Downhill

4: Bring A Friend

I was fast asleep but heard the door open. "Good morning your majesty," a maid said cheerfully as she walked into my room. She was holding something that was carefully and neatly folded. I sat up to look at it and then I saw it. The most royal looking outfit. It was the Prince outfit, the stereotypical uncomfortable one.

"Good morning," I rubbed my eyes sleepily as the maid walked into the closet setting the princely outfit down on the counter. She is most likely a new maid since I don't recognize her very well.

"Do you want anything, your majesty?" she asked picking up my clothes from the night before that I forgot and left on the floor of the closet. I felt a bit bad that I made her work harder than she had to. I usually always remember to send the dirty clothes down the chute.

"No, I am alright. What is the uniform for?" I asked. It is only worn for very important things, like when other rulers come to the country. Or when there are balls and other very high class things.

"The ball tonight, it's your mother's birthday remember?" the maid was standing by the door holding the dirty clothes.

I forgot that it was my mother's birthday and there is going to be a ball. With lots of rich people, lots of talking, lots of dancing. No, I would rather be anywhere else than be a ball. I don't like it, too many people that I don't like.

"I remember," I laid back down and stared at the roof of my bedroom. The maid took that as her cue to leave and she walked out, closing the door carefully behind her.

I was laying down thinking about what could possibly make this ball tolerable. Hector. My friend, he would make it tolerable. Okay that's a good idea.

Hopefully he would agree to come to the ball. I hope he does. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and checked the time. It is already 9:39. I need to hurry and get ready. I could go see Hector after getting ready, and if he agrees he could eat lunch with me here. Yes that would be good.

I got up and quickly changed into my favorite outfit, a white buttoned up shirt, black pants with brown suspenders. It's always so comfortable. I put on my favorite pair of black oxford shoes. I tied them up neatly.

I decided to leave the palace from the back. It is sort of like a shortcut to the meadow. I walked out of the backdoor and towards the gate. I hoped the guards wouldn't see me but they obviously did.

"Where are you going, your highness?" a guard asked, looking at me.

"Oh sorry sir, I am just going to go get a friend. I want them to come to the ball tonight," I explained, staring at the floor.

"Okay hurry your highness," the guard gave in quickly. I nodded and ran along the empty road until I was out of sight and I ran into the forest. I looked up and followed the constellations. I hurried into the meadow and smiled softly when I saw Hector. This time he had an easel and seemed to be painting something. I ran over to him and he turned and smiled at me. He was wearing a red sweater and some jeans that had little green spots because of the grass. He fixed his glasses that were sliding down his nose. I like to call the glasses the Harry Potter kind.

"Hi, Max! Did you get some sleep?" he asked and then looked back at his painting of a bunny in a meadow. It was amazing and so realistic. He is talented.

"Yeah, um Hector would you like to come to my mother's birthday ball?" I asked, looking at him as I fidgeted with the fabric of my shirt.

"A ball? Like the royal ones?" Hector asked, putting down the paintbrush quickly and looking at me with such excitement you would have thought I just asked him to move into the palace or something. Balls are nothing special to me, they are boring with a lot of people. Who likes to talk, and dance, and listen to loud music.