Pregnant For The Royal Prince

ALINA entered the Prince’s chamber to behold him already awake, and sitted on his dining with his eyes fixed on his laptop.

She swallowed hard, closing the door behind her, then she walked in. Raghav didn’t turn back either, his eyes were still fixed on the laptop.

“Good morning Your Grace,” she genuflected.

“Morning. What are you doing here this early?” Raghav asked. She flinched.

“Huh?”

“Yes, isn’t it too early already to start your parambulating?” He asked, still looking into the laptop.

“Jeez”, she lowly muttered in response. So she was now parambulating right?

“Well my Prince, I came to check on you, I felt I should,” she replied, smiling broadly.

Raghav sighed.

“Well now you see I’m fine, and very busy, so you can leave.”

What! Prince Raghav had never asked her out of his room as much as she could remember, so why now? Ugh, she groaned, hesitating to leave.

“Or do you have something else to say?” He asked again.

Yeah, she thinks this is the right time now. She had actually left their lodge that early morning just to come and ask Raghav about the new maid, why he had sent his personal guard, Zoya to come and give her some drugs.

She looked at the Prince, and the courage she had summoned up suddenly vanished.

She couldn’t open her mouth again to ask anymore, she just kept mute staring.

“I think you should go meet Prag,” Raghav suddenly said, startling her, she jolted.

“Huh? Meet Prag?”

“Oh yes, so she could tell you your jobs for today,” for the first time since she entered the room, he turned to her.

“I can see you actually do not have anything to do, so meet Prag”, he turned back to the laptop.

“Um… are you wanting to have a personal maid Your Grace? Don’t forget I’m… still… here”, she stuttered the last sentence blinking her eyes.

Raghav turned to her, why had she asked such question? What exactly does she mean?

He shook his head, oh! She must have been around when he sent Zoya to give Rina the medications, he laughed.

Alina was taken aback by the laugh. He turned to look at her.

“Oh Alina, you know what? You are never compatible, you and her,” he shook his head.

“You aren’t”, then he turned back to his work.

Oh jeez, Alina felt like crying. They are never compatible… she and her, and of course she knows whom he is referring to as her, she knows. Goodness!

She instantly turned and left the room. Raghav never bothered to turn to her, he just sat still busy with his laptop.

*

*

*

Rina carefully put on her uniform, humming softly as she did. She had woken up for like two hours ago.

Her alarm had helped to make her come off bed on time. So almost immediately, she had taken her bath, and now she was putting on her clothes.

Her mind drifted to what happened the previous night, how Alina had come to warn her, she laughed.

“Shameless idiot,” Rina cussed.

She put up finishing touches to her uniform then walked up to the mirror. She was applying a face powder when her phone on the dressing table rang out, jolting her.

“Gosh!” She muttered and picked up the phone, looking into it, it was her mother.

She dropped the phone back on the table, prepared to ignore, she knew once she picks up, she gonna be late for work.

Her mother gonna be talking non-stop. She then made up her mind to ring her later in the day, when work would be less cumbersome.

She turned ready to leave the room when the call came again, she sighed and glanced at the wall clock. It was still 6:30, breakfast was 7, thirty minutes wouldn’t be that much.

Besides, maybe she has something real important to tell her, hence her calling that early.

She shrugged and walked up to the dressing table, then picked up the phone.

“Hey mother, namaste”, she greeted.

“Rina, why aren’t you picking up? How was your night?” Selena asked from the other end.

“I am fine mother, good morning. I told you I’m gonna call in the afternoon”, she said glancing at the wall clock, keeping up with time.

“Yeah, I know dear, but I have something important to tell you”.

“Go ahead mother, I anticipated that. But please you have to be fast with it, I have less than twenty minutes”, she said.

“Alright dear, it was a dream. I had a dream last night and in that dream, I saw Siddharth your brother, I… I think he is still alive.”

Rina sighed, glancing at the clock again. This was really important, but she doesn’t have the time.

“You know what mother, I’m happy to hear this, but I have to go. I’m gonna ring you later in the day when work would be less cumbersome, then we can talk.”

“Oh Rina…”, she wanted to talk more but Rina ended the call and dropped the phone, then walked out of the room.

She needed to leave for the dining hall, it was already few minutes to seven.

***

Alina angrily walked out of the Prince’s room, raging through the hallway. She was damn angry, why would he say she and Rina was never compatible?

What does he mean by that? Who was she? Who was Rina anyway? Who the hell was she?

Mmm, she groaned, fisting her right hand.

She took the route leading to the kitchen, the door was as usual open, she walked in.

As expected, it was empty. Infact, she wasn’t even expecting to see anyone at all, they were supposed to be at the dining hall for breakfast.

But there were still about two maids, and Prag. She was working on the fruit juicer, some fresh citrus fruits were on the counter as she worked.

