CONTINUATION 1.

As she laid, her eyes closed and was about to drift into a moment of trance,..... There was a knock on the door. Aropha took a deep breath and sighed what the actual heck. She thought.

"Ahrrr."

She said. As if she knew somebody will come.

"Coming in." She tiredly said.

Low and behold it was the maid. She was ready for another round of disturbance and no productivity for her. Usually when it's the maid, she is either showing her or telling her a chain of things to sort. Which are usually stress.

But the maid just walked up to her, bent and leaned close to her ear, and whispered.

"I get it your tired. I can see it in your eyes. On your face, its written all over your face. But it's just me that came to meet you genuinely. I'm sorry if I disturbed you. I can go back if you want."

"No it's fine you can stay. Besides it almost feels as if I'm loosing my mind, always being lonely." Aropha said looking up to the celling.

"Ohhh. I'm sorry. For how can a beautiful girl be lonely. "

"It's not about being pretty." She said as she laid up with her back leaning against the wall and bed post.

"Don't be deceived. Don't be. Anyone can be lonely. I really don't speak to anyone if it's not you. You know. I don't have any actual friend."

"It's seems your a social type of girl."

"Not quite."

"I like you though. So from now consider me your friend. Don't be lonely ok."

"Awnnnnn thank you."

"Yea which brings me to the royal reason why I'm here. How do you want your wedding dress to be like. Yes your Shansiy but there might be some Shalolin fashion you might like. If not, I'll have them weave one just for you."

"Who cares it's not like they will take my words any way. Ohhh I must want nothing but that right now. I don't want to get married. I cannot. I don't even know what marriage is even about. Why! Why! Can you tell me why. I'll be getting married to someone I don't even know any thing about. Who I just met. Who took me hostage. Isn't that weird.

All of a perfect sudden bammm I'm getting married. To the prince ooo. "Prince soon to be king...." As he always says. Is he not supposed to be married to someone else the way I'm seeing things."

And the maid just burst into laughter. While Aropha's face drifted into confusion. "Which part is funny in what I'm saying she thought."

"Why... Why are you laughing."

"I'm sorry your hand gestures. Your gestures in general. Especially when you said the prince, words. Don't do like this in front of any body, they can see your clear disgust."

"I can't help it. it's all so weird you know. The king has not spoken to me once after that day. He didn't even speak to me that day. Aren't I soon to be daughter."

"Right but, how did you know the prince is supposed to be married before you?"

" Yea there was this one girl. I think a princess too. She threw quite of a tantrum. The first day I came. And, when the prince visited me, after he left it seems like he met her by my door. Cause I heard every single bit of their conversation. And what it was about I could tell."

"The prince visited? As in he came into this room."

"Yea."

"What did he come for?"

" Now I think of it. Nothing. Ac.. actually. Yea why?"

"No nothing Isn't that weird... But Jonastiy came sad right."

"Yea very sad and angry when she met him by the door. So he is supposed be married right."

"To be honest with you, his supposed to. I speculated reasons why he didn't marry her again. But the primary reason every body thinks is because of his father. Coupled up with the with the fact that Jonastiy is quite of a person. It added to him leaving her.

But this one you said he came to visit you. Just like that. It's more of the prince than anybody else."

"Huh what do you mean by that."

"You don't have to worry about that. You should worry though about Jonastiy. She is a very cheeky girl. She won't stop at nothing.

"Ohhh Is that so."

"No one understands why though. But another one prime reason some people had speculated and everybody is clearly seeing, despite some don't want to accept is you. Because you are very pretty. Do you know how beautiful you are. To beautiful. I'm sure most beautiful people have no idea on how pretty they are. Do you.

Because of your beauty, it has jugged that reason of the king marrying his son to you. It is kinda obvious that due to the king, this marriage is going to happen. Majorly the king. But what I'm seeing now it's more of the prince than the king. By this one little evidence. Maybe the prince is lusting over you."

"Is that the evidence? You can't be serious."

"No that's the reason."

"Then what's the evidence?"

"He came to visit you."

 "Really.. Is that why you were acting up all weird when I told you visit. Even Jonastiy was acting up about the visit. What so wrong in visiting."

"A whole prince. Soon to be king. Cannot come and meet you. Talk less of visit you. Whether your a queen, princess, or kings daughter."

Aropha just left her mouth open. What's with that she thought.

"But you don't need to worry about that. Every body thinks, which should be the reason, is his father. You where there. You saw how his father insisted, despite he knows about Jonastiy. I don't know want they have going on, but you should watch your back. Jonastiy is one hell of a princess. That's cunning and will go any length for what she wants. Yea just watch your back where she is.

I can't guarantee why or if your getting married. To me too it's weird. But you shouldn't just bottle it all up to your self, neither should it way you down. Marrying the prince wouldn't be so bad. In fact it's every girls wish. Especially in Shalolin. It was mine at some point. Besides I just know that Jonastiy or not sooner or later, You would still have gotten married. So no point in worrying about all this."

"Yea thanks for the comforting words I'll keep my head high. But in the main time, can I get anything to eat. Anything please. I guess all this information made me hungry."

The maid just chuckled.

"Yea sure and the wedding is just in a week time. So gym your self up. "

"Yea. Wait what's your name."

"Finally you asked."

"Sorry didn't come to my head to..."

"Nimoway. It's Nimoway."

"Awnnn Pretty. Ok Bye."

"Yea bye. See you later with the thing you asked for."

And she open the door and left.

I would suggest at the maid who just left. Aropha admitted she is the most friendly of all the girls she met here. Seems they have some kind of prejudice of her marrying their prince. What they don't know is she doesn't want to marry the prince at all.

Yea I know in traditions and stuff. At some point women are meant to get married. But Aropha doesn't want to get married at all. She wants to explore the world. But right now, she couldn't get her mind off every thing Nimoway said. Especially, lust?

The prince is lusting over her. She thought.

As she laid down flat on her back.

"How can that even be possible. lust over me. ... Well is there any other convincing reason, for all this. But lust. If not lust. What is even in lust?"

She just covered her self and laid there until she slept.