The King's Unbreakable Wife-Chapter 184: Followers (1)

"Valerie, have you gathered all of the maids already?" Hazel asked as she headed toward the ballroom.

"I did, Your Majesty. I have a small selection of maids that I think you would like," said Valerie.

"That won’t be necessary. I will be making the pick by myself," Hazel answered.

"Of course," Valerie answered, disappointed that Hazel didn’t want to hear her options. She couldn’t think of anything she had done wrong for the queen to think she would pick poorly. "I must inform you that Lady Tabitha will be present to see you pick your maids."

Hazel stopped walking upon hearing this news. Tabitha was not present for dinner or breakfast but would be around to see her pick maids? "I informed you this morning to gather the maids but not to tell anyone why. How is it that Lady Tabitha knows about it? Do you not know what a secret is?"

"My apologies-"

"It is quite hard to depend on you when I feel like you will always run to the former queen. What I gave you was a simple task to keep quiet about, yet it was so carelessly revealed. How disappointing," Hazel said, making a note to never trust Valerie again.

It was known that she had to pick maids, but the time to gather the maids was told an hour before it happened along with the location.

Though everyone needed some time to get used to the change of queens, Valerie had a simple job to do. Hazel was trying to give everyone the time they needed but how could she not get frustrated when it was only her everyone seemed to be adapting to?

After parting from Tobias early in the morning and then seeing him at breakfast, Hazel had a small glimpse of seeing how those around them listened intently to Tobias’s commands. It was like he had been king for years instead of one day.

Hazel couldn’t help questioning if it was because they were all still following the command of the last queen or if it was because she married into the Castros that she needed so much time.

"Please forgive me, Queen Hazel. It will not happen again," Valerie promised.

Already Valerie had the answer to why Hazel wouldn’t accept the names of the names she picked out. Valerie had noticed the tension between Hazel and Tabitha so it was a big mistake to let Tabitha know about what Hazel was doing today.

Valerie had personally sent a maid to Tabitha as it was what the lady requested. Tabitha was to be informed of whatever Hazel was planning.

Hazel didn’t say another word to Valerie and continued on to the ballroom. What she didn’t understand was why Tabitha was back in the palace already. Jeffrey was so eager to leave and take Tabitha with him to be alone for the first time in years, how was it that Tabitha left Jeffrey and was here?

’Is it bad I want to yell at Jeffrey for letting her leave?’ Hazel wondered.

Jeffrey was the only one to talk some sense into Tabitha but he never seemed to care to do it.

When Hazel entered the ballroom, she found the maids conversing with Tabitha. Her presence wasn’t noticed as there wasn’t anyone to announce her. It was only when Valerie cleared her throat that the talking died down.

The maids scurried to line up for Hazel. They feared they made a mistake because of Valerie’s gaze.

Valerie dared not say a word to Tabitha to avoid upsetting Hazel any further. She had to do what she could to stop Hazel from thinking she had some sort of loyalty to the former queen.

"I’m sorry to have called you away from your duties for this. I have been carefully watching all of you since I came to the palace and came to decide who I want to be my maids, but it was hard to learn your names. I apologise for only knowing your faces," Hazel said, a bit embarrassed.

"If I tap your shoulder, please stay when the others are dismissed. Your duties shall change from this moment onward," said Hazel.

Tabitha stood to the side watching as Hazel was quite random with her choice of maids in her opinion. There were maids far better suited for Hazel as they had treated all kinds of important guests in the palace, but it was evident Hazel was going for who she thought wouldn’t be loyal to anyone else.

Tabitha enjoyed the show of some maids sighing in relief when Hazel walked by them and didn’t tap their shoulders. Nothing stayed a secret so it was going around how Hazel had slapped Jane. No one would want to serve a queen so quickly as to strike them.

It was a careless mistake that Hazel was going to regret for a long time.

"Those are the six. Everyone else is now dismissed," Hazel ordered the maids

Julia looked up at Hazel standing before her. It was surprising that though she had run away from the queen, she was still picked. She was finally doing something that would make Grant happy. Julia could not wait to send him a letter about her new position.

For once, it was worth it to be abused by the queen’s maid.

"Queen Hazel, I must say that your choice of maids is a bit interesting," Tabitha said, looking at the group that would tend to Hazel. It was one big joke. "I hope they shall serve you well."

"Thank you, Lady Tabitha. If there is something you need to discuss, please be quick with it as I must take my maids to tell them their duties," said Hazel.

"Oh, I was on my way to speak with Sofia. It must have been awful to not be invited to dinner."

Hazel was confused as she thought Sofia was with her parents since she did not come to dinner. Tobias didn’t seem worried about his sister so he must have thought the same. "The princess was not intentionally not invited to dinner. I asked where she would be dining and it was believed with you."

"Me? Jeffrey and I enjoyed dinner alone last night. It was only late after dinner passed did I learn that Sofia ate dinner in her room. That is why I am here. To comfort her," Tabitha said, loud enough for the maids leaving to hear. "I’m afraid it will add to Sofia’s thinking that you hate her. I went there but overheard you were gathering the maids so I stopped here."

Hazel smiled as she found a new low Tabitha could reach. Using the princess to paint her to be a cruel woman. She had been trying to get close to the princess but every attempt ended with failure. Had she known the princess was still in the palace, Hazel would have gone personally to bring Sofia to the dining hall.

’Since when does dinner need an invitation?’ Hazel thought. It was evident that the princess was told to stay in her room. Someone had prepared to take dinner to where the princess was.

Though an invitation wasn’t needed and there wasn’t an order for the princess not to show, Hazel knew that with the maids leaving hearing pieces of this conversation, the blame would fall on her.

"I shall speak to the princess and clear it up. I do not hate her," Hazel said, turning to leave.

"You do not need to go to her. I shall speak to my daughter. Your time is better spent trying to have a child."