Chapter 43

EMILY was looking at the surroundings that were laid upon her when the maid was opening the master’s bedchamber in front of her. She gulped as she was looking at the messy bed and the papers were everywhere.
“Here you go, the master bedchamber,” the maid stated as she smiled before Emily gripped the broom that she was given when she was in the servants’ quarter earlier.
“Thank you,” she said as she was looking at the bedchamber. She groaned inside.
“Don’t forget. Be the shadows,” the maid reminded her as she left Emily to her work. Emily was looking at the floor before she sighed as she was putting a pail of water with soap on the floor and she was looking at the dusty floor.
“Time to get busy then,” she said as she was getting a brush and she was washing the floor. She was humming a happy song that she knew would lift her spirit before she did not notice that she was being watched from afar.
Emily felt the tingling in her nape that she was being watched. She turned around to see that she was alone in the bedchamber before she shrugged and went to work on her work.
She went to open the windows and drew the curtains that were draping over them. Then, Emily went to stoke the fire for the night before she was looking at the fire that was crackling inside the fireplace.
Emily wiped her eyebrows before she looked at the sparkling clean master bedchamber that she had just finished. She was proud to know that she could do the servant’s work without any trouble.
“On to the next one then,” she said as she was leaving the chamber when she no longer felt like she was being watched.
But she never knew what was in store for her at the estate.

“A LETTER for you, my lord,” the butler stated as Ian was looking at him who was holding out a letter for him. He sighed when he was looking at the dragon’s seal. It was from either the young queen or the Duke of Belikov. He opened the letter before he was reading the contents.
It was from the young queen.
“It was an invitation for a ball,” the marquis stated as the butler was nodding at him before exiting the room.
Ian was putting the invitation on his desk before he was rubbing his dry mouth. He was not familiar with the clean-shaven face before he stood up from the chair and went to the window.
He was looking at the window of his bedchamber before he was looking at the blonde locks that were bopping in and out of the window. He smiled as he looked at his new maid who was cleaning his bedchamber.
He felt intimate somehow.
Ian shook his head before he looked at the invitation that he was asked by the young queen to attend. He was holding his neck before he sighed.
It’s time for me to get a bride as well, he mused before he remembered that his best friend, the Duke of Belikov, was now happily married to his duchess.
Ian sighed before he shook his head. He might have to find a bride, but he would try to find someone who would not bother his life as much as falling in love with him.
But of course, that would not be the course of action for what was coming into his face.

THE young queen of Niapachad Island was sipping on her blood-laced wine before she was smiling happily. Arabella was looking at the castle that was reserved for royalty in St. Betown, a sprawling city that was to the east of Royal Molftus. She sighed before her husband, Aiden, was coming into the drawing room.
“I see that you have put your plan into motion,” he stated before he was getting the wine before Arabella was leaning against her husband.
“Hmm, how long would he be out in the country if not for my intervention in his search to find his bride?” Arabella said as Aiden was looking at his wife. He was amused by her statement before she sighed.
“You’re no fun, Aiden.”
“I am supposed to be the rational one between us,” Aiden mused before Arabella arched her eyebrows as she turned to look at her husband. She was taking the wine and sipping on the drink.
“Fine, whatever. You’re the rational one and I am the romantic one between the two of us,” Arabella pouted before Aiden chuckled.
“Sure, whatever you say, my love,” Aiden said as he was kissing the neck of his wife. Arabella sighed before she turned to look at her husband. The desire was in her eyes. Aiden arched his eyebrows.
“What are you thinking, my love?”
“I was feeling neglected after those travels that we had. Shall you make me feel loved again?” Arabella said as she was tracing her hands on her husband’s hand. Aiden growled before he was scooping his wife into his arms.
“Don’t mind if I do,” he said before Arabella’s laughter was feeling the empty hallways as they went to their master’s bedchamber.

EMILY was wiping the sweat that was forming on her eyebrows before she looked at the fire that she had made for the cooking. She was free and she thought that she would be helping the cook to prepare some dinner for the master of the estate.
“Did you hear?” The cook was asking Emily as she was turning to look at her. She wiped her hands on her apron before she sat at the table to peel the potatoes.
“About what?” She asked the cook before the middle-aged woman smiled at her.
“That the young queen will be coming here with her prince consort. She was eager to spend some time with her consort in the country and the marquis was happy to welcome her here in his region,” she said as Emily was nodding at her.
“I see. Is that why we’re cooking the feast right now?” Emily asked as the cook was nodding.
“Yes! It had been a long time since the Marquis admitted anyone. Not after the accident that caused his parents,” Cook said in a sad tone as Emily was nodding at her.
She could sense that the household was grieving over the late marquis and marchioness of Kain until the current marquis, Dorian Hassildor, took their place.
“But, enough of the past. We have to prepare for the young queen’s arrival. It will be good for the region and the marquis as well,” The Cook said.
Emily was peeling the potatoes again until her hands were raw and tired with exhaustion. She was eager to help the Cook and the household prepare for the feast.
After peeling off potatoes and doing some errands for the feast, Emily retired to her room before she collapsed on the makeshift bed when she was feeling something under the pillow. She stood up from the bed before she looked underneath it. She gasped, as there was a letter with a dragon’s seal on it.
The Duchess of Belikov? Emily thought that Becca might be using her husband’s seal as she was a Duchess now by marriage.
Emily took the letter before she traced the cursive writing of her name as she was looking at the back of the letter. Emily tore the seal before she read the contents of the letter.
Dear Lady Emily Moore,
We are inviting you to a masquerade ball that will be held at the Golden Castle in St. Betown this weekend. We are pleased to let you know that you have been requested by the young queen of Niapachad Island, Queen Arabella Dragomir, and you will be provided with the need for the ball. Follow the instructions given and you will find your prize.
We will be waiting for your arrival.
On behalf of Queen Arabella Dragomir.
Emily was smiling as she was holding the invitation to her chest. It was years since she had gone to a ball and this time, it was a masquerade ball.
What a thrill! She thought before Emily put the invitation in the safety of her drawers before she was getting ready to help around the house.
The young queen must be here now. Emily was patting the hair that she braided into a simple braid that she had been adorning since the morning.
Emily smiled before she took her apron and put it on again. She made her way to the kitchen as she was looking at the cook who was expecting her return. “There you are! We’re short on a maid to serve the queen. Here, take this and go to the dining hall. They have been waiting for their soups now,” the Cook instructed.
Emily made her way to the dining hall, not knowing that she was walking into a trap that was set up by none other than the young queen of Niapachad Island herself.