He Is Not Worthy

She asked, "Why do you hate him so much?"

Chelu answered, turning her face away almost immediately, "It's because I love him so much."

Four years before this, Chelu was a Princess of terror in her father's palace, she was the Princess of Ranai Kingdom and she was the only surviving child of the King of Ranai. Rude and bitter she was feared by the people and her arrogance and rude behavior was known abroad. Over the years, the beautiful and charming Princess had become known throughout the land for her stunning beauty and undeniable charm. Everywhere she went, people would stop and stare, captivated by her graceful movements and radiant smile.

However, despite her many admirers, the Princess had developed a reputation for being proud and rude. She would often dismiss those who tried to speak to her, brushing them off with a haughty wave of her hand or a cutting remark.

"When will you begin to try to change?" She was once asked by her father.

"When I no longer give a d*mn about what people talk concerning my behavior," she had answered unconcernedly. At that moment, it was the presence of her mother that saved her from the hot slap the King was already directing to her face.

A new servant had arrived the palace and it was the King that brought him. He was well built with well carved beard, easy-on-the-eyes. dark and handsome. cute, hunky. It was not in the Princess's imagination that someone like that could one day be introduced in the palace as a servant. The day he was introduced the royal family was in the dining when the King suddenly raised his face and spoke. It was after he had begun speaking that the Queen and Princess Chelu noticed the young man standing by the door with the Chief Servant.

"He is the one" the King had said.

"He is who?" asked the Princess and the King didn't think she was supposed to speak before her mother and with that frown on her face the king wasn't surprised as she was known to be disliking of others. "Father?" she was asking again and the King decided to answer her since his wife was waiting for an answer as well.

"Well, there is the new servant whose sole duty is to ensure the dinning is always set. His name is Udo" The King stood and Chelu looked up at his face, wondering if he was done with his meal already. He left them. The Queen also stood and avoiding her daughter's eyes left the dining as well. Chelu sat back there and shortly she stared closely at the young man that had just been introduced as the new servant to take care of the dinning after eating and to set it before eating. She dismissed the Chief Servant and turned her face again to stare right into the face of the young man and then she forced a smile, resting her wrists on the table with her plate of egg sauce in-between them.

She asked, "What is your name again?"

"Udo is my name my Princess" the young man sounded smart and eloquent too.

"My father sought for you by himself or you were introduced to the palace by...who..." she grimaced, looking at him disgustingly and the young man knew she was looking for an occasion to blame him for her bad day. He had not known her before now, ofcourse he wouldn't for he had merely heard about the Princess from his far village of Ochi and he wasn't sure if he had been to the City Of The Lords even as a lad. He was not from a rich family and the commoners were not always allowed into the city of the nobles in Ranai let alone the grand palace of Ranai. He stuttered and suddenly the Princess sprang on her feet and hit both hands on the table and the plates on it danced. At this point Udo felt she was a psycho yet he must mentain his cool if he still loved his head to remain on his shoulders. However he wasn't entirely shocked at her outburst. The time he made his intention to serve in the palace known his mother had warned him severally, bringing to his knowledge that someone in that palace could kill him and that was the Princess.

"If I don't go to the palace I won't find rest mother" Udo had spoken. His father stood at the exit of the room and shook his head. He was a very old man and his wife was sick. He had to believe in his son's vision to apply to work in the palace as a servant else there was no other way to fend for the family and take care of his wife's treatments.

"I understand you my son; you want to take care of the family and you have this..." the man was still speaking but Udo's mind wasn't there any longer. He could still hear his voice and he was sure he thought he was listening to him but the thought in his head had overshadowed the sound of his father's voice. "My son" the old man called and Udo was startled back to the present. He shook his head and apologised for being body present and absent minded. "Do what you have decided to do and if it works out, for I believe in your faith, then you will be established enough to take care of us. I don't have many lands to sell and no properties to for you to inherit but I have you and I believe in you"

That was how Udo left home and went to the City Of The Lord's, faking to be a son of a noble man in order to win the position of a servant in the palace of Ranai. Now having encountered this Princess and having to understand he was going to be stuck with her for as long as he worked in the palace he was sad. He stood there and waited for her to finish raining insults on him.

"You are deaf or you are dumb?" Chelu asked.

"The King, your father wouldn't stoop so low to seek for me my Princess. I left my father's house in The City Of The Lord's to seek for "what makes a man a real man outside of who his parents are" hence why I am here to serve"

"Really, your father is noble but you want to serve in the palace?" the Princess chuckled wickedly.

"If you would permit me my Princess" he said politely.

"I must admit, I wouldn't have allowed it myself, but my father has already accepted you based on whoever introduced you to him. However, let's hope and pray to the gods that you will feel comfortable during your stay with me."

That was a threat.

