"Leila....Leila.."
Daphne was tapping her daughter so she could wake up.
Her brows furrowed in worry
Leila stirred for.a while before finally opening her eyes.
She slowly sat up with furrowed brows staring at her mother.
"I overslept?"
She asked her mother, a hint of surprise in her voice.
Her mother took in her daughter's ethereal appearance without the concealment of ash and charcoal, a hint of guilt creeping into her heart before she brushed it up replaced by worry.
She knew her daughter woke very early usually before anyone else in the palace, even though she always told her to get more rest for her good.
But she found it unusual today.
Th first light of dawn just broke through and she woke up to find her daughter still asleep by her side, her brows creased as she asked seriously
"are you okay? Do you feel any discomfort?"
Leila didn't speak for a while, doing a check for how she felt incase she fell sick without her knowledge, which would be weird because she never fell sick in her entire life.
She felt normal and slowly shook her head.
"I'm fine, maybe I'm just too exhausted from the previous day's work....
We should hurry, today is the kingdom meet and would be as busy as yesterday"
She unhurriedly get out of bed, calm despite the uncertainties of the day.
She went into a small door that lead to the small bathroom in the chamber, she drew water for her mother to have her bath first.
"You should go first dear"
Her mother insisted with a small smile on her elegant features.
Leila always went first before because she woke very early and by the time Daphne woke up she would have left but not without drawing bath water and preparing the things her mother would need.
Daphne with her dazzling appearance looked expressionless but with a warmth in her eyes that appeared on when speaking with her mother, she replied.
"It's fine, you'll be more busy than me in the upper floors, you should hurry up so you will have time to get breakfast, let's avoid Mister John's wrath".
With a resigned sigh, she stood up and said as she headed to the bathroom.
"Okay, I'll be quick"
Daphne sat behind the old desk and looked at her expression on the bronze mirror with an expressionless face.
She felt like she was looking at a stranger because she has gotten used to the charcoals and ash.
She opened a small drawer on the desk and took out a wooden brush, she started detangling her hair as she planned to wash it today.
Her long blondish brown hair was soft to her touch and the strands flowed effortlessly through her fingertips.
'I should cut it'
She thought as she combed through lush strands.
After all she didn't have anyone to impress with long hair.
Her mother soon came outside after getting ready, she stood up and was about to go in when her mother stopped her.
"Leila dear, please eat something today, it's going to be a busy day..."
She paused as if weighing her words, then continued.
"And I have a feeling, it's just a hunch that something is about to happen, so please be careful, okay".
Leila nodded her head slowly without saying anything and watched her mother as she left.
In fact she also had a feeling that has been gnawing at her since, but if even her mother could feel this then it could be something big that could she their lives.
What if it was about her existence and lineage.
But she soon brushed it off.
'i'll just take on the day as it comes '
*****
The sun shone down glaringly at the palace, casting a golden hue over the decorations and palace grounds, adding sauce to the festive atmosphere.
The servants lively and chatting away as they went about their jobs, even though they had nothing to gain except for the extra new and tasty delicacies, they were happy because it wasn't everyday they got to celebrate like this, except on some occasions.
But this time they also got to learn to different kingdoms and cultures and see many beautiful and handsome foreigners and attires from the different kingdoms coming to the greet.
New servants were even more excited, as older servants who had experience previous kingdom greets were explaining their encounters and experience with enthusiasm, the atmosphere was really infectious.
But it didn't stir a certain caramel brown skin girl at the back garden quietly sitting and having her breakfast.
She didn't care about any of their festivities and just to wanted to eat in peace.
She close to eat at the garden because she wanted to admire the flowers and the royals and nobles are most likely either just waking up or are getting ready by this time .
So no one would see her, and she really didn't like the noise of the other servants and felt like her presence would dampen their moods.
So she chose to be alone.
But a certain servant called Lisa had other plans...
M/N: Hey, sorry for the delay.
I'm finally done with my exams and I remymy promise of a mass release.
Let's look forward to that 😁....