Working For The Prince (BxB)✔

Chapter 3 - Who Goes First?

It was still morning and Asher hadn't had a wink of sleep since embarking on his journey the other day. He was in dire need of a rest and contemplated sleeping in the stables for a bit. Unfortunately he didn't think he could trust the haunted castle to keep secrets, so he had to find camp a little ways out into the forest, beyond the beast's sight. 

Luckily the snow had stopped falling, so he was able to scoop out a nice alcove near a hollow oak tree. His horse, a brown Cob Normand, stood by with her blankets and waited as Asher got what little sleep he could. By noon, after a small ration of oats, he rode her back to the village where he gave her a proper rest and burst through the kitchen door where his grandma and grandpa were baking.

"Asher?" His grandfather called as he hobbled out from behind the table.

He was old and hunched over with squinty eyes and a balding head. His leather apron was covered in flour from the morning bake and the little old man grabbed a mixing spoon, which he immediately used to smack Asher on the backside.

"Ouch!" The servant yelped, backing away from the feisty little man.

"I thought you went to get that job at the castle!" He nagged, coming at him like the world's slowest bull. "Do you have any idea how long I had to talk that guard's ear off to get that recommendation through to the castle staff?"

"Grandpa wait! I got the job!"

"Like hell you did!" He scoffed, swinging the spoon at him. "If you really got the job then you wouldn't be back so soon!"

Mack, their apprentice, stepped into the kitchen, took one look at the angry old man, and immediately back peddled.

"I swear I did! I just didn't get the job in the kitchen or stables like we thought." He turned towards his grandmother who was pressing a roll of dough. "Grandma, tell him to stop!"

"Eh?" The woman asked, leaning over and licking her dried lips as she squinted at him. Her head bobbed shakily in her old age. "What's that?"

Knowing his grandmother was hard of hearing, Asher decided to climb over the table to get a slight advantage over the tiny terror chasing after him. "Grandma please listen! I'm supposed to help find the Prince a.. Woman..."

His grandfather stopped his attack. "Why on earth would he want a woman?" 

Asher shrugged, unable to come up with a good explanation himself. He could be honest and tell them that the Prince was under the effects of a curse and that, for some reason, only a woman could lift it, but of course he couldn't say that.

It wasn't that he didn't think his grandparents wouldn't believe him. He knew they would because magic wasn't that uncommon. The problem was that his grandmother was terrible at keeping secrets and was known for spreading rumors, and news that the Prince was now a hairy beast trapped in a castle was definitely not something he'd want the neighboring kingdoms to hear.

"So he hired you?" He asked quizzically.

"Only temporarily. I impressed him." Asher stood taller. "He saw potential."

He was promptly hit in the head by a flying spoon. "OUCH!"

"Don't you lie to me like that!" His grandfather snorted, then continued to chase the servant down.

Asher felt himself tiring out all over again, so he made a few more laps around the kitchen, grabbed a small loaf of bread and some cheese, then made his escape.

There was a nearby Inn that he'd stay at whenever he got into trouble with his family. It was late afternoon, so he figured if he couldn't find a volunteer tonight, he'd say here and try again in the morning.