Irma : Ew! Those are really disgusting work! Can't you just let the king be kinder to me!?
Me : Then it won't be nice to read, and it would disrupt my story.
Irma : I knew it! You just want to see me getting into these kind of messes!
Me : Will you just shut up! Just read the disclaimer.
Irma : Fine, storyLover58 does not own W.I.T.C.H., or me.
Me : Only the story, and the part of you, but the story must go on...
Chapter 12 : The King's Plan
Irma was now in her tenth stable and she was holding it up, except for the smell in each of the stables. She had to struggle to stand on her feet whenever she went into one of the stable. She wondered whether she should take the chance to escape, but if she escape, the king would do anything to get her back. She just sighed as she didn't had a choice as she continued to clean the place. She looked out the door way before seeing two guards were keeping an eye on her, preventing her from any escape, but she didn't wanted to as she would be back at the kingdom in no time thanks to the king's guards. 'One of these days, I will get out of here,' she thought as she started to use the sponge before cleaning the floor.
In the rebels hideout, Saldern was surprised by the unexpected visit by the guardians and Regents, with a teenage boy following them. 'So, the king has kidnapped your teammate?' Saldern asked as he raised an eye brow at them.
'Yes, and we were wondering, can you find a spot for her to sneak into your hideout to inform you about the king's plans?' Will asked, which Saldern thought about it.
'I know a spot which would be perfect for this,' Saldern said before he went into one of the tunnels in the hideout.
'So, where are we heading?' Stephen asked.
'Into one of the tunnels,' Taranee explained before they went into the tunnel Saldern took.
'At least it took us less time to take Irma here,' Cornelia quipped, which earned her a glare from the rest of the group, especially Stephen since Irma was her girlfriend.
'We're almost there,' Saldern said, which the others hurried to his position.
They then saw a small hole on the wall. Will went to look through the hole and was surprised at what she saw. It was a bedroom, and by the looks of it, Will could sense that it could be the maid's. 'Irma can talk to you through this hole, and we don't have to worry a thing,' Will said excitedly.
'But we still have to check on Irma, to check whether she is safe or not,' Taranee said, coming back to the subject.
'Then what are we waiting for?!' Hay Lin yelled before she flew back through the tunnel. The others soon catched up to her back to the hideout.
As the guardians and Regents were about to leave to check on Irma, Will stopped Stephen by the tunnel. 'Will? What are you doing?' Stephen asked as Will placed her hand on his chest, preventing him from going any further.
'Stephen, you must stay here for your own safety,' Will said slowly.
'But you said you will take me to see her!' Stephen yelled.
'I know you are upset, but it is too dangerous for you, and without any kind of defence, you will be easily taken out,' Will explained.
'I just want to see her!' Stephen protested, but Will just shook her head.
'I'm sorry Stephen, but you're staying here, whether you like it or not,' Will said. As she was leaving, Stephen hold an urge to leave the hideout, but he realised that Will was right, it was too dangerous. He doesn't want Irma to feel bad about herself, so he stayed back.
The guardians and Regents were on their way to the kingdom to check on Irma. They managed to reach the kingdom in record speed. They were avoiding any guards from seeing them as they lay low. They wondered where could Irma be in the big kingdom. They quickly grab some robe before concealling themselves from any busybodies. They continued to search for their friend in the crowd while avoiding the guards.
Meantime, Irma was getting tired from all the cleaning. She was now in her twentieth stable, which she still feel sick from the stence. As she was about to lay down, a guard called out to her. 'Your lunch, maid,' he said before handing Irma a tray of food. Irma noticed that there was a plate of mash potato, a bowl of rice and some meat. 'I think I could get used to this,' she thought as she started to dig into her lunch
The guardians and Regents has separated in order to look for Irma even quicker. Matt and Will went one way, Hay Lin and Mr Huggles on the other, Taranee, Cornelia and Napolean on the last route. They keep on tracked with telepathy thanks to Taranee. 'Found anything yet?' Will asked Taranee through telepathy.
