As Faragonda and Griselda were busy working in the garden, they saw Flora and Hagen walking up the path. Griselda was the first to see the young woman and elderly man that she turned around and excitedly tapped Faragonda on the shoulder to gain her attention.
"Faragonda, look!" Griselda exclaimed as she pointed to Flora and Hagen. Faragonda turned around, dropped her shovel and ran up to Hagen, Griselda following close behind.
Faragonda jumped into Hagen's arms and gave him a myriad of excited kisses around his face as she cried tears of joy. Griselda joined in the hugs, welcoming her old friend with laughter and happiness. Faragonda pulled Flora into the hug and thanked her for bringing Hagen back.
"Thank you so much, Flora." Faragonda whispered through tears.
"You are very welcome. I am so glad to have Hagen back with us." Flora said. "But now, I must hurry inside to change before Cassandra and her daughters come back." Flora then gave everyone another hug before going inside to change out of her mother's gown.
Back at the palace, Helia was walking around the corridors full of paintings of kings and queens of the past. He thought about if he would be able to be a great ruler like King Gregor I and Queen Amelia II or would history place him in notoriety with people like King Valtor I? Helia sighed as he looked up at the portrait of King Henry III, his father. His portrait looked so stately despite King Henry only taking the crown a year before Helia was born. King Henry was only twenty-five when he took the throne after the death of Helia's grandfather, King Helia I, whom Helia was named after. How did his father deal with the stress of ruling a kingdom at such a young age? Could Helia do it if he were to take over now? Helia's trance was broken when he heard voices coming down the corridor, his father's and mother's.
"Helia, what are you doing down here? You should be heading to the dining room." Queen Margaret sweetly asked.
"I am, mother. I am just admiring the portraits." Helia responded. "I was wondering if you two had time to talk about my arrangement." Helia asked as he turned to his mother and father.
"We have," King Henry stated, "we have decided to postpone your engagement to the Princess of Solaria, however, you must find a bride within a month. She must be of high standing and must gain our approval. Is that clear?"
"Yes, father. Thank you." that was not the response that Helia was hoping for, but it was better than being forced to marry someone that he did not know.
"Enough of this marriage talk, let's go eat." Queen Margaret announced as she grabbed her husband and son's arm and walked towards the dining room.
Back at the manor, Flora had changed in time before her stepmother and stepsisters had walked into the front door after shopping all day. Flora went downstairs to greet them at the door and to take their packages up to their rooms.
"How were the markets today? Was there anything of interest?" Flora asked as she took their packages from the carriage.
"I found the mo-," Musa started to say but was cut off by her mother clearing her throat and motioning her head for Musa to walk inside. Musa lowered her head and walked inside.
"Flora, do not talk to my daughters in such familiarity. You know that you are only to address them in a manner of dignity and respect. Now, bring those boxes up to their rooms and hurry back to serve us for dinner." Cassandra scolded as she looked down at Flora who bent her head down. Cassandra walked into the manor when she saw Hagen and stopped in her tracks, "When did you get back?"
"Just this afternoon, I was released for...good behavior." Hagen responded knowing that he could not tell the truth on how he was able to come back.
"Well then, go catch a chicken or something." Cassandra shooed Hagen away and Hagen bowed and walked away.
The next day, Krystal was looking out her window when she saw a royal carriage coming up to the manor and she ran downstairs to tell her mother.
"Mother! There is a royal carriage outside of our house." Krystal exclaimed as she ran into the large drawing room where Cassandra was reading in front of the fire and Musa was knitting.
"Krystal, what did I s-," Cassandra started to scold until she realized what Krystal had said, "a royal carriage?"
"Yes, mother. Right outside of the house." Krystal explained again with enthusiasm.
"Well, put on your finest jewels and meet me at the door." Cassandra instructed her daughters as she stood up to adjust her dress in the mirror in the room. Soon there was a knock on the door while Krystal and Musa put on their finest pieces of jewelry. Cassandra walked to the door and pushed away the servant who was preparing to open the door, opening the door herself.
