#&aran

One of my maids is in my bedroom cleaning the windows. I mention the heel thing to her. At first she looks at me skeptically but then she grabs 2 pairs of heels and shows them to me.

Apparently there are 2 ways of learning this:

1) learn how to walk in shoes with low heels and then gradually build it up to killer heels.

2) immediately go for the highest of the heels, afterwards you’ll be able to walk every possible heel.

I decide not the break my ankles right away so the lower heels will do fine. I hope.

I take the heels in my hand and leave my room again. I don’t want anyone seeing me fail terribly. I just hope I won’t fall but let’s be honest the chance is present.

The library is not an option anymore. Not after Danielle caught me doing my elegant-walking-lesson there. Nope not again. Plus I won’t be able to hold onto something. Well yeah the shelves, but I don’t want to damage any books.

What about the gardens? Nope nope nope. That’s too much out in the open. Everyone and I mean everyone will be able to see me.

The hallway then? Well no. The risk of running into someone is too high.

What about the gym? Yes, the gym is perfect. All selected are in the Women’s room anyway and everyone has just eaten lunch so it’s not the right time to do some sports.

I knock on the door and listen if someone is coming. Then I open the door to find all the lights turned off.

Perfect!. I couldn’t be any happier right now.

I quickly switch the lights on as my eye falls on the ballet bar attached to the left wall of the gym.

The door falls to a close behind me and I make my way over to the bar. I run my hand over it to determine whether it has any sharp edges or something. It also seems like its attachment to the wall is pretty solid.

I drop the heels on the floor and switch into them. This is a very unnatural angle for my feet and ankles.

How do people walk with these things on their feet? And I’m wearing the lowest of the lowest heels so I shouldn’t be the one complaining. But people are wearing like 20 inch heels and still walk in the most elegant and sexy way possible. Women do not get enough credit for this.

The ballet bar is on my right. I grab it with my right hand and try to take a step. My left ankle is not having it and it wobbles to every possible side.

Let’s try again.

This time my right foot is the problem. A cramp appears in one of toes. I try to wiggle it out and after some seconds the cramp is gone again.

This is going to be a long day.

I keep trying, but I just can’t get my lower limbs under control.

I sigh and push a lock of hair out of my face. Perhaps it will go better if hold onto the bar with both my hands?

“Do you need help?”

The sound of a voice that’s not mine makes me jump. “Oh my goodness.” I didn’t hear anyone enter the gym. Not again. Not after the library scene with Danielle.

I turn my head a little so I can see to whom the voice belongs. A dude is standing there, he’s smiling but the confusion is also visible on his face.  His hair is wet and the strap of a gym bag runs over his shoulder. He must have been here just before I got here.

“Uhmm well if you could teach me how to walk in heels, that would be amazing.”

“Uh...I don't think that's something I'd be great at.” He walks over. All of a sudden I feel oddly aware of my own posture and what I must look like. “Maybe you should take them off...”

“But I have to learn.” I walk a bit to show what I have been doing, but my feet don’t really want to let go of the ground. The result is some weird shuffle walk. “My maids say it's like learning how to ride a bike. You'll fall a billion times, but eventually you'll be able to do it.”

My gaze switches from my feet to the visitor. He’s like frowning and smiling at the same time. “You must have weak ankles then.”

“I do not have weak ankles,” I try to sound as sure as possible but when I take another step, my ankles mess it up again and I’m wobbling. Thankfully I haven’t let go of the ballet bar or I would have been on the floor by now.  “Okay maybe I do but this is so much harder than it looks.”

“How many inches?”

“These heels?” I look down at them. “2.2 but it feels like 10.” Or like 100 inches, is what I don’t say.

He chuckles a bit, “it’s a good height to start with from what I’ve heard. But if you keep clinging to the pole and shuffling your feet instead of walking, you might find it hard to move, Lady—.” He pauses for just a second. “Um, sorry, I haven’t asked your name or introduced myself.” At that he bows his head a little and smiles. “Prince Aran.”