'Just some stalls, carriages and people walking here and there, but nothing yet,' Taranee replied.
'We need to look for somewhere we will least expected, somewhere the king will punish his maid into a job she hates,' Will said, which got the rest of the group thinking.
'I have an idea on where she could be,' Cornelia said as she smirk once she saw a horse crossed by.
Back at Irma, she just finished her lunch as she continued on her work. 'Okay, if Corny see me like this, I'll never hear the end of this,' Irma thought as she cleaned the stable. Two guards were outside of the stable, guarding the place while preventing Irma from escaping.
The guards then heard something by the bushes near the stable. 'I'll check on it,' one of them said, but before he could respond, the beam above them fell onto them as it was hit by a green beam. They were out cold by the force of the impact. 'Sweet dreams,' Will said as she came out of the bushes, along with Matt.
'I can't believe Corny's right about Irma being in one of the horse stable. Cause I could sense that she is in there,' Matt said as he took a closer look on the guards.
'Lets just go and check whether this is the right one,' Will said before she and Matt went into the stable. They then heard somebody was complaining about some random stuff. Will figured it could be Irma, just in her usual grumpyness about work.
'I hope the others doesn't see me like this,' Irma said as she wiped off a bead of sweat on her forehead.
'Tell us about what?' Will asked as she came out from behind the beam, which started Irma. She then turned around to see that it was Will who asked her, along with Matt.
'Guys! I'm so happy to see you! Now, get me out of here!' Irma said as she went over to the two teenagers. She wanted to give them a hug, but they refused to.
'Irma, first of, you will need a bathe first before you will ever give me a hug,' Will stated as Irma calmed down.
'And second, I'm afraid you will need to stay here for the time being,' Will explained, as Irma stared at her with her mouth and eyes wide opened. It took her a few seconds for her brain to process on what she told her before she reacted.
'WHAT!' Irma yelled out loud.
'Sorry Irma, but you'll have to,' Matt back up for his girlfriend.
'No how, no way, not in another word, that I'll stay here!' Irma protested.
'So, how are you feeling right now?' Will asked, only realising that she just asked the worlds stupidest question.
'Will, if you take me back home, then I will tell you how I was,' Irma said as she crossed her arms.
'Will, we need to hurry, I think I can hear the guards coming back,' Matt said as he heard some mourning of hurt head.
'Irma, there is a small hole in the maid's bedroom, you will go there and talk to one of the rebels on the king's plans, since you can get close to him enough,' Will said as Irma glared at her.
'Will, you owe me this one,' Irma said. Will just nodded before she and Matt left the stable in time as the two guards were now regaining consciouness.
'What happened?' one of them asked as he rubbed his head from the pain.
'I think the beam fell on us. Man, that hurts,' the other guard said as he tried to smoothen the pain on his head.
'Do you think that the maid has escaped?' he asked before they realised about it. They quickly went into the stable to check on the maid.
They later saw that Aliria, a.k.a. Irma, was busy cleaning the place. The two guards were relief that she hadn't escaped yet, but they will keep a close eye on her.
Will and Matt were back in the crowded streets as people were walking back and forth. 'Well, at least Irma is safe,' Will said.
'Yeah, for now, but how long could she play the maid until either she breaks down on those works, or either the king found out about it,' Matt said under his robe.
'Matt, try to ave some faith in her. If I say she can do it, she can do it. Understand?' Will said with a little mad at him.
'Alright, alright,' Matt said defencely.
'Lets find the others and tell them we found Irma before we head home, with bringing Stephen home along the way,' Will said before she and Matt turned into a small alley between two buildings.
Will told the rest of the girls through telepathy that they found Irma and she's fine. They headed back to the hideout after regrouping in one location. After they done that, they flew out of the kingdom and headed to the tunnel of the hideout.
Back in the hideout, Stephen was pacing back and forth, waiting for the girls and the Regents. 'What is taking them so long,' Stephen mumbled as he kept on pacing when he heard something in the tunnel. He quickly went to check it out.