Behind the door was Prince Helia and a man standing beside him with a horse.
"Good morning, I am sorry to come by unannounced but I had borrowed a horse from your manor and I am here to return it." Helia stated. Soon there was a clamoring within the house and out spilled Krystal and Musa behind their mother.
"I had no idea that a horse was missing, your highness." Cassandra said.
"Ah yes, I had told one of your servants to keep it a secret between the two of us, though she did have quite the arm." Helia chuckled as he indicated to the faint bruise on his head.
"I apologize, your highness. She is slow in the head. She does not know what she does sometimes." Cassandra falsely explained as she knew that he was talking about Flora.
"She understood what she was doing. No matter, thank you for the horse and I must be on my way." Helia said as he bowed to the ladies of the house. He then looked up at Krystal, "My that necklace is quite...stunning." Helia struggled to find a word for the gaudy emerald necklace that adorned Krystal's neck.
"This old thing?" Krystal asked as she indicated to the necklace that she had just bought the other day at the market.
"Well, it is quite stunning nonetheless." Helia smiled and turned around to walk away from the manor and climb into the carriage. The women lowered their heads until the carriage was past the gate.
"You there," Cassandra pointed to Hagen as he walked by with a garden shovel in his hand, "take this horse to the stables. And where is Flora?" Cassandra ordered.
"She is out collecting truffles. I suspect that she will be back soon." Hagen explained as he took the reigns of the horse and started walking towards the stables.
"No matter, girls, get inside." Cassandra ordered once again turning around to her daughters. "It appears that you made a good impression on the prince, Krystal. I think that we can work with that and give you not only a husband, but a crown."
"Mother, we all know that he is engaged to that Prince Helia is engaged to that blonde tart of Solaria." Krystal groaned as she turned to her mother.
"Well, there was a decree that was in the paper that said that Prince Helia has a month to find a bride but t can be anyone of high standing, as in any member of the court." Musa said matter of factly earning stares from her mother and sister.
"Did I say something wrong?" Musa asked.
"No, you have said everything right." Cassandra smiled as she walked up the stairs with a giddy Krystal.
Flora was out in the small forest with a small pig collecting truffles under the dirt. Flora was on the ground when she saw that she had ventured far enough in the woods that she had reached the large lake outside of the property. Flora smiled as she tied the pig to a tree, took off her shoes and outer layer of her dress, and slowly walked into the lake.
On the other side of the lake, Helia was talking with Saladin.
"Suppose that I don't find anyone and I am forced to marry someone that I don't love. Then I will live miserably and I will be a miserable a king. I don't think that I am cut out to be a king." Helia sighed as he skipped rocks from the bank.
"Helia, I think that you are going to be a kind and wonderful king. I believe that there is a power that will give you your queen that you will love and cherish. You are not going to be miserable, I know it." Saladin reassured the young prince.
"I only have a month, I don't think that I can find anyone. Angels don't fall from the sky." Helia said as he sat down. Helia then noticed that Saladin was putting on shoes that looked like tiny boats.
"What on Earth are you wearing?" Helia chuckled as he looked down at Saladin's feet.
"My own invention. I am trying to walk on water." Saladin answered before standing and headed to the water. Helia laughed as he saw Saladin trudge over the water.
Saladin walked through the waters of the lake sighing at the fact that his feet were becoming soaked. He then looked down and saw a woman floating in the water with tan skin and caramel colored hair. "Looks like there is going to be rain."
Flora opened her eyes and saw Saladin standing above her and screamed in shock which sent Saladin flying back into the water. Helia heard and saw the commotion and stood up and ran into the water seeing Saladin standing up and walking with a young woman, both of them with their clothes soaked.
"Saladin are you alright?" Helia asked.
"I was trying to walk among the Gods and stumbled upon an angel." Saladin indicated to Flora. Flora looked up and locked eyes with Helia before gasping.
"Alyssa?" Helia asked.
