Krippled Kingdom

Chapter 10

Eve

Barbara, the housekeeper, (yes I finally know her name) called me into today and made a deal with me. The deal was that I was to take care of Charles for a price; 10 bucks an hour, and overall I had to spend at least five hours a day with him.
I didn't want to do it but something inside me said yes. So I quit volunteering at the hospital, right before I came over. At least now I don't have to put up with Mr Stewart's bullshit.

That's not the only news I heard today.
"You say he's a prince?!" I asked wide eyed.
Anna was trimming the top of a shrub. She slightly nods but doesn't look up at me. She almost seemed uninterested in this whole conversation.
"Charles? A prince!?"

This time she tilts her head up at me. "No. The prince." She looks back down and starts trimming the sides. "Although I don't really know the prince that well or why he's not going back to the palace, but I do know he employed my mom to take care of this place."

"He's the prince!" I said excitement in my voice. I've always wondered how the prince would look. I actually never expected him to look anything like Charles. I thought he would have blonde hair that goes down to his shoulders and blue eyes and well, not crippled. How did I not know the prince was crippled, sometimes I feel as if I'm not even a part of this country. Well at least that explains the mansion looking guest house, or secret guest house as Anna put it.

"I don't really know you..." She said moving over to another shrub.
"You know my names Eve..."
"How old are you?"
"Turned eighteen just a month ago. You?"
"Sixteen."
"Really?" She looked way younger than sixteen.
"Yep"

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I went back inside and saw Charles waiting at the dining table.
"So you're the prince huh?"
With a deep sigh he rolled his eyes and brushed of my question.
"Bring me a smoothie." He said grimly.
I reluctantly brought him a smoothie without a word. As soon as I set it in front of him he said, "I want salad, with lots of tomatoes. Take this away."
I sighed heavily and did as he said.
After ten minutes I set the salad, mostly tomatoes in front of him and again he rejected it. "This is not what I want."
I look down at the salad then back up at him. I wish I didn't know he was the prince so I could scream my head of at him.
Through gritted teeth I said, "what do you want?"
"A smoothie."
That's it, I lost it then, prince or no prince. I stood up dramatically, scraping the chair loudly on the tiled flooring.

"You wanted a smoothie, then you wanted salad and now what do you want? a smoothie again! Do you think this is a joke or something?!"

"Are you deaf! What I want I get and I want a smoothie.," he retorted staring at the blank wall in front of him. Not once did he look up at me.

"I am not deaf!" I yelled. That's when I started noticing a few cleaners eavesdropping from the kitchen. They started whispering to one another and I wanted to go freaking yank their stupid ponytails for not minding their own business.

Still staring at the wall, he said in a harsh voice, "do not talk back at me! I repeat, do not talk back at me. Don't force me to get up of this chair and Chuck this salad all over you!"

What I said next I will regret for the rest of my life. "Well to bad you can't, you helpless jerk!" I couldn't control my anger. Barbara comes out and that's when I start walking away.

"Come back here, don't walk away from me...that's an order!"
I stop abruptly and walk back towards him. I lean down to face him.
"You know, just cause you're a prince doesn't mean you treat me like dirt! We all have our problems, just a little appreciation would do!" And with that I stormed out.

I ran down to the garden tears stinging my eyes. It's when I reached the pond that I really let it all out. It wasn't just Charles. It was everything and everyone. Especially my stupid so called dad. Caught him with another one of his hoes last night. And he comes apologizing to me begging for forgiveness after what he did to my mom? I guess that's why I took on this job, to get away from my dad. And then there was Charles, he was so confusing. One minute he's all patient and sweet, the next he's a freaking douche bag.

Barbara comes a few minutes later and stands in front of me. I wanted to push her into the pond for convincing me to do this horrible job.

"You can't  blame him. You know it's only his body that is dead, but his spirit..." She stops and looks around at the garden. She looks back at me with a small smile.
"His spirit is still alive and eager to control his dead body. Please don't walk out on him just like that. He is your responsibility now."

I look up at her and wipe my tears away. "He is not my responsibility" I said hoarsely. "I'm only a Helper."

"Yes, but he doesn't allow anyone else to come close to him or even speak to him. He only ever speaks to you and he listens to you," She says laying a hand on my arm. Her touch was soft and warm and it somehow made me feel better. It reminded me of my mom's touch and I burst out crying. She pulled me up into a hug and continued speaking.

"Please my dear, don't give up on him. Don't make him feel rejected and abandoned. Go back to him."
Shaking my head and pulling away from her I frantically started wiping away my tears. "I'm sorry Barbara...I'm sorry I walked away from him. I shouldn't have..."
"It's OK, come...lets go back inside." She takes my hand and leads me inside.

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Hope you guys are liking the story do far, I am trying to make it as interesting as I can make it.

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