His royal majesty, Maharajah, the King had earlier given command that Prag alone, should be the one mixing the fruit juice for him and his wife.

She alone knows how to mix it to the King’s taste, no other could. Even if there was any other, Prag should remain the one doing it, the King had said.

Alina walked towards the refrigerator ignoring the maids. Prag looked up and saw her.

“Alina, been looking for you. Where you been?” She asked.

Huh? Looking for her? Why and What for?

“Well been to the Prince’s chamber. Why you looking for me?” She opened the refrigerator, her eyes scanning through the inside.

“There is a change of job for you today,” she said looking up from what she was doing.

Alina looked at her inquiringly, closing the refrigerator. She had picked up a covered plate filled with the toast bread she prepared previously.

“Change of job? Why?”

Prag sighed.

“Most of your jobs these days would be clashing”, she poured out the already made juice into a jug.

“What do you mean? Why that?” Alina asked, she was now perturbed.

“Yes Alina. Don’t follow up with your timetable for now, most of the times, you gonna be clashing with Rina, the new maid,” she explained.

“Gosh!” Alina exclaimed and tossed the plate in her hand on the counter.

Why this girl? Why her? Why not another? She winced.

“What is it?” Prag asked on noticing her acts.

“Why must I be the one to be clashing with her? Why me Prag, why?” She reeled out questions.

Prag laughed.

“Alina you don’t question the authority remember. Meanwhile, you and Rina are to do the flowers beside the sit-out today, you know what I mean, trim and water, those flowers have been long touched”, she began placing the jugs in a tray.

“Goodness, aren’t you getting me? I don’t want to work with her,” Alina complained.

“You better do”, she was now carrying the tray to the second refrigerator few distance away from her.

“So what’s the share?” She asked, ready to work now.

She know what she gonna do, she is going to leave the whole work for her and feign ill, yeah, she just can’t work with Rina, her now rival.

“Good. You go get the working tools from the tool store, the secateurs and water hose, she gonna go with you, so she gets used to the environs…”, she paused to place the jugs carefully on the rack in the refrigerator.

“Hold on… aren’t you coming to the dining hall for breakfast?”

Prag shook her head.

“Nope, anything?”

“Oh! I had wondered, you should have told her this yourself”, she said.

“I won’t be having breakfast at the dining, I’m still gonna prepare some toast bread for His Highness and Her Grace,” she said.

“Oh, that’s what you get for being the best and head of the maids”, Alina said rolling her eyes.

Prag smiled, closing the refrigerator and turning to her.

“Well as I was saying, make sure Rina goes with you, then the both of you, do the work.”

“And then?”

“Go over to your next job according to your timetable, then tell Rina to come meet me,” she walked away from her.

“Hmmm”, Alina mouthed.

This is gonna be somehow, she thought.

“Alright Prag, I will do as you say,” and she walked out, taking with her, her plate of toast bread.

She walked down straight to the dining hall, her heart still filled with the anger she had accumulated from the Prince’s chamber.

Gosh! This Rina girl, as far as she was concerned, this girl was gradually becoming a rival to her.

She walked into the dining hall and straight to table row 4, there were already eating.

She found a seat and sat, then dished out food for herself and began eating.

Rina was seated opposite her, she was almost done with her food.

She had been to the dining hall and still there wasn’t any sight of Prag, who was gonna direct her on her job that morning?

Maybe she would just go to the kitchen after eating, so she could see her. Hmm, she still wondered what must have held her from coming for breakfast.

Soon she was done eating, together with some other maids. Some maids began clearing up the table and she joined them.

“Don’t worry Miss, it’s not your job yet,” one of the maids clearing up told her.

“Huh? I wanna work,” she said.

The girl winked, trying to take the tray she was holding.

“Maybe in the evening, you should try,” she shrugged.

“Let her be”, they heard a voice opposite them and they turned, it was Alina. She had been watching them.

“Alright,” the girl said and left her.

Rina glanced at Alina and continued with her work. Why had she said that? Why had she interfered into her matter. Anyways, she shrugged and continued clearing up.

“When you are done Rina, come over,” Alina said again.

Rina looked at her, then down at her food, she was almost done. But hold on? Come over? For what?

Minutes later, they were all done. Rina went over to Alina has she had ordered, they were still in the dining hall.

“Prag had given me the job for you this morning”, Alina said, drinking water from a plastic bottle.

“Oh, really? I have actually been looking out for her,” she replied, looking round.

“Yeah she isn’t coming over for breakfast. So, to business,” she folded her arms and looked intently at Rina.

Hmm, Rina exhaled deeply.

“You are to go over to the tool store, and get a secateur and a water hose, you will be attending to the flowers beside the sit-out, downstairs”, she explained.

Huh? How is she supposed to do that?

