NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: Catch My Breath
Bella's heart raced as she paced the bedroom chamber, her anxious energy palpable. "Donna, we have to come up with a plan," Bella said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Victoria and Clara are relentless. If they find out you did not put mud in my bath water, they will surely send you to the dungeon for flogging." "I know, Princess Bella, but what can we do?" Donna replied, her brow furrowed with worry. "They're always watching." Bella sighed, her mind racing. "I will just have to pretend to have an itch. If I keep itching every time I see them, it'll distract them." Donna raised an eyebrow, but her tone was laced with apprehension, "I am so sorry Princess Bella, you want to act like you are itching all over just to protect me." "I'd rather be a fool than see you get flogged," Bella shot back, determination in her eyes. "Besides, they'll be too busy laughing to think of anything else." "Alright," Donna said, then warned, "If you're going to itch, you have to do it with flair." Bella chuckled, the tension easing slightly, Donna was the one person in the palace who understood her. "I can do flair. Just watch me."
The art studio at the palace was more like a gossip platform for the princesses and noble women. Princess Bella had to endure this three times a week as noble women were expected to be vested in art and beauty. As the art class began, Bella took her place at the easel, her heart pounding. She could feel Victoria and Clara's eyes on her, their smirks heavy with condescension. "Look at Princess Bella, shifting so ungracefully in her chair." Clara sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. Bella felt their eyes on her, she gritted her teeth but forced a smile, itching the back of her neck dramatically.
"Oh, excuse me," she said, feigning a shiver. "It seems I have an itch that just won't go away!" Victoria burst into laughter, her gaze alight with mockery. "What's the matter, Princess Bella? Were you rolling in mud?" Bella swallowed her anger, determined not to let their taunts break her resolve. "No," She replied sarcastically, "Just trying to keep the flies away," her voice light and airy, masking the irritation simmering beneath the surface. "Flies? it seems you're just a little too dirty for the palace," Clara chimed in, her eyes gleaming with delight, making sure her voice was loud enough for all the other noble women to hear her. "Maybe you'd feel more at home in the mud!"
Bella itched again, this time on her arm, exaggerating the movement to draw their attention. "Oh, it's relentless!" she exclaimed, with feigned irritation. "Maybe I should just go and take another bath!" The other princesses cackled, their laughter echoing through the studio. Bella could feel heat rising to her cheeks, but she stood firm. Each jest hurled her way was a reminder of the weight on her shoulders. If she could keep their focus on her foolish antics, Donna would remain safe. "Look at Princess Bella," Victoria said, shaking her head in mock disbelief. "Itching like a commoner. Pathetic." "Pathetic indeed," Clara agreed with a condescending smirk.
With every itch and exaggerated flick of her wrist, Bella felt a mixture of anger and irritation, but she kept her composure. As the class progressed, Bella continued her charade, itching and squirming, all while keeping a careful eye on Donna, who stood by the door with the other maids, with worry etched on her face. Bella knew the stakes were high. She would bear any ridicule, any mockery, to protect her friend—even if it meant pretending to be an itching fool.
After the art class, Bella's heart raced with unease. She was finally free from the eyes of Victoria and Clara. She needed to find her father, King Patrick. She had a nagging feeling that something was amiss, and she resolved to confront him. As she made her way through the grand hallways, she arrived at the door of the palace library. Pushing the door open, she peered inside, but the library was empty. Disappointment washed over her, but her curiosity drew her in. She found a secluded spot behind one of the large, wooden tables and began to read about the great battles her father's kingdom had won over the centuries, hoping to find some solace in the tales of bravery. Suddenly, she heard the creak of the library door.
Bella's heart leaped into her throat as she quickly ducked behind the table, her pulse racing. Peeking out, she saw her father enter the room with three of his trusted generals: Oliver, Liam, and David. "King Patrick," General Oliver began, his voice low and tense, "we need to discuss the matter of the debt to Prince Leo. It's far more than our kingdom can afford." Bella's breath hitched in her throat, her heart pounding in fear. She pressed her hands over her mouth to stifle an involuntary gasp. "Oliver, I know the situation is dire," King Patrick replied, his brow furrowed with worry. "But we have one month to settle this, or we risk losing everything." Liam, leaning against a bookshelf, chimed in, "Even if we doubled the taxes for our citizens, we still wouldn't be able to pay off the debt. It's impossible." "But we can't show weakness," King Patrick insisted, pacing the floor. "Our people depend on us, and I refuse to let them down. If we give in to the Eastern Kingdom, we stand to lose everything." General David, always the strategist, suggested, "What if we pursue an alliance with the Eastern Kingdom? Prince Leo is unmarried. It might be in our best interest to propose a marriage between him and one of our princesses."
Bella's heart skipped a beat, her mind racing with fear and anxiety. She felt as if the walls were closing in on her. Her eyes grew wide with panic. "Prince Leo is the first son, the heir. He is a proud ruthless man. Did you hear about what he did to the Southern kingdom? He practically made them his slaves." Oliver warned. "He may not take kindly to our overtures, especially under these circumstances." "If we can show him that we're willing to connect through marriage, it might be a way to pay our debt" Liam reasoned, his tone pragmatic. "We can't afford to lose this kingdom." The discussion continued, but Bella could hardly focus, her mind swirling with the implications of what she had just overheard. The idea of being married off to foreigner, a stranger. A man like Prince Leo both excited and terrified her.
She fought the urge to make her presence known. "They can't find out I'm here," she thought, her heart racing with fear. "If they discover me, it will only complicate things further." She remained hidden, trying to control her breathing as the generals continued to discuss their plans. Each word echoed in her mind, a reminder of the weight of the kingdom's burdens resting on her father's shoulders, and now, potentially on her own. As the conversation grew more heated, Bella felt the urgency of the situation pressing down on her. She was King Patrick's legitimate daughter, Victoria and Clara were daughters of her father's mistress. Should a marriage alliance be enforced, Bella knew she would be the one married off to Prince Leo.
As Bella crouched behind the table, the weight of the conversation hung heavily in the air, amplifying her trepidation. She could feel her heart pounding loudly in her chest, each beat echoing in her ears like a war drum. The fear coursed through her veins, making her pulse quicken even more, as if it were trying to break free from the confines of her body. Each thud felt like a reminder of the stakes at hand, the reality of her situation was closing in around her, and she could hardly catch her breath.