Another chapter is out! Yay! :D

I'd like to give credit to my sister and her friends for inspiring me to add them into this story as the maids of Prince Artorius. Seeing how they always resolve their problems and stick together even after long held grudges and difficult changes is amazing to watch as their friendship flourishes.

After you read this chapter, would you readers like to hear these maids get more involved into this story instead of being a one time thing? Let me know in the Reviews or through MP.

Thank my sister for creating the last names of the maids that suit her friends most! :) She's currently into the Warrior's Series so that's why the names sound a bit like the ones of the cats in that series.

Anyways, enough about other books. It's time for you to read this one! ;D

Edward's P.O.V.

The banging on the door woke Richard, John, Artorius, and me up.

"Prince Artorius! Room service!" announced a maid from outside.

"We've let you sleep all morning!" cried another maid. "Unlock your doors this instant!"

We threw all the covers on the ground back on the bed. I removed the pillows and covers Lancelot and Emeric clinged onto.

"Brr," chattered Lancelot. "Is it always this cold in the morning?"

"Hey! My blanket!" yelped Emeric.

"Just leave it behind, and bring your suitcase or whatever you call it with you!" I snapped. "We've got to hide!"

"Go to the back of my closet!" pointed Artorius. "It's really deep. Keep quiet until I find you."

We followed his instructions and crammed ourselves into the back corner of the closet. Suddenly, the wall flipped!

What's going on?! Did Artorius know about this? He should have warned us! Where does this lead to?

Artorius' P.O.V.

I closed the closet doors then allowed the five maids waiting outside to enter.

"Your Highness! What happened here?!" exclaimed one of the maids. "Did someone try to assassinate you?!"

One of them analyzed the state of chaotic my bed while another hung all the hangers that my friends tugged down last night from trying some of my clothes. I just hoped she wouldn't notice them in there. Thankfully, she didn't seem to have noticed anything unusual aside from disorder.

"No no," I assured them, about to make up a story. "I was just kind of upset after the punishment the King gave me..."

They easily bought the story. It was believable since I did have a quick temper, and have done such a thing before.

"What was the punishment?" tried to pry a third maid.

"I'm sure it was just awful!" pitied the fourth. "This is the worst mess I've ever seen you make!"

I bit my lip. "It was pretty bad… He actually considered sending me to Grizzleheim like he did with my brother! I don't really want to talk about the details though..."

The maids stopped questioning me at that. I knew they were the creators of royal gossip since they were constantly around royalty. But I was ashamed to admit that I didn't know the names of these gossipers.

"I'm sorry. But I've never gotten to know your names. What are your names so I can thank you for your services?"

They all stopped cleaning and stared at me in shock. I was pretty sure they had heard of the rumor of me giving extra wages to a maid, but it probably didn't come to them that they would be the next hit by my good deeds.

"We're not worthy of telling your our names your Grace," excused the final maid.

I cross my arms and pouted. "Hey! I'm only ten!"

They all gathered in a circle discussing what I had just said. I was well aware that it was the exact same combat I used for the maid who washed Em's clothes for me. Sure it would make them suspicious that I was up to something, but I wasn't up to anything bad. I just wanted to take a shot at being good for once. They finally lined themselves in front of me to introduce themselves.

"Very well your Majesty. I'm Miranda WinterSky," introduced the maid who cleaned my closet.

"Louise RambleRiver, your Grace," curtsied one who tried to pry me open earlier.

"Elizabeth TigerRose," introduced the maid who made my bed.

"Isabella SwiftBreeze, or Bella for short," greeted the girl who pitied me moments ago.

"I'm Isabelle DawnWing," finally revealed the last maid.

"Or Izzy for short," added Bella.

"Bella! Not in front of the Prince!" hushed Isabelle.

Elizabeth chuckled until Isabelle shot a glare at her. I took a good look at my maids and printed their faces in my brain. They were rather young compared to the others I've seen around. If I didn't know any better, they were probably only twelve year olds! I knew that girls started housekeeping at an early age, but I've spotted these girls in the hallways for as long as I can remember. They waited anxiously for me to react.

"Well then Miranda, Elizabeth, Louise, Bella, and Izzy, thank you for your services. You may be dismissed."

They all blushed and nodded as they exited the room and closed the door behind them. I could hear them all squealing in delight right down the hall from inside my room. I was sure this little act of kindness would go far.

