-Karen-“Yes!” I sat down quietly and twiddled my fingers in my lap. “Those demons are nothing to mess with, Conor. Only magic can destroy them because they are born from magic.” I said darkly. I’ve watched them kill the townsfolk and I was powerless to help them.“I’ve not seen you become so serious before. Mind to explain what you mean about the demons?” He asked lifting the lid that covered my plate. I glared as he snickered. That’s my job!“Demons.” I sighed. “They are what Mages become when they lose control. If your soul jewel, or what some Mages call a stone or crystal, shatters, the only person that can bring you back is Eldon. As you saw today, he can revive a soul and make that Mage live again. The trade off is you lose a portion of your overall magic. Once your magic is completely gone, your time will be up and there will not be another revival.” I explained grabbing the small bottle of wine from between us. I pulled the cork out of the bottle and swung it back hoping that
-Karen-“I wouldn’t call it a problem. I would call it ‘Karen’s plan for sanity’- Sometimes it’s the only way I can cope with the solitude and the pain I endure. So… May I have some more wine now?” I asked him with a sly smirk. I wanna get tipsier!He looked over at me and then without breaking his gaze on me, he opened the bottle and drank half. I frowned until he gave me the other half. “Yes, you may.” He replied chuckling. “That’s pretty good wine.”“Wine is the best!” I sat up and took the bottle from him downing the remaining contents quickly. I heaved a tired sigh and set the bottle on the floor. I could feel his gaze on me, watching me and my expressions. That’s going to becoming unnerving at some point. The only drawback with drinking so much wine at once is I would just blurt out whatever answer first came to mind. Oh- It’s hitting me. I'm feeling so relaxed.“Your face is getting red. Are you feeling okay?” He asked pulling the chair closer to the bed. Conor looked a bit ner
-Karen-I tried to compose my thoughts. Hm. What all did she say again? “Well, she was asking if we have done anything yet like, uh… Something about kissing? And then she said we were cute together.” I giggled trying to remember the conversation. “She said that I should just give in to you because you can satisfy me. Whatever that’s supposed to mean?” I felt my cheeks get hotter. “But servants and royals aren’t supposed to mix like this- Ever.” I continued with a frown. “If I weren’t so low on the pecking order, I think it would be fine to be your companion. But I’m like dirt next to you…” Dirt next to a pillar of pristine granite.“You’re not dirt. You’re not even close to that!” Conor said curtly. His expression left me taken aback. Is he really serious? Why does he keep saying these things?“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you, Prince Conor. I guess I- I just don’t see myself as something someone like you should be chasing after. I mean you can do so much better, but here we are.
-Karen-“During the bath, Joanne said you changed your mind with me. Why?” I asked him seriously. You better be honest! I’ll smack the hell out of you if you lie to me, Prince Conor. He held a grape to my lips and I hesitantly accepted the offering. “Thank you.” He smiled and nodded.“I changed my mind because I’ve been getting to know you over the last few weeks. I like that you don’t let my title or status change the way you talk to me.” He explained as he opened two more wine bottles. “You sass me regardless of my title. I like that you’re witty and clever. Plus, you’re gorgeous. I like that you are honest and thoughtful too.”I felt my cheeks tinge at his words. Gorgeous and honest. Well, I’m about to give you some truth Conor. “You’re right about one thing- I’m honest. I think you’re gonna just use me for what you want whether you’re a prince, a soldier or a commoner.” I replied taking the bottle from him. He gave me a dirty look as he narrowed his eyes. Oh! I made him mad! Ha! “
-Karen-Over the next several days, more soldiers arrived at the palace. The king found out that I was better so Conor had been called back to start drills with the new soldiers for a while. Conor was gone before I woke up, but he was back around three or four in the evening. Joanne and Bart kept me company while Conor was gone as much as they could. However, they had their own duties to attend to especially since the new soldiers were very rowdy and loved to brawl several times a day. It had become extremely dangerous with all the extra barbarians around, so Conor imposed a rule on Joanne and I. We were not allowed to be alone at all beyond either apartments or the medical ward. If we had to leave, we needed to have someone trusted with us.Conor had caught Lewis trying to listen in on our conversations resulting in him being arrested and sent to the dungeon several times. As a result, I had started to feel more like a burden, so I tried to keep myself busy by cleaning the entire apa
-Karen-It was late in the evening, around nine, as I got ready for bed. I layered several blankets on the floor in front of my armoire and got a pillow from the bed so I could go to sleep alone. It’s odd but I miss him and his warmth. I finally had a friend and now I’m alone again. Why do I feel like I failed? I changed into a frilly nightgown and braided my hair to prevent knots. I was tired and depressed from being shunned like an outcast. I was dumb to think I could be friends with a prince. Or anyone for that matter. I curled up to the soft pillow. I bit my lip so I could focus on that pain rather than the emotional pain I felt. See Eldon? Emotions are stupid and this is exactly why I don’t like mine. As I was falling asleep, I was strongly considering leaving in the morning after he left for his day. I could go back to my servant room in the basement whether I had permission or not. At least I won’t shun myself. But I’m definitely going to take a couple blankets since its turni
-Karen-“You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?” Joanne asked spinning me around to face her. I bit my lip and nodded shyly. She gave me a warm smile. “I’m telling you, Karen. It’s gonna happen! I think you’ll enjoy being his companion. He talks to Bart and me about you almost all the time. He says that he enjoys your witty quips and that you make him laugh without trying.” I felt my cheeks tinge at her words. “Don’t be shy! It’s great! He feels very comfortable around you. Plus, you’ve undone all the mean and cold things Beatrice did to him over the last few years in just a few weeks! He’s back to his normal self now and we can thank you for that.” She exclaimed dragging me out to the table where breakfast was waiting for us. “Before you came into the picture, he was really aggressive and got very depressed easily. Those last few days were just a sample of how he was back then.” How awful! He has such a sweet smile too. I stopped for a moment at the thought. I guess I do like him a
-Karen-“Nervous?” Conor asked with a chuckle. I felt my face get red at the question. “You’re still cute when you get flustered, you know.” That didn’t stop me from drinking one and a half bottles of wine in fifteen minutes. “Kay.” I looked directly at him as he flashed a charming smile. “I have something for you.” Something… For me? He went to his dresser and pulled out a small pink box from one of the drawers and gave it to me. “I apologize for treating you the way I did over the last couple of days. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings and make you feel lonely.”“It’s not necessary-” I tried to give him back the gift, but he rolled his eyes and then gave me a playful grin. Damn you. That’s cheating! I scoffed and gave him a dirty look. “Fine! I know that look Conor... I know exactly what you’re going to tell me. If I try to give it back, you’re going to say that you’re the Prince of Zargo and I have to accept and use the gift you have given me. Right?” I asked with a raised eyebrow