Night had fallen and the princess could not sleep. She had adjusted herself on the bed for a while now and arrived at the conclusion that she wouldn't be able to force herself to sleep and so she rose from the massive bed and walked towards the window in her transparent nightgown and stood there, holding the window frames with her soft hands she stared towards the palace gates.

The palace is located in a lush, verdant valley surrounded by majestic mountains that rise up to the sky. It is a sprawling complex of buildings, courtyards, and gardens, all enclosed within high walls that are guarded by heavily armed soldiers.

As you approach the palace, you see that the main entrance is a grand gateway made of solid gold, with intricate carvings and precious gemstones embedded in its surface. The gateway is flanked by two towering statues of fierce lions, their eyes gleaming with ruby-red jewels.

Once inside, you find yourself in a vast courtyard, paved with polished marble and lined with rows of towering palm trees. In the center of the courtyard stands a magnificent fountain, its crystal-clear waters spouting high into the air and cascading down into a shallow pool.

To your left and right, you see the palace wings, each with multiple levels and hundreds of windows trimmed with gold. The walls are decorated with intricate murals depicting scenes from the kingdom's history and the exploits of its great rulers.

As you make your way further into the palace, you come across the throne room, a cavernous hall with a soaring ceiling held up by massive marble pillars. At the far end of the hall, you see the king's throne, a massive chair of solid gold with plush red velvet cushions. On either side of the throne stand the king's personal guards, their armor glinting in the flickering torchlight.

You also catch a glimpse of the queen's private chambers, a luxurious suite of rooms filled with plush furnishings, rich tapestries, and sparkling chandeliers. A balcony off the queen's bedroom overlooks the palace gardens, which are filled with colorful flowers, fragrant herbs, and exotic fruit trees.

Throughout the palace, you see evidence of the king's wealth and power, from the priceless works of art and jewels adorning every surface to the exotic animals kept in private menageries and the armies of servants scurrying about to attend to the royal family's every whim.

In short, the palace is a dazzling display of opulence and grandeur, befitting a powerful king, his beautiful queen and their only daughter Chelu.

Shortly she heard a knock at the door of her room and she turned her face to stare for a while hoping the knocker would enter without having to disturb her further with another knock but her wish wasn't granted as another knock came in. She sighed, walked towards the bed and took her seat.

"Come in" she murmured. The door opened and Ada walked in; Ada was the personal maid to Princess Chelu, stunningly beautiful and intelligent lady with a rich dark complexion that adds to her allure. She carried herself with grace and poise, and her warm personality made her approachable to everyone around her.

She was incredibly smart and well-educated, which made her an invaluable asset to Princess Chelu. She was fluent in several languages, including the princess's native tongue, and is well-versed in history, literature, and politics. She used her intelligence to help the princess make informed decisions about matters of state and to advise her on matters of etiquette and protocol.

As a personal maid, she was responsible for attending to the princess's every need. She helped her dress, styled her hair, and applied makeup, ensuring that the princess always looked her best. Also she was responsible for keeping the princess's chambers tidy and well-organized, and for ensuring that the princess had everything she needed to feel comfortable and at ease and she had her subordinates to carry out matters relating to cleanings and serving the guests during occasions.

Despite her many responsibilities, she never lost sight of the importance of her role, was deeply committed to serving the princess and was always ready to go above and beyond to ensure her happiness and well-being despite the princess's wavering and discomforting attitude. Her unwavering loyalty and dedication had earned her the trust and respect of everyone in the royal court, and she was beloved by all who knew her.

Ada was not just a personal maid to Princess Chelu, but a trusted advisor, confidante, and friend. Her stunning beauty and intelligence were matched only by her unwavering dedication and loyalty to her princess.

"What is it Ada? It's almost middle of the night" Princess Chelu asked, with her eyes dull and reddish due to lack of sleep.

"You are unable to sleep again today?" asked Ada as she hastily approached her and sat beside her, adjusting the princess's curled hair to enable her see her face clearly, displaying how much she cared. The princess was hiding her face while lying she was okay, but she wasn't okay for the past was already calling the present.

"Are you thinking of him again?" Ada was searching for her face and the princess was hiding it. If there was one thing Chelu was not comfortable with it was people seeing through her proud look to detect her vulnerability.

Chelu sighed and this time she looked eyeball to eyeball with Ada and spoke conclusively, "It's midnight already, I want to rest"

Ada rose from the soft bed and bowed her head, raising it up with her eyes still glued on the princess's face. She left her alone and the princess put off the candle and wept in the dark.

Udo had to return to his village after having been given the work at the palace of Ranai as a servant. He had asked that he be given the leave to conclude some unfinished businesses he had in his father's house. At first the Chief Servant didn't want to hear of it and pressed that it would be better if Udo didn't already start to annoy the royal household by being absen