Emerald's Pride

CHAPTER 8

Emerald St. Clair's POV

I submerged my body in the bathtub prepared by Naima. The woman claims that she's now my maid according to the brute king himself. I didn't argue with the woman since she was very nice to me from the moment I arrived here in the palace several days ago. She was also somewhat my informant on the gossip that swirled around the palace walls.

I pulled my hair on the top of my head in a messy bun, trying to find a solution to my problems. It seems to me that I caught myself between the devil and the deep blue eyes, and I can't do anything about it.

Daniel wants me to marry this man of his choosing. I have to admit that his unorthodox move caught me off guard. He's never been this aggressive when he's manipulating my sisters to get married without them realizing his devious plan.

Then, there's my dilemma with Al-Farsi. He promptly offered himself to be my pretend boyfriend in front of my family for a while. I knew he had a hidden agenda behind his proposed alliance.

I sighed deeply. So much for being positive that I could escape the same fate my weak sisters have suffered at the hands of our cunning grandfather. Now, how can I outwit Daniel when Al-Farsi joined the fiasco?

"Do you want me to wash your hair now, my lady?" Naima asked, entering the bathroom with her silent footsteps.

My eyes remained closed while trying to formulate my next move in this chess game I was playing with Granddad. "Maybe later. I'd like to stay here for a few more minutes."

"As you wish," she answered gently. "I will just change the covers of your bed, my lady. Just call me when you're ready for your bath."

"Okay."

She left me alone in the peacefulness of my bathroom. I need to relax and plan my next move very carefully because I am dealing with two devils at once.

"Naima?" I called after a moment. I want her to get my phone for me from my nightstand beside the bed. I want to call my twin and ask her about the developments in New York about Daniel's whereabouts. But she was not answering, so I called her once more. "Naima...?"

Still no answer.

Maybe she left my bedroom. So, I decided to get my phone myself. I stepped out of the bathtub with my wet feet, and by some stroke of bad luck, my feet went ahead of me causing me to slip on the marble floor, slightly twisting my right ankle in the process while landing my bottom on the floor with a thud.

"Shit!" I hissed as the pain in the lower part of my body intensified after my embarrassing fall. I tried to stand up, holding on to the edge of the tub to support my weight, but another curse escaped me.

"My lady, sorry I went out to get—" Naima's eyes widened when she saw the half of my body slumped on the marble floor. "—my lady!"

I tried to smile at her, but I ended up wincing in her direction because of the intense pain in my lower back and my right ankle. "Can you give me a hand? I can't seem to stand on my own."

The maid paled considerably at the sight of me. She took the unused towel on the bathroom countertop to cover my naked body.

"I will ask some help, Lady Emerald."

She was about to leave me alone here when I grabbed her wrist lightning fast. "No. Please..." I bit my bottom lip. "I will be fine. Just help me move to the bed, and please don't tell this to anyone. Keep this a secret. I don't want commotion about this matter."

Naima's expression was troubled as she gazed down at me. "But the king—"

"Especially to him," I told her firmly. There's no way I would let him know about this accident. It's so humiliating. "Not a word to him."