My Dark Prince [EDITING]

Chapter Three (Rewritten)

Chapter Three

I wander the halls making endless turns down random hallways and seem to be getting further rather than closer to my room. I'm sure it's been hours since I left the Prince's room, and I haven't come across a single soul to help me get my bearings.

I turn down another hallway and finally see a figure walking towards me. A man, tall and broad shouldered. His dark brown hair short, and his eyes an odd gray. He wears black pants and a loose beige shirt. An employee. He gives me a curious look as he stops in front of me.

"Can you help me?" I ask. "I've been wandering these halls for what feels like hours. I can't seem to find my room. Please tell me you know your way around this labyrinth." I look at him hopefully.

"Well that explains why you're in the male servants' wing." He says, his voice deep and smooth. "Lucky for you, I can't say no to a pretty face." He smirks. Did he just refer to me as pretty? Is he partially blind or just plain crazy? "Follow me, I'll show you back to your room." With a smile he walks past me and I turn to follow him. I match my pace with his to walk alongside him. "Who are your roommates?" He asks. "I know nearly everyone in this palace. Except the new comers like yourself of course. If I know your roommates it'll be easier for me to find your room."

"Well uh, there's Celeste, Adrianna, Edna..."

"Edna!" He exclaims as he cuts me off. "She's one of my good friends. I know exactly where your room is."

"Really? That's great! You have no idea how grateful I am that you're helping me."

"You arrived this morning, right? If you don't mind me asking, what made you leave your life behind?"

"The inevitable future of starvation." I reply. "My father was laid off from his job and ever since then my family has barely been scraping by. Obviously you can tell by my appearance that if I didn't get this job for them we'd probably be dead in a week."

"I'm sorry to hear that." He says, the smile now removed from his face. "You're making a great sacrifice for them."

"I'll do anything to make sure they have a better life. They've done so much for me, it's the least I could do."

"I get it. If I had parents I'd do whatever it takes to protect them too." If? He must read my expression because he continues. "My parents died when I was eight. I lived on the streets until I was eligible to get a job here. It's not an easy way of life and only the strong spirited survive." His smile returns. "You're one of the strong ones." He nudges me gently.

I look at him, somewhat in awe. He's like me. He knows what it's like to barely scrap by, never knowing when your last day may be. Except he had to do it alone. He didn't have anyone to help support him. I'm sure his life back then must have been far harder than my own. 

"My name is Jack by the way." He says, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Elizabeth. But you can call me Ellie." I reply with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you Ellie. So, I know it hasn't even been 24 hours yet, but how is the servant life treating you so far?"

"Not so bad." I shrug. "I've never worked a job before, so I don't really have anything to compare it to. How long have you worked here?"

"Two years, though it feels like much longer."

"You seem happy enough, so it must not be too bad." So far the older employees I've met don't seem unhappy with their jobs. I was worried I would hate it here, but have to endure it for my family. Despite the couple of run-ins with the Prince, things here seem pretty nice. I guess working here won't be too bad after all.