Chapter 3: Promises
"Your Royal Highness, wait!" Liza exclaimed, stepping toward her unarmed master. "Pardon me, Her Royal Highness, I-I failed mentioning that I've employed a new maid to keep while the servant of yours will be on her departure later on."
Liza scrunched up her face for she messed up her whole plan of introducing her youthful stand-in to the dumbstruck Berniss. It was not something she would expect that her master and Mila would meet each other, leaving a negative impression. She hoped the princess and her new lady-in-waiting would get along pretty well as they were for the past years.
Not to mention, there was an absolute problem with the golden-haired "female" that she must confide in right away...
"Madam, she is unable to-"
Berniss raised her arm to stop the stuttering Liza after her—though stopped dead— she somewhat managed to listen to the expecting woman. "So, that beautiful creature is appointed in Liza's stead..." she sounded.
Mila's formidable charm dazed the princess. He was timid yet Berniss found his demeanor adorable. His bowing head exemplified submission which relatively a plus factor for being a helper," That servant does not look bad at all," Berniss accordingly gestured the stranger to come forth for her to further behold him without contempt.
But he, as usual, did not adhere to the soon-to-be monarch's daughter's command; his dried lips trembled in fear, and still, he hid his arms behind as if he did not trust Berniss— Mila had a premonition she would denounce him for his refusal.
'What I must do? I d-defied Her Royal Highness for not letting out anything from my useless m-mouth. S-she may torture me to d-death,' the stranger said in his mind, bowing and shaking his head.
"Get over here," Berniss cooed, relaxing her expression, "I promise I will not harm you, miss. Come on now." The Princess of Connick swallowed up her dignity and initiated herself to approach the uneasy Mila instead of summoning him to tend to her and demanding him to execute whatever she would say.
Little by little, she prayed she could make him feel somehow safe under her care— for a purpose of officially welcoming him to the castle and becoming her servant and possibly acquaintance. And with that, she realized her attitude towards him earlier was awful.
Heading for him, Berniss stared at the lowering head of the stranger. "Lift your chin," she asserted, but the new lady-in-waiting of hers shook again his head hard and he threw himself flat on the dirt ground. The princess already surpassed her limit, however, she attempted not to let the rage erupting within her system control her in any way.
Liza who felt uncomfortable with the circumstance between her master and the "female" hindered the bestowed tension, "Madam, pardon for the intrusion, however, I barely have remembered to notify you about this dame, Mila."
'Mila? 'Doubtless, 'tis verily cute. Nay, her parents have had a great taste in choosing her name. Oh Mila, Mila, Mila...' hearing the stranger's name, Berniss kept retaining it in her heart with delight. It may come out unusual for her to compliment a mere peasant, but she could not help herself in doing so.
Meanwhile, Liza mouthed at her stand-in, Mila, "Step forward, obey our master, and do what I taught you heretofore"; and Mila sauntered nearing his superior and the amazed Berniss Rousseau.
He then gracefully curtsied in front of Berniss and put his greeting down with a pen and paper held in his calloused hands.
After he inscribed his written message, Mila showed the text to the princess. "Her Royal Highness, Princess of Connick, it is I, Mila, a royal servant of thine by whom shall be faithful unto thee until the inevitable end charges mine soul," he addressed, covering his countenance by the sheet he had kept. Mila consequently showed another piece of paper, still trembling, " Have mercy on me for I am mute, am inadequate of verbal speech."
Berniss had a pain in her chest upon reading Mila's response through the pages that were crumpled and scratched. She understood should have been aware of his condition beforehand, "This is why he was tight-lipped. How unfortunate he can be. If only I could discern her voice..." Berniss muffled.
She patted the head top of her dear servant which made Mila startled in his place. "But, can you hear me, your master, Mila?" she asked, hoping her dear servant could discern a sound by hook or by crook. The palm of Berniss passed through her smooth locks; every strand of his bright hair flowed flawlessly all over Berniss's hand like a rippling river. Mila nodded: "En."
In an overwhelming bliss within her, the heart of a royal damsel forthwith melted itself. Despite Mila's inability to speak, he, at least, may follow and attentively listen to her and others from the castle with utmost efficiency.
"If that is the case, may I take a look at you, please?" Berniss ceased touching the lady-in-waiting's hair since she understood that he was uncomfortable—his thumbs fumbled in disconcert. The cheeks of a "lass" flushed, "Supposing Her Royal Highness will be displeased with my absolute ugliness, what must I do to impress her, then?" he said. Nevertheless, he lifted his chin as the reddening of his face subsided.
"Good missy..." Berniss tucked his hair behind his ear, she was glad she could gaze at Mila's feminine appeal in the end, "Whenever a fellow-servant or any noble ill-treats you, my lady-in-waiting, let me know. If someone abuses you for being unspeakable, you tell me. I will repay a venomous sting against them. Above all, a servant shall follow me and I shall recompense your labor."
Mila came to be muddle-headed; he did not imagine how tenderhearted his royal master was. In the servant's quarters where he and Liza stayed in, he unintentionally hearkened to the evidence-free gossips about the royal princess, that she was ungrateful and aloof— according to the rumors, Berniss deserved nothing but affliction.
Yet none of what those tattlers remark was accurate— it did not even reach half percent of their chatter true— and they, without dropping their criticism, cursed at Berniss including the Rousseau family, throughout his first-ever supper in the kingdom.
'Her Royal Highness is incomparable to them,' Mila said, staring at Berniss's gleaming irises, 'But I must be vigilant; I must not allow myself to be swayed by her powerful kindness.'
Mila jotted down his thoughts on the paper, and showed it up to Berniss, "Your Royal Highness, I pledge to honor you always."
"(It is a promise.)" he raised his pinky finger that made the princess giggled; it may be hard for him to give his faith toward the maiden, but the heavens knew when this vow would not likewise continue.
" Is it not silly for us to make a pinky promise? I reckon," Berniss queried; Mila bobbed his head in approval. She then interlocked her tiny finger with Mila's quivering finger with joy in her soul, "Certainly."
And the two entangled a vow that ought not to be shattered down into fragments in the midst of the ringing of the giant bell from the grand Moorleghem Abbey. It was a memorable day for Berniss and him; a season of flowering spring resembled matrimony.
Seeing them united as one, Liza sighed in deep relief and was assured Berniss would surely protect the silent Mila Febo who was once a poor slave like she...
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
vittorine
vittorine Hello humans!
I just want to clarify about the punctuation I formulate in the latest update and the coming chapters as well.
" "- comes from a character's mouth
' ' - comes from a character's heart and/or mind
"( )"- only comes from the mouth of Mila – I don't want to utilize "ah", "eh" etc. for his means of communication (e.g. grunting). :)
What do you think about Mila Febo? Let me know in the comments! And thank you for reading! xoxo
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