You have no idea how happy I was when I read those reviews! My hobby is writing, so finding out I'm good at it is the best I can hear, really, thanks! Enjoy the next chapter:
When I returned to the palace, on foot, I was dumbstruck. I was barely able to talk. Seeing something like that… A sweet, innocent, good-hearted girl, and that man… I'm not even sure how to describe him. The devil, perhaps? That is how she described him, anyway. And for the first moment I lay eyes on him, I knew she had some reasons to.
But hurt that girl? How could you possibly do that and stay the way he was? That grim? Can you blame me for breaking his nose?
When I got there, the palace, I entered my chamber and sat at my desk, only to be greeted by a very angry Maria, who stormed the chamber and sat in that same chair she sat in earlier that day.
"Hector. For Christ Sake, why did you stay at that pitiful place? So much filth, I have never seen in my life." I didn't answer. It didn't seem so much as useful. She wants to talk, let her talk, I thought. I am not in the mood to talk anyway.
"I see you are stunned. Ha. How couldn't you. Staying at that place as long as you did, and then walking all the way back. Have my advice, Hector, do not go there anymore. It isn't right for you. It isn't right for any royal. That place is not made for royals, Hector. We have people to go and get our merchandise for us. To think I asked to go there… It's-"
I've gotten tired of her complaining. "Maria," I said. "Yes, Hector?" She said, annoyed. "Go." She looked at me, dumbstruck. "Go? Hector, go? But, Hector-"
"Go."
She rose from her chair and walked out of the room. I sat there, and, surprisingly enough for me, I didn't feel half as bad as I would to have insulted Maria. The day before, I would have never said that one word, go. But I did. Why, I'm not sure. I'm not sure about anything that I did that day. Not why I carried that carpet, not why I entered that house, not sure why I didn't stay, not sure why I treated Maria like that, and I was definitely not sure about how I felt.
I am sure about one thing: Something was going on in my head about Susannah. Something I wouldn't have wanted to have gone on. Something taboo, something wrong.
Something about love.
A few seconds later Clemmings got in the room. "Your Majesty, she seemed upset, did she? I suppose you told her you know?" I looked at Clemmings. "I know? What do I know, Clemmings?" He laughed. "About Maria and Diego. I suppose you sent her where she belonged, huh, mate? Should I go and call the wedding off?"
I rose from my seat. "Maria and Diego? What has happened about Maria and Diego that is worth to call off the wedding, Clemmings? I certainly didn't hear anything about Maria and Diego, Clemmings. What is it?" All the color in his face went away, and he was pale as dead. "You, you don't know, do you, Your Majesty? Oh, um, I-"
"What is there to know, Clemmings? Tell me." He sighed. "Well, Your Majesty, there had been… rumors. About Maria and Diego." He stopped and stared at his feet.
"Go on, Clemmings," I said, and started pacing around the chamber. "Well, Jared Cloves saw the two of them at her father's carriage. He wasn't sure but he could tell for a fact that they were sitting close together, and, also, holding hands. And then Emilia Everson heard the two of them talk about some kind of plan, something Diego would do that would put the two together. It is not much evidence, but we suspect…" Clemmings stopped talking again, which was just as well, since I had left the room.
I was strolling down the long corridor, looking at my ancestors' portraits. Amongst them was a portrait of my Father. He was dead for a long time, since I was fourteen. That is when I was forced to be a young king. Now, I was twenty, and about to marry my also royal cousin, Maria. Though, at that moment, I didn't really think I was going to marry her. I was concentrating so intently on what Clemmings said, that I had barely heard a familiar voice behind me. "Your Majesty."
I turned, and my face turned red with anger. Again.
That's it for this one. I'm sure the story is getting familiar now, isn't it? Well, it'll just get more and more attached to the orginal from now on. Prizes for guessing who's the guy! Neh, just kidding... ;)
