The One He's Not

Bodacious Brides & Happy Wishes

Bodacious Brides & Happy Wishes

DEXTER

I felt a strange sense of déjà vu when Karina and I started to run as fast as we could down the hallway. We were both laughing our heads off as the multiple palace workers looked at us with appalled expressions and shushed us when we laughed too loudly. It was as if she and I were kids again, running up and down secret pathways like explorers looking for buried treasure.

The only difference this time was that there wasn't the three of us running down the halls like kids. Kat wasn't even in the picture at all.

Karina grabbed my hand and pulled me around the corner. Being the idiot I was, I had agreed to play 'Ding Dong Ditch' on the many palace bedrooms and chambers and I knew that if my mother ever found out, she would probably kill me. But as time went on, I learned to just say 'what the hell' and go along with it because Karina would never let me forget it if I said no.

Karina pushed us up against the wall to hide hoping that we wouldn't get caught, but unfortunately, one uptight palace worker still caught sight of us sneaking around the corner and had followed our path.

She held her nose high in the air and shushed us before taking another worker by the arm and marched back down the hall. I apologized on both of our behalves, but Karina of course always had something to stay, despite any situation.

"Oh stop, this isn't a library!" She called after her and just as the lady was turning around to yell at us, Karina already had me by the arm and sprinted down the hall. "Come on, Dex! Faster!"

I bolted with her, not able to keep in my laughter until we reached the end of the hall. Karina looked side to side at the dead end and then decided to tug me again into the closest room to us. When we were inside, I shut the door behind me and we both leaned up against it, completely out of breath and still filled with laughter.

"You know this is my house right?" I chuckled down at Karina who was doubled over, holding her stomach in a laughing fit. "You're ordering around people in MY house!"

Karina stood up straight and shrugged while letting out a tiny snort. "Well, that old lady was bugging me. Everyone in this place does, so as pay back, we simply knock on their door and run away like kids. I have no idea how you have the self control to deal with them, sheesh."

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Well, I'm sorry that I'm just so unbearable then."

"Oh, you know what I meant," She giggled and pulled me close to her side.

We both looked around the room and examined where we had ended up. It was still dark, since I forgot to turn on the light when we came in, but a small amount of night was illuminating from the window, allowing us to see shapes. To get more light into the room, I flicked the switch that was by the door. The light poured through the room and Karina and I's eyes both widened. Out of all rooms, I did not expect to end up here.

"Well, out of all rooms to pull you into, I sure have great taste," Karina joked and let go of my arm to look around. I lazily nodded in a response as I felt a sudden embarrassment of being in this very room.

The room that we were in was known as the 'Ladies Preparation and Rehearsal Chamber'. In much simpler terms, it just meant that it was a gigantic closet and fitting room for women. Along the walls there was a variety of intricate closets that held a numerous amount of dresses. Separate doors in the room lead to different hallways with different types of clothing, but I didn't know much detail because I only heard of this place and was never actually aloud in here. On the opposite wall, I saw a large shelf lined with different shoes of unique design and beside that, was the glass case that held the most expensive of jewelry. I looked at my feet and shifted with my shoes, afraid that the crystal white carpet would be ruined by my filth. I was surprised that Karina and I even made it in here because usually, a guard is at the door to keep watch of the expensive jewelry. It wasn't like people ever stole because the only woman in the palace would be the ones wearing the dresses, but it was just a precaution I guess. My mother didn't like it when servants came in here, let alone a man or Karina, which was the reason why I was so tense just standing in the middle of the room's foyer.