24: Escape House

"So, you're here."

A short chuckle echoed the room when my knights all pulled out their swords prepared to defend.

"Welcome back." A young kid wearing a white shirt and short black pants appeared from the kitchen

We went in and Dame Maia closed the door, I sat on the couch and they stood on the side of the room.

"You can calm down. No one can actually see pass the barrier apart from those who have the pin." I said

"You can sit there." The little kid said pertaining to the couches and sat on the stairs

Silence enveloped the whole house after they sat on the couch. They would glance around then glance at me, they probably have questions for me.

"What is it? You can ask me anything." I said and they looked at me

"What… what is this place, your majesty?" Sir Charles asked

"This is our escape house." I answered

"How did you know this place, your majesty? Knight Stephen asked

"As a kid I used to wonder around and stumbled upon this place, then we just improved it and added the security details." I said and stood up

"Aren't you hungry? We should eat." I said

"We can prepare the food, your majesty." Dame Therese said

"I see, follow me then." I said

"Young prince, do you want anything?" I asked the young kid who's just watching us

The kid suddenly hugged me and I chuckled when I saw how my knights look surprised at his sudden movement. I assured them it's okay before I tapped the little kid's shoulder.

"There is also a limit on how long you could stay in character in front of me, huh?" I chuckled and he glared at me while pouting

"You forgot about me." He said and I couldn't help but chuckle

"Of course not, who told you that?" I replied and he hugged me tight

"Come on, I need to lead them where the kitchen is, Malika." I said and he looked at me with his narrow eyes

"It sounds like a girl's name." He complained

"Really now? Didn't they tell you that it means master of Queens?" I asked him and tapped his shoulder

"Let me lead them to the kitchen, we're all tired from running and we're hungry." I told him and he let me go

I led Dame Maia and Dame Therese to the kitchen and I saw how they would exchange glances then look at me.

"We're alright here, your majesty, you can stay in the living room." Dame Maia said

"Are you sure?" I asked

"Yes, your majesty." Dame Therese said so I went inside the living room again and I saw the little kid slouching on the couch.

He probably did not sleep when he found out that I'm on my way here or probably he was awoken by the noise in Astrae, I noticed that the system that plays whatever is being conversed in Astrae is placed on a very low volume. He's trying so hard to stay awake for us.

"You should sleep upstairs if you're still sleepy, Malika." I told him and he looked at me with his droopy eyes

"No, I'm okay." He said and sat up straight so I chuckled and sat beside him

"Then sleep on my lap." I said

"Is that okay?" he asked and I nodded

He carefully placed his head on my lap and I caressed his hair.

"Your golden streaks are becoming more prominent." I commented

"Duchess Cassandra said the same." He replied and closed his eyes

"Your streaks are covered with the hair color." He said with his eyes closed

"I need to do so in order to escape." I said

"You shouldn't have stayed there anyway." He mumbled

"I am born an Astrae, Malika, I belong to my kingdom." I told him

"Then where do I belong?" he asked softly

He fell asleep, as I have thought.

This kid never fails to amuse me…

"Your majesty," I looked at Sir Charles when he called me softly

"Yes?" I asked

"Would you mind if I ask who this little kid is?" he asked and I looked at Malika before looking back at them

"He's the youngest prince of Arcadia." I stopped myself from chuckling when I saw how their eyes widened

"A… Arcadia?" Knight Stephen asked in disbelief and I nodded

"Will you mind helping me bring him upstairs?" I asked

"Yes, your majesty." Sir Charles said and stood up

I watched as he carefully carried the sleeping prince, I led him to our room, there were two rooms upstairs but only one is being used and the other is not, but still we maintain it from time to time.

"You can tell them to rest in the other room, Sir Charles." I told him after closing the door

'Malika's awake when we arrived, I had put him to sleep, don't worry.' I told Zairo through inner voice

"I made him sleep there because he kept on escaping the White Palace." He replied and I glanced at the door

I wonder whom he takes it after. Escaping and all.

When we arrived downstairs, a savory smell of freshly cooked food entered my nostrils. I entered the kitchen and I saw Dame Maia preparing the table as Dame Therese cooks.

"It smells good." Knight Stephen commented

"Thanks." Dame Therese replied

"You can sit here, your majesty." Dame Maia said

"No, you should join me for breakfast." I said

"It's inappropriate for Knights – If we are in the Palace, Sir Charles, but we currently are not." I cut him off

"You can act casually around me, in this house, there's no difference in status." I said and looked at the clock

It's already four thirty am in the morning when we started eating our breakfast, Knight Stephen and Sir Charles volunteered to do the dishes, as much as I want to do the chores, these knights of mine seem to feel intimidated every time I try to move.

"You can take a rest upstairs, I'm sure you're both tired." I told Dame Maia and Dame Therese

"We're alright, your majesty." Dame Maia declined

"You should take a rest, your majesty, you must've been tired from escaping." Dame Therese said and I shook my head

"I'm used to running towards here, I've been doing that for years." I chuckled and stood up

I went to a part of the wall and pushed it side wards to reveal a compartment. I took out the board game that Zai and I usually played and placed it on the table.

"If you're not sleepy, you can play with me." I said and arranged the board

"As you wish, your majesty." Dame Therese replied and took the red knight to play

"How about you, Dame Maia, what character would you like to us?" I asked and she took the orange knight.

I took the blue knight and placed the remaining four colored knights on the box. I only have one in six chances in winning this game with Zairo.

"Enjoy and don't hold back." I told them and they nodded

I threw the dice first and landed on a three so I moved my character three spaces, Dame Therese threw the dice and it revealed he number five so she moved forward five spaces. Dame Maia got four on the dice so she moved forward four spaces.

"You can join as well, Sir Charles, Knight Stephen." I told them when they went out of the kitchen

"It's an easy game, you just need to move forward according to the number in the face of the dice." Dame Maia said and the two took their own characters

Knight Stephen threw the dice first and he got two so he moved his black knight forward two spaces, Sir Charles threw the dice and got six so he moved his green knight six spaces. We continued playing the board game until Sir Charles won, he seem to feel bad that I didn't win, well, I never really won in that game, as I said earlier there's merely a one in six chance that I win against Zai in that game.

"It's alright, I never won in that game anyway." I chuckled