Cataleya sat on her bed as Artemis stood in front of her nervously.
Cataleya placed Habit on top of the bed after looking around making sure her mother was not anywhere around. She laughed. "Mom said I can't have Habit on the bed" She announced. Artemis just stood there awkwardly. "You could sit down if you wanted" Cataleya patted the spot next to her.
Artemis shook her head. "No, that's okay your highness, thanks though" She responded shyly.
"You don't have to call me your highness, you could just call me Cataleya. That is my name after all" Cataleya laughed.
Artemis shook her head. "I dare not. There will be consequences for not properly addressing royalty" Artemis stated, almost as if she was reciting a phrase she rememorized. Then she looked at Cataleya. "I really need this job, I can't mess this up, the queen has been most gracious to hire me with little experience" Artemis added.
"How old are you?" Cataleya asked once the other girl stopped talking.
"I'm 17 your highness….Last week was my birthday" She responded proudly.
Cataleya smiled. "Really, I can't wait until I am your age, then people will stop treating me like a child. No one would be able to decide my life for me" Cataleya stated thinking back to her time in Storybrooke, and how her father tried to take her from her mother. She shuddered at the memory.
"Well, when you're older you have more responsibility. When I was younger my dad provided for our family, but when he was killed, it became my responsibility to take care of my sick mother and younger siblings. I miss the days when I had nothing to worry about, now, I have to worry about my mother dying, my siblings going hungry…" Artemis replied sadly.
Cataleya let that information sink in. Things were different here than they were back in the other world. Where she was from child services would have taken Artemis and her siblings away from her mother, and they would have been in foster care. Cataleya shook the thought out of her head as Artemis continued. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't bother you with my problems" she added sadly.
Cataleya promised herself that moment that she would do everything she could to make Artemis' job as easy as possible. No one should feel that much pressure. "It's okay, you can talk to me about anything" Cataleya reassured her.
To be continued….
11 chapters in one day, guys please tell me what you thought. FYI Regina is waking up soon, before Cataleya's ball. I wouldn't want her to miss that moment. Thanks for reading :)
