Sir Arthur

• Nine

Shuffling of feet and small murmurs stirred Kim up from bed where she lay since morning. It was afternoon judging from how bright it was outside. Kim gripped her covers tighter and engulfed herself in them wanting to keep the noises away.

She turned around trying to secure her body on a warm spot and fall back to sleep. She had been asleep for just a few hours as they had left the palace just after dawn. Being awake all night had taken a toll on her and she wanted to rest now.

The shuffling of feet became more apparent and Kim could make out that the person was in her room. She quirked one eye open to tell off whoever it was but her vision appeared blurry just as she raised her head from the soothing pillows.

She involuntarily dropped her head back and accidentally hit something by her bedside as she dropped her hands. A thud was heard as something dropped to the floor not so quietly, definitely alerting whoever was in the room that she was awake.

The movement of feet stopped first then the murmurs quieted. Nothing happened for a minute and Kim began to contemplate whether she was in her room or she was still dreaming.

She forced her eyes open once more and tried adjusting to the brightness. She could roughly make out two faces glancing down at her. She couldn't however make out who they were. Her eyelids were still droopy and she didn't feel like waking up.

"You're awake!" Someone exclaimed enthusiastically. Kim cringed at how the person was so loud wondering where they had so much energy from while she was just minutes from passing out. She didn't react or respond for a moment before the covers were yanked out of her hold.

Kim gasped at how cold it was as she held her arms to her knees holding herself in a bundle. She was already starting to get annoyed. She had just woken up, well still trying to wake up. She always took longer in the mornings by the time she was fully awake.

The left side of her bed dipped before another plopped at her feet deliberately bumping into her. Loud squeals came from both sides of her and Kim could now clearly figure out whom they were.

Who else could it have been other than her two only friends. Lily and Faye.

She groaned as she straightened and unpleasantly looked at the two girls on her bed. "What do you need?" She didn't even try to conceal her anger.

"Shouldn't we make sure she's more awake before we ask her, Faye?" Lily spoke on her left.

"Ooh right, Kim you need to have your bath now." Faye answered from her feet as she tried to make her leave the bed. She tried dragging her but Kim didn't budge.

Faye knew how hard it was to deal with Kim especially in the mornings. The girl could be talking to them right now but still be asleep. Trying to persuade her wasn't going to work. She had tried it many times and it helped not.

Normally Faye would forcefully drag Kim out of bed and leave her in the bathroom to have her bath after splashing water on her face. One time she had left her to wash only to return an hour later and find her exactly where she had left her.

It was quite cumbersome dealing with her in the mornings.

"Lady Heather wants to see you." Faye tried again this time earning a reaction from Kim.

She sat straighter and looked around the room as if trying to find her slippers. Faye placed them before her as she shot Lily a wide grin.

Her mother had not actually called for her but since there was an embroidery lesson that afternoon, Kim would not realize that they had partially lied to her.

"Okay, I'm up." Kim replied nonchalantly as she staggered to the bathroom rubbing her eyes. She yawned as she tied her hair removing it from her face where it stuck on her cheeks.