The Princess And Her Alpha Bodyguard

14~ A SERVANT, NOT A QUEEN: PART I

There were no stars, for the clouds scattered over the dark blue sky. The moon, on the other hand, seemed to lose its power by half, given the crescent shape. Everything about tonight was gloomy, just like how my heart was overshadowed by disappointment.

I knew I had no right to ask Valdemir’s people to risk their lives for me. Even so, I hoped he would at least give me a hand. It has only been around two weeks since the day I ran away. With that being said, even though Iory had taken control of the castle, more than half of the soldiers there were still Zariya people. The journey from Izles to Zariya took a month, so Iory's armies shouldn't have arrived yet, even if he had requested more soldiers from his King Father. Valdemir also confirmed this when we talked this evening.

I was hoping we could use this to our advantage. If we attacked now, the chance of victory would be high. I could use my status as the queen to command my soldiers. As for Valdemir, he and his people could use their werewolf's strength to infiltrate and engage in a fight.

This was what I wanted to propose to him. But my plan had gone to waste now. Why?

Because Valdemir rejected my proposal. He refused to help me.

"Miss, please. Have some soup while it's hot. I asked the chef to make your favorite asparagus soup," said Lumina.

I saw her coming inside from my peripheral version, carrying a bronze tray—the third one—for tonight.

"I'm not hungry," I told her. My eyes looked at the dark sky, caring not to look at the expression on her face when she saw the untouched food from the second tray.

"How could it be?" she sighed. "You haven't taken a bite of anything since you returned. The last meal you had was lunch."

Lumina was the one to come and get me from the garden. Thankfully, my tears were already dry when she arrived. Or else, I would've been embarrassed to death. After all, why would a queen wail like a three-year-old in the middle of the garden? Lumina might not know my real identity, but I knew who I was. No matter where I was or what situation befell me, I was still The Queen of Zariya Kingdom. My late mother always reminded me that a queen mustn't let others see her tears easily.

A queen was the mother of the entire kingdom, leading hundreds, and thousands of people. As a leader, she must be headstrong. She must be a role model for people to look up to her. That was why a queen mustn't cry in public. Tears were a sign of weakness, so a queen must never lay bare her flaws.

But I almost let her down.

"Miss, please. I beg you. Please eat something." Lumina's voice snapped me out of my thought.

Judging from the volume of her voice, I could tell she was standing next to the side of my bed. Still, I shook my head without looking at her.

"You can't do this, miss. You've just recovered. What if you fell ill again?" she said in a worried tone.

"I'm okay. Leave me alone," I said in a low voice that was almost inaudible to my ears.

"No, I won't." Her voice came out more serious than her usual soft tone. "My duty is to take care of you. I won't stand by and watch you torture yourself."

The change in Lumina's tone surprised me. I couldn't help but turn to look at her. She was standing next to my bed and holding the tray in her hand. When my eyes met her, she bit her lips and knelt.

"What're you doing?" I asked with a frown, wondering why she did this all of a sudden.

"If you still refuse to eat, I'll keep kneeling here. I won't move from this spot until you've taken at least one bite." She lifted the tray, leveling it to her forehead before lowering her eyes, fixing them on the ground.

My shoulders slumped in defeat, knowing I could never win against her persistence. Lumina might look like a soft person. Yet, she was not easily convinced when she set her mind on something. She was the epitome of subtle stubbornness.

"Fine." I sighed. "You'll leave me alone if I take a bite, won't you?"

"Yes!" A big smile plastered on her face when she lifted her head and looked at me. It was as if my agreeing to eat was something important to her.

I stretched my legs on the mattress and motioned for her to put the tray on my lap. I then scooped a spoonful of the green liquid dish and put it in my mouth. Before I could even swallow the tasteless soup down my throat, I turned to Lumina.

"Take it away," I said.

"W-what?" She looked at me in shock.

"I'm done eating. Take the tray away." I repeated.

"But that was just one spoon. Please have some more, miss." She showed no sign of removing the tray from me.

"You promised to leave me alone after I took a bite. Now, I have done it. So, you should keep your word," I said to her.

"I did. But miss, you—"

"Lumina," I said in a stern voice, cutting her off. "Don't let me repeat for the third time. Take the tray away from me and leave the room."

Lumina bit her lips and blinked. It was as if she was trying to hold back tears. Seeing her like this, I regretted my actions right away. But it was too late. Words had already spoken out, and she had already heard it. Besides, I was in a bad mood, so my tone must have come out harsher than I'd intended.

"As you wish, miss." She took the tray from my lap and curtsied. "Have a good night." And with that, she turned on her heels and walked toward the door.

"W-w…" I wanted to call out her name and tell her to wait, but I couldn't say it. No words were escaping from my parting lips. It was as if a cat got my tongue. The only thing I did was watch her disappear behind a closed door.

I flopped down on the bed and lay on my side with my back facing the door. I buried half my face in the pillow, hoping it could muffle the sound of my cry.

Why did you do it, Lae? A small voice reprimanded me. Valdemir is the person you're mad at. Why did you release your anger on Lumina?

"I didn't mean it," I spoke into the pillow as if I was answering the questions in my head.

Then why didn't you apologize? Another question popped up.

"I... I… I don't know." I lied.

Deep down, I knew the reason. I didn't apologize because Lumina was just a maid. I was the queen. The difference in status refused to let me put down the superiority and do the right thing. The pride of my noble birth made me hesitate to apologize to her even though I was in the wrong.

"Damn it!" I growled in frustration, wondering why today was so stressful.

First, Valdemir rejected me. And now, I had a fight with Lumina—the person who had been taking good care of me since I arrived.

As I continued to blame myself and cried, I heard the soft knock coming from the door, followed by a deep voice. "Lae?"

It's him.

I squeezed my eyelids shut and covered my ears with the pillow, hoping to block his sound away. After a brief silence, I thought he'd already given up and left. However, I didn't expect him to do the opposite thing.

"I'm coming in," said Valdemir.

Wait! What?

A creaking sound followed as he opened the door. I tried to remain still in bed, hoping I could fool him into believing that I was asleep. But he continued to surprise me with the next sentence.

"I know you're awake,” he said. "Stop pretending."

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©️StellaKMary | The Princess And Her Alpha Bodyguard