Sundown

the world we live in

The sun was setting outside Saoirse's window in the castle as she sat by it, looking at the saffron ball of light that painted the whole sky in mesmerising riots of red, blue and something more, alerting the universe of its departure.

She had an almost knitted pair of mittens lying in her lap, forgotten for a while.

"Saoirse?" She heard her mother call from the hallways outside her little room, making her way toward her daughter.

She hastily put the mittens aside in the huge metal box her esteemed friend and princess, Pauline Chalamet, had gifted to her for good service, sometime last year.

It now housed all of Saoirse's knitting and sewing projects. It had become a hobby and she was fairly good at it but sometimes it got too much and she sat doing the needle work for hours at an end.

"Oh no not again! You should transfer yourself to the Royal Taylors instead of being the princess' maid!" Her mother scolded when she came in before Saoirse has put the mittens away.

"I'd rather be with the princess than anywhere else in the world." Saoirse said, looking defiantly into the sapphire eyes of her mother.

"You don't get to talk back to me, young woman. The princess has sent a word for you, go up to her before they can throw us out of this castle." She spat and ushered Saoirse out of her room.

The young girl scurried away, going up the stairs to the main castle floor and running past royal guards and through countless hallways, she finally reached the princess' room.

"Your highness?" She called from behind the thick maroon velvet curtains that separated the world from the princess' room.

"Saoirse? Come in!" She heard the royalty call from inside and setting aside the heavy curtains, Saoirse stepped in but not before putting the curtains back in place.

"Your high-" She began turning around but stopped when she saw that Pauline wasn't alone in her room. Her brother Timothèe sat on her bed, concentrating on a book.

"Good evening, prince and princess." Saoirse said, looking down on the floor, her cheeks quick to pick up heat. She did not want to be, but whenever the crowned prince was around, she got flustered. Maybe it was his handsomeness, which was the topic of conversation for infinite princesses and maidens far and wide, or his intimidating aura, she didn't know.

"Cut the formalities, there is work to be done!" Pauline said getting up from her dresser and walking over to Saoirse.

"Tomorrow, the guests start arriving for Timothée's coronation due next week and.." Pauline trailed off, biting her lower lip and looking down, failing miserably in her attempt to stop blushing.

"And?" Saoirse enquired.

"And the Prince of Brookwood would be there! He will never lay his eyes on me, Sersh!" Pauline exclaimed, going from excited to sad in a whim.

"That would be true if you weren't the sister of the crowned prince." Saoirse reasoned. She looked over at Timothèe to find him shaking his head and smiling.

"Are you saying I'm not beautiful enough to be noticed by him were I not his sister?" Pauline's eyes had gone wide and her hands had found Saoirse's arms.

"Pauline, you know the Prince has time and again given you more attention than any other maiden. He's always the first to ask you to dance in balls and he always walks you to wherever it is that you're going. I don't think there's any reason for you to be worried." Saoirse comforted her best friend and mistress.

"Also, Saoirse does an amazing job of transforming your horse face into something tolerable." Timothèe remarked, still not looking up from his book but the compliment was enough to make the butterflies in her stomach sing love songs.

"Thankyou, my lord." Saoirse muttered, just loud enough for the Prince to barely hear it.

"You are both awful!" Pauline huffed as she went back to her dresser with the huge decorated mirror that Saoirse cleaned more times a day than anything else in the castle.

Pauline never realised how beautiful she was. She had such pretty long, brown hair that ended just an inch above her waist and eyes a shining emerald, exactly like her brother's. She also had such defined lips and bone structure, that it was hard to look away for any man if he so much as glanced at her. In addition to all of this, she had such kindness and warmth, despite being the only princess of such powerful lands as the Elmcaster Isles.

Timothèe had now put his book aside and walked over to stand behind his elder sister and brushed the top of her head with a gentle hand.

"I know he would, but if in any case he does not treat you like you deserve to be treated and ends up hurting you, my sword would love to disfigure his pretty face."

"You will not do any such thing!" Pauline warned.

"As if I will ever listen to you." Timothèe said and tapped his sister lightly on the head.

He then turned to Saoirse and their eyes locked for a brief moment before she looked down, heat pooling in her stomach and spreading to every part of her body.

"Stay with the princess tonight Saoirse. I know she won't be able to sleep on her own and will get herself sick." Timothèe spoke, his voice not as authoritative as it usually was when he was giving orders.

"As you wish, Your Grace." Saoirse replied and the crowned prince left his sister's side and passed by Saoirse on his way out.

"He will like me, won't he?" Pauline asked, a sad look ghosting her face.

"If he doesn't, I will rather believe he is blind or stone hearted or both, Pauline." Saoirse reassured.

The princess smiled and shook her head.

"You have a thing for Timmy, don't you?"

Saoirse jerked up at the question, feeling her heart pick up pace again as she looked at the royalty with wide eyes.

"I... I don't quite get you, your highness." Saoirse stuttered.

"Oh cut it! Since when?" Pauline chirped like a thirteen year old girl and Saoirse turned away from her.

"I don't want to talk about this. It's no good. He is the crowned prince and I'm just a serving girl, my silly feelings don't count." Saoirse said more sternly than she meant to, feeling the back of her eyes sting at having to speak out the harsh truth.

Pauline came and quietly hugged her from behind.

"Sometimes Sersh... I hate the world we live and love in."