Short Story

“It’s adorable! What is it?” She asked, noticing that he was dumping what looked old, but not rotting, mashed potatoes and chicken.

“You’re not one of them vegetarians now, are you?” he laughed, starting on her eggs.

“I'm going down whether you want me to or not. You may be my king, but you do not own me,” you said. You saw a flicker of amusement behind his silver eyes and regretted your last statement. Regardless of what you mouth seemed to think, you did belong to him in some way. “I will return shortly after speaking with the dwarf,” you said, eyeing him before turning on your heel. A sharp glint of jealousy flashed behind his eyes.

Have you ever seen His Highness' face?" The chubby boy blushed as soon as he spoke. The look on the older guard's face was one of patient amusement, but the boy hastened to explain, "It's the first thing you hear at the barracks. The Cursed Prince is the most beautiful man across the four kingdoms."

"Get away!" The boy gave her another push. "What're you waiting for?"hey hated her pale snow face, her waiting silence, her thinness, and her possible future.

The servants arrived and placed a tray of fruit and small sandwiches on the table. "Please have some," the Prince said as he motioned to the tray before them. Ashella hesitated, but decided to munch on some grapes after Ewan grabbed a sandwich for

"Stall her a bit so I can clean up back there." He turned away. "Oli! Help me with the dishes in the

She looked up at him with a goofy smile and watery eyes. He smoked and she ate her carrot — in awfully small bites he thought.

“Speak plainly now or choke on my wrath,” the king threaten, pacing up and down the line with his hands lace behind his back in an authority fashion-still holding onto the sword. He grew more and more impatience by their lack of response. “Very well,” he voice

Lillian face turned serious again. " I thought you weren't hungry, I knew you never liked my cooking."

“What I’m trying to say if we’re careful about what we do. The king might treat us much better than the others.”

"You are such a romantic." Giggling, she pulled away and continued to dig through his belongings. "However, you shouldn't expect me to pay for everything for you. It is quite expensive to be a noble."

“I’m sorry,” she ushered them in and closed the door. “I didn’t think this would be so difficult. It’s petty of me to be upset over this, isn’t it? When we have larger problems?”

He sighed. What have things come to that Mother wants to marry me off to a half-peasant princess who I’ve never heard of before? “Will it make her happy?”

The sorcerer glanced up from his work, but only for a moment. It wasn't often that he received visits to his quarters beneath the castle and that was supposed to be the point. It was out of the way, beyond the marble floors, fountains, and scantily-clad ladies the nobles so enjoyed, down near the dungeons, with only flickering torchlight and the damp chill of the underground passages. Their were little comforts down here and the sorcerer approved of that. His predecessor was apparently much more inclined to hang around the palace above, show off tricks for the ladies in hopes of impressing one or two enough to get them to his bed chamber. It was likely that sort of simple, soft life that had led to the