Episode 3 : Bad news? Good news?

   The next morning

          *rustle rustle* *toss and turn* *eyes opened slowly* *blink blink* “Ohh, it’s morning already.” Motra said as

she’s sitting up.

“But where is Mia? Ohh right I forgot she told me she can’t come today, before she went to her room last night. She can only come twice or thrice a week because she was assigned to another palace, she can’t neglect her duties there, and yesterday I asked her to stayed with me all day to clean the library, I hope she won’t get into any trouble because of me, sigh…. I’m such a trouble.” She said as knock her forehead slightly.

Then she got off the bed, stretched her body a little bit, prepared herself and she went to the library.

Montra opens the door of the library excitedly, walked inside and said “Now, shall we begin the process of obtaining the information regarding the kingdom?”

Then she browses through the books, picks several of them and go to the table to read.

She read and read, she drowned herself in reading completely, when she finished a book she continued with another one. She kept reading until she lost track of time and when she realized it, it’s already evening.

“What? It’s evening already? How many hours have I been reading?” she said as she’s looking at the setting sun through the library window. “I should go back to my bedroom now” then she organizes the book and left the library.

*Rustle* the sound of her skin brush through her bed sheets as she gets in her bed then she sits there and thought CAREFULLY.

(Even though I spent a lot of time reading but there isn’t much information I can get. One third of the books there are fairy tales and the other books are about the arts of communication for noble, history, geography, and some general knowledge for ladies. The information I can gain is that this kingdom is bordered with the Glorieux Empire and Luis kingdom. It relies mostly on agriculture and they also do some trading with the empire. For social standing between men and women, even though they don’t restrict women’s right but they don’t give women complete freedom either, the women here are ignorant of the rights they have, they don’t have enough knowledge. They think it's okay as the way they are, that’s why most of them are just like housewives, they don’t even get to voice their opinions and can’t even argue back when something happen just like….the queen.)

Her face sadden a little (And I am the princess of this kingdom and the abandoned one at that, sooner or later I will be force into an arrange marriage with some old man for political benefit).

“Hah…..!!!” she let out a big sigh. “how can I be so unfortunate and what’s more annoying is that the damn tradition of this kingdom, people believe that a woman should get married at the oldest eighteen years old.” She shows a sour expression.

“Well, there’s still time maybe I can think of something when the time comes, now I need to sleep, tomorrow I need to read some more book to gain more information."

Half a month has passed since the day Montra come to this world. Her daily life here is not much, her routines are just sleep, wake up, get ready, eat breakfast, go to the library, eat lunch, continue to read books, eat dinner and then sleep. Every day is a circle like that, nothing changes.

Through books she can know some useful information and her source of information outside of the isolated palace is Mia.

Every time Mia comes to serve Montra she will bring information from outside such as rumors or some gossip between the palace maids to report to Montra and what she hears mostly are rumors about herself such as “the princess has finally gone really mad that she doesn’t even wear any clothes” or “the princess is so crazy until she can’t take it anymore and attack a young maid” that’s when Montra broke a glass of water by accident when the maid who brings food to her was walking out of the room, she didn’t even turn around to see what’s going on and she’s already run out of the room and spread that rumor.

And another rumor said that “The princess has an incurable illness she will die soon” that’s when Montra sleep in bed because she catches a cold. When Montra hear those rumors for the first time from Mia while she is drinking water, she nearly chokes herself to death. But as time passed it become normal for her to handle such absurd rumors roaming around.

Until one day as she’s finished reading a book in the library, she speaks to herself “haa….. half a month has passed and nothing has changed I am still confined in this palace, I buried myself in books to eliminate my boredom, at first I thought that it is okay as long as I don’t need to work like crazy like in my past life it’s better, but now I’d rather work my *** off to earn money to survive than got confined in here waiting to be sold off. Now I think I can understand how Rapunzel must feel to get confined in the tower like that” she said with a droop face.

“And what stressed me even more is that I still can’t find a solution to the arrange marriage that will come my way in the next eight months period. Try to escape? But how? The securities are too tight.” She bangs her on the table hopelessly.

Then suddenly, *bang* someone slam the door open abruptly. As Montra turned toward the door as soon as she heard the sound, she meets a pair of eyes full of sadness and worry then she shouts in worry as she walk hurriedly toward the person. “Mia!?” she said.

Mia is out of breath, she pants hardly, she looks so tired, she can’t even stand straight and before she can say anything Montra supports her to stand up.

“Don’t say anything, Mia. Catch your breath and tell me slowly later.” She said with a serious face then they walk to the table and sit down.

A few minutes later Mia gets better, she speaks with a concern face that “There is bad news princess!!!”

“Bad news? What can be considered bad news in my situation?” Montra replied uninterested as she grabbed on a book and start reading.

“But princess it really is a bad news, someone has proposed a marriage to you princess. And the king has accepted the proposal!!!” She speaks earnestly.

“Ahh! So the marriage proposal, huh?” Montra speak carelessly then her face suddenly went pale as she turned to Mia and said “Wait!! What? A marriage proposal? Already? I thought I have at least 8 months more to prepare a plan but why so out of the blue? It really is a bad news, a really bad news” her face looks depressed.

“This is still not considered a really bad news, Princess. The one you have to marry is the duke of the Glorieux empire, Duke Nicholas which rumored to be cold blooded and having a hideous appearance because of a curse.” Mia said with her teary eyes.

“Wait! What did you just say?” Montra asked with a surprised face but hopeful eyes.

“Yes? I said that the duke has a hideous appearance.” Mia replied with confusion.

