My Selection

The Chase

"Prince Rhode, STOP!!!" Yells Brighton as we are chasing Rhode, trying to make sure he doesn't get to the Queen.
"No! I'm telling my mommy you two were mean!" He jokes. I can sense the smirk on his face.
He runs up the stairs to the third floor. Brighton and I stop dead in our tracks.
"We can't go up there." I whisper. Rhode notices the lack of steps behind him. "What's wrong?" He asks, truly wondering why we stopped.
"We're not allowed up here without permission." I say. Keeping on the stair below the third floor like lasers would zap me if I took one more step.
Rhode sighs. "I guess you can come up here."
Brighton and I look at each other before running after him with no warning.
We see some guards staring at us. One yells, "what are you two doing up here?"
"Chasing the Prince!" Brighton yells back.
We're all laughing. I yell to Rhode, "Don't tell Queen Lilliana!"
Perfect timing. The Queen walks out of her room. "Don't tell me what?" She asks.
Brighton nervously looks to me. I nervously look to Rhode. Rhode grins back at us.
Rhode goes over to hug his mom. He says, "Lady Brighton and Lady Caspian were saying that I wasn't handsome." He says. Rhode has the most ridiculous fake sad face. The Queen looks between all three of us, not sure what to make of it.
"Mommy, make them stop." Rhode says, acting like a little kid, though he still has that annoying-but-adorable-at-the-same-time grin on his face.
"Go play this silly game somewhere else. It's not fitting for a Prince and two Ladies to be playing around." She snaps. Rhode looks taken aback, but he pulls away from the hug and walks over to us.
"Let's go downstairs, okay?" He says, walking over to the stairs. We follow him, going back down to the first floor.
On the way, he explains, "she's just snappy because she's upset that her 'baby' Ophelia is being shipped off to Barbados. Honestly, it's better than most other offers we've had."
"Oh." I say. I haven't thought of anything else to say.
"Yeah, well, umm..." He says. It just got awkward. "See you too soon?" He asks.
"Well that's all up to you, isn't it?" I ask, then immediately regret it. "so, umm, see you later!" I say, grabbing Brighton's hand and practically dragging her upstairs as I hear Rhode chuckle softly.