Unexpectedly, Izzy came back in. "Your Majesty, we don't remember laying this blanket on the bed..."

She showed me a ragged blanket. It was Em's! I knew he didn't want it cleaned or repaired, but it seemed like the right thing to do, at least at the time.

"Oh… That. Would you mind doing me the honours of washing and patching it up Izzy?"

She blushed when I addressed her through her nickname. "I'd be happy to oblige your Honor."

"Just call me Artorius," I interposed amicably before dismissing her.

She nodded, noticing something queer was going on before she ran outside to her friends to tell them of her latest encounter with me. I sighed in relief once I could no longer hear them chatting excitedly down the hall. I went straight into my closet to see how the boys were doing, but then I realized they were gone!

Richard's P.O.V.

"AHHHH!"

We were all sliding down some type of wooden slide in pitch black darkness! I couldn't even see my hands in front of me! I checked to see if my glasses were still on.

Yep. Still there.

I sighed in relief, temporarily calm. But I came back to the panic mode knowing that we were sliding into… I don't know where exactly. We all fell into a heap with me on the bottom in the end. The ground was stone cold.

It doesn't feel as cold as stone though… I fingered my way like when I'd lose my glasses.

I ended up getting a splinter on my pointer finger. More like wooden planks!

I felt with my hands further and used them as my eyes. I detected the bumps of pegs keeping the wooden planks from turning over.

"Guys! Get off me! I need to feel our way out of here!" I wheezed.

Once they did, I heard another voice yell, "HELP!"

Artorius just had to fall on me.

"Ow..." I bellyached. "Anyone else want to fall on me? Do I look like some kind of pillow to land on?!"

"Well, if I could see you, you typically would," commented John before immediately taking it back. "Not in a bad way."

"I think he means you look cute since you're chubby like a baby," Lancelot teased.

I tried slapping Lancelot in the face, but ended up slapping Ed instead. "Ow! Watch it!"

"Where are we?" wondered Artorius.

"You don't know?!"

"Okay. We need light," Em reasoned, trying to stay calm. "Anyone know where the exit is?"

"Hello? I don't think anyone even knew that this place existed!" pointed out John.

"I'll try and feel for a way out," I repeated. "Everyone, hold hands. I'll lead."

"Aw. Why can't I lead?" whined Lancelot.

"Because you didn't think of any ideas," I rationalized pensively.

"He's got a good point there," Ed pointed out.

We made a chain as I felt the walls at a slow pace, trying not to miss a spot. I reached a corner and still haven't found any way out.

"Is there any faster way out here?" worried Artorius. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life here and leave the kingdom without a future ruler!"

I bit my lip. "I'm trying my best. I know in stories, old castles like this one have secret rooms. Where there are secret rooms, there are secret passageways in and out."

"That's in stories," derided Ed. "This is a real life situation here!"

"Ouch! I think I just banged into a corner," Lancelot complained.

"At least we now know this area isn't endless," justified Em optimistically.

"Maybe this is a story," imagined Lancelot, trying to look at the bigger picture.

"Or, it so happens that what adventure writers write are based on true events and locations," John pointed out.

"Or both," tied in Emeric. "Even though we are living the present reality, it is also considered a story of each and everyone of us' personal lives if you look through an omniscient point of view."

"Why didn't I think of that?!" I banged my head against the stone wall.

I was supposed to be the smart guy in the group! Who would I be if I wasn't? After banging my head on a brick, the wall in front of me split open!

"This must be the staircase from my room to my parents!" identified Artorius. "It's one of the few places in the castle I've actually taken regularly."

"You see your parents often Art?" Lancelot questioned. "Wish I could say the same..."

Lancelot's P.O.V.

My parents deported me here to learn to become a disciplinary knight.

As if that would ever happen…

It was kind of disappointing since I left them at the age of six. I barely get letters from my parents anymore. I mean, they would remember their only son... Right? They treat me like I don't even exist…

"Lancelot? Did you hear me?" John was waving his hand in front of my face.

"Huh? What?"

John sighed. "The rest went to get some torches or candles to light their way. We're going back in there. Isn't this exciting? We're in for adventure inside a part of the castle no one ever knew about!"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah."

"You alright Lancelot? You don't seem like your usual daring self at the moment..."

"I'm fine. Let's go get some torches." I went ahead while John stared at me, suspicious.

It's none of his business, I excused to myself. We all have our problems, and we just have get over them. Now that we're with a new group, things will be different…