A Princess and Peasant roleplay...

Hello, my official name is Princess Seraphina Eloise Astraia. But you can call me Sephy.
I am 19 years old.
I would give you a description of what I look like, but it would be much easier to show you...
I have lived a very sheltered life. Being a princess had it set backs, but there was never anything I wanted more than to be allowed out of the castle walls. I really am just a normal girl, but unfortunately, I have to go through the formalities which my father heaps on me.
I have always wanted to run away or just sneak out of the palace for a few hours. Just to be a normal person would be amazing. But I know it would be impossible... I am a generally shy person. I tend to stick to myself around the castle, but that is mostly because I don't believe in my fathers idea of having servants. I am quite deceitful, but only when it comes to my parent. I think if you get to know me, I can be bright, bubbly and very friendly. I really do care about other people, but that is not something I inherited. It comes from having to do what everyone else tells me to do and understanding how being alone can feel. I'm very lovable and friendly, but I sometimes wish I could be rebellious and change the way my life is destined to turn out.
Let me see, is there anything else you should know about me? Oh yeah, I'm supposed to get married by the time I am 21 years of age. It is my father's wish, and I really have no choice, as if I do not choose my own husband, my father will choose one for me. I wish I could find a way out of it, but he is a very stern man. Unles I can successfully run away, I honestly cannot see a solution. Also, I'm afraid of small spaces and hate wearing my stupid tiara!

Hello, my official name is Keiran I don't think I have any other names. But you can call me Key. I am 19 years old.
I would give you a description of what I look like, but it would be much easier to show you . . . I'm a thief. . . and a kitchen boy. I have always wanted to have my own farm. I want a forest where I can hunt and a small garden for vegetables. I am really a loud person, but i love to talk about all kinds of things: books, plays, politics. I am a man of few words but I always mean what I say. I think I'm a pretty good person once you get to know me but in this world everyone has to decide what they think for themselves so I can only hope people find me as nice as I imagine I am. Let me see, is there anything else you should know about me? Oh yeah, I'm horrified of spiders.

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The grounds kitchens were hot, especially in the summer and Keiran was about to die from heat stroke. Keiran took a quick, furtive look in all directions and slumped down on a wooden bench with a sigh of exhaustion. Today had been his first day working in the kitchen of the Astraia family; and it had been the most phsically and mentally draining thing he had ever done. Stealing the neighboring earl's horse was easier than this . . . Keiran thought to himself as he streatched, trying to release some of the tension built up in his muscles. Kieran felt something heavy smash his ear at the same time the kitchen master shouted "Boy! Get yourself up, you're to serve the table, NOW!" Keiran jumped up as a tray was thrust into his hands and wearily stumbled into the dinning hall. Keiran was stunned as he entered the large hall. There were people of all shapes and sizes wearing all the colors imaginable in their dress. Keiran made his way to the head of the table for the family of the house was always served first. Lord Astraia accepted some of what Keiran realized was a roast pheasent. After serving the Lord and Lady of the house Keiran moved on to the next in line and found himself stunned. She was gorgeous and Keiran found himself blushing profusely while he stupidly offered ". . . r-r-roast ph-pheasent, my Lady?"

Sighing, Seraphina placed her tiara on the top of her head and frowned at herself in mirror. Such a beautiful little thing it was; sparkling with thousands of tiny diamonds with one large green ruby placed in the very center. Yet no matter how beautiful or magnificent it appeared, Sephy still hated wearing it. It was the one thing that diminished her chances of ever being looked at or treated like a normal person.
It had been a long day, and so far all she had seemed to do was what her father had ordered her to do; riding her ornate stallion around the castle grounds, learning how to play the piano and stupid elocution lessons. None of which she actually needed. Though, riding had always been an escape for her, so that she was thankful of.
Dinner would no doubt be dull and boring as usual. So pulling on the white and green dress that her maid had chosen for her, Sephy once more turned to the mirror and frowned. Yes, the garment was beautiful and no doubt perfect in every stitch, but Sephy could never shake the feeling that she was destined for more than just this; to be a 'princess' and a prisoner in her own home.

