I turned my head and saw Laura, racing towards me with a basket in her arm.
“Here you are,” she said as she handed it over, covered with a plaid basket.
“What’s inside of it?” I asked as I received it.
“You didn’t get the chance to finish the pie so Grandpa Ben told me to put it in a basket and give it to you,” she smiled. “It’s still fresh and as I can see, only a small bite was made. It will be a waste if we throw it in the trash,” she continued, putting her hands on her waist.
“Oh, thank you, Laura, but there’s no need for this,” I replied as I tried to hand the basket back. “I told Grandpa Ben I will try it on my next visit.”
“Don’t fight us back, son,” another voice came from the bakery. Grandpa Ben walked towards us and stood behind Laura. He continued, “Take the pie with you. Share it with your family. Who knows? They may like it, too.”
“But, Grandpa Ben–” he then put his hand out, blocking my protest.
“It’s all right, son. I don’t want to hear any excuses. You will bring it home,” he smirked, resting his hands on top of his walking cane.
How could I even argue with them? There were two of them. I was outnumbered. I should accept defeat this time. “So,” I turned to Laura, “When is the next time we will see each other?”
Smiling, she replied, “I guess we’ll have to wait for your next visit, Robert.”
“I certainly hope I’ll be able to see you again,” I returned her smile. One way or another, I would need to find a way to keep seeing her without the knowledge of my family. For once, I might have found someone with whom I could possibly open myself to.
“We will, Robert,” she smirked as she crossed her arms.
I was about to answer but Lady whinnied once more, even threatening to stand. “Well, I must be on my way. I will see you again, Laura,” I replied. Turning to Grandpa Ben, I continued, “Thank you for your hospitality.”
“Come back anytime, son,” he smiled. “You are more than welcome here in our bakery.”
I nodded in response and went on my way.
~*~*~*~
I quickly dismounted Lady as soon as we arrived at the stables. As I fed Lady her food, as well as gave her some water, someone hugged me from behind. By the looks of the soft, blushing hands, I could tell it was Mallory. She was sobbing. Her tears were enough to soak the back of my shirt.
“Why can’t you love me, Robert?” she said through my shirt.
I carefully removed her hands from me. “Mallory, I don’t have time for this,” I said, turning around to face her.
She hugged me once more, her tears now soaking the front of my shirt. “Tell me, Robert, why can’t you love me?”
I removed her hands from me again, this time with a bit of force. “I told you already, Mallory: I only see you as my sister,” I explained as calmly as possible. I sensed myself, slowly losing patience as the blood rushed to my cheeks. I felt suffocated in this situation.
“But, that’s not how I feel for you,” she protested.
I groaned as I swiped my hand across my face, utterly frustrated. “Mallory, even if I did try to love you in a romantic manner, it will never work. Out of all the people in this castle, you’re one of the few who know that I’m arranged to someone else,” I spouted.
“I don’t care!” she suddenly shouted as she shook her head. “Give me a chance to be with you, even just for a little while. After that, you can forget that there was ever something between the two of us,” a river of tears ran down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry, Mallory, but I can’t do that. I will be lying to myself, and I will be lying to you,” I answered. “As a sister, the last thing that I want to ever do to you is to hurt you. Pretending that there’s something between us is outrageous. You deserve a man who will love you wholly.”
“Can’t that man be you?” she asked, teary-eyed.
“No, Mallory.”
And with that, I headed to the kitchen. I wanted to turn back and ensure that she would be fine. But at this point, she didn’t want to be comforted. She would only insist on her request, and that would only prolong this conversation.
A conversation that could easily turn into an argument.
~*~*~*~
The very moment I stepped foot in the kitchen, the first person I looked for was Nana Olsa. I had to keep the apple pie safe, and she was the only one I trusted with private matters such as this. But, no matter how hard I looked around, she was nowhere to be found. And it didn’t help that the staff was also in a hurry to prepare lunch.
“Nana Olsa?” I called out as I walked around. “Nana Olsa?!”
A sudden tap fell on my shoulder. I turned around and it was Madam Purrey, the sous chef.
“Young prince, is there anything that I can help you with?” she asked with a concerned look on her face.
“Oh, Madam Purrey, it's a good thing that I found you,” I sighed out of relief.
“Is there something wrong, little one?” she asked.
“Have you seen Nana Olsa?”
“She’s not in here, Your Highness,” she replied, folding her hands in front of her. “She’s currently in the dining hall, assisting the servants in table preparations.”
“Thank you, Madam Purrey. I shall be on my way now. Please, let her know that I was looking for her,” I replied.
“I will, Your Highness,” she bowed as she stepped aside.
After a quick nod, I ran out of the kitchen and headed to the dining hall. I could only hope that my family hadn't arrived in the dining hall yet.
~*~*~*~
As I ran for my life in the hallway, Gonzalo suddenly appeared from the corner, causing me to bump into him in an attempt to stop.
“Your Highness!” Gonzalo exclaimed as he caught me before I could fall to the ground.
