Chapter 29: Chapter 29

"My King, we searched the whole palace and she's nowhere to be found." the guard returned to King Demon after searching for Maryline in the whole palace to no avail.

The enthusiastic smile on the kings face is swept by a bitter one "This is bullshit. She can't disappear just like that, she was here just a few minutes ago. Go back and search until you find her. I need her services tonight. Now get out!"

"Incompetent fools!" he exclaims. "Ishee, follow them and come back with Maryline." Ishee was standing by him as usual. "Okay, my king."

The guards trembled at the door, as they know just how it's dangerous to get on the king's bad side.

They continue in their search, they walk and check every crack and hole in the palace just for a single woman, it was like the search for an influential person who had the key to the treasure.

"Where the hell could she be?" the king asked in dissappointment. Two guards remained at the front of the king's door.

Ishee moves with them to the maid's ward, which is found just a few meters behind the Palace. "Everybody get out, out, out" they pull the maids out of their Bangalores, sending them out under the cold, some were barely dressed, some were already asleep and exhausted due to their daily tedious activities.

Ishee asks the guards to make them kneel on the cold black mud while they search their rooms. Some guards pulled them brutally as if they were thieves. They are sure Maryline is hidding in and maids are covering her up.

"We are tired, and we have to get up very early tomorrow to do our chores. We have a schedule we follow. Please allow us to sleep." they cry. "You all were here just a few minutes ago, and we told you that we don't know where Maryline is. She doesn't sleep here. She has her own room in the palace." maids cry hoping they will be listen to.

After all, the room isn't a big one, with no sophisticated furniture or edifice, where one can hide. So it didn't take the guards much time to search all four corners.

Ishee the kingsman is strutting by the ladies waiting for the guards who are still searching their room with their fires. "Nothing sir." the guards came out to him.

"So you all are telling me she's nowhere to be found. Is she a ghost. So what should I tell the king?. Oh, my king Maryline has disappeared, swwittcchh!!" he broaden his eyes making some weird movement with his hands.

"No one has seen anything? Meanwhile, she was with some of you serving the king, just a few minutes ago?." he bitterly utter, strolling  around them recklessly.

This scares them more ."Yes, we didn't see anything. We're telling you the truth." they all cry. They could see the eagerness in Ishee's eyes, the eagerness to kill them one by one and indeed, he's apt.

"Fine, everyone in, except for the ladies who served the king with Maryline in his room.." Ishee orders.

"Thank you. Thank you, sir." they rush in while five ladies remain out kneeling, shivering seriously as they are been isolated, not knowing their fate. Fearing the worst. Indeed they are right to fear.

"So, you all saw nothing?. Meanwhile, you all retired to your dorms together?. If any of you saw something or knows something speak up when it's still early, for your own safety. I'm running out of patience, you know, I'm giving you all time to think, and this can drastically change in an instance." he caresses their hairs one by one with his claws.

The maids could pee on their body. The fear they all portray shows how terrified they are. One of them even started to shed tears.

"You all will spend the night out here, under this cold. And thank me very much for not killing you all... Thou, I can still change my mind."

"You stay here and watch them, the rest of you, follow me. She can't be far" Ishee moves around the palace, which has a vast compound with his guards, and they eventually split for a better search.

The only omission the guards made was to search outside of the palace. Maryline inferred the King's plans, so immediately after serving him in his room, she discreetly walked out of the palace. In her wolf form, she raced many meters into the woods, to a small bungalow found deep in the woods to her private spot. Where she usually goes for meditation and to escape from, dramatic atmosphere.

She is the only maid in the palace who owns a bungalow.

After about an hour of search with no positive results, Ishee has no choice but to return to the king who is surely waiting impatiently.

Ishee approaches the king with his sad facial expression "Where is she?" the king scolds. "We searched everywhere my king, but we found nothing. It's like she has disappeared."

"Don't be silly Ishee, no one disappears like that. She is surely somewhere hiding. Anyway, every one out, we have a long day tomorrow and I have to sleep." he lay in his bed, very disappointed at the same time he knows how tricky Maryline can be, at times.

While they all move out, two guards still remain at the door meanwhile, the test retire. Ishee is still dreadful for disappointing the king.

Adams was deep asleep in his room, he had no idea about what was happening in the palace.