The banquet hall was dressed from top to toe in green and gold decor; the royal families colors. And there were many other important spectacles of people prancing around like the owned the palace its self. Royal or poor, they were all the same to Sephy. Though most of the time, she dreamed that she could be poor, or at least live in a normal house with normal parents and a simple donkey as a horse.
A gong was stricken and instantaneously Seraphina's fathers 'servants' came flooding from the kitchen all carrying gold trays laced with food. One particular male served her father and her mother, and then moved on to her. It was magical; the way he looked at her, and Sephy saw an instant flare of the cheeks when he caught her eye. Blushing herself, Sephy tried to hide it from her father by pretending to cough into a handkerchief. When she was certain that the color had died down, she looked up at the boy and smiled. When he offered her roast pheasant, she grimaced a little at the typical banquet feast but nodded and smiled. It took all of her energy not to reach up and serve herself the food that the handsome young man was forced to deliver, and Sephy found herself biting down on her lower lip to refrain from relieving the boy of his ridiculous 'duties'.

Glancing over at her father, Sephy made sure that he was not looking at her and then she smiled beautifully at the boy and whispered "Thank you". If her parents or anyone else in the room would have caught her doing that, she would no doubt be punished as talking to the 'servants' was never allowed. But she did not care. She had never cared.

Keiran's heart jumped a beat as a soft pink flushed the princesses cheeks. However, the color was quickly covered by a handkerchief and unfortunate series of coughs. Keiran bowed his head in respect, for one should never stare at royalty because it was rude and obscene. Keiran felt his cheeks flame once more at the shy smile she gave but his happiness sank when she grimaced at the food he offered her. Keiran panicked, had he done something wrong? Offended her somehow? Keiran decided it was best to offer just a small portion of the food and wait to see if she signaled for more.
Keiran was utterly shocked when the gorgeous lady before him presented him with a smile and a whispered "thank you." He sincerely hoped she didn't get in trouble for that. Replying would surely bring him naught but trouble so keiran simply bowed and moved on to the next person surreptitiously sneaking glances at the princess the whole while he served the table. When he had reached the end of the bench Keiran stole on last glace at the princess. Keiran was awed by her beauty as she daintily speared a piece of food on her fork and placed it in her mouth. Keiran was inspired by her. She was so kind where the rest of rich society was so cruel to people of his status. As he walked back to the kitchens Keiran began composing a small poem about the princess.

Seraphina saw a flash of panic spread across the young man's face when she grimaced at the food he was serving. She knew that he thought he had done something wrong. It was too late before she could shake her head and try to tell him he had done nothing to offend or upset her as he had already bowed his head and walked away to serve the rest of the riches in the room. Looking down at her plate, Sephy could feel the steady gaze of someone watching her and as she looked up she was caught once more in the enchanting blue of the young waiter's eyes. He was so handsome and mesmerizing she found it hard to take her eyes away.

Delicately placing food into her mouth, Sephy looked up just in time to see the boy walk out of the room. Her stomach twisted in knots as she thought about the gaze they had both shared and all she wanted to do was run from the room and speak to him. Right at the very moment Sephy decided that was exactly what she would do. Not in quite that dramatic of a way; she would sneak from her room later on and just hope that the boy resided in the grounds chambers.

Finishing the banquet, Sephy excused herself from the table after complaining of a stomach ache and pains in her head. She said she was going to bed, and that way her father would never come into her room for fear of seeing her undressed. Once Sephy got back to her room she took off the extravagant dress and threw it down onto the floor. As soon as that was off, she removed the tiara from her head and almost threw that too before she remembered it would break, then she placed it into the case it came in and closed the lid. Pulling out a small white dress and flowing black cloak, Sephy decided that she would wait an hour or so before she went to see the boy; that way everyone would be gone.


The hour seemed to go on forever and by the time the clock struck 9.00pm Sephy was almost asleep. She had dressed already and pulled on a pair of flat ballet style shoes and quietly exited her bedroom. The whole castle was pitch black and it was very hard to see where she was going, but Sephy just pulled up her hood in the hope that the black would become invisible in the dull lighting. It only took 10 minutes to get to the kitchen; her first place to check for the boy she had gazed so helplessly and wonderingly at during dinner. Standing in the middle of the kitchen, Sephy ran her fingers through a strand of hair that fell from inside the large hood and looked around hopelessly desperate to find him.

