57: Journey on the three horses

Journey on the three horses

Four weeks passed, but Lady Evin hadn't woken from her unconscious state.  0

As it was unknown if the Mother Queen had lied about the antidote, she was ordered not to step out of the palace until the lady regained consciousness. Due to this, the old lady couldn't receive or send any letters without them being intercepted by the Vizier, who took her correspondence directly to Lady Maya or King Maxwell. 

In the royal court, the ministers were discussing the kingdom's affairs before King Maxwell when the double doors suddenly opened wide. A servant bowed and announced, 

"Prince Dante has returned!" 

Anastasia, who stood next to Princess Emily on the balcony on the floor above, turned to look at the entrance in time to catch the Knight of Versailles. The court turned quiet in his presence, watching every step he took towards the forefront of the room while six soldiers followed right behind him. 

Prince Dante offered a bow before he informed, 

"Brovia has been defeated and captured along with Totus. The war we waged has been successful, My King." 

Suddenly the silence was broken, and excited murmurs began to fill the room. King Maxwell smiled at the news and raised his hands for everyone to fall silent. He patted his brother's back and praised him, 

"As expected, you have done well, Dante. As a reward, I return to you the position that Father had granted me. To be the Commander of the troops and the base camp." He then turned to his ministers and said, "Following our victory, chosen officials will be appointed to swiftly journey to Brovia to lead the reconstruction efforts, as those lands now belong to Versailles."

"Hail Versailles!" 

"Congratulations on the victory, Your Highness!" The ministers began congratulating him with smiles and excitement, even though it was Dante who had fought the war. "Long live King Maxwell!" 

The Vizier stood next to King Maxwell and asked, "Shall I arrange for a celebration, My King?" 

"Have sweets distributed throughout the kingdom so that everyone hears about it," King Maxwell ordered, and he dismissed the ministers from the court.

The Mother Queen, who also stood on the balcony, smiled proudly. She told her two granddaughters, "Let us congratulate Dante on his victory."

"You mean Brother Maxwell's, as it happened under his reign?" Princess Niyasa asked as they began to walk towards the stairs. 

"Hm," the Mother Queen hummed because badmouthing a king never went well. Even if one was the grandmother of the king. She said, "If we are going to keep a count of who went to war and how many of them were won, I believe Dante would be the only one to deserve the throne." 

Princess Emily quietly smiled at her grandmother's words while Princess Niyasa glared at the red-headed older woman. 

Anastasia walked behind them, and once they reached the ground floor, she positioned herself away from the members of the royal family, moving to where the other maids stood. She watched Prince Aiden and the Mother Queen hug Prince Dante, glad to see that he was alive. 

"I see that your hands have been getting better by the week." 

Anastasia turned to see who had spoken to her, and upon turning, she found Princess Niyasa staring at her. She clenched her hands because it was true. The milk-like liquid that she had been applying to her palms had been slowly improving the texture of her hands. Not to mention, as she no longer had to do any rigorous work, it had given them time to heal since she accompanied Princess Emily. 

Princess Niyasa said, "For you to take care of your hands only means that you want to elevate your position. But how unfortunate," she clicked her tongue as if upset. "The new captives will be stealing your position. Don't think I haven't forgotten how you lied to my face, and it makes me wonder what other 'talents' you are hiding."

Anastasia now understood what Dante meant that night in the library. 

'Don't let people know that you can read. It isn't because you are a maid that you will fall into trouble.' It was because, out of all the talents she possessed, reading wasn't a skill commonly associated with a maid, but with courtesans and concubines.

As Princess Niyasa left her side, Princess Emily appeared near Anastasia after speaking to her grandmother. The princess looked excited, and she said, 

"Anna, it is time to pack quickly!" 

Taken aback that she had to pack her clothes, Anastasia stared at the princess, a little pale-faced. Especially after the younger princess's remark. She asked, 'Where to?'

"We are going to the old palace!" Princess Emily smiled wide at the thought of seeing her mother after many weeks. She said, "Brother Dante is going to see Lady Lucretia, and Grandmother said that as she is here to look after things, we should spend some time with our mothers. So Aiden and I are going to visit the old palace. We will be staying there for two or three days."

Anastasia let out an internal sigh of relief because, for a moment, she was scared that the princess had agreed to elevate her status too. 

Princess Emily said in a rushed tone, "But we should do it quickly as we leave in an hour. I need you to pack your trunk too, as you will be coming with me."

Once the trunks were ready, they were loaded onto the cart, and the servants departed ahead of the royal children. At the stable, Anastasia now stood behind Princess Emily, who said,

"We should be fine with three horses, isn't that right, Brother Dante? Anna doesn't know how to ride a horse, and I would be happy to have her ride with me."

But Prince Aiden had a different idea, saying, "I think we should have four horses. The more room, the better. What if one of the horses gets injured?" This way, Anastasia could learn how to ride a horse when needed, the third prince thought to himself. 

Dante stared at the maid, whom he had successfully driven out of his mind all these days, but here she was again. She didn't meet his eyes, and when she did, she averted her gaze. He remarked, 

"Three horses are enough for the ride. Mount your horses," he placed his foot on the stirrup and mounted his black horse.

Princess Emily was next to mount her white horse, and Anastasia sat behind her before making her dress proper. 

"Are you sure you won't drop her, Lily?" Prince Aiden jokingly asked before he mounted his brown horse. He then said to Anastasia, "Hold onto my sister tightly, Anna, so that you don't fall." 

Princess Emily turned her head and instructed, "Put your hands around my waist, Anna. I am an excellent rider, you will see," she assured her maid. 

Anastasia did what she was told, and soon the horses began to clip-clop on the ground. The palace gates parted away from each other, creating an opening for them to head out. 

As they travelled, Prince Aiden was in the front, while Prince Dante positioned himself at the rear, and for some reason, Anastasia could feel his eyes on her. She wondered if she was imagining it, and out of curiosity, she slowly turned her head to meet his serious eyes. Not knowing what else to do, she fixed the shawl around her head and looked ahead. 

Princess Emily said to her, "You know, Anna, there is this little river not too far away from the old palace. It is clean and fresh, and if fortunate, you will see little fishes there. It is lovely. We should definitely visit there one day."

"I think she would like it," Prince Aiden remarked from the front. 

"Aren't you being a little too familiar with her, Aiden? I hope you don't have any funny ideas," Princess Emily frowned in disapproval. 

"Anna and I have become friends, isn't that right, Anna?" Aiden grinned, looking over his shoulder, and Anastasia, from behind, shook her head because Prince Dante had warned her to stay away from his brother as if she was going to be a bad influence. And in a way, she had been because she had unknowingly encouraged the third prince to run away from the palace. 

"I am glad Mother is staying with Lady Lucretia and Lady Noor. This way, it avoids us having to travel too much and be apart," Princess Emily murmured as they continued their journey. 

Once they reached the old palace, Anastasia's eyes fell on the dull walls surrounded by thick bushes. The palace was smaller than the one the current king lived in, but it was still big enough for one to know this was a place for the royals.

While getting down, Prince Aiden was kind enough to help Anastasia dismount the horse after helping his sister. 

Dante, who was tying his horse to a pole, noticed his brother's hands around the young maid's waist as he let her down from the horse. 

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