Chapter 4 - Mysterious Maid
Julia stood at the entrance while Michael walked in to the room. This was the Queen Mother's chamber. Julia couldn't understand why he had brought her here.
"Can't you come in?" Michael asked angrily from inside.
At once, Julia knew he was talking to her. She tiptoed in to the room. Michael was standing right in front of Queen Teresa. Their countenance were not in consonant.
Michael was smiling broadly showing he was extremely happy within him. But the Queen looked sad and her sadness seemed to be fueled by Michael's smile.
"This is Julia" he pushed her lightly forward to Queen Teresa.
Julia quickly bowed her head before her eyes and the Queen could meet. She was shivering all over with her breaths uneven.
"To get my blessing?" Queen Teresa said with an angry voice. "You brought her here to get my blessings?" she repeated immediately.
Michael was surprised for some seconds. Obviously clueless about what to say. His smiles were fading but he quickly collected himself together and ignited it again.
"This is my new maid. The most expensive maid in the kingdom of Darnley" Michael said with the smiles that had just germinated back on his face.
"I was there,I have eyes and my ears are working" Queen Teresa said again. Her voice was not as intense as before but she still had something in her mind.
"And should I say I couldn't understand why you are receiving this news with a mood like this or just walked back out with my costly maid?" he asked calmly.
"There are times for everything. Appropriate times to do things. This isn't the time to buy a maid. Women are distractions and you don't need that right now" she explained quickly breathing heavily. It seemed she couldn't ward off her anger.
"I'm very happy to know the anger isn't for me, mother" he paused and held Julia's hand. Julia moved sideway closer to him.
"And not for her too. But talking about women being distraction. You once tried talking me into getting a princess, if I haven't forgotten. Are princesses excluded from this distractions?" he questioned her.
"Yes" she replied straight. "A princess will assist you in making the decision to get you closer to your goals as the royal blood already run in her veins and she is used to palace affairs unlike the daughter of a fishmonger" she spoke ill of Julia.
Michael laughed out loudly. Julia was forced to look up by the loudness of his laugh. She quickly bowed her head back immediately.
"She is not the daughter of a fishmonger" he finally stopped laughing. "Tell her who your mother is" he patted Julia on the back.
"I am the daughter of....My mother is the....Her name is Rachel" Julia stuttered with her head still bowed towards the floor.
"The butler?" Queen Teresa asked and paused before finally giggling. "Michael, you should stop trying to be a humorist" she groaned.
"Mother, I do not need anyone to assist me in making decisions" Michael fumed like he had wanted to say that earlier.
"And welcome my maid into the palace" he said slowly.
"Is that what you want, King Michael?" she asked. "You are welcome, little Rachel" she said with sarcasm.
"Her name is Julia" Michael quickly pointed out.
"I don't need to know a maid by her name" she emphasized.
Julia heard her footsteps as she walked away from them.
"Not even the one bought with five thousand gold coins?" Michael was obviously not expecting her to answer the question.
"Congratulations, Julia. The Queen mother likes you a lot" he put his hand below her chin to raise up her head.
"I think she hates me" Julia moaned.
"No, no. She likes you a lot. Believe me" he convinced and held her hand, squeezing it in his own as they walked outward.
Julia looked back as they were going. She just wished she would catch a glimpse of the Queen's rear.
"She doesn't like that" Michael put his other hand on her head and turned it back immediately.
Michael really liked her. She wasn't sure of the reason yet, maybe he found her that ravishing or he was just taking care of his money.
"And do you like her?" Michael asked suddenly.
Julia was startled. There was nothing else she could say than to just admit that.
"I like her. A lot" she reciprocated Michael assertion.
"Why?" Michael had become pestering.
"I used to think she was beautiful but when I was closer to her. I saw she was more beautiful than I thought" she produced the only thing she could come up with quickly.
"Your head was down, the whole time you spent in front of her. I don't know when you saw her face" he argued.
Julia scoffed as she didn't have anything to say to that. Though, Queen Teresa was not welcoming, Julia still felt positive about her.
She really liked her like she said. It felt like they had a connection.
"I don't believe that women like each other for being beautiful, they used to be envious of each other, young or old" Michael joked and chuckled.
"I hope you will have time for the joint dinner today" the Alpha King spoke before James could get closer to him.
"Of course. I will be there" James bowed slightly.
"You won't want to miss that too" he placed both of his hands on his shoulders and held them.
The Alpha King was smiling broadly. There was definitely something running through his mind. The happiness was enough to bring him down to the hallway to James.
"Your butler came as you said" he laughed.
"Yes. My seat should not be empty" James said quickly but was still wondering about his father's strange joy.
"And he enjoyed the whole show" he said again.
James felt he was just trying to make him regret for not being present at the auction. It was always a repetition every year. There was nothing that basking about it.
"The show of gladiators fighting with blunt swords" James whined to let him know he didn't feel remorseful.
"Yeah. They had really improved. A lot" he laughed again.
James wondered what was so exciting about that, that gave him such a high spirit.
"Have you seen the maid?" the Alpha King finally asked seriously.
"Maid?" James was confused. He had not heard about any maid. He was busy thinking what could have made a maid a significant part of their discussion right now.
"You haven't heard right?" he smiled again.
"There is no news about any maid" James asserted.
"The most expensive maid in history was bought by your brother. She was very beautiful though but no one would expect such an amount" the Alpha King expressed eagerly.
"A thousand?" James said the highest price he presumed
"Five times" he broke the news.
James paused and laughed afterwards. The news was not funny to him. He was just surprised his father was the one carrying the news around.
He had now understood his aim. He had something on his mind to say to James.
"So do you want me to buy a maid more expensive than that?" he asked. Maybe the competition would be in favor of the owner of the most expensive maid.
"No. I just want you to come to the dinner" the Alpha King affirmed.
"I will be there" James replied sharply.
His mind was filled again with this sudden news. Michael would not just buy a maid at that amount just for the sake of buying a maid.
There was something hidden about it. He had a plan. James couldn't figure out what the plan was right now.
But he was sure he would find clues to that at the dinner. He regretted not going to the auction right now. He would have made sure he beat him to it.
He was surely richer than him. That wouldn't be a problem. He had to find what he was planning to do with the maid.
"You looked disturbed" the Alpha King said. "Are you regretting not being at the auction?" he asked with a little smile on his face. That would definitely turned big if he got the response he wanted.
"Actually, I am just confused why Michael would have spent that much to acquire a maid. Is a maid that important?" he opened up to his father.
"Apart from the maid being a temptress. I don't think there is any other reason he paid that" he said doubtfully.
"And you are going to meet her at dinner" the Alpha King disclosed.
"At the dinner? Is this a family dinner or another auction?" James asked in disbelief.
A maid shouldn't be at that kind of setting. Only the maids that served the king personally were allowed.
He was surprised his father was the one to say this and he mentioned casually like it was no big deal.
"She will be invited there" the Alpha King asserted again.
James decided he must be there at this dinner. To catch up on everything he seemed to be missing.
And to solve all of his mysteries that was revolving around this mysterious maid.