Chapter 4 Book 4

Sapphire got back to the palace and went to her chambers.

'Why is Joel being casual around that girl?' she thought.

'Am I overthinking this?. Maybe I am'

"Becca" Sapphire called out.

Becca is her personal maid.

The one her Father ordered to follow her.

"Yes, Your Highness"

"I want you to give me details about the girl that was with Joel"

"Yes, Your Highness"

***

Celine entered her class amidst stares and sat on her seat.

Everyone was staring at her and whispering.

Cleopatra, Rosanne and Mark entered the class and walked up to Celine.

"How is it possible for you to be here? " Rosanne asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Palace maids ain't allowed to attend school"

"How do you know I'm a Palace maid? " Celine asked, gazing at them one after the other.

" What do you mean? It literally happened in front of everyone" Cleo said, hissing.

"So how were you able to come here? " Rosanne persisted.

"I don't know, the Prince told me to come with him" Celine replied.

"Lucky, I hope-"

Mark was interrupted by the teacher entering the class with Joel's guard.

"Celine Hunt? " The teacher called and everywhere grew silent.

" Here... I...am... ma'am" Celine replied.

" Follow him. Henceforth, you'll be in the Royal class"

Murmurs filled the class.

-" what? Royal class?"

-" she's going to be with Joel all through? "

-" she's so lucky"

-" is something going on between them?"

Celine heard all type of questions fill her ears.

She looked at Rosanne whose mouth was slightly open in shock and then to Cleopatra who was beaming with smiles.

Celine stood up and walked to the guard and they walked out of the class.

***

Zedecus, the one who attacked Celine sat in his chair, smiling.

" Why are you smiling? Aren't you mad about the situation? It could have killed you." Zenta said in confusion.

" You have done a good job Zenta" Zedecus voice radiated through the walls of the room

" I don't understand " Zenta replied, more confused.

" I wasn't planning on killing the girl. I wanted to check if you were being truthful, I wanted to check if she was really the one I needed"

" Okay? "

" I knew trying to kill her would compel the one that saved her to emerge."

"I get it now" Zenta said, amazed.

"Now, we just have to find out what it is and destroy it" Zedecus said, his hands on his chin.

"Yes Master"

***

"Your Majesty, I can sense the child" Zeus, the seer said to the King immediately he entered the main Palace.

"What?! Where?"

"It seems to be either around the palace or worse, inside the palace"

"Is the child a threat to me?" The King asked in anticipation.

"I don't know but it seems secrets of the past would be unravelled" The seer said.

King Jarius heart started thumping.

" Sec... Secrets of the past? "

" We need to confirm if the child is not in the palace"

" Okay, how do we do that? "

"I will tell you soon" The seer concluded, bowed and left.

" Secrets of the past? Huh...? " King Jarius said, clutching his fist.

***

Celine and the guard got to the Royal class and he led her inside.

She bowed when her eyes met with Joel's.

"You are my personal maid and so you have to be here" Joel said, smirking.

Celine nodded and sat down.

She was already hating all these attention.

The teacher entered and bowed.

"Your Highness"

Joel scoffed.

" Get out" He said without looking up.

The teacher bowed and left.

Celine gasped.

"You" He said, referring to Celine.

Celine stood up immediately.

"I didn't give you the permission to sit, did I? Palace maids aren't allowed to attend school but I allowed you and just because I did doesn't mean you can behave anyhow. Now stand there and bow your head. You'll remain there till we leave the school"

Celine sighed. Her neck was already in pain with all the bowing down and she felt it might become stiff any moment from now.

Joel intentionally threw his pen down.

Celine didn't move a muscle.

"Are you dumb or you're pretending to be dumb? Pick it up"

Celine staggered and her legs twisted and she fell.

" You're so clumsy" Joel said rolling his eyes.

A hand stretched out to Celine and she, thinking it was the guard placed her hand on the person's hand. She looked up and it caught the beautiful eyes of Jeremy.

'What's he doing here? ' she thought.

Her heart raced and she felt butterflies in her tummy as they stared at each other.

Celine remembered where she had seen those eyes.

It was the guy who sang in the garden she was during the birthday party of the Prince.

Joel coughed and they both came back to reality.

" What are you doing here? " Joel asked, raising his eyebrows.

" I have the right to be here" Jeremy replied.

"You didn't say a word when the Ki-" Joel stopped short and continued" when you were given the permission to be here"

"So? " Jeremy asked.

" I took that as a 'no' "

" Last time I checked, silence means yes" Jeremy replied, brushing his fingers through his hair.

Joel scoffed and turned to Celine.

"Pick up the pen"

Jeremy picked it up before Celine could make an attempt to.

"Here" He placed it in his hands.

"We had a deal this morning" Joel told him.

"You trying to prove to me shows you're trying to hide your feelings" Jeremy said

"Really?" Joel looked at Celine "I want you to-"

"Just shut it" Jeremy said.

Celine gasped in surprise

"Leave Celine" Jeremy ordered.

"Have you lost it? How dare you order her to leave. What power do you have?" Joel asked, sternly.

"Really? What power do I have?" Jeremy smirked.

Joel sighed, defeated.

"Leave now!" He yelled at Celine.

She flinched, looked around in confusion and left.

"It seems you like her" Joel said, his eyes piercing into Jeremy's.

"That's so funny. Why do you think I do?"

"I saw the way you stared at her and because you humiliated me when she was here, I won't let you have her. I snatched alot of things away from you and this one would be a piece of cake"

Jeremy clenched his fist and hit Joel.

