Cleo & Winston - Forbidden Love
As Cleo sat by the window, of the tallest tower, watching the sun rise across the periwinkle blue sky, she couldn't help but think about Winston. The way he looked at her with his large blue eyes... Just thinking about him gave her butterflies in her stomach. Cleo sighed heavily. There was no way Winston would ever love her. "He wouldn't!" Cleo told herself firmly, and then she whispered quietly "he couldn't..."
Cleo descended the spiral staircase slowly. She blinked repeatedly, attempting to fight back the tears in her eyes. At the bottom of the staircase she walked into something strong and hard and fell back. She hit the floor with such force she wouldn't have been surprised if every bone in her body was broken.
"Princess, Princess Cleo! Are you okay?" Cleo looked up to see Edmund, one of the many Knights at Nox Castle, looking down at her with his worried face. Cleo would have been rather flattered by his unusual sign care for her; if she hadn't of known he was more worried about losing his head than her.
"Yes, yes. I'm fine. Thank you for your concern Knight Edmund." Said Cleo, making it clear she was not fine at all, but Edmund didn't seem to have noticed the obvious annoyance in her voice. He leant over and extended his arm towards her. Cleo took his hand graciously, thanked him once more and then walked elegantly into the Grand Hall.
The first thing Cleo noticed upon entering the Grand Hall was that there were two extra chairs at the high table. I wonder who's visiting thought Cleo. Her Mother, who was the Queen of the land, often had visitors, they were mainly Lords and Ladies, and occasionally royalty from faraway lands, but they always joined her for banquets in the evening – never for breakfast.
"Good morning, Cleo darling!" Called her Mother from the High Table at the far end of The Grand Hall called in an overly happy voice that she only used when she was getting a large amount of gold coins or when she had ordered someone to be executed. "How are you?" She continued still using that happy voice that Cleo hated ever so much.
"Never better..." Lied Cleo, however she wasn't sure she had completely fooled her Mother. Cleo sat down next to her in her usual seat and looked around the Grand Hall.
The Grand Hall looked just like it did every other day – absolutely stunning! The curtains that draped across the enormous stained glass windows was made of the finest silk in all the land, and the engraved floor tiles where made of gold, silver and many rare, expensive stones imported from the Luna Islands which are known for having rare precious stones. The banquet tables and the High Table where made from Agar wood the most expensive wood in the world, the chairs from the banquet tables were also made from Agar wood. The chairs at the High Table were more like thrones than chairs. They were each made of thin strands of gold all twisted together in a way that resembled many flowers entwined with each other. The Queen's throne was, of course, the largest and most beautiful throne of all and was stationed in the middle of the High Table.
The bells from the Bell Tower began to ring loudly, signalling to everyone the start of breakfast. The Knights began to enter The Great Hall along with Lord Skye and the Executioner –
"Lord Sky and the Executioner!" Shrieked Cleo without thinking. Everyone, including Lord Skye and the Executioner, looked up at her, but Cleo was too shocked to care. "What are they doing here?"
"Cleo!" Said her Mother in a shrill voice, "Remember your manners."
"Yes Mother. Sorry Mother..." Her Mother acted as if Cleo hadn't said anything and walked over to Lord Skye, who was stood in the middle of the Grand Hall.
Cleo's Mother, like almost every other Queen, was a cruel woman who believed she was always right. Her dark brown hair was always braided and styled intricately in a pile on top her head in an artistic fashion. The dress she wore today was blood red with golden trimmings and a long, full skirt. She had several gold necklaces and pendants around her neck.
Cleo, however, was much plainer, at least that was what her Mother said. She, like her mother had pale skin and dark brown hair, which, unlike her Mothers complex hairstyle, was twisted into a simple, elegant knot at the back of her head. Her dress was much less full; it was periwinkle blue, long and thin with flared sleeves. The only jewellery she wore was a simple pearl necklace.
Cleo walked over to her Mother who was greeting Lord Skye.
"Oh, and this is my Cleo." Simpered her Mother, emphasising the "my".
"Glad to be of your acquaintance Lord Skye." Said Cleo politely as she curtsied. Her Mother coughed and looked pointedly at Cleo. Cleo quickly held out her hand for Lord Skye to kiss. He took her hand and kissed it, Cleo was glad she had worn her silk gloves.
"If you don't mind my asking Lord Skye, why are you here of all places?" Cleo asked. "I was getting to that..." He replied with a smile. Lord Skye knelt down on one knee and opened a tiny box. The box contained a golden ring with a diamond on it. 'No, no! Please no!' Thought Cleo.
"Princess Cleo." Said Lord Skye loud enough for everyone in the Grand Hall to hear.
"Will you, or will you not marry me?" Cleo looked down at him. He was handsome, she had to admit that, but she wasn't Winston. Lord Skye had shoulder length jet black hair and cold grey eyes, that were strangely alluring. However, his face was expressionless and emotionless, he showed no signs of wanting to marry her, and she didn't want to marry him, but what choice did she have? She was eighteen and was due to get married, she would have married Winston if he wasn't locked in the dungeons, she had to say yes to Lord Skye. She had no choice...
