Kidnapping the Prince

Kidnapping the Prince Installment VI

Kidnapping the Prince Installment VI

Ryan and I spent the majority of the day recovering from the long carriage ride in our rooms. The hours of bumping along the cobblestones, however smooth they were, had bruised us both considerably. I hurt everywhere, and I knew Ryan did too although he’d never admit it.

Once we chose our rooms, Ryan and I parted ways to rest up a bit. In my room, I flopped down onto the bed on my stomach and called, “Ry-an!” When no answer arose, I propped myself on my elbows and yelled, louder, “RYAAAAN!” A few seconds later he appeared with a scowl on his face.

“What?” he snapped as he closed the book he had been reading. After a bit of exploring we’d discovered a bookshelf tucked away behind a tapestry, and Ryan had immediately flopped down in the armchair with a book, looking like he would stay there forever. 

“Can you pretty please massage my butt for me? It’s sore,” I said as sweetly as I could before flopping back down onto my stomach with my face buried in a furry pillow. “’Fanks,” I added. Then I laughed at the sound of my muffled voice. And then I laughed harder because my muffled laugh sounded funny.

Through my hysterics I heard Ryan’s incredulous “of course not” and the sound of a slamming door. Which, naturally, made me laugh even harder.

At noon, Talia and another maid with brown hair that was streaked with blonde by the name of Willa came in with our meal, or should I say feast.

The two young girls spread out a white linen tablecloth on the table and began to take food out of the large baskets they’d brought with them. First, a basket of steaming bread was produced, and then a large platter of different cheese and meat slices which was followed by a plate full of colorful fruit, a large bowl of steaming chicken stew, and a plate of tiny, beautifully decorated cakes. Last, they set two pitchers on the table; one filled with ruby red wine, the other with crystal clear water. They were both filled with ice and a thin layer of condensation had formed on the glass. I had never seen such superior food in my life before, let alone on one table especially for me. It took all my will power not to start wolfing it all down right there.

Talia and Willa filled the tall silver goblets with wine and sliced the bread into slices before bowing themselves out of the room. Immediately Ryan and I threw ourselves down into the armchairs at the table.

“This job is the best thing that has ever happened to me,” Ryan declared as we tore into the meal, completely disregarding our current statuses. I nodded my agreement as I picked up a slice of the bread. It was soft and warm, better than anything I had ever tasted. Even Ada’s excellent baking couldn’t come close.

The cheeses were delicious as well; each slice seemed to melt on my tongue. Next to the cheese, the meat slices sat waiting to be consumed so I picked one up and bit into it greedily. It was, of course, scrumptious. I didn’t even know what animal it came from.

“What is that?” Ryan asked, pointing to a weird, orange colored piece of fruit on the platter. I picked it up and sniffed it. It smelled strong and. . . I didn’t have a word for it. I bite into the wedge, and orange juice ran down my fingers and chin. It was sweet and sour at the same time. I loved it immediately.

“I think,” I said as I swallowed the rest of the fruit, tossing aside the thick out skin, “that it’s an orange.” Oranges were rumored to be a round, orange fruit that grew only in the most specific of environments. Most people in the Third Quarter had never even heard of one, let alone seen and eaten one.

When we finally felt bloated and full, the platters were not even half empty. Ryan and I headed to the washroom to clean our sticky hands. We weren’t very good at being nobles.