."

"A different girl? The same maid?" The Prince was confused.

The head-maid assured The Prince that the matter had been addressed by The Queen. She explained that The Queen ordered that the strange girl should be left alone.

"Alright then. If this issue has been resolved by The Queen then all is well. You may return to your duties."

The head-maid stood up and took a few steps. The Prince stopped her and asked;

"By the way, how is the girl coping? Is she adjusting well?"

"She has not complained, My Prince. And I have not spotted any signs of fatigue from since so far", the head-maid responded.

She paused to hear The Prince's reaction. When she got none, she added;

"Other than last night, My Prince, I have not heard news of her getting into trouble. But it is still too early to tell, My Prince", the head-maid answered.

"That is true, you are right. It is still too early. Pay attention the fact that she is not a maid by profession, thus this environment can be too harsh and too demanding on her. If you sense that she is emotionally, mentally or even physically not coping, do let me know."

"Yes, My Prince. I will be sure to do so."

"And also", The Prince added. "If she can boldly be absent at the Prince's bride selection day, then she is surely trouble by nature. She also ignored The Queen's invitation. Thus, I believe that she can be stubborn as well. Report directly to me if she gives you trouble. Do not report to The Queen. Understand?"

"Yes, My Prince", the head-maid bowed and left.

Lwani, who had been standing beside The Prince asked;

"Prince Abasi. May I ask why you do not want her to be reported to The Queen?"

"I fear The Queen might execute her. She already advised me before to execute her", The Prince responded.

"Why do want to protect her so much?"

"My life was spared recently, thus I need to commemorate that for the next few months. And also, I do not support bloodshed."

"My Prince, forgive if I speak out of turn but…" Lwani hesitated. "A weak King-to-be is not good for the kingdom."

The Queen strolled around the yard at the palace with her three maids and two of her guards. She was stalking Buhle. The Queen thought to herself as she saw Buhle;

"It seems that she has returned to her other form… The witches truly are the most wicked creatures. But this one seems different."

The Queen turned to her maids and ordered;

"Go get me head-maid Kamva."

One of the maids did as told. After a short while, she returned with the head-maid.

"That girl", The Queen pointed at Buhle, who was far away.

"She may look beastly, but I believe that she is harmless. I have not heard news of her causing trouble in the kingdom yet. If she was causing trouble, everyone would have known about her by now. She would have been villainized. And so, do not fear her. Do you understand?"

"Yes, My Queen", the head-maid replied.

"She is just a girl with a sad history. And now has to live with a curse forever… The fact that she did not explain her situation last night, even though she was being attacked by her roommates, says she does not feel comfortable speaking about it", said The Queen.

"Do not tell anyone about her curse, do you hear me? She has to tell her fellows herself."

"Yes, My Queen. I will not speak of it", the head-maid responded.

"If she transforms again tonight, inform me. I would like to see."

"I will inform you, My Queen."

The head-maid was allowed to return to her duties thereafter.