chapter 48

"Pardon me?" I chocked on my saliva.

" These are the Queen's chambers..." she tried to explain before I cut her off.

" Why would I stay in these chambers?" I asked nervously.

" They were assigned to you by the King " she explained in a calm tone.

" Ambrose... Sorry, the King wouldn't do this" I argued.

He wouldn't right? I knew he kept asking me to be his Queen but I didn't want to take it seriously.

" I'm afraid he did Lady Nalani"

Lady Nalani? The name felt foreign to me. I haven't heard the name lady used to refer to me in a long time. Not after loosing my father and all our properties. Since when was I a lady?

" Please call me Nalani. Lady Nalani is not appropriate "

I don't know why but being called a lady made me nervous.

" The King asked us to refer you as lady Nalani. If you have any questions or concerns other than the chambers, you will have to ask the King "

I sat on the floor, bringing my thighs to my chest and my arms hugged my knees. A position I had adopted in the dungeons when I felt uncomfortable or overwhelmed. Things were moving too fast for me to process .

The King was making decisions for my life without asking. I felt like I was back to the time I had lost everything. I felt like I had no control over my life again. A thought that happened to terrify me. For me freedom was more important than anything or anyone.

Since I entered the castle, my freedom became a dream. I slept, ate, worked and even showered at a given time. I didn't have to use my brain for anything since everything was a routine. My fighting skills were getting rusty, my usually toned and energetic body was getting slacky and my mind was tormented.

Living in the castle did more harm than good. I was punished frequently at first and then ended up in the dungeons, where I was tortured for days for a crime I didn't commit. Lastly the King confessed his feelings for me. The changes were too fast for me to catch up.

What was I supposed to do ?

Maybe I should run away?

Castle Vain was not as heavily protected as the main castle. Since the workers here didn't know me well, I could slip out and run away. Yes, running away seemed like the perfect solution at the moment. I could go away for a few days, clean up my thoughts, breath alittle fresh air and then come back.

Mrs Meyers, noticed the change in Nalani's behaviour. When she sat on the ground , ignoring the hundreds of pieces of furniture carefully placed just for her, she knew something was wrong. The girl looked small in this gigantic room. In fact anyone would look small in this room. For some reason, the way she crouched on the ground made Mrs Meyers remember her first week at this Castle.

She knew no one . The Castle was bigger than she had thought with countless rooms. When she was taken around by the housekeeper then, bless her kind soul, she felt suffocated. She was not used to the rules, regulations nor the etiquette. Everything she was taught became overwhelming.

The first three days she had an overwhelming thought to run away and never return. She did run away but only for a few hours, she got lost and became scared, so she went back. When Mrs Meyers saw the Castle she despised so much, she cried tears of joy because she knew she was finally safe. At least in the Castle she had a safe place to stay, food to eat and all her needs were met.

The next day she met the Young Master, who stole her heart and cemented her decision to stay. Since then she has never thought of leaving this warm cozy Castle. She could see the signs she had then on Nalani. From her calm composure she had decided to leave.

Mrs Meyers was not going to let the King's love interest run away. What would happen if the king learned of her escape? She knew what would happen. The King would hunt her down, search every town and every home until he found her. He wouldn't care for his safety and this would benefit some select person's.

Mrs Meyers tiptoed out the door, fished the key out of her pocket and locked Nalani inside. It was the the smartest move at the time. She walked as fast as she could to the King's chambers which was connected to the Queen's chambers through a door. Going around was longer but it was appropriate.

She couldn't use the adjoining door since she wasn't the Queen. She stopped at the door and knocked quickly.

" Come in"

She heard a voice answer inside. She gently opened the door to find Sir Stanley and the King having a cup of tea. It was already night, so they were probably going over something important. She hesitated since she might be interrupting an important meeting .

" Mrs Meyers, do you need something?" the King asked in a calm and collected voice

She wondered if she should tell him with Sir Stanley still in the room.

" Could I perhaps speak to you alone?" She bent her head

" You can say what you want to say infront of Sir Stanley, it's okay" he said before sipping his hot tea.

" I don't think it will be appropriate" she insisted.

The King stared at her for a few seconds before he signalled for Sir Stanley to leave. He has been raised by Mrs Meyers, so he could tell when she is worried. He gently placed the delicate cup on the table before seating straight.

" Please go ahead "

" Your highness, I think you should speak to Nalani " she calmly suggested.

" Why?" He asked

" Lady Nalani might be having a hard time adjusting. It should do her some good to talk to you"

The mention of the name Nalani increased the King's heartbeat. What was wrong with his Nalani?

" What is wrong with her? Speak casually "

" When she learned she was supposed to stay in the Queens chambers she recoiled into herself. She started panicking. I locked her door to prevent her from running away but I wouldn't be surprised if she used the windows"

" And jump two floors down?"

" Your highness, you didn't see her. I am concerned, she might feel suffocated and run away"

The King seemed to be in deep thought for some minutes before he stood up.

" Thank you , Mrs Meyers, I will go see her now"

" Please take care of her. She might seem tough on the outside but she is a delicate thing on the inside"

" Thank you for your advice. You may leave. Have a good night"

" Have a good night, your highness"

Mrs Meyers left the King's chambers quickly. When she closed the door behind her, relief spread through her body.

' They will be fine' she thought as she went back to her room.