<h4>Chapter 148: A fool’s paradise.</h4>


    After the untimely demise of her mother, Lettice York had stayed at Stormwind, she was neither a servant nor a rtive of Rnd’s. In a way, she was an unofficial ward that he had been taking care of since he was a teenager. Lettice was only six years younger than Rnd, four and two currently.


    Rnd had given her every advantage and treated her with kindness, raising her as if she was a nobledy. As the years passed Lettice York’s admiration for Rnd grew into something far more dangerous: a deep, unspoken love.


    She always watched him from afar with admiring eyes, apanied him on his morning rides during which time they sometimes watched the sunrise. She often took walks with him along the shores of the sea.


    Every decision she made was about him. All of her education was dedicated to helping him manage Stormwind, as his right hand woman.


    Lettice’s heart always fluttered at Rnd’s every word and gesture. In her mind, she wove fantasies of a future where they would stand side by side, not as ward and guardian, but husband and wife. She was aware that the position of main wife would have to go to a titleddy and as much as she did not like it, she was willing to concede and give it up.


    She had convinced herself that they could be like the king, queen and Rina. Rnd as king, with a queen he did not love but needed for politics, to appease the nobles and her as the beloved secondary consort who owned his heart.


    Lettice lived in a fool’s paradise, her dreams were foolish and when news came to Stormwind of Rnd’s wedding, her heart had shattered. When it was announced that he would not take a secondary consort, a dagger was taken to her heart.


    When Rnd didn’t bring Sigrid to his fief, Stormwind, her hope was reincarnated. If he loved or recognized her as his wife, surely he would have brought her and introduced her to his businesses and tenants. So, Lettice continued on dreaming, weaving a fictional life with him.


    That dream had been ripped apart when Rnd showed up with Sigrid today. Not just her, but her family too. He had taken her on a tour of Stormwind, held her hand, hugged her in public and he was now locked in the bedroom with her,ughing happily.


    Lettice could not stand to hear the sound of Sigrid’sugh, she wanted to go into the bedroom and demand that Rnd throw her out immediately for his wife did not belong there.


    Her hand almost reached for the door knob but a sword stopped her. When she lifted her eyes, a fierce knight whose face was hidden behind a ck mask said, "If you want to lose your hand, go ahead and open that door."


    She recognized the knight__, not him but the mask. A few of the knights that had apanied the crown princess had veiled their faces behind those masks.


    "What are you doing?" Lanai turned Lettice around, looking at the young woman with cautious eyes.


    She was not the only one of Sigrid’s close servants that were watching Lettice as if she was a threat. They looked at her the way lions and hyenas eyed each other when they met like rivals. Lettice, as far as they were concerned was a potential rival to their crown princess for heart of the crown prince.


    They had been at Stormwind for a few hours and already the had been told about Rnd’s ward that behaved as if she was thedy of the house.


    Lama moved over, with a sneer on her face. "You are not dressed like a maid. Whose family’s noble daughter are you?


    Lettice was not any family’s noble daughter, a thing that caused her incredible pain and shame. She always thought that if she was one, her path to bing Rnd’s queen would have been paved long ago.


    Lama’s words angered her and made her clench her fists.


    "Who is she?" Lanai asked a Stormwind maid, pretending she did not know the identity of the young woman they were looking at.


    "She is Miss Lettice, the ward of the crown prince." The maid answered. "Her mother was his highness’s first governess. He took her under his care after she passed on in order to repay the kindness he had receive."


    Lanai scoffed, Lama sneered even more and the other maids were not impressed either. The crown prince’s kindness was well known to them. It was what had brought Emmah to the Vale after all.


    Lettice raised her chin proudly and faced the maids head on. "I am Miss Lettice York, it would do you all good to speak to me with respect." She spoke with authority and acted as if she was a titled young woman. "This is your first time at Stormwind so I do not me you for yourck of manners however, you should know that the rules that govern Stormwind are different from those of the city."


    Lama let out a snort and rolled her eyes. "Hey, we are the crown princess’s closest maids. We have learned the rules that govern royal maids and we are royal maids. We serve the future queen of Eldoria, if anyone here should have their chin high in the sky, it’s us."


    Lanai stepped towards Lettice, her aura was slightly dark as she was mimicking Sigrid’s cold frightening mannerisms. She poke at Lettice’s chest with a finger, shoving her backwards slowly. "You ought to be the one learning the rules, and rule number one is that you do not enter the bedchambers of the crown princess when they are enjoying private time."


    Lanai was not the only maid on the move, all of Sigrid’s maids apanied her, crowding Lettice so that she had no way out. They were like a pack of lions that had surrounded a zebra.


    Lama shoved Lettice with both hands, pushing her down to the floorpletely. "Miss ward, you should learn your ce, the crown prince is not for you." she warned in a serious voice.


    "This is a warning." Be hissed at Lettice. "If we catch you sneaking around outside of the crown prince’s chambers we will cut your feet off."


    "And feed them to the dogs." Lanai added.


    Lama came inst with a final threat. "We will start with the toes, the big toes and work our way to the baby ones. Trust us, we will make sure that you are awake as we slice them off. How will you run after the prince if you have no feet? You should know your ce miss ward, or you will not like the consequences. So, erase those little thoughts in your mind."


    The maids turned around and walked back to the doors, guarding over them strictly, such that not even a fly could get past them.


    As Lettice run off in tears, The knights and Stormwind maids that were left stunned and left thinking that the crown princess’s maids were scary. It would be best if no one crossed them lest they lose their feet, starting with their toes.