*** Hello! I know it's been a long time, but in all honesty, I will probably have a long wait between updates. This is just a warning in case you would like to wait until it is finished in order to read it. Also, part of the wait on this chapter was looking for a beta, which apparently, I still have not found. So if you are a beta and are interested in this story, please pm me. (P.S. If I could get a beta to help me, the chapters would probably come out more quickly.) Thanks and enjoy! :) ***
After having Alice get me some lunch from the kitchen (after all, I had skipped breakfast), I was prowling through my many dresses, trying to decide what would be best to wear to my own engagement party. I ran my hands over the many different materials that I had hidden in here. Soft satin and smooth silk, or the slightly rougher cotton and polyester, it was all in here. There was also a large variety of colors before my eyes. It was impossible to pick one. I had never been much for the fashion side of my wardrobe; preferring comfort over looks whenever possible.
I ran back to my main sleeping chamber. "Alice! I have nothing to wear!" This was my usual way of saying that I didn't feel like picking an outfit out and I wanted her to do it for me. I emphasized my whining with a dramatic collapse upon my bed. "Can I go in my underwear?" I asked while peeking under the arm I had thrown over my face.
"Sure, you can. As long as you don't mind being ogled by every male, shunned by every female, and punished severely by your mother," she replied while folding up some of my garments and placing them in a drawer.
My answer was to blow a raspberry.
"You act like such a child sometimes, I swear!" she huffed while abandoning her task temporarily to pick out a dress for me. She came back with a pale green, one-strap dress that flowed to the ground in waves of silk. The torso of the dress was decorated in silver beads that shimmered in the light.
"You are amazing, Alice," I said as I jumped up to grab the gown. "Although, I swear that wasn't in there when I looked."
Alice's grin told me she wasn't fooled. "Sure…" She lifted up a lock of my hair as she told me that she would put it up for me. This gave me some relief because, since it was well past my bottom, it took forever to even brush, let alone style it.
A few hours later, I was finishing getting ready for the banquet. I was now in my evening dress, which fit me perfectly, my hair was in an intricate braid hanging over my bare shoulder, long, silver gloves adorned my arms, and I was just stepping into the flats that matched my dress.
One more thing was needed, however, as Alice so kindly pointed out. I couldn't believe that I nearly forgot it. I strode over to my dresser and took out my little chest that contained my tiara. The crown was made of winding silver strands that lead to an intricately cut emerald at the top. Simple, yet elegant. Once it was secure on my head and I knew it wasn't going to fall off, I declared that I was ready to leave.
"Just one more minute, Princess. I just have to finish tying these laces up…" Alice answered while struggling to reach the back of her dress.
I giggled at the sight. "Here. I'll help," I offered, as I took the couple of steps that separated us.
As I finished up her laces, she thanked me. "There's no need to thank me, Alice. You just spent the last couple of hours solely on me. It was the least I could do." I looked at her graying hair and slightly aged face and smiled. She was so much like a mother to me. "Honestly, I have no idea what I would do without you. I'm so glad you are coming with me to Albasca. It would be a nightmare without you…" I had trailed off because she had started to look extremely guilty for the second time that day. "Alice, please tell me that you are coming with me on this visit."
"Well, since it was moved up, you are to be traveling with the Prince," she explained. I was still lost.
"Yes. Your point is… what exactly?" I questioned. What did that have to do with anything?
She looked at me as if I was missing something extremely obvious. "You know what their primary method of travel is in Albasca, and, well, there is just no way for me to come along."
I literally stood there with my mouth open. "They didn't bring their dr-dragons, did they?" I swallowed. A deep fear suddenly washed over me and seemed to sink right to my bones. If I were traveling with them then that would mean that they expected me to ride one of those beasts across the realm.
"Of course they did. How did you think they arrived here so quickly?" she asked as she put her hands on her hips. Alice was getting impatient with me, thinking that I was overreacting, no doubt.