Meanwhile Edmonton was still up doing his night stuff, when he saw everything that was happening, guard searching the palace for no good reason. He even saw Maryline running into the bush at night. However, he has no idea about the bungalow, he simply thought she was going for a night run.

When the sun was about to rise, Maryline Jogs out of the woods in her wolf form and dresses up before she reaches the palace passing through the back which leads to the maid's ward.

She doesn't stop to greet any of the maids as she usually does every morning, she simply moves to the kitchen and sits still like a ghost glued to a spot, she gets lost in her thoughts.

Just a few minutes later, a cock crows, the maids start getting up and starts getting busy. They murmur among themselves as they rush to get their quick bath, which does not last for more than 30 minutes and if you miss your morning bath you will only have to bath at night under the cold coupled with the Icy water.

At least, as a chief maid, Maryline permitted the maids to have hot water for morning baths only. This is the highest she can do. So if not all, majority of the maids turned to be very loyal to her since she proved to them that she will always fight for their good as she improved many things which include their living conditions.

"Why was the king searching for Maryline?. Where is she?" after their baths they murmur as they move to the kitchen for their daily routines.

They immediately stop talking as they all notice Maryline's presence in the kitchen, who had already heard their conversations from a distance. As a wolf she can hear very tiny sounds...

"Maryline." they all shudder.

"Why do you all look surprise?. Don't we always meet here every morning, isn't it out daily routine or is there something I have to know?" she's settled on her bench playing the ignorant card.

"No nothing madam." they all nod. "The king was searching for you seriously last night to no avail and the maids who were last seen with you slept outside under the cold." the maid sandy couldn't keep it to herself as she's one of the maids who slept outside.

"I'm so sorry about that. I had no idea."

"How would you?. Where were you or what did you do to piss the king off?. Don't tell me that it's non of my business, because of you I slept outside, under the harsh cold, not for a second did I close my eyes. I'm still shivering..." Veronica scolds her.

She's known for her resentment towards Maryline among the  maids because, she believed that she was supposed to be made chief maid, not Maryline since she was the oldest maid and she has been serving in the palace long ago before Maryline arrived.

She also had a good relationship with the late Queen, mother of Eve's mother, before Maryline showed up and took her place. She hates her for all this and she still hopes to take her rightful position one day.

"I have no idea of what happened yesterday, but it's time for us to work. We have to bake bread before the king and the others gets up." Maryline ignores her questions as she owes her no explanations and she's somehow happy Veronica slept under the cold.

Maryline moves to Sandy taking her out of the kitchen with her. Veronica hits her shoulders to that of Maryline as she bypasses her "i will find out what you are hidding and expose you." she whispers.

Maryline simply ignores her as she bypasses her to meet Sandy. Veronica hits her shoulder and she acts as if it was a mistake. She ignores and she takes Sandy out of the kitchen.

"I'm sorry about what happened, tell the three other girls with whom you were with yesterday, that you girls will finish just your morning chores and rest for the day, to compensate your bad night. But before going, tell me all that happened."

The maid is so happy that she starts to explain what happened yesterday night without omissions. However, she can only say her version of the story.

.

.

A few minutes later, a wounded man who's life is hanging on a thin thread is seen on a horse as he approaches the gates. As he reaches the palace gates, he falls from the horse. Guards takes him to the King, who is just from getting up from sleep.

"What is so important that you got me up from my bed this early Edmonton." the king angrily enters the throne room with his nightdress.

"One of the spies we sent to the Aqua kingdom is finally back." Edmonton introduces as the king takes a sit. "Go on tell them what you told me." Edmonton orders him.

The man can barely breathe, "We were three of us, they killed the other two and sent me back. They were all killed by the king himself. He spared my life so that I can deliver his message to you, my king. He says that, he has your to be daughter in- law and that he's waiting for you."

"Damn!" the king hits the table in a very angry state "He's trying my patience. We are living in a few hours."

"How long did it take you, to reach his kingdom?"

"About one and a half day on the horse."

"Good!. Now take him out of my sight." the king gets up from the throne to go and prepare himself.

Once he reaches the door he turns to Ishee and whispers to him "Get me Maryline. I will be waiting for her in my chambers, be quick. Don't disappoint me this time."