Royals

Chapter 6: nora

    This is just crazy. Too crazy even!
  What if Rachel was telling a lie? What if Collin didn't really like me? I thought he liked Sarah not me!
  I'm pacing back and forth in Rachel's room. Hands on my head. This was totally driving me insane. I could not go back out there and risk bumping into his sister's or Collin himself. Another thing I can't believe that I stayed calm when Rachel told me. Well after I was calm, but not any more!
  Come on Nora, this is the first guy that likes you! Well more like the first prince that likes me!
  I decide I should just go out and act like nothing happened at all. I open the door and step out into the deserted hallway. Slowly I make my way down the left wing staircase. Normally the staircases weren't damp. Right now every step I took, I felt like I stepped into a small puddle. I started to walk more quickly. Just to get out of the damp staircase.
  In two minutes flat, I was out and into the main hall. In the main hall it wasn't as quiet, but it was still somewhat quiet. BANG!
   I ran over to the right hallway. Pots were all over. They lay right outside of the kitchen. I sprinted towards the kitchen door and opened it. A put a hand over my mouth.
  "Mason!" I said surprised. He looked up from where he was on the kitchen floor.
  "Nora? Nora! Can you please help me?" Mason asked.
  I laughed, "What did you do?"
"It's a long story and I haven't seen you around lately..." Mason said back.
   "That's kind of a long story too." I reply. I put my hand out and help Mason to his feet. Together we go out into the hall and pick up every single pot and pan.
  I shut a cabinet door and walk over to Mason who is cleaning the floor from spilt water.
  "Careful it's slippery.." Mason told me. I nod and walk slowly towards him. I'm a few feet away from when I start slipping.
  "Mason..Help!" I yell.
  Everything was almost in like slow motion. I was falling slowly and Mason was sliding over grabbing my hand. He grabbed hold of my hand and pulled me up. With one arm around Mason and the other holding onto the counter.
  "Thank...Thank you." I said between breathes.
"Anytime you fall, I think I'll be around to catch you." Mason said with a laugh. I laughed too and brushed off bits of dirt and water from my dress.
  "Well I um..was just on my way to the throne room." I said quickly.
  "Oh I see. Well see you around I guess Nora.." Mason said and disappeared through a door. I sighed.

  I remembered when I first got here. Being so nervous until I met Mason. Now we weren't as close as before. I kind of wish it was like before when we first came to work here. Way back before coming here I was with my family in the village. Now, I don't even know if they are alive...
  "Hey Nora." I turned slowly towards the person speaking.
  Why? Why couldn't I have gone somewhere else! Now I actually have to talk to Collin!
  "Oh hello Collin." I replied.
"How's it going?" Collin asked.
How's it going? Is that really what he's going to ask me at a time like this! How's it going!?
"Just peachy." I answered trying to act somewhat normal.
  "Um okay.." Collin said slowly. I feel kind of stupid now. What if he doesn't like me anymore!
  "Is there something you need?" I ask calmly. Collin looks at me then his shoes.
  "No." He said quickly.
  I nod and make my way out of the kitchen. Behind me I hear his footsteps.
Or at least I think their his. I stop and so do the footsteps.
  Slowly I glance behind me. "Are you sure you don't need anything Collin?" He stares blankly at me as if I was speaking a different language.
  "Sorry I just...can I talk to you?" Collin asks me. Is this about his crush on  me?
  "Uh..sure where at?" I ask nervously. Nervous was not my thing. Right now it was the only feeling I had. I felt the anxiousness all over my body. Something inside makes me feel like "Nervous" is written across my forehead.
  "I don't know.." Collin finally answered, bursting my thought bubble. "The outside deck in the back of the castle?"
  "I guess so..." I said quietly.
   "Let's go then." Collin said to me and started over to the damp staircase.
  "Wait collin! Not that one, it's too damp." I said loudly. He turned around and went over to the other staircase. The one that wasn't damp.
  We walked up the spiral staircase. Heading down a hall once we got up to the second floor. Along the way we past a few servants I knew. One of them was Melody. She was a year and a half older than me. With amber shoulder length hair. Melody was tall and fit for her age. Sometimes I thought of her as a role model...
"We're almost there...Just around this corner." Collin said moving along a bit more quickly than me. I hadn't really thought much until I realized it was almost too late.
  "Collin don't go around the cor-" I yelled, but it was too late. Collin was nowhere to be seen...
                                                                                                                                      

I can't believe I forgot all about the remodeling over on this corridor! Now I feel stupid, really stupid.
  "A little help here?" Collin asked. I looked around. No one was there. I looked down where a hole was. Two hands were gripping on to the side. I scrambled to the floor and looked down.
  "Collin!" I exclaimed. He looked back up at me. His hands were turning red from holding on to what was left of the floor. "Don't worry, I will get help." I told Collin. I got up and ran towards the stairs again.
  "Wait! Nora come back!" Was all you could here Collin yell from the distance. I felt bad leaving him, but I needed to find Mason or somebody to help me.
   Once I was down the stairs I ran right into the kitchen. It was empty except for two chefs. "Hello there Nora!" Chef Stevens said.
   "Where's Mason?" I asked impatient. The chef pointed behind to the door Mason had went through. "Thanks!" I said as I passed past them. I barged into the room. Mason jumped a little as I entered the small room.
  "What is it?" Mason asked curiously.
I grabbed his hand, "No time for explaining!" I practically yelled in his ear. We ran past the chefs and out into the halls. Next was to get up the staircase without falling. I think I fell once or twice.
   "Where are we going?" Mason kept asking every time I ignored him.
I sighed, "To save someone..." I replied.
  "Who?" Mason asked.
"Stop asking questions." I said annoyed.
  "Well then stop being so rude!" Mason snapped.
I turned to face him, "Just stop okay?"
"Fine, but you better too.." He said back.
  When we got to the end of the hall I looked down. Sure enough Collin was still there, but struggling even worser. I motioned Mason to join me to help Collin. He sat down on his knees and looked down at Collin.
  "Give me one of your hands." Mason said assertively.
Collin hesitated, but did it. I understood why he did. He did because he was afraid he'd fall if he let go.
"I think I should get going." Collin said getting up, but paused, "thank you."
"You're most welcome Collin." Mason replied brushing off dirt from his pants. I got up and thanked Mason for helping. He shrugged and went back down stairs.
 

I walked towards a window and stared out at the garden below. Two people were down there sitting. Both were girls. One with dirty blonde hair and the other with reddish hair. Oh, that's who they are. It's Rachel and Sarah!
  I waved out the window to see if they would notice me. They didn't so I tapped on the window until they waved back. Surely they did with a big smile on both of their faces. It looked like Rachel was motioning me to come down there. I gave a nod and ran to my room. I decided it's better out there than with Collin..
  My room isn't exactly the biggest like the rooms the King and Adrianna and them have. Also it isn't like the other workers rooms either. My room is special. The wooden walls are decorated with hand drawn designs. They're mostly of flowers or my dream places I want to visit someday.
  I walk over to my sky blue cabinet, inside I grab my white cardigan and threw it on. After I left my room I went outside to the garden and met up with Sarah and Rachel...