Chapter 96: Chapter 96

Avril wrapped her last floral gown in a roll, and placed it in the bag. She closed it and looked around her room. She sighed and rolled the bag out of the room. As proud as she was, she still knew she had come to see this place as home. She would miss the banters they all had in this room. Nana sprawled on the bed and telling stories about the cute neighbour who she couldn't stop staring at, Xiao Wei and Chidi exposing her lies, she laughing at their attacks while Verona sat on the floor chewing gum loudly and looking bored.

As Avril approached the foot of the stairs, she saw Camper leaning against her door frame while the Palace guards stood outside waiting to escort her out. They were two, wearing normal clothes and looking like the men who had brought her and the girls to Remus in the first place. Those clothes were simply for them to blend in. But Avril doubted they would with that body of theirs, and their rigid faces.

“Stop looking at me like that,” Avril reprimanded Camper. He smiled and stood upright.

“How can I stop staring at you like that when you look way more beautiful when pissed.”

Avril rolled her eyes and watched as he strode for her. He took the traveling bag from her hand and stealthily placed a piece of paper while he was at it. He smiled at her, two graceful dips embedding in his cheeks. He walked out of the room, leaving her with her palms curled. She was aware he had just given her something that should not be seen by the guards. So she exhaled and pocketed her hands in her jacket. Remus was getting colder and winter was drawing nigh. Too bad she wouldn't be witnessing it.

Verona had told her earlier that they would not be permitted to interfere in the king's orders. And they didn't know where he was taking her to. Hopefully, it was the ordinary human world because that was where she ‘belonged’.

After Camper handed the luggage to a guard and he successful put it in the car's trunk, he gave Avril one last look.

“You be a good girl. And don't let anyone give you trouble.”

“Yes, Camps. Thank you. And tell Verona I miss her already.”

They hugged briefly, waved and Camper watched as they drove her away.

Avril watched the prince's palace fly past and she heaved a sigh. This was harder than she thought. She gulped and looked back to see it going out of view. Her hand itched toward the door handle. Would she die if she opened the car door, jumped down and run back towards his palace?

Maybe she should have, but her eyes began to close inadvertently. She sat up, blinked her eyelids hard to keep them open, but sleep or something even stronger was pulling them close. Through droopy eyes, she looked at the two guards in front. They wore stoic expressions, but every knew it was them. She fell asleep on the seat with a scowl on her face.

When she woke up, she was in a bed...neatly tucked-in in a bed. Well, how did that happen? One moment she was in a moving car, the next in a bed?

The room was way small compared to her room at Remus. This one was medium sized, or a little below medium. There were no decorations, no aesthetic wallpapers, no fancy royal furniture. Just plain white walls, white floors and brown furniture. She groaned and stepped down from the bed. At least she was still in the dress she wore earlier. But where was her jacket? That paper with the address of her girl's hideout was in it.

She looked around the bland room, and sighted a wardrobe. Moving over and yanking the doors open, she found her bag and jacket in it. She took out the paper, then put it in her bra before walking out the room. She was surprised to enter a short hallway, and into a living room straight. It was a minimalist living room with white tiles, a black leather couch and a 32 inches television. She pinned her lips together after realizing the house was too normal. After living in a mansion in Tijuana, then a Palace in Remus, she did not blame her taste.

One of the two guards who brought her entered the living room from what Avril guessed as the kitchen. He saw her and stopped. She just stared at him, not knowing what to say. Maybe hi?

“You're awake,” he announced.

“I realized that,” she responded.

“Would you like breakfast?”

“Brea-brea what?”

“Breakfast.”

“I had just had breakfast before we left Remus!”

“Yes. I know. That was yesterday.”

Avril glared at him.

“Next time before you put me off to an eternal sleep, kindly let me know. Would ya?”

The stoic guard cracked a laugh. He was tall like every other Remusian, tanned skin and short black hair.

“Do you want breakfast, Fiorella?”

“No. I'll make my own breakfast when I want. Now tell me where are we?”

He eyed her amusingly for a minute.

“Verona,” he answered. Her eyes bulged and she looked around the house immediately.

“Really? Where is she? She came?” Avril rasped excitedly and stepped towards the couch.

“No, Fiorella. Not your friend, Verona. We're in the city of Verona, Italy.”

Disappointment danced on Avril's face.

“Oh,” she exhaled and sat on the couch.

“Is Verona far from... Milan?”

The guard eyed her again.

“If you are asking because you want to know how far here is from Remus, then yes. Verona is two hour drive from Milan, and doesn't have a direct gateway to or from Remus.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

The guard disappeared back into the kitchen. Avril strolled right out of the door and found herself in a neat hallway, with doors having numbers on them. She looked to her door and saw room number 29. She figured out the elevator, went downstairs and found a bustling city in front of her. People were walking around, cars went by on the road right in front and the noise was bearable. There was a coffee shop just opposite the road and Avril crossed to it immediately. She had walked to the counter before remembering that she had no money.

“How may I help?” a sweet old lady asked.

“Uh...I was... looking for a job?” she stated uncertainly. She definitely wasn't looking for a job. But maybe she needed one.

“Oh, you're right in time. I haven't even put up the vacancy yet, guess I don't have to.” She pointed to a vacancy sign laying on the counter.

“Oh, what position is available?”

“A waitress. But are you...?” the lady trailed off as she sized her over.

“Yes, I'll take the job please.”

“Great. Though you don't look like a woman in need of a job but you got it.”

Avril chuckled. She was still in her morning face yet she didn't look like she needed a job. Remus could take all the credit for that.

Avril returned to the apartment after noon time. She had gotten free breakfast of coffee and amazing pastries, but returned for the lunch and the rest of the day.

“You took a job?” that guard asked immediately she stepped in. He was leaning against the wall beside the kitchen door.

She ignored him and went to the room she woke up in. After taking a shower and changing into another gown, she entered the kitchen to cough up something for herself. But met an already set table there.

“Why is there a lavishly set table here?”

“For your lunch.” He left immediately.

**

Over the course of three days, Avril kept going to the cafe and earning money. Though she doubted there was no money in that house. That guard who had stayed behind with her only showed up at meal times, and he prepared all the meals. He was a good cook. Still no match for Dakar.

Avril knew somehow that the guard came with enough things to make them stable. But she didn't want to ask him for money like she was a little kid asking for treats.

Today, as Avril walked into her workplace, her boss signalled for her to come immediately.

“My son works at that post office, do you mind delivering him a few espressos?” she asked. Avril nodded frantically, but said she needed to go to the restroom first. She excused herself and stealthily took her waitress pen and notepad with her. She wrote down a letter, put down her address and folded it neatly into her pocket.

When she delivered the coffee to the postal office, she asked for the woman's son who came out. He was blonde, a bit short, but broad chested. His eyes lingered on Avril before turning into a smile.

“You are that new waitress?” he asked as he helped her with the box.

“Yes. Nice to meet you,” she added politely. She heaved a sigh and brought out her letter.

“May I please post this?” she asked him. He pointed to the counter and walked away with the box. Avril knew that guard was always watching over her. But he possibly couldn't hear or see what she was doing when her boss sent her on an errand.

Avril packaged the letter and added her friend's address to it. She paid the little fee then exited the office, not missing the lingering eyes of her boss's son. She just hoped he wasn't someone put in there to also monitor her. She hated being under clutches.