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“I am, aren't I,” he said as he walked toward his horse. Zara laughed. He was very conceited. She looked at him and shook her head. “Let us ride some more,” the King said as he got on his horse. Zara was happy to oblige as she mounted her horse.
; Upon the King’s return to his quarters, he found the queen waiting for him. She calmly stood and bowed her head to him. “You went riding without me,” she said.
“Next time my queen,” he said and kissed her on both cheeks.
“Must I share you with yet another woman?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The one you went riding with, the one you have been spending so much time with, the one who was in your quarters the other night when you collapsed,” she said, as she looked very unhappy, not that it surprised him.
The King sighed and rubbed his forehead. He knew that she was going to find out sooner or later. He was not sure that he cared anymore.
Chapter 10
“Your Majesty, aren't you going to at least deny it?” the queen demanded furiously.
“Deny what? That I have been spending time with a maid? Yes, I have,” he said matter-of-factly.
“A maid, my King! Why would you have to lower yourself like that? A maid!”
“Lower myself? Do not look down upon people, Amira, I will not stand for it.” The King did not appreciate the queen talking about Zara that way.
“No, my King this cannot continue. It was bad enough you had to get a concubine. Do not tell me you want another. I will not allow it. It will not happen,” the queen was huffing in anger. The King looked down at her.
“Know your place, woman,” the King said in warning as he turned to walk away. Pausing, he looked at her, “You will stay away from her at all costs,” he ordered. The queen's jaw dropped open. Was he really ordering her to stay away from a lowly maid? This was ridiculous, absolutely and completely. She stormed out of his quarters and headed to the laundry. She had to see Zara for herself.
The laundry maids were surprised to see the queen walk into the laundry. They quickly bowed their heads to her as her maid asked where Zara was. Rachael went outside to warn her. She told her that the queen was there looking for her. “Run!” Rachael warned.
“Why would I run?” Zara asked.
“Well, because it's the queen. She is much scarier than Tiana and she does not look happy.” Rachael had a very bad feeling about the whole thing. Zara decided to see the queen and get it over and done with. If she did not speak with her now, she was going to have to speak with her another time.
Zara bowed her head to the queen as she walked in. The queen walked over to her. She was much taller than she was. She looked down at the little girl who was not even worth a second look. It did not make sense to her why the King would spend so much time with her. She was not his type. The queen slapped Zara across the face. The maids gasped. “Filthy slattern. You dare to be in his Majesty's company?” the queen demanded. Zara was looking at the ground holding her cheek.
“Your highness, I have only been around the King when he summoned me,” Zara defended herself.
“Summoned you? You think the King actually wants you? You're not good enough for him.” The queen slapped her again. “He is the King and you're only a maid. Leave now and never return to this palace. If I ever see you again, I will kill you with my bare hands,” the queen warned. Zara bowed her head and left the laundry. The queen had humiliated her in front of everyone. She was worse than Tiana.
Zara rushed out of the palace. She was happy to leave, as she had enough of the malicious gossip and the behaviour of the queen and Lady Tiana. She couldn’t imagine what they would think if they found out what really happened the night the King collapsed. She swallowed hard when she realised that she was not going to see the King again. She had not realised that she had grown so attached to him. She was surprised at how much fun he was to be around. It was so easy to forget everything that was going on when she was with him. While she was realistic in that she knew she never really had a chance with him, but for a short time, she was the fairy tale princess. She fought back tears as she walked out of the palace and headed home.
That night, Tiana found out about the King riding with Zara and that the queen had fired her. As Miriam relayed the events, she could not help but laugh. She was happy that it was the queen who got rid of her. That way, the King will be angry with Amira and not her.
“But why was the King riding with her?” Tiana speculated. She was not his type. She was exactly the opposite of her and the queen.
“I fail to understand it also, my lady,” Miriam replied.
“He refused to ride with me last week.” Tiana felt a little jealous and annoyed. The King had been spending less and less time with her. He refused to take her riding because he was busy but he found time to take this maid; Zara.
“Do not take it personally.”
“How could I not? He took her and refused me. And we still don’t know what happened that night. Everyone has been quiet about it, but yet SHE was there.”
Miriam could not answer her. There was nothing that she could say that was going to make her feel better because they were thinking the same thing. Why did the King refuse Tiana but then take Zara? It's one thing if it was the queen but he took a maid. Clearly, there was more going on.
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