"Well, looks like there isn't going to be a wedding because I'm about to die in a few days time," I muttered darkly, while striding over to the door.
Alice caught up to me in the hall and did her usual scolding before a public appearance. "Don't hunch over just because your sulking, you look like you have a bad back. No grimacing, either. You are supposed to be happy, remember? You are getting married; it is a joyous occasion. That's the best smile you can come up with? Fine, let people think that you have diarrhea." I laughed at this last comment, which I am sure was her goal because I now had a genuine smile to face the crowd with.
As I stepped through the double doors, a silence overcame the gathering crowd. The people I passed by directly bowed at their waist, or curtsied if they were female. I smiled at everyone and gave small waves to the people I was more familiar with. There were a couple of brave souls that stopped my progress to congratulate me on my upcoming marriage, but other than that I made it to the high table without delay.
The queen was already sitting down, but Edward was missing still. That was okay with me, because it gave me the chance I wanted to talk with my mother. The queen was in a white and silver gown that had a sweetheart top to it. Her hair was up with a delicate crown sitting atop, and a string of pearls adorned her slender neck.
"You look beautiful, Mother," I whispered as I sat down.
"Thank you, daughter. You look lovely as well." She didn't look at me when she said this, however, so I wasn't sure how heartfelt it was.
I decided to get straight to the point since privacy was rare with the queen. "Your Majesty, why have you issued that I am to travel to Albasca with Prince Edward's return party?" She glanced over at me to study my countenance.
"Why are you questioning my authority? Have I ever done you a disservice, Isabella?"
I looked down at the water that was just set before me. "No, Mother."
"Then I expect in the future for you to do as you are told without question, and trust that I will do whatever I feel is right for this kingdom. Right now, it is for you to visit Albasca as soon as possible."
Why was she avoiding my question? Of course, I had no right to question her, but for the most part, the queen was usually open with me about her motives.
Shortly after this conversation, Prince Edward entered the banquet hall. He received the same welcome that I had when I came in except that there were many murmurs going through the mass. It probably had to due with the fact that this was the first time many of the people in this room had seen the prince with the knowledge that he would one day be their king.
The Prince was now wearing his formal attire, which included a white military suit with a bright blue and gold sash with the Albascan symbol upon it. There were many gold trinkets upon his suit as well, which I assumed were a symbol of his royal position. Without the loose traveling clothes on, I could properly see the contour of his body. He was of a medium build with a slim waist. I had to admit that he looked very dashing with the contrast of his skin once again against white clothing.
He smiled when our eyes met, flashing teeth as white as his suit. Was there anything physically imperfect with this man? At least he didn't seem angry with me for my outburst this morning. I returned his with a tentative smile of my own. He walked up in front of my mother and bowed deeply before taking his seat next to me. Normally, a guest of such stature would have been seated next to the queen, but due to the circumstances of the banquet, his place was next to me.
As he became settled in his chair, I turned my head slightly to look at him. He met my glance with another smile, and I found it very distracting so I took a deep breath before speaking. "I apologize for this morning. I did not mean to come across as... uncompromising."
One of his eyebrows raised slightly, and he leaned over to whisper in my ear. "I'm not sure I would call it that. Just so that we are clear, I do not enjoy being scolded and would appreciate it greatly if you treated me with more respect in the future. I will always treat you as such, and expect the same in return." After saying that, he leaned back a little and returned his voice to a normal, albeit quiet, volume. "Now with that said, I also understand that this situation puts you under quite a bit of stress, so there is no need for an apology because no offense was taken." He gave me a small smile, and with that, I felt a lot better about what had happened. His reaction and words were quite fair, in my opinion, and given in a reasonable manner.
"Thank you." I reached over and touched his hand to show my gratitude. He looked down at the contact so I removed my hand and looked away, suddenly embarrassed. As I glanced away, I caught a closer look at my mother's face. Her face was taut and her red hair was thinner and had more streaks to it than I remembered. She looked distracted and worried and older than she ever did to me. "Mother? Are you alright?"
