Maid For You

Chapter 6

"Lunch is here, Prince Coleman!" I declared. He looked up abruptly from some papers at a table where he and Luke sat.

"Why are you interrupting me, you stupid maid?!" he snarled.

"You told me to come at 12:00, sharp, so here I am," I answered.

"You didn't have to brazenly announce that my lunch was here, little maid," he grumped.

I rolled my eyes.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?!"

"No. I had a fly in my eye," I deadpanned. "Where would you like me to place your lunch?"

"Just set it next to me on the table." He sighed.

I walked over and set it down, only to have him yell at me some more.

"NOT ON MY PAPERS!"

"This table is covered in papers!" I pouted.

Luke stood up in a moment and took the silver platter from me with a small smile. "I'll place his lunch platter, Miss Cassie," he told me warmly. Luke carefully cleared a spot on the table for Prince Coleman and sat the platter down.

"Well, at least someone here is half-competent," Prince Coleman said, glaring at me.

I crossed my arms and pursed my lips. "Is there anything else you need, your royal highness?"

"Well you have to wait here until I finish my food so you can clear my platter," he said. "So go be somewhere inconspicuous and try not to get your commoner germs on me, little maid."

I clenched my jaw. "As you wish, my dearest most loveliest Prince of all Princes," I snapped. I marched away from him and crouched down to hide behind the side of his bed.

After a moment, he asked, "Where did you go, little maid? You didn't leave, did you?!"

"I think she is busy trying to make herself inconspicuous," Luke answered. I peeked up from the side of the bed and saw him glance at me with a wry smile.

"Well gosh, you don't have to play hide and seek!" boomed the Prince.

It was official. I hated him.

I looked at Luke and saw him nod his head to indicate I should come out of hiding. I slowly stood up, more than mildly irritated.

"Well there you are!" huffed the Prince. "Thought you could hide in my bed, now, did you? You aren't trying to seduce me, are you?"

I stared at him as if he was a moron. Because he was.

"Ew," I gagged. "Why would I ever want to do that?"

He looked peeved. "You wish you could, little maid. But I would reject you."

I crinkled my nose in disgust, and stole a look at Luke to see his reaction. To my satisfaction he looked confused and perhaps a bit aghast. "Well fortunately we won't ever have to cross that bridge," I told Prince Coleman firmly. "Because I would never demean myself like that, not with anyone. And especially not with you." My statement was strong, and I let my eyes peep at Luke who wore a small smile.

"Didn't I tell you to be inconspicuous, you stupid little maid," Prince Coleman reminded me as he began to eat his food.

THE NERVE of him! I don't care if he's the stupid prince of stupid Aregano. After whining that I was too inconspicuous, he complains that I'm too noticeable. I huffed and stood in the back of the room, glaring at the back of his head. I finally averted my gaze a bit to look at Luke's face on the other side of the table. He was looking at me too, carefully, though when our eyes met, we both let them dart away. After another moment, our gazes locked, only this time, an amused smile lit up his face and he looked ready to laugh. I bit my lip as a goofy smile rose on my face, suddenly finding the comedy in this whole disastrous situation as Luke and I silently stared at one another with silly smiles.

Prince Coleman took an agonizingly slow time to eat his lunch, stopping to savor every morsel and pausing to make jabs at me, the 'little maid.' After licking and smacking his lips for the last time, he finally announced:

"Can't you see I'm done? Take away my tray, you dumb little maid." With great restraint I walked over, didn't slap the Crown Prince of Aregano, and snatched up his silver platter.

"Lucas, you may be dismissed for your own lunch as well," Prince Coleman sighed, waving a dismissive hand. Luke stood up, opened the door for me as I walked through, and followed me right after.

"Thank you," I said as he shut the door. Luke nodded, and we began to walk off together. I glanced over at him and noticed him staring at me in a most scrutinizing manner, and I uncomfortably looked down at my feet. What must he think of me and my big fat mouth?

To my surprise, I heard laughter. I looked up from the ground over at him, Luke's laughs starting out small and then growing into an uncontrollable laughter that shook his shoulders and brightened every feature.

"Luke?!" I stared at him in shock.

"Did you really tell Prince Coleman that he was a waste of space?!" he laughed, looking over at me. I bit my lip, though found a funny smile worming its way onto my face.

"I did. I also called him an uncivilized miscreant." 

He laughed once more. "I say, Miss Cassie! I've never seen anything like it before! You threw everything he yelled at you right back at him!" A broad grin was spread across Luke's face, and his voice lowered. "Do you know how many times I've wished I could talk back to him like you did? You're a hero to me."

Now I laughed.

"You mean to tell me no one has ever talked back to him?"

"No." He shook his head. "No one. Anyone who even grumbles or complains is immediately fired! I can't express my shock over the situation!"

"I can hardly believe it! He's so...so...annoying."

He chuckled. "He was especially hard on you, to be fair. He's never taken so long to eat his food, and he never licks his fingers or smacks his lips. I think it was all to agitate you even more," Luke told me.

"It worked," I replied. "I just can't believe that that jerk I met is a prince. It's preposterous!"

"How exactly did you meet?" Luke rose an eyebrow. "The Prince was vague on the details."

I retold my story the best I could of how Prince Coleman walked into my store and acted as though I was the dirt beneath his shoes.

"I was there with him in Embryia," Luke said.

"Oh really?"

"Yes. He had sent me off to a different gift shop to also find a souvenir for his sister. When I returned, he had a gift bag from another shop and a strangely quiet attitude. "

"Luke, do you mean to tell me that I shut him up?"

"You did more than that. I'm going to tell you a story, but you must keep it to yourself. You promise?" he asked.

I nodded. "I solemnly vow."

Author's Note:

Thank you to everyone reading Maid For You!  It means a lot to me!  Let me know in the comments which guy you like best, and what you think of our sassy heroine, Cassie!  If you like this, make sure to vote for the story.  Thank you so much everyone!