Chapter 2: 02. Loved
I know deep down my heart that, it was going to be very tough for me. I just have this kind of feeling in my spine. I was now all alone in a large palace like this. I am certain that I will enjoy myself but the fact that I will be all alone was making me shiver.
"Why're you still standing there,"the Princess called out to me,"Come on in." I walked inside and to my surprise the king and queen were sitting on the dining table having breakfast with some men, which I guess are royals. I'd wanted to go and greet them but a guard came in to stop me and show me a certain path to take. "Come Valerie Kay, come and let me show you where you'll be staying. You'll be staying in the same room as me because you are my personal handmaid," Princess Cindy said while looking at me. Without uttering any word, I walked gracefully towards her. After climbing some stairs, we got to a door which was hot pink in colour. I could really see that the Princess liked hot pink a lot. I liked pink too and I was very happy that I was going to be seeing my favourite colour almost every time. Mom always says that, there are big and beautiful things out there which only friendship and self-respect can bring to you.
"Come inside Valerie Kay," I entered the room and she continued,"We'll share the same bathroom but since my mom didn't agree with you sleeping on the same bed as me, I prepared a bed for you okay?", she says. My goodness, when I entered the room, it was really big, the room alone is like our balcony, hall and kitchen combined together. She sat on her bed saying, "I know you won't be comfortable with me because I am a Princess. But I want to tell you that, don't be scared of me, just take as your sister and I promise you that I will always be kind to you." Looking at how emotional the Princess was,"Princess Cindy, don't worry, I'll always be there for you. I promise to be a sister to you, always support you to progress. I'll always love you Cindy. Oh sorry, I mean Princess Cindy." She stood up, walked to me, placed her hand on my shoulders and said,"You can call me Cindy. I must commend do you know that you would look like me when you apply my cream?" "Really," I asked in anxiousness. When I went to where my bed was, I sat on it to feel its texture and it was really soft. Looking up, I saw a small hot pink wardrobe to my surprise, when I opened it,some beautiful dresses were already arranged in it. When I took one of the dresses, I saw that it was a gown and when I checked the rest I saw that they were all gowns. I was so excited that I jumped up and down forgetting that there was someone in the room. My excitement ceased when my eyes met with that of the Princess but to my surprise, the Princess was laughing so hard than I could ever imagine. Suddenly, some guards barged in with the king and queen. I couldn't understand why but one thing was sure and that is, the king was angry. "Who has made my daughter to laugh that much?!" he asked in a harsh voice, this voice could make me faint but thank God I drank some coffee with cream before I came. "Dad? Don't scare my friend like that", Princess Cindy says. "For some years now I've never seen nor heard my daughter laughing so hard like this. What's your name dear?" I bowed down my head and answered," I'm Valerie sir, Valerie Kay and I'm Princess Cindy's handmaid." The queen walked towards me, held my hand and said, "I want to have a word with you dear." To be honest, my heart started racing. What could it be that, the queen wants to talk to me about? These questions started striking me like thunder.
We walked out and the queen started crying," After many years, this is the first time we've seen the Princess laughing so hard like this. After the death of her twin brother, she never smiles nor laughs, therefore my daughter as you've done now, continue to make her do nothing but always smile and I promise you that I will increase your salary and you'll even earn more than any other person in this palace,okay?" "Don't worry my queen, I'll always make sure that she's happy that's what I'll do even if you don't increase my salary my Queen", I replied in a calm voice." She hugged me and said,"Thank you so much my daughter." I smiled and we went back into the room.
It was so amazing that on my first day in the palace, the Princess, the Queen and the King were already happy with my presence, well that's what Mom says, that I have the kind of ability to make people love me in less than a day. "We'll leave you guys to get to know more about each other," the Queen said while dragging the King out of the room. The Princess and I talked for more than an hour, it was really fun. We talked and talked and laughed and laughed till we could no longer breathe. Princess Cindy smiled and said,"Thank you Valerie Kay." I smiled too and answered,"Don't mention it. But if I may ask why do you mention names together with the surname?" She laughed, shook her head and answered," That's just what royals do Valerie Kay." "Anyway, we've talked too much, let's move to business. What is my job and everything," I said. Princess Cindy showed me all that I'll be doing. My job wasn't hard after all, everything depends on what the Princess will do. it's quite easy though.
