The Golden Apple

Nineteen - Jake

The chime of the clock tower broke the silence of the chilly night. It was now ten o'clock, and the city of Urbem was asleep.

I always thought of ten o'clock as an early night for me. An easy escape, as I like to call it. While everyone else was at home with their families or deep in sleep before the work day, I would scurry out and take anything I could get my hands on. There were hardly any witnesses at this hour, and plenty of shadows for me to slip into. The only witnesses I had to worry about were the guards doing night watch. Their presence never bothered me much. The arrogant lugs are usually distracted; drinking ale and telling stories of the "heroic deeds" they've done in the past.

Unlike usual routine though, this evening was like no other. Despite the familiar silence and lingering shadows, my thoughts themselves were louder than ever. Tonight, the princess and heir to the throne of Urbem confessed that she was attracted to me. I am flattered of course, but more than anything, I'm paranoid.

When we became friends, I didn't expect much of her. I assumed that I was meant to take whatever I needed and leave when I was healthy again. I never expected a friendship between us. I never expected us to bond, to connect, and to talk to each other when we felt alone. But most of all, I never expected her, a princess, to fall head over heels for some poor young man like me.

My heart lept in my chest. I also never expected to feel the same way about her.

Magnolia and I walked in silence, my arm still hugging her waist. Our eyes never parted from the ground. Both of us knew that if we uttered a single word louder than a whisper, the guards would pick us out. She slid her arm around my torso and nudged closer to me. I noticed that she was shivering.

"Maggie?" I whispered.

She lifted her head. "Huh?"

"Are you cold?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes, but I'll live."

"Are you sure -"

Magnolia clapped her hand over my mouth. She hastily pulled me behind a lone booth and forced me to the ground. I noticed a low light peeking through the crack of the wood, followed by the scuffle of leather boots. My breathing became shallow. She lifted her head to get a quick peek above the counter.

"Lionel," Magnolia murmured. "One of the guards."

I lifted her hand away from my face. "Wow. You're good."

"Thank you," she whispered. "Now shut up. We're almost home."

I quickly scooted out from our hiding spot. The princess grabbed my hand and pulled me to the left. Behind us, I could still hear the low chatter of the guards.

The castle was now within sight. Magnolia darted across the front grass with surprising stealth, while I looked out for the guards behind us. The light of their little oil lanterns illuminated subtly in the dark of the night. The men were now at a safe distance.

She fiddled with the basement window. The window doesn't lock from the outside, so we had to pull a lone flower pot aside to hold it closed. We couldn't just leave it open for anybody to get suspicious, and we certainly didn't want cold air drafting in either. It wasn't the most foolproof way of sneaking out, but it was better than nothing.

I flinched at the small scraping noise behind me. Magnolia had shoved the pot to the side and swung the window open. Checking behind me repeatedly, I jogged over to help her through. It was the perfect escape. We were going to make it.

"Oh shit!" she cursed quietly. "Shit!"

"What?" I whispered. "What's wrong?"

"My house shoes," Magnolia replied, her face pale in fear. "I don't have my house shoes. I think I left them back near the lake."