Apple's Shoe

Chapter 3

We stood outside the door of the room, awkwardly. You know when you meet a distant relative for the first time and you have no idea what to say, or what to talk about? This is what this felt like, only worse, due to background history.

"What do you want to see?" he stated. I almost opened my mouth to say something, but I closed it, trying to not be rude.

"OH RATS!" Aiden cried, I could hear him stomp his foot. Causing it to echo across the hall. "I'm so sorry. I totally didn't mean to say that. I meant to say where would you like to go?"

I brought a hand to my mouth, trying to cover my laugh so he didn't feel worse. "It's okay."

"No, it shouldn't be okay. I'm sorry. I'll do better, I promise. Prince's honor." I assumed he must have been doing some sort of salute that I couldn't see. He coughed, and I could hear him step back, then step forward again.

"Well, Princess Apple, where would you like to go?"

"I have no idea where to go."

"Okay, where do you usually go to your house?"

"Usually I go to to the servants quarters, the kitchen, my brother's room, and a family room."

"Then that's where we'll go. Just at my house instead of yours."

"Okay....." I agree, not sure where this will go, but willing to try. Aiden took my arm, and placed it in the crook of his elbow, and skipping down the hall. We skidded to a stop and Aiden dropped my elbow.

"Here we are, the servant's quarters!" he said with a flourish. I assumed he made some sort of grand hand gesture that I couldn't make out. I put out my hand and walked toward the wall, which luckily I was right next to so I didn't look too odd. I ran my hands across it, trying to find any sort of landmark so I could find this place by myself.

"The walls around the servant's quarters are smoother than the rest of the castle, and the stone is warm." I felt around a little more and discovered that Aiden was right.

"How do you know that?" I asked. "Not to be rude or anything, but not many people would know things like that, even in their own house."

"Oh..." Aiden said, maybe it was my imagination but I was sure it sounded like he was embarrassed. His voice raised the same way Jack does when he is flustered. "A week or two ago, when it was confirmed that you were coming, I figured you'd need help finding your way around the castle, that I blindfolded myself for a week. So I could figure out ways to help you."

I could feel my cheeks heating up, and I ducked my head, feeling just as embarrassed as he did, I'm sure.

"Thanks," I tell him, even though I feel awkward doing so. I coughed and turned to face the way we had been before. "Should we head to the kitchen?"

"Yeah, yeah. Definitely." He said. He took four hurried steps away, his footsteps sounding like they were half way down the hall. I realized he wasn't going to wait up for me, and followed the sound of his steps. We went straight for fourteen long strides, then turned left. Well, actually I bumped into a statue of a knight before I turned left. At least I think it was a statue.

We walked about ten more long strides before Aiden stopped. I didn't hear him in time, so I bumped into him. Then stepped on the back hem of my dress, and slipping backward. Where I caught onto another Knight statue, this one I knew was a statue because it fell apart as soon as I grabbed a hold of him. Both the pieces of armor and I fell to the floor with an ear piercing crash and a scream that sounded more monkey-like than human.

Aiden laughed hysterically at me and refused to help. So I struggled to my feet and glared at the sound of his laughter. Which only intensified when he grabbed my shoulders and moved me more to the left.

"Ha ha ha. So funny." I said.

"It really was," Aiden said, I pouted and he grabbed my arm. "Come on Princess, we're almost to the kitchen."