"Behind Closed Doors"
Shhh, can you keep a secret? Princess Eleanor Henstridge and Bodyguard, Jasper Frost are in a relationship. The People don't have any idea that he is more than just a bodyguard. Only those who they choose to know get to see what goes on behind closed doors. Step inside and watch your step.
Chapter One: Once Upon A Time
"Eleanor" "Eleanor"
"Shhh"
"But where are we going?"
Her Royal Highness, Eleanor Henstridge, was wild, free, rambunctious, loud, maddening, loving, loyal, beautiful. All of these words Jasper Frost can use to describe The Princess, his Princess and girlfriend. These are the thoughts running thru his mind as she grabs his hand and drags him from her bedroom, their bedroom to an undisclosed location.
"Len, I just want you to tell me where the hell it is you're dragging me to!"
"You'll see in a minute!" Eleanor says laughing.
Jasper is still wearing his black suit and tie, his Body guard uniform, from a day spent 'body guarding' Eleanor's twin brother Liam. Now that that his day job has ended, he would very much like to change into something more comfortable and retreat to their private quarters with his girl. One thing about Eleanor is that you never know what you are going to get. So, here he is, like always, just going along for whatever ride she has planned.
"Are we leaving the Palace because I would really like to change first" he asks
"We are not going anywhere bodyguard," she promises
"Are we going outside" as he keeps guessing
"No, you are cold, so cold"
Eleanor is in a good mood tonight, as she is most nights these. She is dressed in her uniform of sorts, a black halter top, her trusty black leather trousers and black boots. Jasper can't keep his eyes off of her; she looks gorgeous, smiling, joking, happy, and sober. Her raven hair flying. She wears less eye makeup these days than she used to, her look is less severe, and she's not trying so hard to hide, to cover anything up. The music is no longer pumped up so high anymore either, she doesn't need all that noise anymore, she's not trying to drown in it anymore and forget her pain.
Life is a lot more simple and happy these days, with the two of them in their own little world. A world that often includes her mother, the Queen, and her two brothers, her twin Liam and their elder brother, Robert, recently resurrected from the dead. Also included in that is Eleanor's body guard, James Hill, Liam's girlfriend, Willow and Len's friend, Imogen. It's a small circle, but a tight one. She still has trust issues that she is working on, but she's learned, often the hard way, who has her back and who to turn to when the chips are down.
"The tunnels perhaps?" Jasper asks, almost slipping back into his fo British accent. "Oh Jasper from Shoreditch, is that you? Welcome back!" Eleanor turns around, teasingly, poking him in the chest. He catches her hand and puts it to his lips, giving her hand a kiss. Looking into her eyes and her smiling face, Jasper pulls her further into him, their foreheads touching; she puts both arms around his neck. "Hi" he says. "Hi" she repeats shyly. "How was your day?" Eleanor finally asks him. "I missed you baby" he responds, giving her a little peck on the lips. "But I'd still really like to know what we are doing, and where we are going" still trying to get to their destination. "Oh, alright, follow me bodyguard" she says, once again grabbing his hand, moving them on. "By the way, you are a lot warmer, when you said the tunnels" Eleanor tells him.
Suddenly, they are standing in front of a door that he knows all too well, a door that leads to a room filled with memories, specifically memories of their very first meeting, their very first moments as Princess and Body guard. If only they knew then what life had in store.
"The wine cellar?" he asks her, unsure of what they are doing here. "Yeah, come on now" she says, opening the door and leading him inside. She begins looking around at her options, all the while he just stares at her. "What exactly are we doing in here Len?" "We are looking for a good bottle to share for the evening, ok?" "Ok, whatever you want" he answers her, never able to deny her anything. He picks up a bottle of a 1942 Merlot, "here this one" he says, handing it to her. "A 1942 Merlot, why this one?" Eleanor asks, reading the label and then back up at him. "Don't you remember Princess?" Eleanor just shakes her head "no". "That very first night that I was your bodyguard you brought me down here to steal copious amounts of wine" "Oh right" she reminds herself laughing. "You were so nervous, mumbling and bumbling like an idiot, you were afraid that we were going to get in trouble".
"Hey go easy on a guy" he begs, now sounding completely American "that was my first night ever working in a Palace, I had never met a real Princess before".
"You kept calling me Your Majesty" she reminds him. "I could not fathom how the bloody hell you got hired in here if you couldn't even get our titles right"
"My charm and good looks I guess" he quips back at her.
"I guess so" she adds.
"Lucky for me that I did" he tells her, rubbing his fingertips across her cheek lightly.
"Ok, let's take this 1942 something or other for old time sake" she says. " If we get caught by the Depute Yeomen I'll tell him that I'm an alcoholic burglar" Jasper promises her, leading her out the way they came in.
"Nah, I'm not afraid of that fat bastard, my house, my wine, The King won't care, I'm his baby sister, I get whatever I want, " Eleanor tells him in cheekily.
"Right you are," he says, nodding his head, knowing it is the absolute truth. No man can deny Eleanor anything, him especially and he wouldn't change it for the world.
They grab two wine glasses before they make their way to the side balcony that overlooks their vast estate. This balcony holds a lot of memories for them as a couple as well, both good and bad. If the walls of this place could talk, oh the stories they could tell. Eleanor puts down the wine bottle, each of them with their own healthy glass.
"To us" she begins a toast "To the good, the bad and the really ugly" she continues making a face "I never thought that we would or could make it this far, but we have, one step at a time, together".
"To you baby" Jasper starts his own toast, "Thank you for forgiving me, and for giving me and us a chance, you are my light, every single day, more than I ever deserved" he adds quietly.
"Cheers," they toast in unison, clicking their glasses together and taking a drink.
"You know the last time I shared a drink with anyone out here was right after we were in the wine cellar stealing alcohol, Ophelia and I shared a glass and a chat" Eleanor says both to herself and to him.
"Do you miss her?" he asks.
"Sometimes" she says honestly. "Is that bad?" she wonders.
"Oh course not" he reassures her.
"Phe was my first real friend, in a time where I think us both really needed one". "It's not her fault that Ted did the things that he did and tried to destroy our lives".
"No, it's not her fault; Ophelia is just an innocent in this whole mess, a victim, just as much as the rest of you" Jasper reasons. Eleanor stays quiet, nodding her head in response and sipping her wine.
As always, Jasper wants to protect her from the harsh realities of this world, especially of her world, and that which she creates in her own mind as well. Trying to do just that, if only for a brief time, Jasper puts down his glass and slips his arms around her from behind, taking her into his arms, her head resting against his chest.
*"You're far away, where are you?" he asks her.
"Gone to a place that no longer exists I'm afraid" she answers back sadly, quietly.
"Is there any way I can bring you back to the world I'm in?" he wants to know.
"I was just thinking about my dad" she continues. Thinking and wondering about her father, the beloved King of England is a regular occurrence for Eleanor, as she will miss him forever.
"He'd be so proud of you Len, of the challenges that you've overcome and of the woman that you are" Jasper almost whispers close to her ear, giving her a kiss.
She looks up at him, "do you really think so?"
"I do" he promises her.
"I'm so tired Jasper" she says weary.
"Okay, let's get you to bed" he says as he collects their glasses and the empty wine bottle.
Looking at the dark sky, full of stars, Eleanor stops for a moment, looks out into the horizon and says quietly, "Goodnight Dad, I love and miss you, but I'm ok, we're all doing okay". Jasper gives her a sad smile, and a loving kiss on the temple and leads her back inside, closing the balcony doors behind them.
I borrowed these lines from the movie "The Sound of Music"