The King

Run, Run, Run Away

I never understood laundry. In fact, I hated doing it. I threw the wet clothes back in the basket and walked over to the clothes hanger, hanging them up to dry.

"You look busy" the king said, walking down the hill to where I was working.

"Yes, you wear a lot of clothes" I mumbled, continuing to hang the clothes.

"Well, I do not fancy wearing the same clothes more than once," he smiled, picking a shirt out of the basket, handing it to me, "what do you say we get out of here...."

"I cannot do that, Sire. I have work to do" I said, hanging yet another shirt.

"Come on, please?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I can't" I said.

"You can, and you will" he said, snatching the clothes from my hands.

"What are you doing?!" I asked, as he threw them on the ground.

"Look, all done, come on" he said.

"They are not done, you have just made it worse!" I said.

"Just. Leave. Them" he said, taking my hand.

"I need to finish this..." I said, walking over to pick the clothes off the ground.

"I am your king, and I order you to put those clothes back on the ground and come with me" he said.

"Sire..." I sighed.

"Come on" he smiled, pulling me by the hand.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"On a walk...I want to show you something" he said, smiling at me. We walked across the courtyard in silence, his hand was still holding mine, making me feel a bit uneasy. We entered the castle, talking a turn opposite from his room...to the east wing. I furrowed my eyebrows as he led me up the stairs and down the hall, we stopped in front of a closed door.

"What is this?" I asked, he looked back, smirking at me as he turned the door knob.

"You shall see" he smiled, he opened the door, revealing a large garden, green vines grew everywhere, up the walls and on the ground, there were an assortment of different flowers. It was beautiful.

"It's beautiful" I said, speaking my thoughts out loud.

"It is, isn't it?" He asked, looking around, he inhaled sharply, "it was my mothers."

"She liked to plant?" I asked.

"Yes, very much" he said.

"How has it stayed alive this long?" I asked.

"I have kept it alive, I cannot let it go. I feel like it is the only thing I have left of her" he told me.

I nodded, "yeah..."

"It is yours now" he said, I turned around to face him.

"No, I cannot take this" I said.

"Why not?" He groaned.

"Because-because, it is your mothers" I said.

"Not anymore, she's gone. You are still here, it is yours now" he said.

"Sire-"

"Do not argue with me," he said, plucking a rose off the bush, "these were her favourites."

"My mums too," I smiled, he handed me the rose. He smiled, brushing some hair behind me ear, our eyes met. I watched as he slowly licked his lips, his eyes on me. "In fact, she loved them so much, that she made my second name, Rose." I said, breaking out contact, I heard the king sighed.