14. Secret Door
He nodded slowly. “If that’s what needs to happen, even without an order from the king, I will assign soldiers to every possible human entrance.”
“That’s fine, but first I have to go back to the prince’s room because I went out suddenly. I’m sure he was surprised by what I did. ” She walked back inside to the prince’s room. As she was walking back to the room, she stopped. “There is a soldier right outside the gate, but why don’t they know who is putting the letter right next to the palace gate?” She shook her head. Then she’ll just think about what happened today because she has to look after Dylan first.
She entered the room and saw him just looking at the veranda and the curtain that was dancing in the wind. He turned around and frowned. “What happened, and you’re in such a hurry to get out?”
Her eyes did not know where to look at his question. “I just did something outside.”
“What? It’s amazing how quickly you finished and you’re here right away. ”
Prince Dylan was already waiting for Adira’s answer. That’s why his eyes gradually narrowed while looking at Adira.
“Are you lying to me?”
She quickly looked at him. “What are you talking about?”
“Why do I feel like you’re hiding something from me?”
She swallowed but immediately thought of an excuse. “I just sheltered the one I hung.”
“Hanged, what is that?”
She frowned because he didn’t know that word. “It means I took my clothes that were in the middle of the sun to dry because I washed clothes earlier. ”
“Really?” His head tilted again.
She sighed at the extreme nervousness that she felt for the first time in her time doing this. “Why is it so hard to lie to the prince? This is a mission, and I really need to be smart, but why can’t I think of an excuse for him right away? That’s weird?”
“Then you can go out.”
She said as she went to the sofa. “I’ll just stay here in case you fall on the bed again and the soldiers are shocked again by your screams.” He just didn’t answer because he couldn’t win with her either.
Meanwhile, Prince Damon arrived at Valiant Castle, his father’s palace. He immediately went inside and saw his father on the porch of the palace, looking into the distance.
He came closer and informed him that he had arrived. “I’m here, Father.”
His father slowly turned to him and smiled. “I’m grateful you returned safely, Prince Damon.”
“I’m also thankful, Father. That no bad people blocked my way. ”
His father, King Cyrus, nodded. “How is my friend King Stephen? Are he and his son Prince Dylan doing well?”
He smiled. “They are in good condition and have no diseases. I have given the fruit you sent to King Stephen. ”
“Good then. One day I will try to visit the palace of Stalwart Castle and King Stephen, and I will have time to talk while drinking wine. ” King Cyrus looked at Prince Damon’s wrapped hand. “What happened to your hand?”
He raised it, and his father looked at it and suddenly smiled. “I just got it, Father, while I was riding the horse. It was a struggle, so I got it from the thin iron that supports the seat on top of the horse. The soldier must have been placed so tightly that it irritated my horse. ”
“Next time, take a good look before you leave without getting any injuries on your body. You never know that while you are riding the horse, it will struggle again and you will fall. ”
He smiled. “Next time, Father, I will be doubly careful.”
“I think the servants have finished preparing the food. Come and join me at the dining table.” King Cyrus left, and he just followed his father using his eyes before raising his wounded hand again. Earlier, he was still smiling while talking to his father. Now he suddenly became serious and was boldly looking at his hand while slowly moving it. He put it down and walked over to the dining table.
Meanwhile, Adira did stay in Prince Dylan’s room, but she fell asleep on the sofa while Dylan was reading a book.
He turned to Adira because it was quiet around. He saw that she was sleeping soundly while her position was sideways and facing his bed. “She just came here to sleep in my room.” He smiled a little, but it disappeared as soon as he felt a pain in his stomach. He held it and waited to see if it would hurt again, but it looked like he needed to go to the bathroom because his stomach ache was no longer a joke. “How can I go to the bathroom right now? My feet?” It was easy to go to the bathroom because his room had its bathroom. It’s not obvious because the door is the same color as the wall and there’s no opening, so it will not be noticed. Just need to push the door to get inside.
His stomach hurt again, which was more intense, so he had no other choice but to wake up Adira. “Adira!” he called while holding his stomach because he was writhing in pain. “Adira!” he screamed louder.
While closing her eyes, she frowned and slowly opened her eyes. “Why?” she asked, annoyed.
“Can you help me go to the bathroom?”
She just looked at him like she was judging. “What makes you think I have superpowers to help you out of your room?”
“I have a bathroom in here, so get up there and help me because my stomach hurts!” and he closed his eyes.
She stood up and came to him, but first, she looked around. He held her arm, which surprised her a little. She slowly helped him stand up. “Where is your bathroom here? I can’t see a door?” she asked.
He pointed to the spot where the bathroom door was. While wondering, she just supported him while walking and stopped in front of the wall. “If it’s a joke, it’s not funny, dear prince.” She made her eyes widen.
He just grinned and pushed the wall, which immediately opened. Adira blinked her eyes several times at what she saw. “I told you there is. Let’s go in, and you can leave me inside. ”
“Really? What do you think? I’ll watch you inside. I can even smell what you let out. ”
He squeezed her cheek tightly in his suppressed annoyance. “You are a young lady. Why do you speak that way?” He pressed her cheek even more. She looked at him badly. “This is how I am, especially since those around me in my country have even worse behavior, and if I speak, it hurts more than what I said. So I’m going to leave you here. ” She left, and he was left behind inside the bathroom with one leg up.
