Chapter 13

“What is going on here?” King Evander demanded to know when he walked into the kitchen.
“Your majesty,” all the servants bowed their heads and knees before the head Cook spoke up, her eyes still lowered, “your majesty the princess hurt her face and if we don’t take care of it now it will look really bad on your wedding day.”
“Princess Cerena?” King Evander walked over to her, where she was sitting with her head tilted backward, fast asleep.
King Evander took the cabbage leaves off her face and looked at the damage he has done, thinking, ‘she deserved my backhand.’
King Evander placed the cabbage leaves back on the princess’s face, “how is the arrangements coming for the wedding?”
“Everything on track your majesty,” the head Cook said.
“Good. Wake her and send her to her room, I will send for a healer,” King Evander said before leaving.
“Princess Cerena,” the head cook notched her, but she didn’t wake up.
“Princess Cerena,” the head cook repeated herself, but Iris still did not wake.
“Is she dead?” one of the servants asked, standing closer.
“Don’t be darf!” the head cook scolded before shaking the princess, almost making her fall of the chair.
Iris jumped up, “what is the matter?”
“Sorry to disturb you Princess but the king said he is sending a healer to your room,” the head cook said.
“I fell asleep,” Iris chuckled as she adjusted her dress, “thank you for your help.”
Iris left the kitchen and made her way to her bedroom but on her way, she unexpectedly got pulled into a random room.
“Shhh,” the man pulled her into the room said with his hand over hers and before she knew what was happening, he pressed his lips on hers.
Iris managed to push the man of her, “what on earth are you doing?!”
“I received your note, princess,” he said, showering her with kisses all over her neck before pulling away and looking at her, “what happened to your face?”
“Who are you?” Iris questioned as she did not recognize him as a guard.
“I am prince Remington Spencer, we are to be wed but I was delayed,” he said, wondering why she is asking who he is.
“We are?” Iris asked.
“What is wrong with you? We spent a whole summer together last year, your parents betrothed you to me,” Prince Remington said.
“I bumped my head and I am still suffering from memory loss,” Iris made up a story to justify her stupidity.
“My poor darling,” Prince Remington said and attempted to kiss her again.
“Stop!” Iris said, pushing him away again, “my parents are dead, and the agreement is off.
“What? Why?” Prince Remington asked, searching her eyes.
“I am to wed King Evander,” Iris said, as she tried to get out of his embrace.
“But you hate him,” Prince Remington protested.
“You should leave before he ends you,” Iris warned before leaving the room, feeling flushed.
“Princess wait,” Prince Remington ran after her.
“Does King Evander know you are in his castle?” Iris asked, facing him.
“You know I know my way around the castle,” he said with a smug look on his face.
“And he knows his way with a sword,” Iris said, before trying to get away from the prince.
“So what we had meant nothing? What happened to your parents?” Prince Remington questioned.
“King Evander killed them. Where have you been all this time, under a rock?” Iris spatted.
“Well,” Prince Remington started but paused when two guards came walking around the corner.
No one in this kingdom knew Prince Remington since his kingdom was very far away, so far away that when they received the plead for help it was already too late.
“What are you doing in the hallway alone with the princess?” one of the guards questioned, eyeing Prince Remington up and down, mistaking him for a court official errand boy.
“Who do you think you are talking to?” Prince Remington asked, standing his ground.
“Tell your master that I say thank you for informing me that my wedding dress is ready to be fitted, he can come at his soonest confidence,” Iris quickly said before walking away as fast as she could.
‘She still loves me, or else she would have not covered for me, right?’ Prince Remington thought to himself before walking away, formulating plans to visit her in her room later.
Iris got to her room and found a slender old man with grey hair and dull brown eyes waiting for her.
“Good afternoon princess. The king send me to have a look at your face,” he said with a cracked tone, his voice sounding as old as his looks.
“Where do you want me?” Iris asked, wondering if she should sit on her bed or on one of the chairs.
“Over here, by the window so that I can make use of the little bit of light that is left,” he pointed with a crooked, large, knuckled finger, making Iris think about the Warlocks from the bedtime stories her mother used to tell her.
Iris pulled a chair to the window and sat down, patiently waiting for the healer to make his way over.
“I am going to need a little bit of magic to sort this out,” he said, after closer inspection.
“Oh, so you are a Warlock?” Iris asked.
“Something like that,” the old man said, turning and walking slowly over to where he left his wooden box of contents on the vanity table.
He returned after mixing a concoction and carefully started to put the paste on Iris’s cheek.
“How is royal life treating you? Are you enjoying being a princess?” the old man asked.
“Excuse me?” Iris asked shocked.
“I know all about you and you are no princess inside,” the old man said.
“You have to come with me and tell the king! He will believe you and I will be free!” Iris jumped up.
“Are you insane? He will think me mad,” the healer protested and waited for her to sit down again.
“Where is the real princess with my body?” Iris inquired.
“I don’t know, your former house is empty,” the healer told her while putting more paste on her face.
“I don’t want to be the princess,” Iris said, tears welling up in her eyes.
“You will be a queen soon,” he said, standing a step away to inspect from a distance, “that should do it.”
“I don’t want to be a queen, not his queen in anyways,” Iris said, the tears starting to run down her face.
“Your face should be as good as new by tomorrow morning but if it is not then apply this,” the healer said, covering the container with the mix and leaving it on the vanity table.
“Please help me. This can not be life!” Iris cried out.
“It is and you have to accept it. For all, we know the princess and your body is dead along with your real parents,” the healer said before closing his box and leaving Iris
behind.
Iris ran over to him and fell to her knees, “please, please, please help me. I beg of you, please!”
“Let go of my legs, I can not help you,” the healer said, trying to get himself loose from her.
“I will ruin my face even more and tell the king it is your doing if you don’t help me!” Iris threatened him.
“That will just result in my death, and you will still be stuck in this body,” the healer said flatly and not threatened at all by her plan.
Iris lets go of him and lowered her head onto her arms that were pressed to the floor and continued her sobs.
Iris cried until the servants came to get her ready for dinner.
“Princess!” they both exclaimed, running to her sides, to make sure she is fine.
Iris allowed them to help her up and then demanded them to leave her, “I can manage by myself for the rest of the evening.”
“The king demands your presence at the dinner table,” one of the servants said.
“Give the king my apologies but I think my face looking like this will cause him to lose his appetite,” Iris said before walking over to her bed and sitting down, followed by falling backward, staring at the decorated ceiling.
The two servants left Iris and went to the dining hall where King Evander and Marchelle were waiting for her to join them.
“Your majesty, Princess Cerena will not be joining you for dinner this evening,” the servant said, fearing that she will get punishment for speaking the words.
“She dares to define me again?” King Evander roared, standing up and stomping out, giving powerful long strides.
“What is the reason?” Marchelle asked the servants that has not moved.
“Her face is covered with paste,” the servant stuttered.
“I see,” Marchelle chuckled, remembering the incident that took place at breakfast.
“Arrange a plate of food and bring it to her room,” Marchelle ordered, standing up to go to the princess's room.
The servants quickly got the tray of food ready and made their way to the princess room.
“How dare you define me again?!” King Evander stormed into the princess room, making Iris jump up and bend a knee, her eyes lowered.
“I didn’t want you to see me like this, your majesty,” Iris stuttered out expecting the king to hit her again.