“Gonzalo,” I tried my best to catch my breath as he helped me to stand back up. It was a good thing that he quickly caught me. Or else, we would have been both on the floor. Out of breath, I put my hands on my knees as I panted.
“You’re expected in the dining hall, Your Highness,” he informed me as he put a hand on my shoulder.
I removed his hand as I stood upright. “I’m very aware of that, Gonzalo,” I replied. I then took a deep breath in, and let it all out as I finally caught my breath.
“Well, young prince, if you’re composed enough already, I suggest that you change your clothes into something a bit more formal, and join your family,” he said.
“There’s no need for me to change,” I shook my head. I then walked closer to him. “How dare you send the Royal Guards after me,” I continued, lowering my voice.
His eyes widened. “Um, Your Highness, I have no clue what you’re talking about,” he stuttered through his lame excuse. His eyes were quick to land their gaze onto the floor.
“Don’t lie to me, Gonzalo. The guards said you sent them after me,” I replied as I controlled my anger for as long as I could. He disobeyed my command and now, he had the guts to lie in front of my face?
Gonzalo continued to stare at the floor. He answered after he cleared his throat, “Your Highness, I only did what was right.”
“What was right?! I specifically told you that I don’t want anyone to come with me, especially the Royal Guards! What if they told the king about what happened?!” I shouted in a whispering voice. “Do you think what you did was right?! Instead of protecting me from the mortals, you made it more obvious that I was an Immortal! Do you realise what you have done?!”
He quickly went down on his knees and replied, “Please, appease your anger, Your Highness. I ordered the guards to never tell His Majesty about your stroll.”
“And how certain are you that they won’t tell him? What is your guarantee that they will keep everything to themselves?” I leaned forward as I moved closer to him, towering over his crouched figure.
I heard Gonzalo gulped as he replied, “I made them swear, Your Highness. But I will have a word with them later today.”
“The next time I tell you what to do, I expect you to follow orders. Do I make myself clear?”
Gonzalo lifted his head to meet my gaze. “But, Your Highness, you were breaking the rules. I can’t just allow you to dismiss the rules as you are the heir to the throne of Western Wind,” he replied.
“Does it look like I care about the rules, Gonzalo?” I crouched down to his level and moved my face closer to him. “If I gave a damn about the rules of this kingdom, do you think I would even consider going to the Moral Realm myself for a simple stroll?” I continued.
Gonzalo quickly shook his head in response.
I stood up as I sighed. “I will let this instance pass. But, if you ever disobey me in the future, I’ll make sure you will regret doing so.”
Gonzalo got back on his feet without hesitation and nodded. “Yes, Your Highness.”
“And because you made a bigger mess, I want you to modify the memories of those who witnessed the fiasco a while ago,” I continued. “I can’t have anyone praying and wishing for someone to send another immortal.”
Gonzalo nodded again.
I handed the basket over to him as well. “Bring this to my room. Place it under my bed, where no one can find it,” I instructed.
“As you wish, Your Highness,” he bowed, accepting the basket. He then headed to my room, and I went the other direction, towards the dining hall. Fixing the sleeves of my shirt whilst I made sure my hair wasn’t a mess, I silently prayed that there would be no more surprises in store at lunch.
I could hear a calm conversation as I approached the dining hall. As I got closer, one of the guards quickly asked, “Shall we announce you, Your Highness?” “There’s no need for that,” I replied as I opened the door without warning. My family was quick to look in my direction. My sudden entrance immediately put them all to silence. Their eyes widened out of surprise, their movements paused. If this was the kind of response that I got every time I entered a room, bursting through doors would be a delight. Like any other feast, Mother was the first to approach me. “Hello, Mother,” I greeted as I gave her a kiss on the forehead. She giggled in response. “Hello, my heart,” she cupped my face with one hand, looking up to meet my gaze. “Dearest Elizabeth,” I smiled as I turned to my sister, laying a gentle peck on her cheek. “Hello, little brother,” she smiled. I wasn’t quick to notice it at first, but there were no spare chairs in between Mother and Elizabeth, which was the place whe
Princess Lorain was the princess of the Kingdom of Middle Earth. She was my fiancée. As we were not allowed to personally meet each other, we were permitted to send letters to one another to build some sort of connection. And in her letters, she seemed to be a gentle woman. And she would tell me all of her thoughts. She never held back anything from me. We had become each other’s support through the chaotic world of monarchy. Given that I had a difficult relationship with James, she had the same but with her mother. Princess Lorain and I became good friends over the past years that we communicated. She was always respectful of my space, as well with some matters that I decided to keep private. With care, I opened her letter and it read, “A good day to you, Your Highness! “I trust that you are having a better month than I am. There was no sign of anything good or new with my life, much less with my relationship with my mother. “She had put additional pressure on me to be the pe
