Between the Pages

Chapter 6

I did my duties but I forgot that I was assigned in the west wing.

Snow's heart sank even further. She had been so distracted by thoughts of the crown prince that she had forgotten about her duties.

"I'm sorry, Head Maid," Snow said, bowing her head. "It won't happen again."

The head maid sighed. "I hope not. We can't have any slackers here at the palace."

Snow nodded, feeling ashamed. She couldn't let her infatuation with the crown prince get in the way of her duties as a maid. But at the same time, she couldn't stop thinking about him.

As Snow was making her way towards the west wing, she spotted the guard who had lent her a mirror during her arrival here. He smirked as he saw her and teased, "Still daydreaming about becoming a princess, I see?"

Snow rolled her eyes, feeling annoyed by the guard's constant teasing. "As if," she replied with a scoff. "I have better things to do than fantasize about impossible dreams."

The guard chuckled, clearly enjoying Snow's reaction. "Oh, really? Like what?"

"Like my duties as a maid," Snow retorted, hoping to shut down any further teasing.

But the guard wasn't deterred. "Duties, huh? Sounds thrilling," he said with a smirk. "You must be getting close to the crown prince then."

Snow's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the crown prince, but she tried to play it cool. "What makes you say that?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

The guard shrugged nonchalantly. "Just a hunch. And don't tell me you're getting feelings for me now," he added, winking at her.

Snow pretended to gag at the thought. "Ugh, please. I'd rather eat dirt," she said, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

The guard laughed, clearly amused by Snow's reaction. "You're a feisty one, I'll give you that. What's your name, by the way?"

Snow hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should reveal her real name. But then she decided to take a risk. "Snow," she said finally. "My name is Snow."

The guard raised an eyebrow at her, looking surprised. "Snow, huh? That's a pretty name. Well, Snow, I'll see you around," he said with a grin, before walking away.

Why did he ask for my name? From what I can remember, during my first day here at the palace, he called me 'Snow'. 

Maybe... not?

However, Snow stopped the guard and asked, "Excuse me, I don't think I caught your name earlier. What is it?"

I need to be close to someone and gather more details.

The guard flashed her a playful smile. "I'm Marcus," he replied.

"Nice to meet you, Marcus. So, what brings you here again?" Being friendly with him makes me want to puke.

"I'm one of the palace guards," Marcus said, gesturing to his uniform. "I'm in charge of training the crown prince in combat and defense. You know, making sure he can protect himself and all that."

Snow raised an eyebrow. "Really? So you must be quite skilled."

Marcus chuckled. "I'd like to think so. But don't worry, I won't let the prince get hurt on my watch."

Snow couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy as she thought about Marcus training the crown prince. It seemed like he was getting closer to her goal than she was.

"Well, I better get going," Marcus said, breaking her out of her thoughts. "I wouldn't want to keep you from your duties."

Snow nodded and started to walk away, but then paused and turned back to him. "Hey, Marcus, do you think you could help me with something?"

"Why? You falling for me?" he said teasingly.

Out of all people, why do I think he's the one who can help me? He looks stupid, though.

Snow smiled and rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Marcus," she said, "I just need a little favor."

Marcus chuckled. "Sure, what do you need?"

"I'm just wondering if you could give me some tips on how to be a good servant," Snow said, trying to keep her tone casual.

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know that?"

Snow shrugged, trying to play it off. "Oh, you know, just curious. I want to make sure I'm doing everything right."

Marcus studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. "Well, I suppose I could give you some pointers. But you have to promise to take it seriously."

Snow nodded eagerly. "Of course, I will."

And so, Marcus began to give her advice on everything from how to carry a tray to how to bow properly. Snow listened intently, trying to absorb every bit of information he gave her. But all the while, she couldn't help but think about how she could use this knowledge to get closer to the crown prince.