SCARLET LOVE

Chapter 4: The Marriage Proposal

  Eloise was in the kitchen now. This time, she wasn't looking for food to eat like yesterday. Did you know yesterday, when she came to the kitchen after the exhilarating battle, there were pastries there!.... the crumbs.

   Someone had already eaten it and as usual, she was fed stale bread with half-cooked omelette.

She was asked to eat in the maid quarters by some guard claiming to be a messenger of the emperor. She didn't care, she just wanted to live a silent life.

   Now she stared at the sink and looked at the plates skeptically, 

" I might as well be promoted to the level of maid" she sarcastically commented. She put on her rubber gloves and dipped her hand into the water.

   She picked up a sponge and half-heartedly began to wash a plate.

"Oof, the maids aren't even doing their job and they're getting paid." She rough-handedly tossed the plate into another sink and smiled when she heard the plate land with a !CRASH!

   The door to the kitchen flung opened and an ACTUAL guard came in, he had the crest of the Valcoria on his armour and he was holding a shield and a sword.

   "Ex-Princess Eloise Maryanne Vanderbilt. The Imperial family would like to have a meeting with you and your sister."

    Eloise concurred, 

'what the heck did his majesty want to talk to her and her sister about? After all this years?'

      The guard bowed slightly, then exited the kitchen. Eloise pulled off her rubber gloves; she dusted her gown and straightened her hair.

   She picked up a mirror from the counter. For some reason, the maids in this palace spend half their salary on make-up to try and charm some rich guests but everytime, it never works.

   She studied her feature in the mirror. Her green eyes weren't showing signs of depression so that was good, her nose wasn't itchy and her lips wasn't twitching. She might still have the beauty to convince the emperor of whatever he's planning on doing with her and her sister.

   Eloise hastened, no matter the distance between here and wherever the meeting was, she couldn't keep the emperor waiting.

  Wait, wherever the meeting was? The damned guard didn't say where the meeting was.

Don't worry, she had sort of prepared for this. She reached into the underpocket of her gown and pulled out the same sapphire gem from the secret room. She had stolen it.

  "Beautiful Sapphire gem, please take me to where the meeting is being held."

Eloise watched the sapphire gem, a knot of tension tightening in her stomach. It was almost as if she heard the gem whispering,

  'No, you gotta bribe me.''

She closed her eyes and pleaded to the gem, 'Oh please, one last time.'

   'Ok then, just this once princess.' The gem replied. It wasn't the gem, it was Finn's voice! He was the only one who called her princess.

   A flush traveled up her neck. Finn was talking to her and promising to transport her, it means he knows where she is now so has he been watching her?

   'No, get it together Eloise, you're not that important. He's not gonna stalk you, he's the crown prince!'

  She beamed at the jewel and on the other end, Finn gazed at Eloise lustfully. Why the heck was his cheek burning? He just met her yesterday and he might have fallen for her.