Xhemin spent the whole morning rummaging her room for something. She was so anxious knowing that she had lost something so precious to her. There in her chambers, a couple of handmaids was helping her to look for what she had lost yet nothing had been found."Princess perhaps you had dropped it somewhere," One of the handmaids who was there told her.
"I still saw it last night hanging in my wrist before I feel asleep," Xhemin said. She lost the silver bracelet that Senior Han"s gave her, and she was really worried she might lose it forever. That was the only thing that reminded her of her previous life in the mainland and losing it was like losing a part of her. "It should be here somewhere,"
"We had been looking all morning and we found nothing," The same handmaid said to her.
"Perhaps it was stolen," Another handmaid voiced on.
"Please don"t say that Handmaid Che, that a serious accusation," the previous handmaid chastised.
"My bracelet is worth nothing in this island," Xhemin said feeling low as she sat on her bed after a long exhausting search, "So, I don"t think anyone would take an interest on it here,"
"See, it doesn"t cost anything," The other handmaid repeated to her comrade.
"But then where could it be?" Handmaid Che wondered. It was the first time that a princess lost something in her own chambers and that for her was alarming. Also, she didn"t like the lonely look on Xhemin"s face, and she felt so much guilt for not being able to do something. The healer was obviously missing her home and the walls of the palace no matter how tall they were had not kept her warm, to add to the misfortune, she lost a valuable thing— the only thing that was left of her when she crossed the borders.
In the middle of the handmaid"s and Xhemin"s commotion, Handmaid Si came running as she entered her princess" room. When she saw that two handmaids were there already, she was slightly relieved.
"Quick! Help me wash and dress the princess!" Handmaid Si hollered right away and ran to Xhemin"s closet to find her something to change to. "Handmaid Che prepare the bath immediately"
Xhemin, astonished to Handmaid Si"s sudden charge asked curiously "Handmaid Si, what"s going on?"
"The Chieftain is coming home from the Somer lands," She paused a bit to take a breath. When she heard the news, she ran a mile to reach Xhemin"s quarters as fast as she could.
"That"s good to hear but is my current dress not good enough?" Xhemin stood from where she sat and showed the handmaid her dress. Her current dress was already pretty, and she don"t remember dressing extravagantly whenever they welcome the Chieftain home from his trips.
"The messenger specifically said that all princess should be in their best dress," Handmaid Si relayed.
"Really? I wonder why," Xhemin continued to wonder. "What seems to be so special this time,"
"Princess, they said he brought a guest," The handmaid answered her as she was busy choosing a clothing for her. Xhemin had several beautiful dresses and she was carefully choosing the prefect one for such an occasion. "The hero of Somer lands they say,"
"They say?" Xhemin made a face at handmaid Si. She knew how this handmaid of her expert in catching gossips.
"Princess do not give me that face," Handmaid Si tried to sway Xhemin"s silent reproach. "When the messenger"s message was relayed to me, I can"t help but wonder why, so I took an initiative to investigate,"
"And where did your investigation lead you?" Xhemin arched a brow at her.
"I pick up some information amongst Princess w.a.n.g"s handmaids," The handmaid confessed and settled on the purple dress for Xhemin. She pulled the gown from the closet and checked whether it had some faults somewhere. "Do you like to wear this dress?"
"I"m okay with anything," She told her and helped the handmaid with the dress. It was very long and so the latter was having hard time pulling it off by herself. "So, back to the conversation,"
"Well, I learned that Princess w.a.n.g is home already. She went ahead of the Chieftain," She told her princess. "They said her household was busy as if they were preparing for something grand,"
"Oh, she must know something since she was with the Chieftain in the Somer lands," Xhemin said thoughtfully.
"I also heard them talking about a guest. They said the hero of Somer lands is coming with the Chieftain," The very nosy Handmaid added.
"The hero of Somer lands?" Xhemin"s curiosity intensified. "Do you know him?"
"I don"t, I"ve never heard of him before. None of the handmaid knew about him too when I asked around," She expressed frustratedly. She was really d.a.m.ned curious as to what kind of person that hero was but no one in the palace knew. It seemed like he just popped out from nowhere.
Whilst the two were conversing and checking out the purple dress, a sudden knock halted their recent activities.
Handmaid Si opened and saw the Chieftana"s main handmaid at the door. She knew her as she was her senior. She too was holding a big box on her hand and handed it to the former.
"Handmaid Si take this and let princess healer wear it" The handmaid at the door instructed Xhemin"s main handmaid.
"What is that?" Xhemin can"t help but asked the new comer who wore a blank expression on her face. "I mean, what is that, if I may ask?" She corrected her words to include some manners.
"It"s a dress for this afternoon"s occasion. The Cheiftana had sent one to all the princess and they had to wear such," She replied.
"The occasion must be very important since the Chieftana had to make us some dresses," Xhemin turned to handmaid Si with some serious thought.
"Of course, the occasion is very important" The Cheiftana"s handmaid replied "The Chieftain brought the hero of Somer lands and… he will be choosing a bride from amongst the princess this afternoon,"
"What?" Xhemin exclaimed very much surprised. She stepped back and the first thought that came to her mind was to run away but that thing needed some serious planning and since the occasion was this afternoon, she don"t think she had enough time for it.