Keiran was asleep on his feet by the time the banquet was finished. He sank wearily onto a bench by the hearth and tried to warm his aching body by the fire. The day's work had been strenuous and difficult but he had come away alive and inspired. Keiran pulled a slice of bread from his trouser pocket and nibbled while he thought about the princess. He thought of her long dark hair, like a waterfall made out of midnight. He thought of her eyes a dark mossy green. She reminded Keiran of a forest nymph. The silly thought put a smile on Keiran's face as he imagined the princess flouncing about the forest in a dress of flowers. But more than anything else Keiran thought of the soft sincerity in her eyes as she thanked him. People hand thanked Keiran before but never had the words struck him as hard as they had that night. Determined Keiran continued to compose his poem. The poem that he would present to the lovely lady, he decided. It was plausible, Keiran could stumble upon her in a hallway or such and he would tell her of the poem and ask if she'd like to hear it. It was possible she would turn him down but Keiran doubted she would be so cold. Tired from the day, Keiran lay down on the hearth of the fire and drifted into a peacefull sleep.

The door to the kitchens opened quietly and Keiran woke with a start. Quietly he pulled himself into a crouch and stole a knife off a nearby table. Someone other than Keiran was in the kitchen and that meant trouble. Keiran remained in his crouch as he watched the cloaked figure move silenty about the room.

Sephy squealed from shock and fear as she saw a glimmer a light flash form the blade of the knife. She quickly clasped her hands over her mouth and turned to run out of the room from fear that she had stumbled upon an assassin of some kind. As she pulled open the door to the kitchen her hood blew down and her long dark hair was exposed in the dim light. There was a single glimmer as she moved.

Turning once before she went to leave the room, Sephy saw a slight teal blue shimmer from where the mystery person was crouched and she breathed in a little. Could it really be the boy who served her at dinner? The one she was searching for?. Swallowing her fear, Sephy moved back into the room. She reached up and gently pulled on the black ribbon that tied the cloak to her. It fell around her like a waterfall of black silk and she shivered as it slid past her delicate pale skin. Looking deeper into the dark, Sephy held her breath in the hope that the person's silhouette that she could see was in fact the boy from dinner and not someone poised and ready to kill her.

Keiran smirked to himself as he heard the intruder let out a gasp of fright. The cloaked figure turned and ran for the door then paused as if in thought. Curious Keiran stood to get a better view. As the mystery person had turned to flee the hood of the cloak fell. Keiran's breath caught in his throat as a midnight colored wave fanned about and settled. Could it be the princess? Had she come to the kitchens for a late snack, and if so why didn't she ring for a maid? Keiran held his breath as the mystery woman, surely it was a woman, moved back into the room.

Keiran dropped the knife he was holding as the cloak fluttered softly to the ground. The princess wore a plain white frock, beautiful in all it's simplicity. Keiran carefully stepped into the light of the fire. Keiran gave a great bow as he proclaimed, "Welcome to the kitchens, Princess. My name is Keiran, how may I serve you this fine night?"

Sephy stepped back a little as the boy dropped the knife to the floor. It was unexpected, but as her eyes focused more and became acquired to the lighting of the room she could make out more detail on his face. Realizing that it was in fact the boy from earlier, Sephy let out a tiny squeal of excitement. She almost felt relieved in a way that she was not being attacked. Walking closer into the room, Sephy straightened her dress.

As the boy; who had introduced himself as Keiran; bowed in front of her, Sephy grimaced and rushed over to him taking hold of his hand and pulling him into a straight standing position. "Please don't do that, and no serving either Keiran" she giggled. Hearing a scuttle coming form the corridor, Sephy turned and instantly her heart rate fluttered. Still holding Keiran by the hand, she began to pull him out of the room and into the gardens via the back door.

The scent of roses flooded her nostrils and she blinked so that her eyes could adjust to the midnight dark. "You already know who I am, but please, no 'Princess'!" she giggled. "Just Sephy. Or if you feel really awkward with that, Seraphina. But as far as I am concerned, I'm no princess!" she smiled and then continued to pull him away from the castle and into the hedge maze that occupied a fragment of the large gardens. Once she had found her way to the middle, she stopped running and span around so that she and Keiran were face to face. When she actually realized how long she had been holding his hand, she blushed a fierce red; one that resembled the color of the roses surrounding them. Quickly, she dropped his hand and smiled to try and hide her shy and embarrassed side.