“Aha so you're the expert here.” I smile back at him. Wait. Prince? I try to do a curtsy, which is much harder when you need to hold onto a ballet bar for balance. “Nice to meet you, prince Aran. I'm Darcy.”

“Darcy... interesting name.” What’s that supposed to mean? “And I might not be expert enough to use heels, but I had a friend once that had to learn when she was nineteen.” He smirks, “I watched her learn.”

“And judging by the look on your face, I'd say you really enjoyed it.” I try to take some more steps. Or something that is supposed to be a step.

“What can I say? I was a good friend. Still am, by the way.” Amusement is present in his voice. I feel his gaze on me as I take another step.

“That's good to know. But if you've seen your friend learn this then you should be able to explain to me what to do.” Wow Darcy, very subtle.

“Hmm... well, she didn't do that shuffling thing you're doing.” He gestures at my feet. Truth is: every time I lift them, my ankles seem to get their own life and they wobble around. At least when I’m shuffling, they don’t do that.

“What else am I supposed to do with them then?”

Aran smiles a little again, “take actual steps maybe?”

I try to follow his advice, but this time I put my feet down a little harder. The slow approach I tried earlier didn’t work, so perhaps stamping is the way. “Like this?”

“Not what I had in mind.” He takes off his bag and places it somewhere on the floor. Then he walks over to stand in front of me and he offers me his hands. “Just normal walking.”

I look at his hands. Am I supposed to let go of the ballet bar now? I hesitate a bi but then decide to take them. “But what part hits the floor first? The toe part or the heel part?”

“Um, I’d be surprised if you could walk on your tiptoes while in high heels. It’s always heel and toe.” He says as he pulls me slightly forward.  

“So it's like flat foot then?” I try to do put my toes and heels down at the same time, but this results in the stamping again.

He snorts a bit. “Flat foot?”

“You said heel and toe right? So you put the entirety of your foot down all at once, like a flat foot.” I feel my ankles give in a little, they become a bit unstable. Do. Not. Fall.

“Um...no.” I feel his grip on my wrists become a little tighter. “Just like normal walking. Or that's what she said.”

There’s a short silence, as I try to take up everything he says.

“She mostly said winging it helps. She acted like she'd worn them all her life. No hesitation. That seemed to help.”

“Oh okay let me try.” I try to put my feet on the floor, but this time gentler and softer. “Am I taking up too much of your time?”

Aran cocks his head to the side. There must be clock in that direction. “I’m good for a while longer.” His facial expression changes into something awkward. “Unless my help is no longer needed.”

Good job Darcy, you’ve done it again. Chase away the people who are trying to help you.

My eyes widen a bit, “no no that's not what I meant. It's just that I understand if you have more important things to do, instead of teaching an untalented girl how to walk in heels.” For some reason it all sounds wrong.

“I wasn’t aware not being able to wear heels was the same thing as being untalented.” Another silence again. “I’m definitely untalented then.”

You better fix this now. “I meant that I don't have the talent for walking in heels. So it will probably take a long time before I'm able to walk around like a normal person. But I will keep trying though.” I try to clear my head so I can form proper sentences. “I'm definitely not saying I don't have any talents, like everyone is good at something. It's just walking in heels is not one of the things I'm good at.”

“Hmm, I’m sure it’s like a sport. Practice makes perfect—not talent alone. What would you say is your talent though?” he asks and I can breathe again.

“That's probably true,” I say as I nod my head. But now the question remains, what is my talent? “I'd say I'm pretty good with tools, like hammers and screwdrivers and stuff like that.” I look at my feet, the memory of work brings back memories of my friends. My stupid boys. If only they could see me now.

I see the corner of his lip slightly go up. “Hammers and screwdrivers and stuff?” I am such a vague person.

I nod my head, “yeah, and many other tools.” Like electric sanders and hand drills, is what I don’t say. I don’t want to bore him with this. “They came in handy for my occupation back home. I thought it was pretty cool actually.”

I love how my talent is so unique. At least for girls. They usually say horseback riding or reading, drawing or playing a music instrument.

You’ll probably never meet any girl who’ll say she enjoys working with tools.

