"Stop it, your highness. Don't scare our princess." Advika came towards them, two maid following her, holding a tray of juice.
She signalled the maids to distribute the juice to soldiers and they started doing it.
Ira stood up and went towards her to avoid her wicked husband.
"I didn't know that it's so easy to scare someone." He said, leaning back on the bench and sitting comfortably.
"The look on your face was enough to scare anyone." Advika complained "And you shouldn't scare your wife. How will she trust others when she can't even trust her own husband? I think I should inform her highness about her son bullying our princess."
Raksheet looked at her in shock and immediately shook his head "No need." He stood up and walked towards Ira, hugging her tightly, showing his love "Look, I love my wife so much. No need to bother mother. I will take care of my wife."
Ira slightly pushed him away, feeling out of breath.
Advika held Ira's hand and pulled her closer, separating Raksheet from her.
"Fine fine. I can see how much you love your wife. Now let me take her to her chamber. She have to get ready for party."
"Party is at night. And it's still morning." Raksheet reminded incase Advika forgot.
"I know. But I have other works to do at evening. And it will take time for princess to get ready. There are a lot of things to do. You continue your practice and leave princess on me."
Advika then turned towards Ira and asked "Princess, I am Advika. I am the head maid of palace. Her highness had told me to help you get ready for party. So, let's go to your chamber and select your dress?"
"Sure. Let's go." Ira said and started walking inside the palace from other gate of armory.
"Thank you so much Advika. You saved me." Ira said as they entered in her chamber.
"No need your highness. And don't worry. He won't do anything to you." Advika assured.
Ira sat down on her dressing stool and looked at Advika. "Is he really that dangerous? Does he like to hurt people? Will he hurt me?" She held Advika's hands and pleaded "Please, don't hide anything. I want to know what kind of person he is. Will he hurt me? How am I suppose to live with a man who won't hesitate to kill me?"
"Calm down princess. Calm down." Advika tried to calm Ira down as Ira was looking too scared and was about to cry in fear.
She sat down infront of Ira and said "Your husband is a gentleman. He can never hurt you. Yes, he is cruel. But only for his enemies. Not for his family and kingdom. You don't know how lucky you are to have such a gentle, thoughtful and generous husband. He was just joking. He is not any wicked or crazy person who like to hurt people."
"But he was looking so dangerous when he was practicing And he threatened me." Ira said while wiping the tears from her eyes.
Advika chuckled "I told you, he was just joking. You know what, I have never seen prince Raksheet talking to any girl or even looking at them at least for once. He is such a nice person that the entire kingdom is waiting for him to get crowned. Just think, why would the whole kingdom wait for him to get crowned if he is an evil man. Your husband is a nice person."
Ira looked down at her hands, feeling embarrassed for her behaviour. "Is that so?"
"Yes."
"I am sorry. I misunderstood him."
"You should apologise to him. Not me." Advika replied "But, let it be. Don't apologise to him either. He don't know what happened so you don't have to tell him. It will only hurt his feelings. He is very sensitive about his family and relations so you have to be careful in future."
Ira nod, still looking down "Ok. I will."
Advika held Ira's chin and made her look at her. "So, let's get ready?"
Ira smiled in response and stood up to take out some clothes to check.
"Your highness, you can open your eyes now." Advika said, standing next to Ira.
Ira slowly opened her eyes just to see a gorgeous princess in the mirror, sitting infront of her. Her hair were open. She was wearing a tiara of white diamonds. A long sliver-white dress. A necklace with a small diamond. Two silver bracelets in both hands and long earrings. A light makeup with light pink tint on her lips.
"Did you like your look, your highness?" Advika asked.
Ira's mouth was slightly open to see a totally different person infront of her. "I-Is it me?" She asked looking at herself up and down repeatedly.
"Of course. It's you. The gorgeous princess of Jwalana." Advika replied.
Ira chuckled, she touched her face, looking at herself in the mirror carefully.
"I am looking so beautiful."
"You are beautiful, your highness. You don't have to try to look beautiful. You are a natural beauty." Advika commented.
"You are flattering me." Ira said. "Thank you so much for giving me this look." She turned to Advika and held her hands "You are really so sweet."
"Thank you, your highness." Advika replied "I should leave now. I have to take care of party arrangements. And if you need any help, i will send a maid to help you."
"Ok."
"Take care of your look. Don't ruin it before prince see you." Advika said as she fixed Ira's hair.
"I will. Don't worry."
"See you later. take care." Advika walked out of the chamber.
'She is so nice. I really like her. I wish if she could be my personal maid. But may be she can't. She is so sweet and friendly, grandmother or mother would have made her their personal maid by now but they didn't. It means she can't be my maid too. She is so friendly. Just like a friend. I really want a friend like her.' Ira thought
She turned towards mirror and again looked at herself. A smile appeared on her face as she saw how eye-catching she is looking.
In the evening, Raksheet started to get ready for party. When he was changing his clothes, the scene in the morning came in his mind and a slight smile appeared on his face. The scared look on Ira's face and the little bit of confidence that was slowly fading away after hearing his threats.
He chuckled after remembering how she ran towards Advika to hide from him.
"Scaredy cat." He said to himself and started to button his sleeves.
He looked at himself in the mirror and imagined how he was looking when he scared her. "Was I looking that evil? I hope I didn't scared her much." He smiled mischievously "It's our first night tonight. I don't want her to run away from me."
He grabbed his crown and placed it on his head. "Then let's go. Meet her. I hope at least she won't push me away."
He came out of the chamber and went to meet Ira. Once he reached their chamber, he knocked on the door. Soon after, Ira opened the door, leaving Raksheet dumbfounded on his place. He can't believe what he just saw. His wife, looking like an angel. The silver-white gown with diamond tiara on her head, making her look like a real angel that came from heaven only for him.
"Raksheet, what happened?" She asked.
He looked at her from head to toe in daze. The way he was staring at her was making her feel uncomfortable so she opened the door wide and asked him to come inside.
"Raksheet, do you need anything? Please come inside." She walked inside, leaving him behind.
When she went inside, he came to his sence and realised what he just did. Staring at her like a pervert, making her feel uncomfortable.
He hit his head slightly in embarrassment and stepped inside the chamber.
"Do you want anything?" She asked.
He tried to smile and replied "No. I just wanted to meet you before the party starts. Just to make sure that you are fine. You are looking beautiful."
Ira smiled in response and kept silent.
"Are you nervous?"
She looked away from him, feeling shy to answer. She slowly nod while biting her lower lip "Yes."
"Why?"
She looked at him "I didn't attended any party before, so.....it's hard for me to meet so many people."
Raksheet furrowed his eyebrows in confusion "What do you mean? Didn't you attended any party before? Like nothing? Not at least one?"
She nod timidly.
"How is that possible? You are a princess. How didn't you attended any party before?"