"Your highness." Flora said in shock.
Helia looked at Flora and saw that she was soaked from head to toe and was only wearing a thin dress, as she had taken off the outer layer of her dress to swim. Helia then took his navy blue cloak and wrapped it around Flora's arms.
"Here, you look like you are freezing." Helia said as he held the cloak around Flora and held Flora close to him. Flora looked up and smiled to be close to the prince but remembered who she was and getting close to him would be a bad idea. She had to protect herself and the people that she loved. Flora moved out of Helia's grasp and handed Helia back his cloak.
"I am quite alright, your highness." Flora sternly remarked.
"You are shivering." Helia pointed out to a shaking Flora and moved closer to her and placed the cloak around her shoulders once again and brought her close to him. "I insist."
"Thank you, your highness." Flora whispered as she looked up at Helia and saw his dark sapphire eyes looking down at her. Flora blushed and looked forward as she, Helia, and Saladin making their way out of the water.
On the bank of the water, Helia seated Flora on the log that he had previously sat and used his hands to rub Flora's arms to warm her up.
"Now, where are the rest of your clothes?" Helia asked. Flora then grabbed the cloak and wrapped herself further in it, noticing her nakedness.
"On the other side of the lake, I thought that I would have a swim today, your highness." Flora explained as she looked down at her feet, still shivering. Saladin was on the other side of the log, wringing out his clothes as they still soaked his body.
"I will take you to the other side." Helia said as he walked over and grabbed his horse.
"What about your friend, your highness?" Flora asked as she pointed to Saladin.
"Don't worry about me, my lady. I can use the privacy to get out of these clothes and dry off." Flora looked over to Saladin and up at Helia and she took his hand in hers. Helia placed Flora onto the horse and Helia climbed behind her.
"So where are your servants?" Helia asked as he lightly kicked the horse and it started to walk.
"I have given them the day off, your highness." Flora made an excuse.
"A day off? From what? Their lives?" Helia scoffed.
"What do you mean by that, your highness?" Flora questioned, obviously annoyed.
"I just mean that they live to serve and I don't know what they would do with a day off." Helia chuckled.
"Do you honestly think that people are born for the sole purpose of serving? They have lives and dreams, like you and me." Flora sighed.
"Well..." Helia started to say but Flora took the reigns from his hand and pulled on them, stopping the horse. "What are you doing?"
"I think that I will walk from here." Flora coldly said as she hopped off the horse and started walking.
"I am sorry. Please, don't go." Helia begged.
"I forgive you, your highness. But I still have to get going." Flora sighed as she curtsied towards the prince, giving him back his cloak.
"May I see you again?" Helia asked.
Flora thought about her situation and thought that it would be best to comply and meet the prince on her terms. She knew that she had to be in control of the situation. She knew that if she could finish her chores that she would be able to join the prince as her stepmother and stepsisters would be out in the city for the whole night.
"I am available tomorrow night." Flora replied as she looked up at Helia who was still on his horse. Helia climbed off the horse and walked towards Flora.
"I would be honored if you would accompany me to the Linphea Monastery. It is filled with books and I spend time there regularly." Helia said.
"I would love to join you, your highness." Flora replied as she smiled towards Helia.
"Please, call me Helia." Helia said as he approached Flora and gently took his hand in hers, placing a light kiss on top of it causing Flora to blush.
"Helia..." Flora softly said.
"I will see you tomorrow night, Alyssa." Helia said as he climbed back on his horse.
Flora watched Helia gallop away and she thought about the kiss that lingered on her hand. She then started to walk back to get her clothes and head back to the manor to return to her life as Flora, the servant girl.
Another chapter done! I hope that you like it! I have noticed that there is an author on here that has unfortunately taken an ending of another story that I have and it is almost word for word. What should I do? Sorry, I try my best to not take other people's stories. I get that themes will be the same which is something that will naturally happen but when my stories are being taken word for word, I get a little offended that my stuff is being stolen. Anyways, review and if you have any advice, let me know.