An Unlikely Pair

Chapter III

Prince Andrew

"Oh, so it was you who made that sword lighter," I said when I saw Princess Margaret get out from under my bed. Princess Margaret spun around so fast that her golden-brown hair slapped her in the face.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I'll be going n-now," She stuttered shyly when her hair fell off her face. She started to walk, quickly, to the door.

"Wait!" I called out. I leapt off my bed and grabbed her hand as quickly as I could. She looked at me and her cheeks were bright red.

"I-I'm sorry," She apologized again.

"You don't have to say sorry," I said, smiling, "Let's get you back to your room," I let go of her hand and got a shirt on.

"Will my aunt be there?" She asked

"Most likely," I said as I got a coat on.

"Then, would you allow me to stay here?" Princess Margaret asked.

I looked at her with a confused expression on my face, then I asked, "Why?"

She looked at the ground and rubbed her left arm with her right hand. "My aunt is mean to me when I tell people about my fear," She said.

"Well, if you want, there is an empty spare bedroom right next to my bedroom," I say with a smile on my face.

"Okay. I'm sure I'd feel much more at ease," She says, then I took her hand and led her to the bedroom. After she's all settled, I go back to my room. I got ready for bed again. I collapsed onto my bed and just fell asleep immediately. I woke up suddenly to a scream, then Princess Margaret barged into my room. She jumped on top of me which knocked all the wind out of me. "P-Princess Margaret?" I asked, still winded. I sat up and forced Princess Margaret to sit up with me. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. "W-what happened?!" I asked, panicked. She pointed to the opened door and said a jumble of words that I couldn't understand. "Woah, calm down. What happened?" I asked again.

She breathed in and out, then she said, "There was a giant rat in my room and it had blood all over it,"

"Oh," I said. So, she really is crazy. I thought.

"So, you think I'm crazy too," She said. She looked away from me with this upset look on her face.

"N-no! I don't think that!" I lied.

"Yes, you do. Once I told you that, you looked away from me for a moment and your brow furrowed," She said. She hopped off my legs. She turned to walk to the door. "Wait, Margaret!" I called out to her as I leapt off my bed. I grabbed her hand.

Princess Margaret stopped walking away and looked at the ground, then she said, "I'm sorry that you think I'm crazy. I know I am. I've been told that ever since I was six,"

"You're not crazy," I said. Princess Margaret's head whipped up and her hand was shaking. I looked down at her face, then I asked, "Princess Margaret? Are you okay?" Her shaky free arm lifted upward and she pointed at the dark, empty hallway. Her voice squeaked out of fear, "Th-th-there's a m-monster over there!" Monster? I thought. Then, I looked up at the dark, empty hallway. I didn't see anything, but looking back down at her teary face made me ask, "Yes, there is a monster down there. Would you like me to vanquish it?"

"Would you actually do that for me?" She asked in a surprised tone of voice. She looked at me with a shocked expression on her face. I let go of her hand and walked over to my rack of swords. I took the sword at my eye level, then I looked at Princess Margaret and asked, "Yes. Now, where is the monster you're seeing?"