Chosen By The Prince

“𝕾ome more beer” a man shouted over the noise.

The inn was bustling as usual. Filled to the brim with men of a different caliber. Old, young, rich, poor, handsome or not.

Yasmin wiped the sweat off her forehead as she made her way through the annoying crowd of men.

“Here you go,” she said politely placing down the mug of beer and a platter full of baked grail. She thought to herself. Why would someone order grail at an inn where solely drinks are served?

She rolled her eyes inwardly and wore an awkward smile. She had to please the customers at all costs. At least, that was what she was paid to do.

However, she couldn’t help but notice his stare. His gaze could have brought the entire building down.

Of course, Yasmin guessed. How could this one be any much different? Most men like to stare and gaze at her. Their mouths hang like dogs as they watch her every step.

Yasmin sighed as she turned away briskly to answer more bothersome customers

“You’re very pretty,” a voice said.

Yasmin shrugged and didn’t bother to turn to see who it was. What’s the point? She has heard this constantly.

Suddenly, she felt a strong grip on her hand and then a pull. Yasmin stopped in her tracks.

She slowly turned her head to see the person that dared to touch her.

“I said you’re very pretty” a man croaked glaring at her and trying to stare at her deep sea blue eyes.

Yasmin gazed viciously. She removed her hand from his grip and shot him a disgusted glance.

“Don’t touch me!!!” she seemed to clutter her teeth together. She was used to this but it still got to her somehow.

“I’d like to take you out” he beamed. “You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen in my life and I would die if I don’t have you in it.”

“You would die?” She scoffed mockingly and smiled in her head eager to see what cliché line he’d drop next. “ Are you new here sir?” she asked nicely smiling weirdly. She was getting pissed at him.

“No,” he said abruptly wanting to know what she was about to ask. He put his hands in his pockets and looked directly at her.

“What do you do for a living?” she queried. “At least I should know what you do before you treat me out”

The man began to smile as if he had just won a lottery. Per he has won the heart of the beautiful yet stubborn Yasmin Qaderi; the goddess of Ulrona.

“I’m a blacksmith” he carried his shoulders up and organized his clothes properly smiling at intervals.

Yasmin chucked and stood tall. She placed the note and pen she was carrying inside her apron.

Yasmin gently patted his shoulders and proceeded to rub off the invisible dirt on them as if to ridicule him.

“Then I’m afraid, young man. You're not capable of taking care of yourself let alone my family and. I need to take care of my father and brother and clearly, you cannot do that plus I don’t think you're manly enough for me.“

Yasmin tried to let him down as gently as possible. Her heart constantly pricked her wondering if she was too harsh on him. She walked out swaying her hips from side to side tons of eyes following.

The young man arched his eyebrows, his eyes went dim. His smile turned into a frown as those words slipped from her mouth. He chugged down the mug of beer and walked away.

Yasmin decided to go to the back of the inn to escape from all the chaos. More men seeped into the inn all clamoring for one person. Yasmin.

“Urghh” Yasmin removed her apron and squatted on the floor putting her hands on her face. Her feet ached. She removed her tattered shoe and stretched out her feet. “I’m so tired.”

Her coworker Naya laughed behind her. “Yunno sooner than later you’re gonna have to choose one of these guys and get married.”

Yasmin rolled her eyes and smirked. “I don’t think I’m ever gonna get married. . . unless”

“They can take care of your father and brother,” they said together. Yasmin looked at Naya and laughed so hard clutching to her stomach.

“You’ve said that phrase so many times I’m sure even the ants know it.”

Naya looked inside the inn. More chaos everywhere. It seemed as if all the men in the kingdom were in one place.

“The inn is especially full today…time to get to work” she tapped Yasmin and urged her to get up.

Yasmin sluggishly lifted herself from the floor and wore her apron again. She heaved a sigh and wore an uncomfortable smile.

“The inn is packed with men and y’all are seated here?!!!” an angry voice said.

Naya scurried and left Yasmin all alone to deal with their angry boss; Jerald.

Jerald smiled at Yasmin as if he was under some kind of spell.

“Thanks to you were having more customers than we’ve had for five years combined before you came here. I’m finally gonna expand the inn. Keep up the good work” he patted her shoulder and winked his eye.

Yasmin nodded and squeaked a thank you. She hoped she'd get an increment in her salary. She had a goal to meet and the more her salary increases the closer her goal is. How much is left? Yasmin tried to calculate in her head.

“And yes” Jerald suddenly came back,

Naya jolted. Her thoughts were interrupted. His deep gruntled voice brought her back to reality.

“ Please wear something a bit more. . . uhm appealing. I’m convinced that when you do that our inn will be the meeting point of all the men in the kingdom” He smiled at her and left the inn

Yasmin sighed as she walked back into the stuffy inn.

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“Hiyah” Prince Dalton wiped the horse with his golden whip twice hitting him at intervals.

The horse galloped fiercely through the highway leading to the market place reducing its speed as it approached the market.

The oohs and aahs of all the village girls could be heard from a distance as they watched him pass through.

The prince remained indifferent to the unseemly 18 pairs of eyes that followed him when he passed the highway.

A posse of friends clustered together not even bothering to hide the excitement they felt.

“ I heard that once when he went on his hunting trip he killed a lion that attacked one of his ensembles” a girl squeaked with excitement dropping the bucket she was holding on the floor.

“I heard that he single handedly fought off a band of warriors that attacked one of the distant villages in the kingdom. He happened to pass by that day and met them at their camp” Another girl said jumping up and down like she’d won a lottery.

“ The prince is so cool. I wish I could marry him. I heard his grooming season is by the corner.”

“I hope he picks me” a fellow girl clutched her hands together and held it up high.

“You wish” her friend snapped at her. “The Prince won’t stoop to our level. We’re lowlives.”

The market was bustling. Traders and marketers here and there.

Dalton highlighted his horse and instructed his head servant to order his ensembles to stop.

He made his way through the crowd and avoided any encounter with anyone. Of course, he couldn’t avoid the eyes that watched his moves.

Dalton finally stopped at a stall where rice was sold.

“I’d like 10 bags of rice” he exclaimed.

The old and clearly fragile man nodded and proceeded to arrange it.

“I heard that there was a massive flood in the outskirts of the town where most of the farms are” a woman uttered to her friend nearby.

“Oh no…poor farmers” her friend sympathized. “ what’s gonna happen to them now. I hope the king can do something.

The woman scoffed “ the king never does anything. He gets the best of the remaining crops and we the people are left to suffer.”

Dalton couldn’t help but get bothered about the new development. His heart pricked him constantly as the two women spoke further.

“James!!!” Dalton barked.

“Yes my lord” James his head servant bowed to him.

“ Prepare some soldiers, maids and palliatives. We're going to a village on the outskirts of the city.”

“What for my lord?” James querried.

Dalton shot him a disgruntled glance. “ Just do what I say and ask no questions” he snapped.