Chapter 8 - Bride's Battle

"Molina!" a thick man's voice bellowed from behind.

Julia turned around and met Harold's eyes staring at her with his mouth agape. This was even worse than James'.

She heard someone came in but she thought it was James. This was the first time she would be seeing this man.

The clothes she had in her hands dropped to the floor. She was scared and embarrassed.

Harold went down on his knees. He bowed down to add more to her embarrassment.

"My Queen, you have really reincarnated" he moaned.

Julia kept looking at him. She didn't know what to do. She was stuck on the same spot.

"Why are you kneeling down for my maid?" James asked immediately as he came in and saw Harold.

"My Queen has reincarnated, she has come back to us" Harold said happily without looking up.

"This is not Molina. This is Julia, my new maid" James explained hastily. He definitely didn't like what Harold was doing.

"Have you no eyes? This is the Queen. Our powerful Queen that came back from the dead" it seemed Harold would not get back to his senses anytime soon.

"Julia, can you just hit him on the head to bring his brain back from the dead?" James was actually fed up of his drama.

Julia shook her head. She was breathing heavily.

"I am not your Queen, please get up. I am Julia, a maid" Julia said awkwardly.

"Yes, you can be anybody. But the next Queen of this kingdom has chosen to come back to life through you" Harold still had his head bent downward.

"Harold, no one has come back to life. Get up now before I lose my cool" James fumed impatiently.

"Are you going to kill me for paying obeisance to my Queen" he was adamant.

"Harold, you remember the maid I told you about, that looks like Molina. This is her. Get up and stop embarrassing us all" James urged him calmly.

"The one bought with five thousand of gold coins?" Harold asked slowly. It seemed he was getting it now.

"Yes. Sold to Michael" James buttressed.

"Are you saying this isn't really Molina?" Harold raised up his head and stared into Julia's face. He stood up to see her more clearly.

"She really looks like her" he mumbled.

Julia bowed to him in respect.

"You now understand why I was in turmoil" James chuckled and held Harold's hand.

He walked him to the table. All the while, Harold was looking behind at Julia. It seemed he was still very confused.

"That is Julia not Molina" James said again after catching him looking back.

"I accepted that but what is Michael's maid doing in your chamber?" he asked anxiously.

Julia packed and folded the clothes she had dropped earlier. She pretended to be busy with that and not concerned with their conversation.

She eavesdropped all they were saying. She wanted to know more. That was why Michael had sent her here.

"She was Michael's maid. Now, she is my maid" James laughed. He was obviously very happy.

"He gave her to you?" Harold still didn't want to assimilate that.

"For free. As a gift" James revealed happily.

"And you take her in? You shouldn't have" Harold complained like he would burst into tears.

"Why shouldn't I?" James questioned. "Do you know how her presence here was making me feel" James gloated.

"You can't trust Michael. Send her out before we will start talking about anything" Harold implied.

"Let her stay. I want her around" James defended.

"Don't you understand this, James? She is a mole" Harold whispered but Julia could overhear him very well

"Julia!" James called out.

Julia rushed towards them.

"This is Harold, my childhood friend" James declared.

A lots of thoughts ran across Julia's mind. She thought she would be going to another master.

"I think he likes you very much" James continued.

Julia gasped for breath. She would cry if her thoughts turned to real. She waited to hear what he had left to say.

"He wants you to go outside because he thinks you are a mole, you are here to spy for Michael, is that true?" James asked.

"No. I am not a spy" Julia responded instantly. She breathed heavily.

"You heard her, she isn't a spy" James turned to Harold.

"Actually, she will tell you if she is" Harold laughed.

"Can you just go and wait outside a bit?" James requested politely.

"Yes sir" Julia walked outward at once.

"You just have to order her. She is your maid" Harold grumbled.

"She is not just a maid" James opposed.

****************

"Father" Michael bowed before the Alpha King on the throne.

"Michael, you came a bit late" the Alpha King said slowly.

"I am sorry,I tried a lot to be here as fast as I could" he pleaded.

"There's no problem with that. Just tell me what you are cooking in your mind" the Alpha King had just spoken in riddles.

Michael paused to think what he just said through but he couldn't understand at all. He looked up to him in confusion.

"Cooking in my mind?" he asked.

"Yes. What is your plan with what you are doing?" the Alpha King had not yet clarified his words.

"I had no plans against anyone" Michael supposed he must be talking about the kingship rivalry between him and James.

"You bought a maid with five thousand gold coins to give to your brother?" the Alpha King broke out.

"All I wanted is for him to be happy. I found something that could give him happiness and I secured it for him in brotherly love" he shrunk back and explained slowly.

"You gave him a maid looking like his dead lover. So that he would not be serious about getting a bride. Isn't it?" he asked furiously.

Michael remembered his conversation with the Queen Mother. She had definitely went to poison the king's mind just to make sure Michael would bring Julia back.

"I didn't know you were both talking about getting a bride for him when I bought the maid. I beg for the king's forgiveness" Michael knelt down and bent towards the floor.

"Stand up" the Alpha King groaned and Michael got back on his feet.

"I don't care who he marries. All I want for him is to marry a woman and if the maid will be his choice of marriage, I will not impede his intention" the Alpha King declared.

"No!" Michael screamed mindlessly. "I did not give her the maid for marriage purpose" he quickly added.

"You did not give him for marriage purpose? Why do you say that?" the Alpha King smiled subtly.

"I do not want to be the reason why he defies you" Michael grunted.

"You sounded like there is still a piece of this maid left with you. You had given her out, the new master will decide what he does with his maid" the Alpha king clarified.

"I will not be the one to defy you in any case" Michael responded, he was feeling bad inside him.

It wouldn't be good if Julia get married to James. He would lose the hold on her. Everything he had already planned would backfire.

"In that case,I will prepare for their marriage. And you should do the same as your brother is the bridesgroom" he said.

"Have you asked James about this? He might be thinking otherwise" Michael suggested. He didn't want this to happen.

"I don't need to ask him anything. I already have my answers" the Alpha King affirmed.

"How?" Michael asked.

"His glance at the dinner said it all. He is in love with your maid and that was simple. All he did was transferring the already bred love to her" he explained.

"Then we shall begin the preparation immediately" Michael feigned a smile.

He wished he could find a way to stop this right now. He couldn't afford to lose Julia, not only because he was his spy. He loved her but he had held back just because he thought now was not the right time.

"The only remaining piece of advice left will be directed to you. Now that the maid is going to be your brother's wife. You will forget everything about her" the Alpha King said sternly.

He seemed to know what was running through Michael's mind.

"Father" Michael paused and smiled. "I had let go everything the moment I handed her over to him. I want him to be happy" he elicited but he had something else deep within him.

"You can go" he discharged him.

"Thanks. Father" he moaned.

Michael's smiling face turned sour the moment he turned away from his father. He regretted giving Julia out right now.

But the deed was already done. All he needed was a solution that would prevent this marriage.

He thought of consulting his mother for help but that would be in conflict with their earlier discussion.

Julia would have no choice than to play along. The situation seemed to have changed gradually from the battle for the throne to the battle for the maid.