"Y...Yes, Lord Sk...Skye. I will m...M... Marry you..." Stuttered Cleo, as Lord Skye put the ring on her finger.
"Great!" Said the Queen, "you will get married after Winston's execution!" "WHAT!" Cleo shouted. "NO! You said you would take him to court first and give him a fair trial!" Tears began to stream down Cleo's face.
"Cleo, I say a lot of things, half of which I don't mean! Now stop blubbering and go sort yourself out, you don't want to upset you fiancé." Half-shrieked her Mother. Cleo ran out of the room and straight to the dungeons.
"Winston..." Whispered Cleo once she was sure none of the Knights where listening. "Cleo..." He whispered back, as he stood up and looked at her through the bars. He looked exactly the same as he always had, with his untidy blonde hair and blue eyes, except he looked pained and tired, Cleo hated seeing him like this. "What you doing here?"
"What the Queen said... It was all lies... She isn't going to give you a trial... She's going to decapitate you today!" Whimpered Cleo, she couldn't control her tears any longer. She unlocked his cell and walked over to him. "I'm so... So sorry..."
"You can help me Cleo... Please!" "NO! No I can't!" She shouted, not caring who heard, "I can't help! It's your own fault you're in here. I told you to leave, I told you my Mother hated magic! I told you she would put you in the dungeons if see knew you were a Wizard!" She breathed heavily. "Your. A. Wizard!" Cleo wiped away her tears.
"Well, it's not my fault this land is so prejudice towards Wizards! It's you Mother's fault!" Retorted Winston.
"How dare you insult my Mother!" Yelled Cleo and she turned to leave. "Cleo!" Winston reached to grab her arm. Cleo turned around and slapped him across the face.
"That's Princess Cleo to you. You filthy, little Wizard." She turned on her heel, locked the cell and stalked off, her nose in the air. Several of the Knights began to make fun of him, but Winston didn't care, he was too busy thinking about the key Cleo had left in the lock...
Cleo ran up the staircase and into her bed chamber, she locked her door behind her. She slumped onto her bed. She was upset with herself, she shouldn't have said those things to Winston, she was wrong, but what else should she have said, with all those guards listening. She hoped Winston would find the key she left in the lock...
The bells in the Bell Tower rang loudly. It was time for Winston's execution. Cleo descended the spiral staircase and followed her mother to the court yard. Winston wasn't there yet. The Knight Edmund whispered something in the Queens ear, her pale face turned red, then purple, and finally blue, she gasped for breath.
"H...H...How?" She stuttered, and looked at Cleo, opened and closed her mouth several times then looked away. Cleo's heart skipped a beat – had Winston managed to escape? She looked at her Mother, who seemed lost for words. "Knights! Search the castle thoroughly! Winston has escaped!" She Shrieked to the entire court yard, then she rounded on Cleo. "Cleo! Do you have any idea how Winston escaped?" She asked suspiciously.
"Maybe he used magic..?" Replied Cleo, innocently.
"Don't be stupid, Cleo! Those chains binding his feet were made of silver, and a Wizards magic is temporarily lost when they have contact with silver!" Cleo knew that, and she vaguely remembered his feet being tied with silver chains. She was about to suggest something else, when she a hooded figure moving swiftly through the crowds of people coming to watch Winston's execution. Cleo made sure that her Mother wasn't looking, then began to follow the hooded figure.
The hooded figure finally stopped in field not too far from the woods. The hooded figure turned to look at Cleo, and he removed his hood...
"Winston!" Cried Cleo, "You escaped!" She ran over to him and flung her arms around his neck.
"Oh, Cleo!" Winston held her tightly in his arms.
"You found the key! Well done! Oh, Winston!" Cleo laughed with delight.
"You mean you left it there purposely?"
"Of course, I wasn't going to let you be killed!"
"Cleo! Cleo!" Winston pushed her away, and stepped back. "Why did you save me? You've put your own life at risk, the Queen will realise you're missing and come and find you. We have to go far away from here."
"Winston, I'm not going with you. I only followed you so I could see if it was you and say goodbye." A pained look crossed Winston's face. "I'm getting married to Lord Skye..." Mumbled Cleo.
"No! You can't!" Said Winston, he looked so pained. "You can't!"
"I have to." Said Cleo blandly, looking away from him so he didn't see her cry. Winston took her hand and removed the ring, Cleo opened her mouth to protest, but Cleo had already thrown the ring across the field.
"No," He said. "You are coming with me. You don't want to marry him do you? No, you don't. Come with me, we'll go far away from here; we'll travel across mountains until we find a safe place for us to be together. Come with me Cleo!"
"Okay..." Whispered Cleo. Winston pulled her towards him and they began to kiss passionately.
Cleo pulled out of the kiss and looked at Winston. "I love you." Said Winston romantically, playing with a strand of Cleo's hair. "I love you too." Breathed Cleo, and she took his hand. At last, Cleo and Winston walked off into the sunset...
By Cassiopeia Rose x