Little Red Riding Hood and the Prince

Chapter 23- A Long Overdue Question Session

I took a moment just to take in the sight of her. Earlier I had been too concerned to really look, but she was just as lovely as I remembered from so many years ago. A little taller, though still small and fairylike. Her hair longer, but still gleaming. Her red cape was gone, but her eyes still entranced me with their many colors.

I noticed that she was studying me in turn, and shook myself a little. We really knew almost nothing about each other and I didn't have a lot of time left to find out.

I tried to start the conversation, but she beat me to it.

"Who are you exactly?" She said with her head at a tilt.

My palms were suddenly very sweaty and my mouth very dry. Her eyes bored into me. This was the very question that I had hoped to avoid.

"D-Darin remember?" I swallowed hard, my eyes still fixed to hers as she moved a little closer.

"Twice now you've come from nowhere to help me. Who are you?"

I decided not to correct her count, but struggled to think coherently.

"I'm an ambassador for the kingdom." The words slipped out before I thought them through, though at least it was the truth...partly.

Her eyes widened a little. "So that is you happened to be riding through." She frowned. "I did not think that they allowed young boys to be ambassadors."

"Er, well, my father is rather high up, so you see I started training young..." My face felt very hot indeed.

"What about you? What's your story?" Whew, further questions dodged.

She looked down for the first time, and then shrugged before meeting my eyes again.

"I'm just a girl. I lost my mother a long time ago, my father four years ago. I have a wonderful set of siblings and a grief-stricken stepmother. I'm just me, doing my best to keep my family together."

I wondered in that moment just how hard things had been for her, and my heart ached. Perhaps she saw something of that in my face.

"Come on, I'm supposed to give you a tour aren't I?"

She showed me around the dwelling, but I didn't take much of it in, too busy as I was watching her. I remember it all feeling humble, and a little shabby, though I don't have much experience with the homes of commoners. And then the tour ended, and I said my goodbyes, and as much as my heart ached to do so, I got on Fallfa and rode back to my many waiting responsibilities.

I pray that she will be alright.