When Adira got out, she touched her sore cheek. “Why do they want to squeeze my cheek? It hurts! ” She rubs her cheeks as she waits for Dylan outside the bathroom.
She stopped and faced the bathroom door. “It’s amazing that I didn’t notice it. It’s a door that’s the color of a wall. At first glance, I thought it was a wall, but when you look closely, you will notice that it’s a door that nothing can touch to open because it’s just been pushed.”
She waited for almost an hour, but Dylan still hadn’t called her, so she knocked on the door. “Dear prince, are you still alive there?” she shouted.
While Dylan was inside, he looked at the door. “My stomach hurts, but I’m still alive!” he shouted too.
She was slightly surprised by his sudden shout, too. “Do you need medicine for your stomach ache?”
“Go to where the palace cooks are. Tell them to make me some tea!”
She wondered. “Tea, not tablets?” Thinking about it, she just followed him and went to where the palace cooks were.
She hasn’t been there, but she can say that the place where the food is cooked for the king and prince is also big. She’ll only be here now, apart from the kitchen. She went inside because there was no door. She saw a woman, so she called it. “Just a moment, young lady!” she said.
The maid turned and frowned. “Excuse me. What do you need?”
“The prince is asking you to prepare tea for him. He has a stomach ache. ” The woman stopped for a moment.
“Then I will do what the prince ordered. You can leave here. ” The maid immediately turned away from her.
“It turns out that their maid here has an attitude too. I thought everyone was kind, but it was just on the face. ” She shrugged her shoulders and left.
She went back to the prince’s room and knocked on the door again. “I told one of your maids here! Are you done?”
Suddenly, the door opened, and she saw that Dylan was struggling to walk with only one leg. Without saying a word, she just supported him in going to bed. Then she sat on the sofa again. A few moments later, she heard a woman’s voice outside the room. Dylan immediately let the woman get inside, and the maid slowly placed the cup and the tea that was in a separate big cup on the table.
Adira just silently followed the maid using her eyes until everything she brought was put down, but what surprised her was that she stopped for a moment, and she knew her eyes were looking at her even though her eyes were not directly on her place because Dylan was busy arranging the sheets and pillows on his bed while she was closer to the maid.
The maid turned to Dylan. “Dear Prince, the tea is ready. You can drink it while it’s still hot.”
Dylan nodded slightly. “Thank you.”
Adira noticed that the woman tightened her grip on the wooden tea tray she was carrying. “Dear Prince… is your stomach okay?” She asked while stuttering.
Dylan stopped and looked at the maid in surprise. Adira raised her eyebrows. “I’m fine. Just drink some tea, and my stomach will be fine. ” Dylan gave the maid a small smile.
It seemed as if the servant had been pulled out by a thorn. “Then I’m leaving.” She bowed to Dylan, but the maid’s secret glance at her caught her eye before the maid finally got out, which is why she reached for the tea and poured it into the cup even though she didn’t like the taste of it.
She smelled it first before slowly drinking it. Dylan was gaping as he looked at her in shock. “Why are you the one drinking that? That’s for me!”
She put the cup down and tasted the tea in her mouth, enduring the taste. “I just tried to see if the tea was good. It wasn’t.”
He sighed. “Could you hand me the cup with the tea in it?”
She poured it into the cup and gave it to him. “I have a question, prince. Is your maid here often, asking about your condition?”
He tilted his head and looked like he was wondering if there was a situation. “It’s the first time someone has asked me about my condition as a palace servant. The others just quietly put food and drinks on the table when my father and I needed to eat. ”
“Really?”
“Is there a problem with that? It’s good that the servant cares about me. ” He simply looked at Adira.
“The question is, does she care about you?”
Dylan almost got burned while drinking tea. “They are loyal to us. That’s why they ask or worry when I or my father is sick.”
She just didn’t answer. She just stood there with her arms folded, saying, “Something is wrong with those of them here in the palace. The soldier was first and the servants next, but it’s hard to accuse if I don’t have evidence.”
She was surprised when Dylan spoke. “Do you have a big problem, and you’re always staring into nothing and seem to be deep in thought?”
“It’s nothing. I’ll leave you for a while. I just have to do something outside. ” She was about to leave when he spoke again.
“I thought you were going to watch over me here.”
She stopped and frowned. “You now agree to be watched?” He looked away.
“You can stay in my room as long as you don’t make any noise.”
She thought about it, but she had to go out. “I’ll be back here. I just have to try to use the bow, so once you’re good, it’ll be easier for you to learn.”
It took a long time before he nodded and didn’t seem to want her to go out. Her eyes squinted. “Maybe that’s why you don’t want me to go out; there’s no one to help you go to the bathroom.”
His eyes widened. “Don’t come back here; you can leave!” he shouted, pissed off.
“If that’s what you want, I will follow, dear prince.” And she walked out.
While Prince Dylan was left annoyed that he had messed up the pillows and blankets that he had arranged earlier.