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It was nearly midnight, and Cherri found herself slipping out of her and Apo’s new home under the silver light of the full moon. She hesitated as she left, glancing behind at her knight, curled up in the bedroll she had fished up from star’s knows where.
With a small sigh, she dug around in their chest, until she found what she was looking for: a sheet of yellowish white parchment, a pot of ink, and a long, thin, fountain pen.
Apo—
I am going to visit Katie, as we made plans to talk earlier today. I am sure I will be safe with such a knight as her, and I hope you will not fear too badly for my safety.
Much love
—Cherri
She folded the letter and left it gently on the crafting table, before slipping out through one of the many holes in the walls and into the starlit night.
— — — — — —
“Cherri!” Katie jumped up from where she had been sitting on the unfinished dark oak floor, riddled with holes and moss, and threw her arms around the other girl.
“Katie the Brave!” Cherri cried with equal excitement. “How are you!”
“I’m good, I’m good, how are you!”
“Good, good! What was it you wanted to talk about?”
Katie the Brave grinned and tugged her onto the floor with her. The two girls sat cross legged across from each other, knees touching.
“So, I was thinking…” Katie said slowly, a grin on her face.
“We should have a sleepover! And we could do all the stuff that girls normally do at sleepovers! Because, you see, when I was younger… uh, the other girls would always have sleepovers, and, well, I was never—I never got to go, because of my knight duties you see! So I was thinking, now that we’re friends, because we’re friends, right?!”
Cherri interjected with a vigorous nod.
“I was thinking that we could have a sleepover, and do all the sleepover things, like, truth or dare! And talking about boys! And spin the bottle! Although there’s only two of us, so I’m not really sure how that would work, and I'm not sure about the boys either…”
Cherri beamed, “Oh, Katie the Brave, that's an amazing idea! I’ve read about those kinds of sleepovers! I’ve never had a chance to actually, you know, go to one, but it’d be so fun!”
Katie grinned, cheeks flushed with pride. “Amazing! I have some cookies I’ve been saving.” She pushes herself up from the floor, and skips the short distance to her chest, pushing it open and pulling a small pack of chocolate chip cookies.
“I made them myself, you know.” She said with pride, sitting back down on the floor with Cherri.
Cherri takes one with a word of thanks and an impressed exclamation.
“Oh, they’re delicious, Katie!”
“Why thank you, Cherri!”
The two eat their cookies in comfortable silence for a moment.
“So, Cherri, what do we want to do first? Truth or Dare? Oh! Perhaps we could play Never Have I Ever? Or one of those drinking games they play at bars! Those aren’t really sleepover games, though, are they?”
“I don’t know how to play any drinking games, anyways,” Cherri laughed. “So I suppose those are off the table.”
“Me neither,”Katie giggled. “So I don’t know why I suggested it.”
“Ooh, what if we played Farkle! You have a set, right? I left mine at home.”
Katie sighed. “I was playing it all day with Nom, if I have to see another dice I might… I don't know what I'd do, actually, but the point still stands!”
Cherri laughed, “No I agree. It's very fun, though. What do you think of the other kingdom?”
Katie leapt to her feet, brandishing her sword. “Filthy blues!” She cried.
Cherri laughed from the floor. “I don't really understand the whole rivalry thing y'all have going. It seems a bit silly, no?”
Katie slumped to the ground. “It is. Honestly, it is.” She gazed forlornly at the opposite wall.
She sighed, before cheering up and turning back to Cherri. “So! Thoughts on our fellow citizens?”
Cherri perked up. “Gossip! I like gossip. That’s a sleepover thing, right?” (Katie nodded vigorously) “Well! I like them all, although I’m not sure if there is much to say about any of them. What are your thoughts?”
“Our king is… interesting. I like him though! And Ser Bek of House Yamon! Such a brave and noble knight!” Cherri huzzahed in agreement. “I do not believe the Frogue likes me all that much, and I quite like Kitty, whenever they’re not prowling the Blue Kingdom.”
Cherri laughed. “I agree, I agree! It is quite difficult to gossip when all of our fellow Red citizens are so wonderful…”
“Oh!” Katie sat upright with a gasp. “You know that mage, the Blue Kingdom mage, the swan one?”
Cherri nodded eagerly.
“I think, I think, now, I’m not one hundred percent sure on this, but I think that she and Ser Bek are somehow involved!”
Cherri imitated Katie, sitting upright with a gasp. “No way.”
Katie nodded gleefully. “I heard her talking about the mage, and, well, you know.”
Cherri sat back on their heels. “You know what, I can see it. I think it would be cute.”
“Hear, hear!” Katie grinned.
“And you, Katie the Brave?” Cherri said with a raised eyebrow. “Would you happen to have your eye on anyone?”
Katie flushed a deep red. “I don’t know who I could possibly have my eye on, Cherri!”
Cherri laughed, “Oh, I’m sure. What about Shandrea? Queen of the Blue Kingdom? She’s quite pretty.”
Katie’s cheeks remained a stubborn flaming red. She covered them with her hands, scowling. “Oh yeah? What about you and Apo, hm?”
Cherri sat up, indignantly, cheeks immediately flushing a soft pink. “Excuse me, I think you’ll find Apo and I have a perfectly respectful and acceptable relationship for a knight and their charge.”
Katie dropped her hands from her face and pointed an accusatory finger at Cherri. “I’m sorry, but I’m pretty sure you two have a single bed in that house of yours, and also! I’ve nearly walked in on the two of you doing… heaven knows what, far too many times to count!” She spluttered.
Cherri stood up, the flush on her cheeks deepened to match the blazing red on Katie’s face. “Why, Apo and I never—we never, we never did… whatever it is you’re implying Katie the Brave! Perhaps, one day we—we might.” She sniffed haughtily to hide the slight shake to her voice and the blush on her face.
Katie’s eyes lit up with mischief. “Wait, you’ve never… kissed?”
“I… no.” Cherri said, still peering down her nose at the other girl.
“Oh, Cherri, why not? They’re obviously at least a little bit in love with you!” Katie gasped. “Oh! I could help set you two up! Oh, this will be such fun…”
“Katie the Brave whatever it is you’re planning, stop it at once!” Cherri hissed.
“Of course… Of course…” Katie mused to herself.
“Great Star.” Cherri scoffed, throwing the front door open, before swinging around to face Katie one last time. “You and I will be talking about this again Katie!” They called.
“Love you, too, Cherri!”
— — — — — —
“Princess?” Apo mumbled sleepily, as Cherri slammed the door behind her. “Is everything okay?” She said groggily, fumbling for her spear.
“Everythings fine, we’re okay.” Cherri muttered stormily. “Just… needed to… talk to Katie for a moment. Hey, move up a bit?” They said, nudging Apo aside in the queen bed they slept in together.
The other let out a quiet “hmph” noise, and tossed a careless arm over Cherri’s waist, pulling them close.
Cherri presses a blazing cheek into the white pillow beneath her head and pretends to not feel what she knows she can’t repress.