Cupid's Arrow
Chapter 3: A Lord Suitor for 'Maudie'
As the two continued to roam the southern side of the forest, with Johnathan leading the way, Merida started regretting her decision of coming. I mean, her father would be furious if he found out and Merida wasn't taking any chances with that. "Uh..maybe I should turn around and go back.." she said, her voice getting shaky.
Johnathan stopped his horse and looked back at her. "Huh? Why?" he asked her.
"My dad." She said. "He would completely lose it if he found out I was going to Strathclyde. And it's bad enough that he went a wee bit dark when I asked him about it too.."
Johnathan sighed. The sun was still brightly shining in the afternoon sky, birds were chirping through the forest as well as other woodland creatures. "Please stay. We're almost there." He said, giving the redhead his best smile.
Blushing, Merida flipped a few of her red locks out of her face. With a nod, the two set off again. This time Merida rode beside him. "So.. what's Strathclyde like?" she asked him.
He squinted his dark green eyes at her. "It's like any other small kingdom, I guess. Though, I don't think the townspeople would be used to seeing such wild hair." He joked, making her laugh.
Johnathan unhooked the cloak that he had wrapped around his shoulders and handed it to Merida. Taking it, she slipped on the hood of the cloak and hooked it back up, noticing that the hook was some sort of crest. It was a bronze head of armor, and a striped shield with two stars. "What's this?" she asked him.
"Oh, my family crest." Johnathan said so nonchalantly. "It's supposed to represent the braveness the men before us had, or that's what my father tells me."
Merida swiped her thumb across the crest then pulled a strand of red hair out of the hood. She turned her head back to Johnathan, even though his eyes were locked in front of him. "You said your father's name was Radius, right?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"Well when I asked my dad about your clan, he told me that their king's name was Radius. So if I'm not mistaken, I'd say you're a prince." Merida smirked. "But it was just a thought, really.."
Johnathan chuckled. "Pretty and smart? I'd never think I'd meet a girl like you." he smiled.
Merida's cheeks burned bright red. They've finally made it to a path that led to the end of the forest, or as Merida hoped. Finally getting back out into the sunlight, the two hopped off their horses and followed Johnathan to a barn. "This is my secret barn." he said. "I call it my secret barn because it's closest to the forest, and because my brothers filled up the other one with their horses."
Leading their horses into stalls, Merida and Johnathan walked off to somewhere more lively; the town's market place.
...
"Fergus, have you seen Merida?" asked Elinor as she made her way into the dining hall, where her husband tried to catch his mischievous sons and their tray full of pastries.
"One moment Elinor.." he said as he grunted. His wooden leg was far too slow to catch up to the boys and he watched the three of them run away successfully. "BOYS!" he shouted, even though they weren't coming back.
"Fergus please!" Elinor pleaded to him.
"Elinor, calm down. Merida is probably out in the forest with Angus. Just leave her be for a bit." he told her.
"But how can I when the lords are coming?" she asked him and handed Fergus three letters that Maudie gave her a little while ago.
The three of them merely said the same thing. The only thing that the king could make out was that the lords of Clan Dingwall, Macintosh, and MacGuffin will be arriving in DunBroch in two days with firstborn suitors for the princess.
"Suitors?" Fergus said, confusingly.
"Yes, and I need to prepare Merida before it's too late and she'll never marry." Elinor said.
"But what if she doesn't want to marry?" Fergus asked, giving her time to think.
"She'll have to do what's right for her kingdom, and marriage is only possible." She said before walking off, Fergus grabbe dher shoulder.
"Wait, Elinor, Merida asked me about Strathclyde today."
"What? Why?"
"I haven't the slightest idea, but she seemed like she really wanted to know."
"You know, she told me that she has a new friend..who wasn't from DunBroch." Elinor told him.
"Really?" asked Fergus.
"Yes, I'll have to talk to her later on about it." Elinor decided.
...
Walking through the market place, Merida felt so mysterious. With the hood over her face she felt like if she was caught she would be chased out of the kingdom, and her father would know about it. But she loved the feeling. What made it better was that Johnathan was by her side the entire time! So far he's been telling her about every place there in the beautiful town of Strathclyde, and each time made Merida wondered why she and Johnathan's fathers shared so much hatred. Eventually they made it out of the market place, and towards the castle. Well the back of it at least. "Your kingdom is so beautiful Johnathan." Merida spoke in her sweetest tone, something she does not use regularly.
"Thank you." he smiled back at her. "Though, you might not say that for long.."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, my brothers are not so pleasant to be around. In my opinion really."
Merida arched her brow. "What about your little sister? You did say that you had one right?"
"Yes, I love her, but she's more like a wee devil I say." he joked.
"I know exactly what you mean, I have triplet brothers who have an addiction to tarts." Merida smiled.
"Addiction?" Johnathan smirked.
Merida nodded. "Can't get enough of them. My royal maid, Maudie, can't stand it when they steal them from her."
She and Johnathan laughed. But his smile quickly went away after hearing a voice. "Little brother!"
Merida turned around to see a two tall figures walking towards them. "Who are they?" she asked Johnathan.
"Johnathan, you brought someone back home again huh?" said one of them.
"Again?" Merida said, confusingly.
"These are my brothers Niall and Arthur.." Johnathan said, looking very uncomfortable.
"Make that Prince Niall, little brother."
"Niall don't sound so conceded." said Arthur.
"Thank you." replied Johnathan, leaving Merida completely out of the conversation.
"Who's your friend, John?" Arthur asked.
"I'm Meri-"
"Maudie!" Johnathan told them, cutting Merida's sentence off. You named me after my maid? Merida thought, then she smiled with approval.
"Nice to meet you Maudie." Arthur smiled, she's already taken a liking to him.
"Maudie, huh?" Niall thought. "That name doesn't suit you very well. Are you sure that's your name?" he asked her.
"Y-Yes, why would she tell me a fake name?" Johnathan asked him, Merida looked at him confusingly. "You guys, can you please stop asking her all these questions? Maudie isn't from here and I was just showing her around."
"Fine." Niall shrugged before walking off with Arthur following him.
Merida turned to Johnathan. "What was that all about, why'd you change my name to Maudie?" she asked him, not too loudly.
"My dad always tells stories about DunBroch. He knows everyone in the royal family, especially Queen Elinor and King Fergus. If you told my brothers your real name, my father would go in total anger. Please just work with me on this?" he asked, holding her hands.
Blushing, for the third time today, Merida agreed. "Okay, I guess I can pretend to be Maudie for a little while." she smiled.
Thanks for so many reviews guys, I love it! And if you want to see what Johnathan's family crest looks like, since I can't find the right link, go on Google images and type in renzoni-crest-large1. Exactly the way I just spelled it. Thanks for reading!
ByeBye
