Chapter 5: 4 - Invitation

"Maria." Prince Owen called with a cheerful tone and eyes twinkling in excitement. Prince Owen's lips stretched into a wide smile, letting his dimples be visible. He obviously can't contain the happiness and excitement within him. While Jerry is just standing behind him, lightly shaking his head and smiling with the thought that a normal citizen managed to tame the hard-headed prince. Well, he can't blame the Prince because even he found Maria very beautiful.

Maria Holmes looked back at him with a smile on her lips. Her smile only widened more when she saw who it was.

"Your Highness," Maria called back and was about to kneel in front of him but the prince is quick to stop her.

"Hey. I told you that you no longer need to do that."

"Still I should do it. You're the prince, after all, Your Highness."

Prince Owen shook his head and waved his right hand in the air.

"Yeah, but I gave you permission to skip those formalities so please stop doing that every time you will see me, okay?"

Maria just shyly smiled while scratching her cheek.

Even though the prince had bought vegetables at her a couple of times already and they actually became closer, Maria still can't help but be shy in the presence of the young prince. She still doesn't understand how the prince ended up buying vegetables from her and not from other vendors. And also what is the prince been doing with all the vegetables he's buying? Is he perhaps into cooking? Because it sure doesn't make any sense if the prince is the one assigned in buying those vegetables.

Prince Owen suddenly remembered the real reason why he went there in the first place. He gulped down in nervousness and shifted his eyes at the potatoes laid out in front of him.

"Ahm. I need 1 dozen of these, please." Prince Owen said, pointing his index finger in the potatoes.

"Sure, Your Highness," Maria said and immediately prepared the potatoes that Prince Owen is requesting.

Prince Owen took that as an opportunity to stare at Maria. He had never seen someone be beautiful as Maria. He's always finding himself losing his senses while staring at Maria. He's making sure to memorize her face. From the mole in the tip of Maria's nose to how long her eyelashes are. Maria is like an art that God sculpted himself. She was beyond perfection.

Prince Owen flinched when he felt someone lightly nudge him on his side. He was about to look back at Jerry and asked him what's that for when he felt breaths in his ear.

"Your Highness, you spaced out again. Maria's been calling you for almost twenty seconds already."

"Your Highness, are you okay?" Maria asked with full of worry in her voice.

Prince Owen snapped his head in the direction of Maria and can't help but blush when his eyes met the warm chocolate eyes of Maria.

"A-Ah y-yeah. I-I'm fine. I just- ah remember something. Y-Yeah that's it. I guess?"

Maria slowly nodded her head even though she isn't convinced. Then she remembered the bag of potatoes in her hand so she lifted it once again and brought it closer to the prince.

"Oh, this is your potatoes, Your Highness."

Prince Owen reached out for it and handed Maria a few silver coins. He can't help but grin when their hands accidentally grazed each other. For Maria, it was nothing but for the prince, he felt a spark at the contact.

"Your Highness, the dinner." Jerry again whispered to Prince Owen, reminding the young prince of the other reason why they are there.

Right.

Prince Owen again directed his eyes on Maria but not after trying to gulp down the lump in his throat.

"A-Ahm Maria."

"Yes Your Highness?" Maria innocently asked, lifting her gaze from the vegetables while her hands are still busy arranging the remaining vegetables that are remaining.

Jerry took the bag of potatoes from Prince Owen's hand and lightly distanced himself from the two to give them a little privacy and also because he knew that the prince would be embarrassed if he was there.

"I'm- I'm just wondering if you have any plans for tonight."

Maria's hands stopped as she tried to think if she has any plans tonight. She shook her head after a few seconds and lightly tilted her head in confusion.

"Nothing Your Highness. Is there any problem?"

Prince Owen immediately shook his head and waved his hands in the air. He exhaled a good amount of air to release some of the tensions within him before he answered the question.

"No. No. It's nothing like that. It's just that-" Prince Owen rubbed his nape in nervousness and continued, "Do you perhaps want to join us in dinner tonight?"

Maria stared at Prince Owen for several seconds before her eyes widen in surprise at the invitation. "W-Wait Your Highness. Are you perhaps referring to the king and queen when you mentioned us? A-And why? I mean- why- why me? I'm just a commoner. I will just ruin the night, Your Highness."

Prince Owen sighed at the mention of Maria's social status. Suddenly his nervousness ceased as he took another step closer to Maria. He reached out for Maria's hands and caressed them softly.

"Look, Maria. I've been wanting to tell you this but I love you since the first time I saw you here 5 weeks ago. It was love at first sight and I knew for sure that you were the girl that I want to marry. And last night, my father, the king, heard me talking about you with Jerry and he insisted to meet you. He instructed me to bring you to tonight's dinner. I know this is too sudden and we haven't even known each other for long. Our social status is even different but I don't care about those things. I love you and I mean it."

Maria blinked her eyes a few times, trying to process what Prince Owen just confessed but no matter how long she stared at the prince or how many times she blinks her eyes, she still failed to comprehend the unforeseen confession. She just can't understand it. Receiving an invitation for a dinner is already shocking for her but hearing Prince Owen confess his love for her, is something she had never seen coming, not even in her dreams. Maria shook her head, refusing to accept that what she heard are all true. She entangled her hands with the Prince and took a step back. In a panic, she gathered all her remaining vegetables before she said, "I-I'm sorry, Your Highness. I-I can't somewhat understand w-what's going on. I-I need to go now."

Being overwhelmed with everything that she heard, Maria hurriedly walked away from there, forgetting for a moment who she is talking to back there. Prince Owen was embarrassed but not insulted by the result. He just stared at where Maria ran off to, speechless. That was beyond his expectation.