I was occupied in preparing Lady for another stroll to the Mortal Realm. Suddenly, a hand attached itself onto my arm. I looked and saw Mallory. Her eyes were puffed and almost red. She could have cried for a long time. I sighed as I shook my head. “Mallory, I don’t have time to do this with you. I have to be somewhere else right now,” I complained. “I beg of you, Robert, give me a chance to be with you,” she pleaded. She continued, “Grant me a chance to prove to you that I can love you more than any woman can. Let me prove myself to you.” “You already have, Mallory. You have proven yourself to be a good friend and sister to me. Let that be the end of this matter,” I replied, slowly removing her hand from my arm. As soon as I got her hand off, she clung onto my arm with both hands. “Mallory, don’t you feel sorry for yourself?” I continued, completely irritated. “Do you want for me to paint a picture of how desperate you look right now?” “I don’t care what I look like, Robert,” she
Lady and I finally arrived in Bullingar, and the streets were busier than before. Perhaps, because it was already afternoon, people might be buying what they needed at the very last minute. I was looking around when a specific voice caused my head to turn. Right then and there, a familiar face stood out from the crowd. I got off Lady and walked towards her whilst I pulled Lady along. “How much for the apples?” Laura asked the vendor as I stood behind her, keeping my silence. “Twenty gold coins for a barrel,” the vendor replied. “Twenty gold pieces?! That’s outrageous!” Laura exclaimed. “I understand that it isn’t a reasonable price. But for the past few days, trade has been made a lot harder for everyone,” the vendor snapped back. “Are you even a rich person to complain?” “I am,” I intervened. Laura immediately turned around. As soon as she saw me, her eyes widened in shock. “Robert, what are you doing here?” she asked. “Just trust me,” I smiled as I stepped forward. I handed
Grandpa Ben didn’t seem to be furious with Laura. But she was still in trouble because she took so long. And it wasn’t even her fault, it was mine. “Pardon, Grandpa Ben?” I spoke from behind Laura. Both of them turned in my direction. “Oh, hello there, dear boy,” Grandpa Ben smiled. “Were you here all this time? Come closer,” he continued as he gestured for me to come closer to him. In haste, I stepped forward. “Grandpa Ben, please don’t give Laura such a hard time. It was all my fault that she took so long in the marketplace. I was the reason behind it,” I explained without giving Grandpa Ben any moment to speak. “Is that so?” he asked with his arms still crossed. “And why is that?” “I was taking a stroll in the marketplace of Bullingar when I heard her arguing with the vendor,” I answered. “I paid for the barrel and on our way back, we had a bit of a misunderstanding about who’s going to ride on Lady, my horse. That’s what kept us in the marketplace.” “And why were you arguin
As we made our way through the vast plains and a few hills, I was left in awe as I took in the whole scenery in front of me. It was… breath-taking. It was beautiful to be able to see nothing but grass, majestic trees, and colourful flowers, as well as how the slopes looked. This view was definitely better than the view that I had from my balcony. “This place…” I said, my mind drifting off slowly as I tried to form a coherent sentence. The beauty of this place rendered me speechless. It was as if all the words were taken from my mouth. “Don’t worry, I understand how you feel right now,” she giggled as she found me dumb-founded. “That’s the same thing that I said when I first discovered this place,” she continued. She hopped down from her horse, and I followed suit. We walked towards a hill. A tree stood on top of it, tall and proud. “When did you find this place?” I asked. “When I was first brought into the town, I looked for a place that only I knew about. A hideout, to put it si
Laura scoffed in disbelief. “Trust me, there is no one,” she said. “That’s impossible, Laura. A simple admiration is a normal emotion to have,” I replied. “Well,” she then played with her fingers, “There is someone that I like. And there is someone, who I believe, is trying to gain my affections.” My heart stopped as soon as she said that. Her admission destroyed my hopes that maybe she was the one for me. But, it would seem that her heart was already occupied. “Really?” I asked as I tried to hide the pain that was about to come out of my voice. I asked again, “Can you tell me who they are? For sure, I’ve never met them before.” “For now, I’d like to keep things to myself. It’s something that I don’t want others to worry about because it’s not for them to think about,” she answered. “I understand. But, perhaps, you can describe them?” I asked, still hoping that she would tell me more. “The one who, I think, likes me is very sophisticated, to say the least. He acts as if he was
A little while later, we arrived at Leo’s stable. I hopped down Lady as Laura allowed Leo to rest. Once her champion had settled, we headed to the front of the bakery. “Thank you for the stroll and stories, Robert. I enjoyed it,” Laura broke the silence between us. Couldn’t she tell that I had been trying to pacify the storm inside me? Was I not sending enough signs for her to realise that? “Well, I guess this is where we part ways,” she turned to me as we arrived in front of the bakery. “Thank you again, Robert,” she repeated as she turned around, making her way back inside. My mouth suddenly blurted, “Are you not–” I stopped myself before I could even continue. Laura stopped on her tracks. She turned around and returned to me. She then asked, “Is there something that you want to tell me, Robert?” “I just…” I trailed off as I fought the urge to speak out; the urge that was pushing me to the edge. It was forcing me to tell her what I had been feeling ever since we left the field