“Well, that makes more sense. What did you do back home? When you say tools I think of a mechanic,” Aran says as he squints, “I have a feeling hammers don't really go with fixing cars though.”

I laugh a little, “no those things don't go together.” I’ve never really had anyone to talk to about this, since my friends back home had the same occupation. It feels a little weird to talk about my past life, especially since my life took a full 180. I wonder if I can ever go back to my past life. The answer is probably no. “I used to work for a steel construction company so what we did is we created the underlying steel construction of houses, bridges etcetera.”

“Underlying steel construction of houses...sounds slightly complicated but I could be wrong. General architecture isn’t my strongest suit unless it has to do with acoustics.” He smiles a bit and I feel his hands pulling my hands forward. “Though I guess what you do is more construction than design if you stick with hammers and screwdrivers.”

“It is kinda difficult. But once you get the hang of it and understand how to follow the blueprints, it gets easier and you can almost do it without thinking. Making the blueprints is much harder though, because you have to keep in mind all the laws of physics. But that also makes it more fun.” Oh, my love for physics is bubbling up again.

Since I’ve arrived at the palace I have not thought about physics at all. The only exception is the art date with Ben, when he mentioned he did not like it. However it’s odd that it hasn’t crossed my mind any other times, especially since it’s one of my favourite things in the world.

It would be same as if David Beckham would not think about soccer, or if Paul Gauguin never thought about painting.

“You can also make blueprints?” this question makes me snap out of my thoughts.

“Yes I can actually. When the company got like minor, unimportant projects, they let me make the first draft of the blueprint. Of course they'd look over it and make adjustments. But first draft was made by me and that's something right?” I smile.

Making blueprints is a big deal because it is the foundation of an entire building. I also felt special whenever I got the chance to make one, even if it was just the first draft.

He smiles a little at me. “I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to do a first draft, so it’s definitely something. But did someone teach you? Or is it something you learn from watching?” A thoughtful expression is on his face, “I remember physics class from school. How it could be applied to civil engineering or architecture...but people who knew how to actually draw anything were all getting a degree in something related.”

“Hmm good question. Someone can teach you the basics and all the things you have to keep in mind, including gravity, the materials the client wants to use, and weather impact. But no projects are the same so it's not like they can't teach you a riddle of what to do. Everything is different so you just kind of need to find your flow with it.” I didn’t know I missed talking about this so much. But it does feel good to let it all come out.

“And would you say you found your flow with it?”

“I think so yeah. I could show you how to do it some time. If you want to of course.” This smile on my face doesn’t want to go away.

“Hmm, maybe... I think I wouldn’t do as good though. You seem better at catching your flow with things.”

That sure is an original way to put it. I chuckle softly, “thanks I guess. But making the blueprints is not that hard when it's not for a real project. Then it's just drawing lines. You'll be fine.”

“Hopefully as fine as you are with heels.” A smirk appears on his face. Then his eyes shift to my feet.

At first I think it’s some sarcastic comment, given how much of a failure my first attempts were. But then I look around and notice we’re in a different spot as where we started. I didn’t even realize we had been walking.

“Oh my goodness.” My hand automatically goes up to cover my mouth, shock and surprise fill my head. “How did I do that?” I mumble through my hand as I turn back to the prince standing in front of me.

He tilts his head and a lopsided smile appears as he says, “like I said, you seem better at catching the flow with things.”

I can’t wrap my head around this. How the actual fuck did I manage to walk in heels and not realize it?

“ I can't believe this. It's all thanks to you, you've helped me so much!”

A soft chuckle escapes his mouth. “Just a little distraction to get you on track. Not really that special, but I'm happy to take credit for it.” This is followed by a smug smiles as he jokes, “makes me feel better about myself.”

I can’t seem to understand what just happened. I’ve walked. In heels. And didn’t fall. Or break an ankle. This is a miracle.

“Just the distraction I needed apparently. And you explained how to put my feet on the ground.” I try to take a few steps without help this time. It doesn’t feel too bad. I turn my head back to Aran, but that makes my ankles wobble and I nearly fall. Thankfully I manage to find my balance back almost right away. “How was that?”

