Richard The Servant

The Swing

Time has passed and though Richard was wary at first, he and Ophelia have grown to be best friends.

"Here," thirteen year old Richard said to the princess. "I built you a swing." But he didnt mention that he only made the swing because K told him too.  Ophelia grinned as she gazed upon the beautifully crafted swing. 

"Its beautiful," she said. "I love it!" 

"I'm glad you do," Richard responded, smiling, feeling proud of himself. Maybe if he did good he would start getting warm tomato soup instead of cold. Ophelia sat down on the blue cushioned seat of the swing. She held on to the rope that held it from two wooden posts. Richard stepped behind the swing and pushed her. Up into the air she went, laughing all the way. After a few minutes she hopped off the swing, her green silk gown flowing behind her. Her freckles gleamed in the sunlight as she laughed. 

"Your turn!" She said. 

"What?" Richard asked. 

 "Its your turn on the swing," she said. 

"Oh no, this is for you, I couldn't possibly," Richard refused.

"Oh please Richard!" She begged. 

"Well, alright," Richard said, sighing. Hopefully this wouldn't affect his food promotion. He sat down on the swing and Ophelia pushed him. They giggled together as the sun began to set and the sky darkened. Then,

"Ophelia!" A loud voice echoed through the courtyard. "It is time for you to go to sleep." 

"But father," Ophelia whined. "It's barely dark out."

"Now," K said. "And servant, get back to the dungeons." 

"He has a name," Ophelia said. "Its Richard. It's the least you could do, to remember his name after what you did to him. "

"I don't care what his name is and it doesnt matter what I did to him!" K said, with a slight hint of annoyance. "Now go to bed."

"Yes father," Ophelia muttered angrily, walking off to her bedroom on the second floor. Richard, seeing the annoyed look on his masters face, silently walked down to his so called bedroom in the dungeons. But then he remembered the tunnel. He smiled.

Ophelia got into her pale blue nightgown and crawled into bed. She turned off her lamp and drifted off to sleep. A few minutes later she heard a quiet whisper. 

"Ophelia!" Richard whispered. Ophelia crawled out of her bed and went to the back of her dresser. She opened the hatch and crawled into the tunnel.

"Richard?" She whispered.

"Yeah," Richard replied, grinning. 

"Richard you can't be here right now, the gaurds will be patrolling soon and I dont want you to get in trouble."

"But they never notice when I'm missing!" Richard retorted. 

"Richard please, if we get caught my father will kill you!" 

"Well i'm sleeping in the tunnel tonight, be right back," Richard said, crawling back down the tunnel. Ophelia took a deep breath and closed the tunnel door, locking it behind her. Tears rolled down her face as she went back to bed. Sometimes she would stay up all night talking to him in that secret tunnel of theirs. But not tonight. The security has recently been increased as the Orcs were threatening to declare war again. Richard climbed back up the ladder and back to the tunnel. But the door was locked and Ophelia was gone. He  suppressed a cry. Why had she left? Maybe he had done something wrong. Was she becoming like her father?
"No, no, what am I thinking, stupid," he thoight. As he angrily climbed back down the ladder, his foot struck one of the metal rungs. It echoed with a loud clang noise. Ophelia, hearing the noise, sat straight up.  Richard hurriedly jumped into his bed as the guard came to see what he had done. Richard tried to pretend that he was asleep, but his tear stained face and terrified expression let the guard know that he was awake. Richard was sent to solitary confinement for two days because he was up past curfew.