Her eyes snapped to meet mine, and her face turned expressionless. "Of course." She then motioned towards Alice, who was standing towards one side. After she had approached, the queen instructed her to check on the food.
I heard someone clear their throat beside me so I turned towards the Prince. His green eyes locked onto mine, and I suddenly felt captured.
"So since we didn't get to spend much time together this morning, why don't you tell me about yourself?"
"Umm... What would you like to know?"
He leaned his head into his hand and thought for a few seconds. "What is your favorite thing to do?"
I looked down at my hands and thought about what I should say, and decided to be completely honest. "I love to care for my garden." He didn't say anything so I continued. "I love to feel the earth and plants. I love the connection I can feel with them... It's as if I am whole when I feel that way. It feels complete. I'm not sure how else to describe it." I ended my sentence with a slight shrug and he gave me the best smile yet. His whole face lit up and his eyes became crinkled in the corners.
"There's no need to explain it any further. I know exactly what you mean." As soon as he said this, my mother stood up from her seat, and I jumped a bit, startled by the unexpected movement. As if on cue, everyone else in the room settled into their chairs and gave their full attention.
The queen rose her hands slightly and addressed our guests. "Thank you all so much for coming to this banquet. As you all know, we are celebrating something very special and joyous tonight; the engagement of my dear daughter, Princess Isabella. She has grown into a lovely young lady, and it is time for her to start her own family. She is to start this new chapter in her life with our sister kingdom's heir, Prince Edward. I have had the pleasure of meeting with this man, and I know that he will provide my daughter with everything she will need and more. I just have a bit of advice for my daughter and her betrothed." With this, she looked directly towards me. "There should be no other that you trust more than your spouse. Be open and honest and fair with one another, and love will bloom. This is what family means." She then addressed the entire room once more. "Now that that's said, let us start something almost as enjoyable as family. Let us eat!"
A small laugh went through the room with the end of the queen's speech, and the servants started placing enormous trays of food on all of the tables. I looked over at Prince Edward. "Does it bother you that we serve no meat?"
He put some grapes onto his plate while he answered me. "Not at all. I do like to eat it, but I don't need it. Besides, I love strawberries." He put one in his mouth and then smiled at me, and I just had to laugh.
"I'm glad," I chuckled as I helped myself to some of the fruits and vegetables.
**A**
The music started out softly in the background, but as many ate their fill and cleared their plates, it became a bit louder and a bit livelier. Many couples had abandoned their tables for the dance floor. I stared at them, mesmerized by the synchronized movements and the twirling dresses. I felt myself pulled back to where I was sitting when I felt a warmth on my hand. I glanced down and saw that Prince Edward had placed his hand on mine.
"Would you care to dance?" I looked up into green eyes and found myself hypnotized once again.
"Alright." The word seemed to have slipped out of my mouth without my permission. I snapped out of my daze as we walked to the dance floor, my hand being held up by his. Everyone appeared to stop their movements and conversation to stare at us, and the music suddenly seemed softer and slower. When we reached the center of the dance floor, the Prince swung me around to face him and placed his hand at my waist. My anxiety eased a little as I placed my hand on his shoulder and we took the first few steps.
The Prince looked at me questioningly. "You look a bit pale. Are you feeling well?"
My blood started to rush to my cheeks so I looked down at our moving feet. "Yes, I just haven't dance in front of people for quite awhile."
He chuckled. "Don't worry. It's all in the leading." And it was. I followed him easily on the dance floor, able to take his direction perfectly. Dancing with the prince felt just as natural as walking down a path.
After everyone had settled down and we had been dancing for awhile, I looked up at him, and he seemed to be enjoying himself. "I have a question, Your Highness."
He looked back at me with a smile. "I may have an answer. What is your question?"