He chuckles at my weird movements before he grabs a hold of my left arm. “Not too bad, just don’t fall on your face.”

Evan would never believe this. I don’t know if he would laugh at me or be lost for words when he’d see me wear heels. But one thing I do know: he’d be proud of me.

“Does it hurt a lot? I mean, I always feel like it should. Those angles are unnatural for feet.”

“Thanks I'll try not to fall,” I state as a response to the first thing he said. Then I look down at my feet, is it weird that I forgot they could feel things too? They’re a bit numb but that could also be from all the standing. “My feet are a bit sensitive because of that angle, but it's not too bad actually.”

“My sister walks in them like she’s in a meadow of daisies.” Aran lets go of my arm as he grabs the towel that was hanging over his shoulders. He uses it to dry his hair again as he says, “I can’t tell if it’s cool or scary. Probably both.”

I chuckle softly, “that's really impressive though. So she's an expert?” I can’t imagine myself ever being able to do that. I hereby declare her as the goddess of heels.

He nods as a response, “one of her favorite things. She appreciates other shoes as well though.”

“Oh that's so cool! She must have several pairs of shoes then?”

Back home I only had one pair of shoes. Some sneakers I’ve had since I was 16 years old. They were dirty and worn-out, but they were comfy and that’s the most important thing. Now that I’m here, I do have access to more pairs of shoes. But for some reason I always picked the black flats. I guess I can try some heels from now on.

“Anything for the future empress.” He snorts which makes me chuckle a little. The towel is hanging over his shoulders again. “It’s not that bad, but she has more shoes than I do and I have plenty to spare if I’m being honest.”

Now that I’ve been made aware of a possible pain in my feet, I actually feel a sharp pain being present near my toe area. There’s also a dull pain situated right under the ball of my feet.

“But at least you'll have the perfect pair for every situation.” I bent down to release my feet from these horrible monsters. “Or if one of them breaks or something you always have a replacement.” My feet thank me which makes me smile.

I grab the heels in my hand and straighten my back again. Aran’s leaning on a wall and he’s laughing. “I don't have actual heels though. That's only her. I haven't mastered that skill yet.”

“A real shame.” He says after 2.5 seconds of silence.

“Oh such a pity.” I find myself laughing again. My stuff is still where I left it, I make my way over to it and put the black beauties on again. Oh the comfort of shoes without heels. “If you ever decide you want to learn how to walk in heels, I'm like the best teacher.”

He scoffs jokingly. “Please do share some of your wisdom. For a beginner like me, of course.”

I think for a second. “Well for starters, get your feet in some heels. And now comes my secret tip, you can't tell anyone this, find someone to pull you along.” I chuckle, “that's all you need to know.”

He raises both eyebrows at me, but then starts laughing. “Truly you had a great teacher.”

I join his laughter, “I know right, you’ll never find a better one.” I pick up the heels and the other stuff I brought. “I’m ready to go. Are you gonna stay here or?”

Aran blinks at my question, but then rushes to get his bag. “No, I've had enough practice for today.” He places the bag over his shoulder but then keeps standing there as he says, “A pleasure meeting you, Lady Darcy...” Another short pause and then, “Um, I guess we're walking out through the same door and this is a premature goodbye...” he laughs a little and gestures me to walk first. “After you.”

“It was nice meeting you too.” I walk over to the door and open it but before I walk through I turn half around and say, “and thank you so much for everything.”

He smiles at me, “glad to be useful.”

I walk through the door with Aran right behind me. “Will I see you around?”

“Hopefully, if I'm not trapped for the rest of my life in the meeting I have today, you will.”

“Ohh good luck with that meeting. Hope you survive.” I look around the hallway. Where did I come from? My feeling says from the right. But it could also have been from the left. And then there’s also a hallway in front of me. Perhaps I should make a map of this place.

“If you’re looking for your room, it’s probably someplace down there,” Aran says with a smile on his face as he point to the hall in front of me.

Wow my feeling for directions is really off today.

“Ah okay thank you.” I smile back at him and wave a little as a sign of goodbye.