Noble Songbird

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Katherine

"You're only in trouble if you get caught."

-Disney's Aladdin

Checking to make sure no one overheard my conversation with the prince, I snuck through the camp toward my tent. Whenever a person would walk in my direction I would dive into the shadows. Avoiding the torchlight as much as possible, I was finally able to duck into my tent and close the flap tightly behind me. But something was off. I furrowed my brows. I was positive this was my tent. There. The unfamiliar scent reached my nostrils. I quickly pulled my dagger and turned, pointing it at whoever was behind me.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed through clenched teeth.

The intruder raised his hands above his head in surrender, "Woah, woah, woah! Calm down, Kathy!" Arthur said with a wavering voice and a nervous smile, eyes glued to the dagger.

"You smell different," I said, eyebrows still furrowed.

He lowered his hands, cocked one eyebrow, and with an amused smile he said, "That is not what I expected you to say at all."

I lowered my blade, but still kept it clenched in my hand. I sniffed the air again, "Is that lavender?"

He blushed, scratched the back of his head, and shoved a hand in his pocket,"Uhh- yeah. It's some soap I grabbed for you," he mumbled as he took out a small cream colored bar the size of my palm and dropped it in my outstretched hand.

"Are you sure that you didn't bathe with it first?" I asked with my hands fiddling with the small bar and a teasing smile.

His face softened, then wrinkled in confusion. "Where were you? You are always in your tent before the sun goes down."

My body stiffened. I should have expected this. Should I lie? Tell him everything? Does he already know? What do I say if he already knows? What would he think?

"I was... talking to my father," The lie almost rolled naturally off of my tongue as I shifted into a more relaxed position. Almost. He nodded his head in understanding, not suspecting a thing.

"What did you need?" I inquired, trying to veer the conversation in a different direction.

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his worn pants and his gaze dropped to the ground, "Uhhh... I don't know, I forget."

I sighed and gestured to the tent opening, "Well in that case, I'm tired. So if you could leave that would be great."

"Why won't you just talk to me about it?" He shifted his hurt gaze from the ground to me.

He knew I lied? Did he see me talking to him? Does he know I plan on leaving? Is this about something other than the prince? Please, let it be about anything but the prince.

I tried to keep my face unreadable while my mind was scrambling in a panic. The silence between us lasted a second to long. No matter what I said, he knew I was guilty. "What do you mean?" I asked, struggling to keep all guilt out of my voice.

His face hardened, all sadness left his eyes leaving only irritation, he clenched his jaw, "I saw you talking with the prince," he snapped, "You told me you were just "talking to your father". You wouldn't lie to me unless you were hiding something. What are you hiding, Katherine?"

I have never heard him spit my name with such resentment, it was as if it left a bad taste on his tongue. I guiltily lowered my gaze, "Did you hear our conversation?" I asked in a tight voice.