“No, before that.” “Uhm… the duke is cold blooded?” “No, Mia earlier than that.” Montra insisted.

“The duke of the Glorieux Empire?” “Yes, Mia yes that’s it. This is not a bad news but a good news instead” she said with a brighten face.

(From what I know the empire society is much more open and free for women. The women can do business, can join in politics and they have equal footing to men, if I can go there it is a god send opportunity for me to live a new life) Montra thought hopefully.

“Good news? But princess you have to marry a man that everyone fears, he might hurt you and on top of that he has a hideous appearance.” Mia said with sadness and confusion.

“Yes, a good news Mia. Did you forget that I’m trying to find a way to escape from here? To escape from a life with no progress, a life that limited me, this is a perfect opportunity. If I am to married that Duke, at least it’s better than marry some old man in this kingdom where I can’t even lift my head up. And about the rumors it’s not certain that they are true, you also experienced some absurd groundless rumors about me yourself, didn’t you?” Montra explained.

“Well, that is indeed true, but even so we can’t be certain that the rumors are untrue completely.”

“Yes, that may be true but even if the rumors are true, he won’t hurt me easily as long as I stay low profile and don’t get in his way, he doesn’t have any reason to hurt me right?” Montra said as she shrugs her shoulders.

“But princess I’m still worried what if you got hurt?” Mia said as her tear flows down.

Montra feels sad as she pats Mia’s shoulder and said “Now, now Mia, I’m going to be okay. And even if I want to refuse this marriage, do you think it is possible? Everything has already been set, it can’t be change with a simple refusal from an abandoned princess like me.”

“Princess!!” Mia’s tear flows down even harder with her face full with sorrow and concern, she hugs Montra tightly as Montra pats her on the back lightly.

A few moment has passed as Mia has finally calm down Montra said “Now you should go back to work, you’re going to get yourself in trouble if you stay any longer. Thank you for come running just to tell me in advance about the marriage and thanks for your concern, but promise me not to do this again, you nearly out of breath back there. Even if you come 5 minutes later than this, nothing changed anyway.” she smiled sweetly.

“Understood, your highness, and you don’t have to say that your highness, it is what I have to do. You said that you see me as a family, me too, I see princess as my family too, I can’t just stand still doing nothing, even though I’m not of much use but I will try my best to help you, your highness.” She speaks with a sad teary face.

“No, you have helped me a lot already, Mia.” Montra smiled.

Mia gives a bitter smile back “Then I will take my leave now, your highness” she said and turned around to leave but she paused when Montra said “Mia, wait. If it’s okay with you, will you come to the empire with me?”

As soon as Montra finished the sentence Mia turned around and her face brighten as she said “Yes, Princess, yes. Thank you so much, your highness.” she bowed then smiled brightly, turn around and left.

“Sigh… this girl even though she is 20 years old but she still has that childlike side, she got scared and worried easily. Well, what can I say anyway even I someone with a 23 year-old mind still can be childish sometimes.” She said as she shook her head and chuckled lightly.

            A few hours later, it already evening so Montra left the library and as she’s just got into her bedroom.

*knock knock* someone knock on the door. “Who is it?” Montra asked.

“It’s me, Matthew, his majesty’s aide, your highness.” He replied.

“Come in” she said calmly. When the door opened a man step inside as he said “His majesty has sent me to inform your highness about your marriage arrangement with Duke William Gabriel Nicholas of the Glorieux Empire” he stood there straight as his eyes focus on the floor.

(If not for the king's order I’m not going to come to this broke down palace just to inform some information to an abandoned retarded princess. How troublesome) he thought.

Montra look at him with a calm expression as she thought (hah! He doesn’t even bother to greet me, the princess, and just go straight to the business, huh?)

“Well, I am aware. But it seems that I didn’t hear your greeting, before you inform me of the marriage or have you forgotten?” she speaks with a calm piercing tone.

Matthew flinched then his eyesight move to look at the princess’s face slowly and as he looked into her golden eyes, there, only calmness and unwavering stare that shoot right at him.

He got surprise and bowed down a bit as he said hurriedly “I apologize your highness for my insolent behavior”

(Rumors has always said that the princess is a pushover retard that lives meekly in the isolated palace, are the rumors wrong? The princess in front of me now, not only she’s not meek, she also seems calm and compose. I really shouldn’t have believed in the rumors) he thought regretfully.

“It’s okay, but please be aware of your position and your behavior in the future, because you are the king’s aide and you represent his majesty, if you act poorly there might be rumor flying around that his majesty can’t even manage his subordinate well.” She emphasized.

“Yes, I will keep that in mind your highness” he replied.

“Good. Is that all you have to inform me?”

“There’s more your highness, the duke will send a carriage to take you to the empire in half a month to his estate for you to take the bridal lessons before the wedding took place six months after that. And in this half a month the king will send someone to make dresses and prepare the necessaries for you, your highness.”

“Hmm, I know. Please send the king my thanks later when you return, and also inform him that I would like to request a maid name Mia to be my personal maid when I go to the empire. If there is nothing else then you can leave, I need to rest.” She said.

“Yes your highness, please don’t worry I will relay these messages to the king immediately. I shall take my leave now, please rest well your highness.”

Montra slightly nodded her head then he left. After the aide left a little “haa …. It’s so tiring to act tough *she dropped herself on the bed and lay down* but there’s no other way I need to show them that I’m not meek or crazy like the rumor said.” “I’m so tired and sleepy maybe I should skip dinner and go straight to bed, Mia is not here to nag at me anyway” she said as she got up, took the bath and go to bed.

TO BE CONTINUED.....!!!!!🌺🌺🌺

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