Once he was in front of the tunnel, he heard somebody was in it. He figured it could be that they have finally returned. And he was right as Will, along with the rest of the group, landed right in front of him. 'So, where is Irma?' Stephen asked.
'Well, Stephen, you see... we needed Irma to be the insider to find out what the king would be planning,' Will explained, which Stephen was staring at her.
'That is the reason why I needed to follow you!' Stephen yelled as he was really upset that he couldn't see Irma yet.
'Sorry Stephen, but we need to stop this king and we need to find out whathe will be planning to do,' Will continued.
'Fine, and how is she?' Stephen asked, hoping that she was fine.
'Yeah, she's fine,' Will replied.
'Wonder how she's doing right now,' Matt said.
'I don't know, but we better head home,' Will said before opening a fold back to Heatherfield.
'I better come up with a good excuse of why am I home late,' Stephen stated before he went through the fold.
'Me too,' Will said as Cornelia, Hay Lin and the rest of the group went through it. Will then noticed that Saldern was just walking out behind a rock. 'Saldern!' Will called out.
Saldern saw Will calling to him. He quickly went to her side, wondering what was going on. 'What's wrong guardian?' he asked.
'Make sure that our friend is alright, and ask her what the king will be planning,' Will said as Saldern nodded. She then went through the fold as it closes.
Night has fallen in Medimn as villagers were returning to their home. Irma was finally finish with cleaning all the stables as it took her almost the entire day to do it. She was later being led to the palace to see the king. Irma noticed that whenever the palace was under the moon light, it shown another palace hidden under the current one. But was she blinks, it disappears. She wondered what was that as she walked into the palace.
She was heading to the thrown hall, as where the king would be. The guards then stood by the door as it opened. 'Get in,' one of them told Irma. She then head into the hall, as the doors closes behind her. She then walked up to the middle of the hall, before facing the king.
'Okay, I'm done, now can I go, cause I seriously need a bathe,' Irma said as she smell like the stence in the stables.
'So, you're done with all those stables. I see that you still have the energy to serve me even though you tried to escape here,' the king said. Irma was trying to figure out an answer to that and found one.
'I was trying to get some fresh air outside the kingdom,' Irma quipped.
'Oh, so you're funny too. Well, we'll see that will be your next punishment for tomorrow,' the king said with a grinned as Irma stared at him.
'Way to go, I wish I know when to keep my mouth close,' Irma thought as she regreted by joking around whenever there's a king.
'You may leave, and your bedroom will be in the kingdom from now on. I'm making sure you won't be trying any escaping tonight,' the king said before Irma turned around as she headed to the doors. It opens before she walks out of the hall.
As she headed to her bedroom, she heard someone was talking by one of the room she was passing. She went to eavesdrop by the door. *Can you believe it, the king wanted us to attack Meridian again!* a guy yelled behind the door.
*Lower your voice or somebody might here you,* another guy said.
*Thought he's right, we aren't paid enough for this kind of stuff,* another one said.
*If I have an option to choose between being a maid and a soldier, I choose neither as both was still serving the king. I really hope that the true heir to the thrown will be taking it soon,* Irma heard the conversation. It was about the king attacking Meridian again. But there were a few guards who doesn't want to serve the king anymore. Irma now have second thoughts about leaving the place early. The guards really want to find the true ruler of the thrown, and that would be Aliria.
She quickly head into her bedroom to tell the rebels about the king's plans. Upon reaching, she looked around for any hole on the wall. She found one by the the shelf, hiding from view. She went to call out. 'Is anybody there?' she asked quietly.
'Yeah,' a rebel replied.
'Great, tell the guardians and Saldern that the king is planning to attack Meridian again tomorrow,' Irma explained.
'Okay, thanks for the information,' the rebel said before he left the place.
Irma hope that the girls would be able to solve this quick as she would be in the kingdom for quite some time.
Late update, again. Better try to start with the updates more often. Anyway, reviews is a great thing to post here. Thanks. And I know that there was too many switching themes.
And by the way, I put stables and horse in this chapter was because people in the kingdom still needed it to move around. Just an F.Y.I. only.
