Can't go back home.

"The horse, my lady. The crazy horse" Stella exclaimed when she came to place a bottle of medicine across the table.

She had got information from the guards who had witnessed what happened to her lady.

Elizabeth was walking subconsciously and was hit by a freed running horse from behind, his front legs had kicked her back in an attempt of cleaning a way for itself to pass.

"And that's why my back hurt so badly" Elizabeth winced when she touched her back. She didn't know what had hit her until now.

"But why the royal physician hadn't confirmed if I had a back pain ?!" her acknowledgement was replaced by her confusion as to why the physician had lied to the king.

"I think he didn't want to make you worried so far he didn't want the king getting worried too. He had prescribed another medicine for you to drink, wait for me I will get it prepared for you"

"And what about this bottle you placed here"

"Aah...that is for applying direct to the wounds, that's what the physician had said. And my lady you are asking so many questions today, what's wrong?!. Are you not feeling alright?"

It is unusual for lady Richard to ask so many questions especially to her maid.

It had been two days since she got an accident and she had already moved back to her chamber.

She can't sleep on the king's bed while the king was still there, but the king had seemed reluctant to let Elizabeth back to her chamber as he wanted her to receive her treatment while she is in his room.

That seemed ridiculous, then where would he sleep?!

Stella laughed to the thought of it remembering how the king acted childish that night of an accident when Elizabeth had to move back to her guest room.

"Are you sure that she's fine ?!. I don't see if there's a need for her to walk around. Beside I have given her my permission to rest in my room. The servants could prepare another room for me"

Stella had to answer all of the king's questions because Elizabeth refused to talk, her hearing had come back but she still faked to have lost her hearing. She was doing it on purpose, paying for what the king had said to her earlier that afternoon.

'tssk... you seemed to care while you are not. What a cold king that we have' Elizabeth sneered in her mind while piercing the king with her big green eyes.

Stella had to drag her lady along, careful leading her to her chamber before Elizabeth could beat the hell out of the king.

She is capable of doing that, Stella couldn't ever underestimate her lady.

"So what's your plan?. Are you willing to return back home as the king has told you"

"No!.. never" Elizabeth exclaimed louder as if she wasn't sick at all.

But her expression changed, she looked as if she wanted to cry. "No, Stella. I don't want to go back" she stretched her arms, wanting to hug her maid who had fastly came to her hands wrapping both her arms around her.

"I'm sorry....but I think we have no choice in this"

"Don't say that Stella. You know that I love him and I don't see another man more than him. So far my fate has sealed, none would want to marry me after being rejected by the king"

"No don't say that, I'm sure many men might be lining up the moment I say this waiting for your hand in marriage"

"But I don't want to get married by another man !!" she sobbed against Stella's shoulder, truly she didn't want to get married by another man, the only man she sees in her eyes was Luther, the king of Morovvan.

"If I say my opinion in this Eliza, I will be gladly for you to go back home after you have fully recovered."

"Why are you saying that, Stella" she abruptly pulled from her maid's arms.

Stella bit her lips before she said, "Since you came here, my lady. Nothing good has come out of it, the bad things had happened so far it looked like the castle is sending you away."

"Yes, you are right. But I'm used to it, misfortunes has been a trail of my life. And I have come this far, I can't go back" Elizabeth wanted to tell her maid to rest assured, all of the things that happened to her weren't a big deal, except one thing that hurts her so badly was her rejection from the king.

"What would you like to do then my lady. The king has given his order. Tomorrow we have to go back home" Stella insisted on returning home, she saw nothing her lady could gain from staying here, the king had rejected her and wanted to send her home.

But why her lady seemed so persistent ?!

Elizabeth could understand her maid's concern but what happened had happened, but she couldn't go back home empty handed. She had to do something when she thought for what will she do to achieve her goal. There was no way would she take her feet out of the castle before getting what she wanted.

The queen coronation ceremony had been postponed since the accident has happened at the castle, so far none from her competitors had came to see her, they might be angry thinking maybe all of this had happened because of her.

So she thought, she had a more time to continue on her plans if the queen had not announced yet, she could do something.

"I need you to help me Stella. You have to support me for whatever I have to do" her maid stunned by this turn of events, Elizabeth never includes her in her schemes. Why now ?!.

"No... I'm afraid you are thinking of doing something terrible " Stella had to decline her lady, so far she didn't want to be included in whatever she was thinking of doing.

"You only have to nod when the king arrives. When did you say the king is coming to see me ?" Elizabeth asked Stella, recalling her mentioned about the king's visit.

"This afternoon, he will be on his way right now. Let me go my way, my lady before he found me here" Stella was about to ditch her lady, slowly taking her steps towards the door when she suddenly heard a knock.

"It must be him. His majesty" Stella almost shout when Elizabeth placed her one hand to her fast mouth.

"Quite... promise me you'll do as I say" she had to use this opportunity to pin on her maid, still there's no way she could run away. King Luther has already arrived.

"Fine..." still her mouth covered she said, nodding.

"But you also have to promise me, whatever you are going to say to the king. You have to get me out of it. You know I can't handle it, even now my heart is beating so faster thinking how could I explain myself to your father when we get back home for what had happened to you".

"None is going home, Stella" Eliza exclaimed, confidence portrayed in her eyes.

"I said none is going home, maybe someone else but not me. So now open that door, his majesty is waiting".