The next morning, I woke up really early before everyone else could. I swept and dusted the room, took my bath and dressed up before Princess Cindy woke up. When she woke up, she asked me,"Is it morning Valerie Kay?" "No my Princess, it's afternoon. Come on, get up and get ready, I said while trying to pull her out of bed. With a sleepy voice, she asked,"Where are we going Valerie Kay? Today I want to sleep all day long. No ceremony, no signing of documents or any stressful thing Valerie Kay." I looked at the tired Princess lying lazily on the bed. I didn't want to stay indoors all day, I'd wanted to do something better like going for tours around the palace or any place exciting. Yes! I will just remove the blanket on her so that she'll feel cold and wake up. So I did as I thought, I removed the blanket on her and when she felt cold, she woke up.
"Valerie Kay,why are you so stubborn? Okay, let the maids prepare my bathtub for me, I want to take my bath." she said, looking pale and weak. I felt pity for her but I also don't want to stay in the palace or even in the room all day long, so I went to call the maids, they prepared the bathtub for her, went to call her and they took her to the bathroom. It was surprising because they were bathing her. As old as she was, she allowed her fellow girls to bath, not even one maid or even two, five girls. It was quite annoying but I concluded that it was part of the royalty lifestyle but I hope one day I'll understand this royals. I went to stand by the maids while they were bathing Princess Cindy, seeing how I was looking at them, she asked,"Ain't you surprised as to how come an old girl like is being bathed by her fellow girls?" I looked at her, asking myself whether Princesses read minds too but I just answered,"Yh I am, very much surprised." She smiled and said,"Well, this is royalty for you. You get to do things you don't even want to do. Your opinion only matters when it'll benefit the royal family." "But I thought, Princesses do enjoy every minute, every second of their lives,"I said with shock on my face. "That's what most people think about Princesses. Even my maids here think I enjoy but since my childhood we've always wanted to be free. You know,where nobody tells you what to do and what not to do. A life where your opinion comes first and others own is a second option or even a piece of advice,"she said with tears in her eyes, but before I could ask any question, there was a knock on the door."I'll get that, who's there,"I shouted as if I was in my own room. As I opened the door, I saw two guards standing there, holding an envelope. Before I could utter any word, one of the guards said,"We are looking for the handmaid of the Princess." I pulled out my hand and answered,"I'm the one, you can give it to me." There was some kind of pride in me but I don't blame myself because I am the closest alien to the Princess. He gave me the envelope and I opened it, when I did,I saw a letter that says that, they were inviting the Princess to a summer party outside the country and it was my dream country, Mexico. It was really a dream come through for me, so I raced to the bathroom and spilled out the information to the Princess but she rejected the idea saying,"I just don't want to go anywhere else. I want to stay right here in my palace, room or garden,I just want to be here Valerie Kay ." "Don't be so self-centered Princess Cindy, go out, chill and have fun, make new friends and life still continues," I said trying to convince the confused Princess. With doubt in her voice, she answered,"I'll think about it Miss Valerie Kay, don't worry. But please do me a favour, tell the other maids to send in my hair formula,they'll know what to do." I went to tell the maids about it and to my surprise, they brought in a bowl o boiled fresh milk, in ignorance I asked,"Are you going to wash your hair with the boiled milk?" She nodded.
The maid took the bowl of milk, placed it on the sink and fetched some which she poured in her hair. I've always known that, boiled milk can be used for long hair and growth but I never knew that people could actually afford such an expensive thing just for their hair.
The Princess used more than an hour for just bathing and washing her hair, when I think about this I just concluded that that's what royalty is about. After bathing, they dressed her in a beautiful green gown, just like my own, they applied her make-up on her and wore her shoes for her. All of a sudden, a maid barged into the room which placed all of us in shock. "Good morning My Princess, sorry that I'm late,"she said as trying to catch her breathe. Princess Cindy shook her head and asked,"Who's chasing you? Anyway the other maids did it already, Valerie Kay, my handmaid too was there to help me." "If you say so,then I'll be on my way, should I serve breakfast to you here in the room,"she asked. The Princess nodded in agreement. Finally,I was coming to have my breakfast. I was so happy. After the eating our breakfast, the Princess suggested that we go for a walk in the garden.
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