“Um Alina, I don’t know the way downstairs, talk more of the tool store, how am I supposed to do that?” She spoke up.

Alina sighed, glaring at her.

“Find your way through”, she blurted and began walking away. Suddenly she paused, “and oh, trim and water the flowers,” she said and walked out.

Rina sighed, she wished Prag had actually sent someone else to deliver this message and not this Alina girl.

How was she gonna get downstairs, she doesn’t even know the route leading to the stairs, that led down the palace. Gosh!

“Hey girl, what you thinking about?”, someone behind asked and she sharply turned back to behold Tanu, she smiled, what a relief!

“Hi Tanu, actually… been thinking,” she said.

“Yeah I know, about what?” She folded her arms.

“Alina just delivered a message from Prag right now, my job for the morning. It is to trim and water the flowers beside the sit-out, downstairs”.

“So?” She asked, licking her lips.

“Tanu I don’t know my way downstairs”, she complained.

Tanu was taken aback.

“Hold on, are you the only one to do this job?” She asked.

Rina spread out her arms.

“I don’t know, am I supposed to be joined with someone?” She asked.

“Yeah, sure”, she nodded.

“Oh!”

“Prag is supposed to team you up with another maid who gonna help you around. She must have teamed you up with Alina, I guess”.

Rina’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh, you think?”

“Yeah. But let’s forget that, let me show you the way downstairs”, she said and took her right hand.

“Oh, thank you Tanu”, and they walked out of the dining hall.

They got to the hallway and Tanu took the left direction, Rina followed. They came by another hallway again, leading down.

“Don’t you have work to do?” Rina suddenly asked.

Tanu smiled.

“Of course I do.”

“Then why you here with me? Why not go…”.

“Tanu! Tanu!” Someone shouted, calling from behind them, interrupting Rina. They turned, it was a maid.

“Oh jeez!” Tanu hit her forehead with her right hand.

“What’s that?” Rina asked.

“That’s my teammate, we are to do the laundry for the throne room window and door cottons, and all that… I have to leave you now Rina.”

“Oh!”

“Just continue walking down this hallway like this, you gonna come by a French door, that’s the door leading downstairs. Then when you finally get out, ask around for the tool store, the sit-out isn’t difficult to locate”, she explained.

“Oh Tanu, you have saved me today, thank you so much.”

“You are welcome, we will talk later”, she said and turned, walking back the way they had come.

Rina sighed and continued walking, taking the route Tanu has just explained.

Her thoughts drifted. But why would Alina refuse to work with her if Prag had instructed her to? Why would she leave the work for her alone, hmm, she hopes it ain’t a tedious one though. She doesn’t wanna collapse.

She had taken just few steps away from where she and Tanu stood when one of the many doors along the hallway opened and holy moly! The Prince came out.

***

Raghav left the dining room a few minutes after breakfast and walked out hastily.

He had had breakfast at the dining with the rest of the family that morning, mainly because he had thought the new maid, Rina would be among the maids to serve at the dining, he wanted to set eyes on her again.

But no, she wasn’t sighted at all, and he longed to see her again, he’s been itching to since yesterday.

Minutes after breakfast, something urgent and important came up, he had to go downstairs to attend to the situation.

Now on returning, he met someone at the hallway. And oh jeez, it wasn’t just someone, it was the new maid, it was Rina.

How happy!

“Oh hi”, he first greeted.

“Good morning Maharana,” she bowed, her gaze lowered to the ground.

“How was your night? And how are you feeling now?” He asked.

Jeez, Rina almost jumped out of her skin. His voice was soothing and pleasing to hear. But… was he actually asking after her night? And her health? Oh!

“It was fine my Prince. And um… thank you for the medications yesterday, it… it really helped.”

“Oh that means you didn’t go down to the sick bay, remember you said you would,” she looked up at him, he was not wearing any royal robes, just casuals… and oh, he really did look familiar, like she had met him somewhere before.

She waved if off, how could she have met the Prince of Shimla kingdom without knowing?

“My Prince, I … I … my Prince…”, she stuttered.

“Forget it Rina, you didn’t. You wouldn’t have taken the medications if you did,” his face was now straight and devoid of emotions.

Rina looked away again, he had finally caught her now, what she gonna do?

“Look at me Rina,” he ordered.

Huh? Rina slowly raised her face to look at him, she met his stern gaze, it made her freeze.

“Have you had breakfast?”

“Yes my Prince,” she nodded. He smiled.

“So, where you off to?” He asked.

“Um, I’m actually going downstairs to get to the tool store my Prince, I want to attend to the flowers beside the sit-out.”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“What exactly are you doing with the flowers?”

“Just trimming and watering Maharana,” her eyelids flickered.

He kept mute for a while, gazing at her, making her felt uncomfortable.

“I will work with you”, he finally said.

What!