"Crap! My cape!" she almost shouted as she realized she had left it lying on the cold stone floor of the kitchen. It would not be mistaken for anyone else's as it had a simple 'S' golden stitched onto the inside label. What would her father say when he found out she had been in the kitchens?! Sephy blushed a little more when she realized what she had just said. "Pardon my language" she smirked and then got caught once more in the dazzling blue of Keiran's eyes.

Keiran's jaw dropped as the princess rushed across the room and took hold of his hand. Trying to regain some of his manners he allowed himself to be pulled into a standing position. Keiran was faintly aware that the princess still held his hand in hers. Afraid she would let go if he did, Keiran didn't mention it. He simply stood there enjoying the feel of their hands joined. The princess had small hands beautiful and delicate but strong and defined from what must have been years of piano and needle-work. Suddenly there was a scuffle of noise outside the door. The princess turned and began to drag Keiran outside and into the gardens.

Keiran and the princess paused for a moment as their eyes adjusted to the dark. Then with the scent of roses strong in the cool night air they began what Keiran supposed could be called their "escape." As they ran the princess told Keiran her name. "Just Sephy." She said, "Or if you feel really awkward with that, Seraphina. But as far as I am concerned, I'm no princess!" Keiran smiled and followed the princess to the middle of the maze. She was beautiful as she ran, Keiran thought. Long hair flowing out behind her, surrounded by roses. Once more Keiran thought of the princess . . . seraphina . . . sephy. Once more Keiran thought of Sephy flouncing about the forest and he let out a small laugh.

Sephy and Keiran had finally made it to the middle of the maze. As she turned to face him Keiran felt a rush of cool air cloak his palm and realized that Sephy had dropped his hand and was now blushing fircely. The blush soon faded, much to Keiran's dissapointment, as Sephy let out a foul oath and remarked that she had left her cape in the kitchen. Keiran caught Sephy's gaze and watched her for a while. Then in a moment of chivalry remarked, "I'll got get it. You'll have to lead me back to the door, I don't know this maze very well yet. But if you can get me to the kitchen I can get your cloak." Keiran suddenly very anxious stood and waited for Sephy's reply.

"No, no no!" Sephy whispered, though she had no idea why she did because there was no body else around. "It'll be fine. I'll just tell my father I wanted a snack and didn't want to disturb the maid".

Looking down, Sephy nibbled on the corner of her lip while she thought about what to say. Should she just tell him that she liked him? Or should she wait for a while. But what if she did wait and then he left the castle and she never saw him again. But then what if she did tell him she liked him and he laughed at her or was already with someone. All these questions whirred around in Sephy's head and she found it hard to decide what it was that she needed to do.

"Keiran? Have you ever worked in a place like this before?" she questioned, deciding to get to know more about him before she just up and told him everything. It felt so right standing in the middle of the maze with Keiran and it was amazing just being able to talk to him without him stuttering and acting strange around her. She couldn't help who she liked, and Keiran was definately worth the sneaking around. All she had to do was look at him and she got butterflies in her stomach.

Sephy looked absolutely adorable as she stood biting at the corner of her lip. This only served to bring another blush to Keiran's face and he was glad it was dark outside. Sephy stood silent for a while before she asked Keiran, "Keiran? Have you ever worked in a place like this before?" Keiran took Sephy's hand lightly and led her to the bench by the fountain, in the middle of the maze. "No, this is my first time working in a place this big, It's hard work. I like it though, and the company is well worth it. . ." Keiran's gaze dropped to the ground where he spotted a group of dandelions on the ground. Keiran reached down, picked two, and presented one to the princess; "Make a wish, Sephy."

Sephy followed Keiran as he lead her to the bench. The sound of the water falling from the beautiful fountain was so relaxing. As Sephy looked over to it, she smiled as the shimmer of the moonlight danced around the ripples and reflected back up to play on hers and Keiran's faces. When Keiran mentioned that the company in the palace was worth the hard work, Sephy blushed and also turned her eyes to the ground. She was just about to ask what company he was talking about when she saw his hand come into view and pick two of the dandelions that grew from the ground. Looking back up to him, her eyes fell yet again on his. When he held out a dandelion and told her to make a wish, Sephy giggled, blushed then closed her eyes and thought about what she wanted.

