Rosangela: The Runaway Princess (Book #2)

“What the heck is going on here?” piped up a voice behind us.

Everyone turned around to see who the speaker was. Once they knew that it was Prince Xavier, they all bowed low to the vampire prince.

“Why do you all gather round here?” Xavier queried curiously.

“It—it’s be—because of Mariana, Your Highness,” one of the guards stuttered a reply.

“Mariana?” The vampire prince arched his eyebrows.

The crowd finally parted, revealing Mariana who was knocked out cold on the floor.

“Mariana?!” Xavier’s jaw dropped as he saw his favorite maid’s condition. Shortly afterwards, he hurried over to Mariana and knelt beside her lifeless body.

“Mariana? Mariana?” He gave her a shake to wake her, but Mariana didn’t open her eyes.

Prince Xavier then placed a hand on Mariana’s wrist, checking her pulse.

“She’s alive,” he announced.

I breathed a sigh of relief after knowing Mariana wasn’t dead. It meant that I wouldn’t be a murderer.

“Don’t just stand there! Somebody get a doctor now!” Prince Xavier snapped at us.

“Yes, quick, get help!” I said in a panicky voice.

“Okay, I’ll call the doctor,“′ one of the guards said calmly, and then, he left to make a phone call.

“Come and help me carry Mariana to her room!” Prince Xavier barked an order.

Two guards lastly moved forward and helped their prince carry the head maid to her bedroom.

The doctor arrived within minutes of the call being made. He had us wait outside while he was examining Mariana in her room.

I paced up and down in front of Mariana’s bedroom with some apprehension.

‘Please God, don’t let her be dead!’ I prayed silently, ‘I don’t want to be a murderer and be haunted by guilt for the rest of my life.’

“Can anyone explain to me how Mariana could get badly injured like that?” Prince Xavier’s question snapped me out of my trance.

“I don’t know how this could happen to Mrs. Mariana, Your Highness. Your pet was the first who found her,” one of the guards answered.

Xavier turned and faced me. His blue eyes seemed to bore into me.

“Angela, tell me what’s happened to Mariana!” he demanded angrily.

“Don’t glare at me like that! I swear on my honour that I knew nothing about this. Mariana had already lost consciousness when I found her,” I lied to him.

‘Tsk, tsk, tsk, you know, it is wrong to tell lies, Rosanne. Why don’t you just accept the responsibility for what happened to Mariana?’ my conscience advised.

‘Are you stupid or what? If I conceded I was responsible for the attack, King Joaquin would kill me,’ I scolded her inwardly.

‘Coward!’ my inner voice mocked me, ‘Why are you worrying over things that haven’t happened yet? It is uncertain that King Joaquin will kill you after you admit your mistakes, especially if he finds out about your true identity.’

‘Whose side are you on anyway? Instead of supporting me, you put me to a lot of trouble,’ I grumbled in my mind.

My conscience didn’t bother to answer me.

Xavier took a deep breath. “Okay, I think this can wait. We’re going to discuss it again later after we find out Mariana’s condition.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

After waiting for twenty minutes, at long last, the door to Mariana’s bedroom opened and the doctor stepped out.

“How is Mariana, Doctor?” Prince Xavier asked anxiously.

My heart was in my mouth as the doctor told us about Mariana’s condition.

“I’m sorry to have to inform you that the patient has slipped into a coma, Your Highness.”

I didn’t know if I ought to be sad or happy to hear Mariana had slipped into a coma. To be honest, I didn’t want Mariana to die. But if she woke up, she would reveal my secret to everyone. So, I wished she wouldn’t regain consciousness until I was able to escape from this kingdom.

“Then, what shall we do now, Doctor?” Xavier posed another question.

“We’ll just have to wait and see—there’s nothing we can do at the moment,” replied the doctor.

“Thanks for your help, Doctor,” said Xavier gratefully.

“It was no bother,” the doctor responded with a smile.

“I’m tired. I’m going to bed now. Please inform me at once if there are any changes in her condition!” Xavier requested.

“OK, I will keep you posted on her progress ,” the doctor promised.

“Let’s go, Angela!” Without waiting for my response, Xavier walked swiftly away from Mariana’s room.

Hurriedly, I caught him up and fell into step beside him.