"When I talked of being connected with the earth and plants, you stated that you understood perfectly. Why is that? Do you have something similar in which you can relate?"
He was silent for a moment before answering. "I could tell you, but I won't."
I frowned. "Why not?" Hadn't my mother just talked about being open and honest with each other not an hour before?
The Prince laughed at my expression and winked at me. "Because I'd much rather show you. Do you feel like going for a walk through the woods?"
At this proposition, I became truly excited. "Of course. It is one of my favorite things to do, after all. When did you want to take this walk?"
He twirled us around and I realized that with the movement we became a part of a corner of the crowd and a lot less noticeable. "There's no time like the present." He steadily kept us moving towards a door, and as soon as we were close enough, we swiftly left the room.
Once the door was closed, I saw that we were in an empty hallway so I leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. "I can't believe we just left our own engagement party." I looked at him wide-eyed, and he just laughed.
"Let's just hope that we aren't needed for the rest of the night, otherwise there might be talk in the morning." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and I giggled. He looked down either length of the hallway and then looked back at me. "I hope you know where we are because I have absolutely no clue."
I smiled and wrapped my arm around his, leading him through the dimly lit passage. "There's a garden just around the corner here that has a gate to the outside grounds."
"Wonderful," he said with a cheery smile. As we walked further towards the garden, the sounds of the party we had left faded behind us and a quiet grew between us.
We reached the garden and I opened the door. The fresh scent of strawberries hit my nose and I smiled. "Lucky you. You have all the strawberries you could eat in here."
He laughed at that. "I'm plenty full, but thank you." He did kneel down to look at them though. "I might have to take some home with me, however. My brother loves them, too." I looked over his shoulder and saw that he held a rather large and perfectly ripe strawberry in his hand. The Prince got up then, and we walked over to the gate leading to the outside parameter of the castle.
"You have two brothers, don't you?"
He didn't answer for a moment but eventually nodded. He opened the gate for me and added, "I consider one much more my brother than the other, but technically, I have two."
I thought about this as we walked toward the treeline. "I've never had any siblings, so I don't know what that would be like. My father became ill before he and my mother could have any more children."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I've only heard great things about the late king. He was very much respected and loved by his kingdom."
"Yes, he was. I only remember a couple of thing about him, but they are happy memories." We reached the woods, and I turned toward him. "So which way, my good sir?"
He pointed in a general direction, farther into the woods. "This way, mi'lady." He smiled at me, and I became aware of how comfortable we were with each other right now. I decided that I enjoyed the feeling, and I also decided to play with the Prince a bit so I took off one of my shoes. "What are you doing?" he inquired.
"Let's race!" I used him for balance to slip off the other flat.
He laughed a little uneasily. "You're kidding, right? It's dark out. I wouldn't want you to get hurt running over roots and rocks."
I stuck my tongue out at him. "I know this forest like the back of my hand. Are you afraid you'll lose?"
He grinned. "Not a chance." And with that he let go of me and started running without warning.
I laughed. "Hey! That's cheating!" I started after him. It was fairly easy catching up with him, because I had the advantage. Where he was slowed down by branches and roots, the forest parted and made a path for me. I could feel the forest like I could feel my own heartbeat, and it did what I wanted it to.
"Who's cheating now?" he called over to me. After running for about ten minutes, I was out of breath and stopped in a small clearing. Edward soon joined me and flopped down onto the ground, trying to catch his breath. "Jeeze, didn't know you could run that fast."
I laughed and flipped my hair over my shoulder. "It's one of my many talents." We both chuckled at that. Once we were both breathing at a fairly normal rate, I slipped my shoes back on and looked around. "So what did you want to show me out here?"
He got up and started to wipe some of the grass off of his suit. "You really can't guess?"
Once the words were out of his mouth, a realization dawned upon me. Suddenly, my heart started to beat faster once again, and my words came out on a breath. "You're dragon."