Castle Thief {A Momojiro Tale}

Chapter 6

I had always been a light sleeper. In the orphanage it was needed, the other kids loved to play pranks that most of the time weren't funny, just cruel. And when I left I hardly got any sleep at all, you had to be aware of everything around you even in the dead of night; especially in the dead of night. So when Arisu burst into my room that morning she didn't expect to find me already awake. I had been awake ever since the servant next door woke up to set the table for the royals.

She told me that today was the day I would be starting as the princesses handmaiden, I would eat a quick breakfast, then as soon as the princess was awake I would start attend to her every whim and make sure her room was constantly clean.

I didn't understand what the princess even did all day other than sit around and watch the work being done for her if she didn't have to do anything herself. This, I didn't ask Arisu but I was tempted. She would just scold me again if she thought I was being the slightest bit disrespectful to any of the royalty. Even if it wasn't my intention.

The princess woke early. She was just as pretty as I when I first met her despite having just woken up, I found that I was right. She did look better with her hair down.

But that was the first thing I had to take care of. She was already dressed, sat, reading a book in front of a large vanity with so many drawers I couldn't imagine all of them had a purpose.

Arisu told me I would have to help her get ready; do her hair, help her pick out an outfit and bring her to breakfast.

She heard our entrance and looked up to find us in the mirror, "Good morning Arisu." she smiled. I tried to remember the etiquette rules Arisu drilled into my head just the day before, but I couldn't remember a single one. Was I supposed to make eye-contact or avoid it? It was impossible to wrench my eyes from hers. Arisu was talking, I should probably be paying attention.
"-she will help you with your duties this morning your majesty." Arisu wasn't looking directly at her, I averted my gaze to the book underneath her hands. "She is new your majesty, so if she is slow to pick anything up don't hesitate to tell me." It was a book on the surrounding countries, seeming to cover anything from trade routes to bird migration patterns.

"Of course I will." she gave a winning smile I glimpsed in the mirror before she turned to face us. "She could help me with my hair now." Her eyes met mine for a moment before I could find something else to look at- and wow. She really was beautiful. I felt my face heating up,
"Of course, uh, your majesty." It would take a while for me to get used to the whole "your majesty" thing.

Her hair was just as soft as it looked. I tried to remind myself I was here as a servant, I had to do my job not just admire hair. No matter how much it felt like the finest silk in the tailor shop, and asked her what kind of hairstyle she would like to have today. Braiding hair had always been a skill of mine, every nun at the orphanages I stayed at had us put our hair up in braids that often pulled painfully on the scalp. Her style was more intricate than the simple servants braid Arisu had sworn me to, but it wouldn't take me very long.

I separated the strands and brushed until the dark strands were even more silky and soft than before.

     "What is your name?" the question startled me out of my trance. So surprised by how she wanted to know the name of a servant. The royalty I had been serving the past week had just referred to me as "you there" or "servant girl".
     "My name is Jirou, your highness."
     "Do you not have a first name?"
     The comb stopped mid brush, "of course I do your highness." I caught a loose section of her hair, blown out of its clip, a gust from the open window. And pinned it back in its place before I realized she wanted me to tell her my name. "Kyouka, your highness." I mumbled, hoping she didn't notice my lapse.

     "That's a very pretty name—Kyouka," she said thoughtfully, testing the sound out. "My fist name is Momo, do you think you could call me that?"
What? What is the protocol in this situation?
     "I- I don't think that would be appropriate your highness." I mumbled, hoping she wouldn't ask again, I'm supposed to do whatever she wants right? But Arisu said to only call her "your highness" or "your majesty". Thankfully she didn't push, I pinned the final strand of hair in its place, leaving her in a beautiful french braid.

     "A princesses job isn't as easy as you think Kyouka. It's not all smiling and waving from a cushy carriage seat." For the first time since I'd seen her she looked sad, "One day I'll have to marry a prince, and give up everything I've been working towards all these years."
"Why would marring a prince mean you give everything up?"
"My father thinks a man should rule. It's not that he doesn't think I'm capable, he just thinks a man would be better for the country."
"Why don't you just not marry him? Do you have to say yes?"
She paused from examining her hair, looking me in my eyes, which was nerve wracking not only because what I'd just said might be considered treasonous. "I've never thought about that. I guess," she sighed, closing her eyes, I couldn't help but admire her beauty. "I guess I don't have to."

And when her eyes opened again she smiled at me, and I smiled back.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.