'I wish that I could be free to marry who ever I wanted. To have the choice, and for it to be possible that a girl like me could fall in love with someone different to me and still be allowed to have everything she ever dreamed of' Sephy thought to herself and then parted her pink lips, pouted them and gave one soft, delicate blow of air to seal her wish. Hopefully, maybe one day it would come true. Sephy almost prayed that day would come sooner rather than later, and if not, she was almost sure she would run away.

Keiran watched Sephy make her wish and his heart fluttered as she pouted her lips. Keiran closed his eyes and held the delicate flower tight while he made his wish. I wish I could live an honest life, a good life. I wish I could be loved and understood. I wish someone could care. Keiran took a deep breath and let go of all his worries. As the little seeds floated into the night, Keiran looked into the fountain and watched the reflections in the water. Keiran watched Sephy's reflection for a while then turned to look at Sephy herself, "have you ever been to the forest?" Keiran wanted to do something special for Sephy, "tomorrow night, we could go for a walk in the forest, I'll make a special picknick, just for fun." Keiran played with the dandelion stem, "you know . . . I wrote a poem about you. Well about what you said. Today at dinner, nobody's ever thanked me so sincerely before. w-would you like to ummm, would you like to hear it?"

Sephy opened her eyes to see Keiran with his eyes closed too. He was making a wish, she Sephy couldn't help but sit and watch every move he made until he opened his eyes and looked into the fountain. She did the same; gazing down into the water. She noticed him looking in the direction of her reflection and blushed a little.

When Keiran asked if she had ever been into the forest, Sephy looked up at him and gracefully moved a hair from her face. "No, I have never been out of the castle walls before other than to ride my horse and stroll through the gardens. But I would love nothing more than to go with you!" she smiled and then gently took hold of Keiran's hand. "Tomorrow night? I'll meet you in the kitchen again?" she smiled and then when he said he had wrote a poem for her, she blushed; her smile growing wider and more beautiful. "I would love to hear your poem Keiran. And I'm glad you realized. I honestly didnt think you heard me for a while, but now I see you were doing us both a favor. We both would have got into a lot of trouble if we were caught talking to one and other!". This thought made Sephy's eyes well up a little and she turned her face away from Keiran. He was so amazing; everything she ever wanted in a man. He was nothing like the stupid Prince's her father would eventually set her up with. It was in that very moment when Sephy realized the truth. She would soon be forced to marry an arrogant, self absorbed Prince. Unles she found herself a husband. Or unles she managed to get away from it all.

Thoughts of the night in the forest danced around in Sephy's mind and she could not help but look back at him. "Please, tell me your poem. If you don't mind that is?" she asked him, smiling hopefully.

Keiran's pulse puonded in his throat as Sephy took hold of his hand and asked him to meet in the kitchen tomorrow night. Keiran swallowed and nodded, "yes, in the kitchen would be great." Keiran's heart had never beat so fast before, he was sure of it. Keiran nodded as Sephy spoke of last night, "I didn't want to get you in any trouble and it would have been really sad to get fired on my first day for saying 'thank you."' Keiran caught Sephy's gaze and was lost in a spiral of kindness and honesty. Sephy was so amazing. Keiran's mind could not find the words to describe her. Keiran saw Sephy's eyes tear and then she looked away. Slowly she regained composure and looked at Keiran with a bright smile. Keiran smiled back and stood, "okay here goes nothing."


***poem has been removed because I really did write it myself and don't want my words stolen***

Watching Keiran stand, Sephy shuffled on the bench so that she was directly facing him. He began to speak and tingles ran through Sephy's body at the poetic sound of his voice. As he recited his poem, a bright smile grew more and more vibrant on Sephy's pale face and by the end of it she was in tears. It was so beautiful and the way that he spoke it gave her shivers. As he bowed his head, Sephy quietly clapped her hands together and tried to wipe the soft tears away from her cheeks. "Keiran, that was beautiful!" she beamed and then added "Was that really about me?".

