A familiar face

Jess had finished buying the things she needed and given them to the maids who accompanied her to the market. She was cross-checking the list to see if she had purchased everything as she did not want to disappoint Christine and add to her stress.

Christine had been busy the past week supervising the maids and preparing for the ceremonial opening. The liquor department needed a week to supply drinks for any event as they would need to pass the testing process before it could be approved.

Jess had gone with her to the liquor village to ensure the wine would arrive at the grand banquet hall on the day if she wanted to keep her head on her shoulders.

It was strange to Jess that a little mistake could cost your life.

Make sure to clean the stables and the inns; Princess Melissa and Rose Bethmot will be coming to inspect the hospital and the entire estate. Christine said as her voice revibrated across the estate as she ran from one section to another.

Jess felt pity for her and wondered why the mention of Rose Bethmot invoked such fear in her that she had never seen before in her eyes.

Who is Rose Bethmot, and why is everyone trembling at the mention of her name? Jess thought.

Rose Bethmot was the princess of the Iduim kingdom and friends with Princess Melissa, but everyone feared her more than Princess Melissa, even though she was not a part of the Royal family of Zaza.

Christine informed Jess that Rose would represent her father, Olu Bethmot, at the ceremony as Olu Bethmot had sent a letter to inform King Moposa of his daughter’s visit to Zaza as his representative and had asked that she be taken care of during her time there.

Jess remembered the change in Daniel’s countenance when he read the letter; his eyes furrowed as he unconsciously sighed. Daniel reclined back into his chair and stared into nothing for some time, lost in his thoughts.

The look in Daniels’s eyes suggested he was not excited to meet Rose. His cheerful countenance became moody, and his clenched fist implied that he was about to implode. Jess wondered why but kept her questions to herself.

Christine was worried that the decorations and food would not be to Rose’s exquisite taste and liking as she was detailed and particular about how she wanted things, and the notice from the palace to prepare for the event was short.

Jess was cross-checking the list of things Christine gave her to buy to ensure she made no mistakes. The occasion was crucial as dignitaries and kings from other kingdoms would be in attendance when she bumped into a hard chest.

You should pay attention to where you are going, my lady. A baritone voice said as he held Jess on her shoulders and helped her stand upright.

The baritone voice sounded familiar to Jess; she craned her neck upward to glance at the man she had bumped into as he towered over her.

The man wore a loose-fitting gold coat and a blue shirt with black leggings. His hands scrubbed through his tangled hair and neatly trimmed beard.

He looked intimidating with the sword fastened around his waist and gave the aura of a warrior who just returned from patrolling the border. Jess did not want to offend the man, especially if he was a royal guard.

Forgive me, Jess said apologetically.

I was not paying attention to where I was going, she added.

Jess noticed how the lips of the man curved up into a smirk behind his beards that hid half of his face, denying girls the opportunity to feast on such a defined face.

Hmm

The man hummed, acknowledging Jess’s apology without moving out of the way.

Jess gazed intently at the man while trying to remember where she had met him; she was sure they had crossed paths in the past, but her memory failed to remember who he was or where they had met.

Jess dismissed the thought and smiled gratefully at the man before saying-

I am glad you have overlooked my mistakes, my lord. I will be on my way now. Jess said to the man.  

The man stared at her for a moment, his mind consumed with the thought of her. He would have preferred to spend the day with her and show her around the capital to places she had not visited, but he needed to be patient.

Patience was essential to his plans of wooing her and making her fall for him; he was a master of patience and seduction, but his patience was running thin, giving room for worry and fear.

Brock stepped aside to allow her passage as she looked at him without moving an inch from where she stood, but to his surprise, he saw her run behind him instead of moving in the opposite direction.

He wanted to see her face and hear her voice that rang in his heart like a bird singing in the morning. He had no thought of revealing himself to her, but unable to resist seeing her up close, Brock stood in her way so that she collided with him.

Brock furrowed his brow, concerned by her behavior; he followed her line of sight and saw her looking at a man who seemed to be in his mid-forties and wore a blue linen coat and a white shirt.

Jess felt a chill run down her spine, and the hairs on her skin stood in fear when she saw Edmund in the market. She was unaware he was in the capital, much less running into him at the market.

Brock narrowed his eyes to look at the man who made his girl shiver with fear and wondered what transpired between them to make her fear him. He would ensure he hanged him for treason against the crown if he had mistreated his love in any way.

The man passed by where Jess was but could not see her as she was hiding behind Brock’s back.

He is gone, Brock said, turning to look at the petite lady hiding behind his back.

She cleared her throat and gave a nervous laugh while tossing a strand of hair that fell loose from the ponytail behind her ear.

He must think that I am crazy. First, it was bumping into him and using him as a cover like a scared kitten. Jess thought.

She saw how the man looked at her as if she was crazy, and Jess did not blame him if he thought like that because of how she acted. But she needed to avoid Edmund until she gathered enough money to pay off the council tax.

It was a delicate period for her as Mr. Edmund could kidnap her and forcefully make her one of his mistresses, as was a common practice with ladies who were of marriageable age but not yet married.

Her resolve to see James grew stronger as he was her salvation from these barbaric practices that had little regard for the feelings of women.

I appreciate your help, my lord. Jess thanked the man and briskly walked away in the opposite direction.

Brock had his eyes trained on her as her back disappeared among men and women who came to shop. He followed her discreetly to see where she was going.