The guard came and unsheathed his sword, placing it at his neck.

Joel signalled to his guard to move away.

Jeremy was breathing heavily

"I will-"

Joel silenced him

"Nuh.. huh... Not another word or else you know who would take the brute of it"

Jeremy kicked one of the tables and left the class.

Joel smirked, cleaning his nose filled with blood.

***

Sapphire admired the flowers in the garden.

She thought about Joel and smiled.

He was way cuter than they had told her.

She turned and called the maid closest to her.

The maid moved to her.

"Hey, stay away from me, you stink" Sapphire almost yelled.

"Stay there" She said, pointing to a spot slightly far away from her.

"Your name?"

"Fiona, Your Highness"

"Is Becca back?"

"No, Your Highness"

"Okay"

The main turned to leave

"Fiona"

"Your Highness"

"What's the Prince like? How well does he relate with people?"

"He hardly talks to anyone except for the King and Queen"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Your Highness"

"What about-" Sapphire paused.

"Nevermind, back to your post"

"Yes, Your Highness"

'I guess I wasn't overthinking it then' Sapphire thought.

***

• • 3 hours later • •

Celine sat with her friends in the cafeteria.

"How's your stay in the palace? " Cleopatra asked her.

" Can we please not talk about it? " Celine pleaded.

" Okay, pretty eyes" Mark teased and they burst into laughter except Celine.

After it died down

" Speaking of Jeremy, I told you who he was yesterday, right? "

" Huh.. no" Celine replied

" Jeremy is a servant in the Palace" Rosanne said.

" What? " Celine exclaimed.

" I guess he's the Prince's favorite that's why he talks to the Prince so casually" Cleo added thoughtfully.

'I think it's way more than that' Celine mumbled to herself.

Suddenly, a fist was slammed on the table.

Startled, everyone looked up to see a pretty short cute girl.

" Aurelia, what do you-"

Aurelia interrupts

" Hey, new girl. I can see you have wrapped Jeremy around your dirty little finger but remember this, he's mine" She threatened.

"She doesn't have anyone wrapped-" Cleo began but was interrupted again.

"I'm not talking to you, the one I'm talking to knows herself. Be warned, I won't hesitate to end your life"

Aurelia eyed Celine and left.

"And yet another crazy obsessed lover" Mark said jokingly.

" End my life? " She whispered to no one in particular

Celine closed her eyes.

All these are becoming overwhelming for her.

***

• • 2½ hours later • •

"The Prince is back from school" Becca announced as soon as she was granted permission into Sapphire's chambers.

Sapphire smiled.

"When did he arrive?"

"30 minutes ago"

"Did you find out about the girl?"

"Yes, Your Highness. She's the only child of her parents. Her mother is dead and she's new here"

"Why's Joel paying attention to her then?"

"I heard she was rude to him and she's serving her punishment here"

"Something doesn't feel right" Sapphire mumbled to herself.

***

Celine entered the Royal Kitchen and the maids started mumbling.

" Here" Ayn said to Celine, handling her a tray of food.

" Serve it to the Prince. Go now or you'd be bombarded with questions you won't like"

Celine smiled in appreciation and walked out of the kitchen.

" I'm here with his food" Celine told the guards guarding Joel's door.

The guards opened the door and she entered.

The Prince was not in sight so she placed the food on a table and she spots her bracelet. It was the only thing her mother left for her apart from her dresses.

She picked it up and tried to leave but she collided with the cold hard bare chest of Joel.

It was obvious he just had a bath.

Celine looked up at him. He was even cuter.

His wet hair dripping with water stuck on his face and his lips were smaller and cuter, giving him a bad boy look

Celine quickly looked away and tried to leave but she slipped. Joel caught her in time, the bracelet falling in the process.

"It seems colliding and falling are your favorite hobby" He said, gazing into her eyes.

Celine quickly composed herself and released herself from his grip.

"Thank you" She mumbled and tried to leave but they heard Sapphire's voice.

"I'm here to see the Prince" She told the guards.

In panic, Joel turned his back to the door and used his body to shield Celine to prevent Sapphire from noticing her.

The door opens.

"Your High-" Sapphire paused as she stared at his back.

"Leave, I'll call you when I'm done" He said

"But... But..."

"Leave this instant" He yelled.

Sapphire fumed.

'something is wrong' she thought and unconsciously stared at his legs.

Her eyes almost pulled out of its socket when she noticed 2 pairs of legs.

'It's that girl' she thought and walked out.

Celine gently moved from his body and rushed out.

Sapphire watched Celine rush out of Joel's chambers from a distance and asked Becca to bring the girl to her.

***

Celine got to Sapphire's chambers shaking with fear.

'Did she see me in the Prince's chambers? ' she thought severally.

"Your Highness" Celine greeted and bowed almost immediately

"It's good you know your place" Sapphire mumbled to herself.

"I know you're the Prince's personal maid and I want to gift him flowers. You will help me give the bouquet of flowers to him and so I want you to accompany me but it will be tomorrow night. I don't want anyone to know about it. In the midnight, you should sneak out and meet me at the back gate of the palace" Sapphire said, faking a smile.

" Yes, Your Highness "

" Don't forget, it's important to me "

" Yes, Your Highness"

Celine bowed and left.

Becca entered.

" What's your plan, Princess? "

" I'll get rid of her tomorrow night" Sapphire said, smiling evily.