It was hard to believe that after all that time of being alone and trapped in her own home, Sephy had finally found someone as amazing as Keiran.

Keiran blushed at Sephy's reaction and gently wiped a tear from her cheek, "yes, no one else has ever been so incredibly kind to me. I meant every word of it. I'm glad you like it." Keiran looked at the fountain and a mischevious smile spread across his face. Slowly and carefully Keiran dipped a hand in the water and gently flicked it at Sephy's face. Keiran grinned and flicked the water again, "Come on, lets go to the kitchen, I'll make us some hot chocolate." Keiran stood and held out his arm.

Seraphina frowned. It was incredibly hard for her to understand why people were so horrible and arrogant. It actually made her a little mad at the thought of someone being horrible to Keiran. They called themselves 'High Class' and 'Proper' but yet they had no manners or sense of maturity.

A slight cold splash hit the side of Sephy's face and she instantly calmed a little when she saw Keiran grinning mischievously. "Hey!" she giggled and dipped her hand into the water ready to retaliate the splash. As she pulled her wet hand out of the water, Sephy lost her balance on the side of the fountain and slipped in. Feeling incredibly silly, she tried to giggle it off, but the water was just so cold. Keiran must have thought she was such a klutz. And to make matters worse, the white dress she had worn was not at all water decent and it instantly became opaque. Blushing, Sephy tried to cover herself up. Gazing up at Keiran; water dripped down her face and through her hair, but she just smiled and said "W-w-well, that was s-s-silly!" and giggled a little more before deciding it was probably a good idea to try and get back out before she caught hypothermia. "F-f-fancy helping m-m-me out?" she frowned as she tried to stop her jaw from shaking.

Keiran's eyes grew wide as Sephy fell into the fountain. Sephy laughed and Keiran smiled until he noticed that her dress was slowly growing clear. Keiran quickly averted his eyes. Keeping his eyes on the ground Keiran held out his hands and helped Sephy out of the fountain. Keiran felt bad leaving Sephy standing there wet and freezing to death. Slowly Keiran removed his cloak and laid it on the bench. Then very shy and careful Keiran grabbed the hem of his thick wool shirt and pulled it up over his head. Without his shirt the air was cold and Keiran could only imagine how Sephy must feel. Donning his cloak once again Keiran offered Sephy his shirt, "Here this will cover you more than my cloak would and it will keep you warm too." With his eyes on the ground Keiran asked, "You want that hot chocolate now? I could manage a small pastry or to as well, if you like?"

When Keiran handed her his shirt, Sephy smiled and then blushed a little as she caught sight of his body. The night air was so cold, and she was incredibly grateful that Keiran was such a gentleman; offering her his own clothes so that she would not be cold and also looking away while her body showed through the dress. "S-s-sorry" she stammered and smiled though she knew he could not see. Taking the shirt from Keiran's hand, she felt the warmth and was grateful. After pulling it over her head, she adjusted it so that her body could not be seen through the dress anymore and smiled a little. She was still shaking, but the heat of the warm shirt mixed with the heat that Keiran's body had left inside warmer her. "T-thank you Keiran. Your so kind. I'm t-truly sorry about this! I-I'm not usually a klutz" she giggled and then nodded when she heard what he said about Hot Chocolate and Pastries. "T-that sounds amazing!" she smiled. Then she looked down at herself and also at him and bit her lip again. This was something she did when she was deep in thought.

"Do you think you will be able to get to my room without being caught? You could wear my cloak. If anyone in the castle saw me, they would stay away from me and my parents are in bed sound asleep. I assure you, you would not be seen. It's just, well, I cant leave you half naked and I feel a tad silly myself. I have a lot of clothes and fresh towels. It's one of the only good things about being a Princess!" she giggled and then sneered at the last word. Keiran had been so nice to her, the least she could do was allow him to get warm.

