Riches to Royalty

Chapter 2: His Highness' Birthday

Note: Okay, the characters would still be 7 in the first part of the chapter. Hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter 2: His Highness' Birthday

     Two months passed since I officially became the prince's best friend. In the morning, I would walk to school by myself and meet him at my locker. He'd be leaning on it while keeping his stare on the ground, not wanting to catch any attention of the other students. When school's over, one of his palace servants would outside the school waiting for him. I'd always wait with the other kids. It was the same reaction from him all the time; he'd pull me by the wrist without saying anything. 

     So that's how I ended up in his personal library that his father gifted him with at his last birthday. I'd learn that Heath loved the books in his library. 

     I lied on the ground while I read. 

     "Rosie." 

     "Hmm?" I responded, barely looking at Heath. 

     I heard him got up from his chair and heard his faint footsteps on the marble tile. "You'll be my best friend forever?" He asked. 

     I didn't need to look away from the book to know he was standing beside me, looking down at me. But then I felt something heavy on my stomach, making me gasp for air. 

     "What?!" The book was yanked away from my hand. Heath with an emotionless face stared at me. His head was lying on my stomach. 

     "Answer my question." 

     "Yes, yes! Fine." 

    The side of his lip twitched a little before he got up and pulled me up along. 

     "I'll remember that promise you make to me."

* * * (9 years later)

     I'd been visiting the palace for almost nine years since I was seven, but I still hadn't completely memorize the hallways of the place. Had I passed by the same hallway twice? A sigh of frustration escaped my lips and I whirled around. "Where am I?" I asked myself the third time already. Silence answered me. 

     "Rosie?" I heard my name being called by the maids of the palace. All of them, dressed in black and white french maid costumes, greeted me respectfully(as the prince's best friend) and glanced at me nervously. "Lady Cross, we're supposed to dress you up for his highness' birthday." Adelaide explained. Adelaide was eighteen, her parents died in a car crash. The king and queen took pity on her and hired her to be one of the servants in the palace. Although it was much pleasure to serve the king and queen themselves, I sometimes wonder whether Adelaide wished she had the choice to support herself and get a job of her own choice. 

    "What color is the dress?" Was all I answered them. They seemed surprised my answer somehow and looked at each other. 

     "Black and purple, just the way you love it." Adelaide quickly responded. Maybe it's the way I dress, or my hairstyle that made me seem intimidating. Honestly, I wasn't at all. I was shy and a little quiet, nothing like my parents. I had the color of a raven's feather's and faded blue eyes that I'd inherit from my dad. My hair was straight and long, my mother told me to keep it that way. 

     "Thank you." I tried sending them a warm smile but they just looked away and quickly ushering me to the prince's room. 

     Of course my best friend wasn't in the room, he was far too busy hiding away in the garden. One thing I knew about him was that he didn't like people acting nice around him. I'd realized that he hated people who acted nice and friendly around him just to try and get some benefits out of it. And I also realized girls in school try to be quiet and shy just so they would match my personality and hope Heath himself would be friends with them, and maybe something more.