The Prince and His Maid

3: Folding sheets

2 weeks later

*Naria*

I am standing in the hallway beside the linen room, folding up all the bed linen before placing it back on the right shelves. I am lost in my own thoughts when I suddenly hear a warm voice behind me. To be honest it is a voice I have already become way too accustomed to, as he often stop to talk to me when passing by, much more than I would expected from someone of his status.

Actually this is the third time just today. “Well, hello again there Naria. And how are you doing with the linen my dearest ?”

“As you see, they are coming along quite well, your highness. I hope my prince is enjoying himself to on this fine day”. I don’t have to look up from my work to know that he is right beside me.

He reach past me to grab one of the bedsheets and starts folding it, like it’s the most natural thing to him. “Darling, there is no one but me and you here, no need for all these stuffy formalities. Please call me Arion”.

“Oh, but I surely couldn't my prince. If someone happened to hear that I could get in so much trouble”. I say, shaking my head. He really is something else, so very different from any other man I have ever met. “And for sure his highness shouldn’t be doing my work either, it is way below a prince to fold sheets”.

“Well, I happen to be a prince, as you just pointed out, so technically I can do what I want and that include folding sheets if I feel like it”. He say with a small chuckle making me smile and shake my head.

I can’t stop myself from casting stolen glances at him, feeling how it makes my heart palpitate violently. I can’t deny that he is so very handsome, like a prince from a fairytale. But a prince nonetheless, and as a maid I am hardly allowed to look at him if I was to follow the rules.

“You could have a bright career as a maid if you decide to give up the throne.. you are really good at folding sheets”. I say before I am able to stop myself, making him chuckle softly.

“Not only are you beautiful, you are also cheeky and very smart.. my, my.. don’t we just have it all miss Naria ?” He say wiggling his eyebrows, making me blush badly.

“Arion ! You can’t go around saying things like that”. I forget to censor myself before it spill out. “I am nothing but a maid.. why are you even here ? Wasting your time talking to me”.

“Oh, but I am definitely not wasting my time my dear.. I really like talking to you”. He stop folding and look directly into my eyes. “Why is that so bad ? We are not hurting anyone are we ?”

“Where do you want me to start ? Because this is going to be such a long list”. I sigh softly. “You are a prince, a crown prince nonetheless, and one day you will be the king of this country, the ruler supreme. I am a maid, that is all I can ever aspire to, I will never be anything else”.

He shakes his head, getting that stubborn gleam to his eyes that he trends to have. “Well, I don’t care. I refuse to judge people on what they are or do for a living, I don’t judge people on their family or their sex.. a human Being should be judged only by their actions and their heart”.

“You do know that saying things like that.. even thinking like that could get you in trouble. Believe me most of the nobility would not agree and they would fear that when you become King their power could.. be diminished”. I look up at him. I know he will be an amazing king, especially to his people, but I also know that not everyone will agree. “Some might even think you crazy and seek to remove you”.

“Well, I think I will survive that”. He bite his lip. “I have a feeling I will have most of the people behind me”.

I can’t help smiling. “Oh you no doubt will, especially the women.. you already have most of those won over, both rich and poor, Young and old”.

“I am only concerned about how one woman feel about me”. He say softly. As he put down the folded sheet his fingers grace mine, making me gasp slightly, as I feel like some kind of unseen power surge through my arm.

I quickly remove my hand, I am not allowed to feel that, to feel anything towards him but servility. “Your betrothed, the princes.. she is a lucky woman”.

“My .. ? Oh, yeah.. well I guess so”. He kind of take a step forward, for a moment looking like he wants to say something, but then he nods. “Yeah, soon I will be married, bound to a woman I don’t know for the rest of my life”.

“So many chambermaids will be heartbroken”. I have this sudden feeling of needing to lighten the mood.

He chuckles. “I am not like that you know.. if they are heartbroken.. it’s through no fault of mine”.

I raise one eyebrow. “Well then some of the girl here are hallucinating quite badly.. you might want someone to look into that”.

Of course I have heard stories from some of the other girls, about the prince and nightly visits of naughty pleasure. I am not sure all stories are true. But he is a man, of course he has been visiting his share of the bedchambers, that is what men do. At least from everything I have heard, he seems to always respect women and none of them seemed to mind his visits.

Someone calls for him and he put down the sheet he had just picked up. “Sounds like I am needed. See you around darling”.

I watch him leave, hoping he realises how much trouble those radikal ideas could get him into. Sometimes I think he could be too nice, to trustful. Some people in this country don’t like changes, especially not if these could diminish their power and the hold they have on people.