Warmth filled Keiran at the sight of Sephy bundled up in his shirt. He was in the process of planning what pastry to make when Sephy invited Keiran to her room. A blush hit his cheeks even though he knew she was simply invitning him to get warm and nothing more. Still a person's bedroom was a special place and Keiran felt honored to be invited to Sephy's. "I might be able to manage," Keiran said. "We'll have to be careful but I think we can do it." Keiran smiled and once again was lost in the magic that was Sephy. So kind. Keiran would never be able to thank her enough for the amazing gift she had given him, "All right, well I guess we're off. First stop the palace kitchens!" Keiran wrapped his fingers through Sephy's, "Lead away my lady."

A shiver ran through Sephy's body as Keiran took hold of her hand. She looked up at him and smiled. "I guess we are!" she giggled and then threw her body into a mock curtsy. "This way, kind sir" she smiled and gently tugged on his hand. It was harder finding her way through the maze in the black midnight. A few times she took a wrong turn and had to lead them both back the other way. Though she knew this place like the back of her hand, she still found it more difficult in the dark. When Sephy was younger, the maze is where she would come if she needed a break from being 'Royal', and since the guards and maids did not know their way around it, she often got at least half an hour to herself.

It only took them ten minutes, but soon they were standing outside the kitchen door. "Wait here a second" Sephy whispered as she pushed her ear up against the door to try and find out if there was anyone in there. It seemed silent, so she opened it and walked inside. Perfectly empty! She smiled and poked her head around the door saying "Coasts clear!" with a cheeky wink. Sephy stood by the kitchen counter and waited for Keiran to gather the things he needed and make the hot chocolate.

Keiran smiled and followed Sephy obediently through the maze. There might have been a wrong turn or two but Keiran was happy to turn around and double back. When they reached the kitchen door Sephy made Keiran stand outside and wait for her approval. After a minute she smiled and poked her head around the door saying "Coasts clear!" with a cheeky wink. Sephy stood by the kitchen counter and waited for Keiran to gather the things he needed and make the hot chocolate.

Keiran shuffled around for a while untill he found a pan and a bucket of milk. After warming the milk Keiran added half a chocolate bar and began to make two small puff pastries while the chocolate melted. "Sephy," Keiran asked. "would you mind stirring the hot chocolate to make sure it mixes?" Keiran set a wooden spoon on the counter and began to stuff the pastry dough with raspberries. Once he was finished Keiran put the pastries on the fire and turned to watch Sephy, "They'll be done in a couple of minutes, then we can go." Keiran smiled and brought out a small wicker basket to put everything in. "We can put it all in here," Kerian said, showing off the basket to Sephy. "It's just big enough to fit two pastries and two cups. Now the real question, dearest Sephy, is where shall we dine. Would you like to eat in your room, or is there a special place you woud like to go?"

Sephy stood and watched as Keiran set everything up and then began to boil some milk. When he crumbled a half bar of chocolate into a pan, Sephy smiled. She loved chocolate. It was so wonderful watching someone cook, especially someone as good looking as Keiran.

When he asked her to stir the chocolate, Sephy just stood in shock. "M-me?" she stuttered stupidly. Of course he meant her! It was just so much of a shock. Nobody had ever asked her to do something in her whole life. She had never even held a spoon for anything other than eating with, and she had definitely never been allowed to stir things around in a pan near to an over where she could get burned. Her mother and father were very strict on rules, and being a princess of the sort, Sephy had always been forced to use maids and have people cook for her and clean for her and even choose her clothes for her. "Sure" she smiled and picked up the spoon. Now, you would expect it to be natural instinct to be able to stir some milk and chocolate around in a pan, but Sephy had trouble. She wanted to cook, she wanted to learn to and she had always wanted to make her own hot chocolate, since the cooks never put quite enough chocolate in... But she just couldn't manage it anywhere near as gracefully as she imaged Keiran could do it. Every now and then a small sizzle could be heard as she accidentally stirred too hard and a tiny drop flicked out and onto the hob. Once she thought it was done, she looked over to Keiran and smiled. "I think It's ready. I also think I burned myself too" she sighed a little as she gazed at the small red dot on her hand.

When Keiran asked where they should dine, Sephy thought for a moment. She definitely wanted to change out of this dress and give Keiran his warm shirt back, but she did have one place she longed to go. "Have you ever been into the town? I would love to go there, but I'm not allowed. I never have been and I doubt I ever will be" she sighed and then wiped her hand on her wet dress to cool it down a little while waiting for Keiran's reply.