Princeps

14. Apples and Date Night

As we walked through the garden, mine and Katherine's arm linked, I told her again what exactly happened. 'Down to the microsecond', as she requested. She's a hopeless romantic, like me.

"I still can't believe it." Katherine muttered, smiling at me.

"I can't either... Katherine? Hold these." I said, distracted by a bright red apple that was up in the tree. I took off my shoes and handed them to her. She took them with a groan.

"This is not very lady-like, Angelica!" Katherine complained as I hiked up my dress and climbed up into the tree.

"Oh, come on. You know you want to! I'm just living the dream!" I exclaimed, climbing up into the canopy of the apple tree.

"No, you're just giddy from kissing Alex last night." Katherine reasoned. I rolled my eyes and laughed. Always the motherly figure.

"You're such a baby sometimes, Katherine." I complained, moving so that I could see the red apple. "I am not! I just don't want to be beheaded for letting the Crown princess die from falling out of an apple tree under my watch!" She groaned.

"I can't die if I fall from here! The most that could happen is I break an arm... or get a concussion... or" I gasped. "... what if I... forget who I am?!" I joked. "Not funny, Angelica!" She snapped.

I found the apple and went on my tip toes to grab it. I grasped it and yanked it from the tree. I slipped it into one of my pockets. I looked around and saw another red one, ready for picking.

"Do you want one, Katherine?" I called down, remembering that she loved apples as much as I did. She bit her lip and shrugged. "I know you want it!" I sing song-ed.

"I mean... as long as you're up there..." Katherine trailed off, messing with her hair. I laughed and grabbed the other apple, putting into my other pocket.

I started to climb down, picking red apples as I went. I ended up with seven. I looked down to see Rose hanging on Johnathon's arm. Did they just get here? He looked slightly annoyed. I sat on one of the branches and watched the events unfold.

"H-hello, Johnathon. Rose." Katherine stuttered, dipping into a curtsy. She pushed some hair out of her face and hid my shoes behind her back. But Rose already saw them. I heard Rose force a girly giggle out of her mouth.

"What are you doing holding shoes?" Rose asked. I could hear the sneer in her voice. "I-uh-Well- you see, Angelica asked me to hold them." Katherine replied. Katherine always dissolves into a blubbery mess when John's around.

"Oh. Doing a maid's work like you should." Rose seethed. I huffed and hopped out of the tree. I landed right in front of Rose, causing her to scream and fall to the ground. Johnathon quickly knelt down and helped her up. Her own personal servant.

"Sorry, Rose. Looks like you need to work on your reflexes. Good morning, Johnathon." I said, tossing a red apple to Katherine. She dropped my shoes and caught the apple. Her face was as red as the apple in her hands.

"Think fast, brother!" I said, throwing one to John. He caught it easily and took a big bite out of it. He moaned and Rose slapped his arm. When we were kids, Nathaniel, John, Katherine and I would all come out here and pick apples all day and eat them all before we got back for supper.

"That's not gentlemanly." She hissed. Johnathon shrugged and looked down at her. He took a big bite as he stared at her face.

"It's just so good." He gushed, talking with his mouth full. Rose looked utterly disgusted. I laughed, and tried to cover it with a coughing fit. Rose glared at me.