Alaia is walking towards the way out of the market with Leo. They just finished wandering around the capital city of the Kingdom of Floria and now planning to go home. She was about to turn in a corner when someone bump into her. Alaia was sent to the ground with her butt landing first while the person who bumped into her also fell down and the goods inside her basket scattered to the ground.

Alaia lowly cursed at the impact and lightly massaged her lower back under the cloak. Remembering her mask, she reached out for her face to check if her mask didn't fall off and gladly it wasn't.

"Your Highness, are you okay?" Leo worriedly asked and offered his hand to help Alaia get back to her feet.

"Forgive my rudeness and clumsiness. I-I didn't mean to bump into you." The woman, who happened to be Maria, apologized and vowed lowly when she get herself back to her feet.

Alaia arched up one of her brows when she saw that Maria is lightly trembling. She dusted off her cloak and then looked at the woman from head to toe. She was about to say something, maybe a rude comment when a gold-colored bracelet on the woman's wrist caught her attention. She paused trying to remember where she had seen that bracelet but Leo interrupted her thoughts.

"Your Highness?" Leo asked, looking at Alaia worriedly. Alaia looked back at her and saw Leo signaling for the woman in front of them that still has her head hung low.

"It was fine. Just take care next time."

"I-I'll do. E-Excuse me."

The woman again lowered herself and started picking up the vegetables that rolled down away from the basket. Leo offered some help while Alaia took that as an opportunity to stare at the girl and the bracelet she was wearing. It didn't take long though because after a few seconds the girl again straightened herself and then bowed down before she started walking away from them. Alaia just stared at her even after the girl had left already. She's sensing something weird about the girl and the bracelet she's wearing. But no matter how much she thinks about it, she just can't somewhat tell what is it.

"Your Highness?" Leo called, staring at the confused face of his Highness.

Alaia ignored the worried voice of Leo and without taking her eyes off the girl, she asked, "Did you see the bracelet she's wearing?"

Leo looked back in the direction where the girl went and squinted his eyes, hoping to have a better look at the girl's bracelet but because people are obscuring his view and the girl is quick to walk away from there, he failed to at least catch a glimpse of the bracelet.

"I apologize, Your Highness but I didn't notice it. Is there any problem?"

Alaia just averted her eyes off the girl and waved her right hand in the air before she continued walking in the opposite direction of Maria.

"Nothing. Let's just go."

It just took Alaia 3 steps to finally remember what is that bracelet. She snapped her head in the direction of the girl again, eyes widening in surprise at the realization but she no longer see the girl and there was no way she will chase after her.

There's no mistaking it, that was indeed the bracelet that Ruth gave me before she disappeared into this world. Then, that means that she's the child that the peasant's wife have in her womb 17 years ago. Time sure flies so fast. Hmm.

Maria doesn't know how will she explain to her father why there are vegetables that she failed to sell and why she went home earlier than usual. She came up with a stupid excuse and her father believed her. She felt bad for lying though.

Maria panicked at the confession of the prince and ended up just leaving him alone. Then she bumped into a woman? A man? She actually isn't sure because she didn't really see the face. She caught a glimpse of the white mask but it was only for a brief second because she immediately bowed down to apologize. As for the clothes of the person she bumped into, she also didn't see it because she/he is wearing a cloak.

Up until now she still has doubts if what she heard from the Prince earlier is all true or just her imagination. She perceived it as impossible and ridiculous for a poor commoner like her. So even though she knew for sure that what happened is indeed true, she refused to believe that.

Maria is in their room and gawking outside their rectangular wooden window. It was already nearing dark outside. Seeing the sun slowly disappearing before her eyes, the invitation of the Prince again crossed her mind. Maria shook her head and sighed then closed the window. She had decided to just cook dinner, hoping that that would be enough to get rid of the unnecessary thoughts lingering in her mind.

Just as she stepped out of the room, light knocks were heard behind their closed wooden door. Her father stood up to open it and Maria almost cursed loudly when she saw who's the person behind the door.

"Y-Your Highness." – Michael, Maria's Father uttered in shock and immediately fell to his knees as well as Maria.

"It's okay Mr. Holmes and Maria, you can now stand up." The prince uttered, keeping his gaze on Maria.

Maria suddenly became nervous at the stare and the sudden appearance of the prince. Something tells her that whatever reason the prince had for coming to their house, Maria won't like it. Something tells her that this sudden visit will be bad news for her.

"Y-Your Highness is there any problem? Can we do something for you?" Michael nervously asked, doesn't have any idea why the Prince is there. Maria never mentioned that the prince is always buying vegetables in her because there's nothing weird about it and of course, she never mentioned the dinner invitation too. She doesn't want her father to accuse her of making up stories.

"I apologized for the unannounced visit. I actually came here because of your daughter, Maria."

Michael's eyes widen in fear. He looked back at Maria and even though he knew that his daughter is not the type of person who will cause trouble no matter what kind of situation she was in, he doubted her this time.

"D-Did m-my daughter c-caused trouble? If that was the case, I apo-"

"No, it's not like that Mr. Holmes." The Prince interjected, sensing that he will cause a misunderstanding.

The Prince shyly stole a quick glance at Maria then rubbed his nape in nervousness. "The truth is, I came here to personally ask for your approval, Mr. Holmes. I really like your daughter- No- actually I love your daughter. My father heard me talking about her with my right hand, Jerry so he asked me to bring her to tonight's dinner. Please give me your approval." The prince uttered and bowed his head, not caring about the shit so-called social status.

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