Enjoy!
Jerome clasped his hands behind his back as he strolled through the garden. While he was in his room not ten minutes ago, he had noticed Mara seated in the gazebo near the lake, all alone. He smiled when he turned to the gazebo, his eyes finding Mara's. He stepped up to her and sat on the bench, looking over her shoulder at the book she was reading.
"History," he chuckled with a shake of his head. "Only you, Mara dear,"
Her cheeks flushed and Jerome breathed out a long breath, running a hand through his hair. "You're beautiful, you know that?"
Her blush deepened and she looked back at her book.
"Have dinner with me." he said bluntly.
She looked up at him, shocked. "I have dinner with you every night."
"No, just you and me," he corrected, his confidence suddenly failing him, and he struggled to keep his voice from faltering.
"You mean, like a date?" she asked slowly.
He smiled, giving her a small shrug.
"Jerome, you know that wouldn't work out. We're both betrothed to other people." She said softly.
"It's just one date. It's not like we're gonna fall in love in a couple days. That wouldn't be real love anyway."
"Jerome, would it really be one date?" she wondered and he looked away from her. "We can't do that to each other; it could get out of hand."
Jerome nodded, letting it drop, and he walked away. Mara stared after him sadly. She opened her mouth to call out to him, but thought better of it and attempted to continue her book; but Jerome kept finding his way back into her mind.
Mara walked into the kitchen and quietly began making herself a cup of tea. Her head was pounding and she felt tired, but she chose to make the tea and take a nap afterwards.
"Miss, I could have done that for you."
Mara turned around. "It's alright, KT, I know you're on your break."
KT smiled and nodded. She really liked Mara; she was kind to everyone in the castle and hadn't made a single enemy. But who couldn't like such a nice girl? She was loved by everyone and she had only been there for two weeks.
KT's curly hair and sparkling eyes were a light shade of brown and they complimented her dark skin. She had a bright smile and a bubbly personality.
"Would you like some?" Mara asked.
KT nodded but protested, stating that she should make them both some. Mara was the guest of the king and queen and she was just the help. She shouldn't let Mara serve her. But Mara wouldn't hear of it.
"Oh nonsense; I can do it. Take a seat; it'll be ready in a moment." Mara smiled, pouring the boiling water into two mugs.
KT hesitantly sat down at the wooden table in the middle of the room. She, Patricia and Harriet would sit at this table and have all their meals together, talking about the day as it progressed.
"So how long have you been working for the king and queen?"
KT took the mug she held out for her with a grateful smile. "About four years; I'm trying to save money so I could travel."
"Where would you like to go?" Mara sipped from her mug briefly, tilting her head to the side in question.
"Everywhere; anywhere…" she sighed. "My parents died when I was ten, leaving me in the care of my grandpa. He passed away last year. The closest things I have to family are Patricia and Harriet."
"Well now you have me." Mara whispered.
"Hey, Gerbil," Poppy spoke over her brother's shoulder.
Jerome looked up and leaned away from her. "Poopy,"
"'The Secrets Behind Lexham's Walls'?" she asked in a monotone. "Since when do you read history willingly?
"It's interesting," he defended himself; leaving out the tiny detail that Mara had been reading the same thing but an hour before.
"Mara's amazing," Poppy commented, sitting next to him.
Jerome faced her slowly. He knew where this was going. "Yes, and,"
"And you two would make a perfect couple." She stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"It wouldn't work out, Poppy; we're already taken."
"That's Mara talking." She shook her head in disbelief. "You already talked to her?"
"Yes, and she turned me down, so let it go." He snapped; his blue eyes, now stone cold, flitted back to the pages of his book.
"Jerome—"
"I said, let it go, Poppy." He ordered and she shut her mouth, scurrying away from him.
"Hello, Mara, how has your day been?" Joan smiled, stepping down from her throne that stood tall, in line with three others.
"Fine, thank you, your highness; but lately, I've been worrying that I'm overstaying my welcome. I'll need to get back soon anyway."
"Absolutely not; I enjoy your company immensely. And Poppy does as well. She can be rather lonely sometimes without a sister or a playmate." Mara nodded in understanding. "But must you go?" the queen asked sadly, looping her arm through Mara's and led her out of the throne room.
"Yes, I need to get back; I've stayed long enough as it is." Mara said quietly.
"When will you be leaving?"
"When would be a good time for you?" Mara asked, kindly putting the queen first.
Joan smiled unsurely. "Two weeks?"
Mara giggled. "Done,"
"Magnificent! You could attend the ball before you leave." She smiled warmly, patting Mara's hand in a motherly way that she vaguely remembered her own mother doing when she was a child.
"Yes, I guess I could," Mara gave her a tight smile.
"Trudy, is Harriet okay?" Patricia asked worriedly.
"Yes, she's just fine, dearie, don't you worry. She'll be back on her feet in no time at all." Trudy promised her and Patricia sighed.
"That's a relief." She chuckled.
"Are you okay, sweetie?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You just seem a little different that's all. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I feel that it might have something to do with—"
"Allergies," Patricia cut in, shrugging it off as if it was nothing.
"A boy," Trudy finished, raising a dark eyebrow at the young woman.
Patricia blinked before scoffing and strutting off, causing Trudy to laugh to herself.
"Hey, Mara, would you like to go riding?" Jerome smiled at her as she floated amongst the horse stalls in her light purple dress.
Mara looked up at him and then behind her.
"As friends," he promised.
Mara immediately smiled and nodded eagerly. Jerome saddled a horse for Mara and mounted his. They slowly trotted through the woods; following trails and wondering off of them as they just talked about anything they could think of. And then they were miles away from the castle and didn't even realize it as they stopped for their horses to drink from a small pond. They then traveled on down another path and came to a large, open field with tall grass swaying in the breeze.
Jerome smirked. "Race you to the other side."
Before Mara could react, he had kicked his horse into a gallop, running off into the field. Mara sighed and shook her head before doing the same, chasing after him. Half way through the field, Jerome and Mara were neck in neck and when a log had gotten in the way of one of the riders, one continued forward while the other flew off their horse and landed in the grass.
Mara laughed, mentally praising herself for her victory but when she turned around, she saw Jerome lying in the grass face down. He tried to push himself up but fell to the dirt and she gasped, riding up to him. She dismounted her horse quickly.
"Jerome, are you okay?" she asked frantically, rolling him over.
He grinned up at her, laughing loudly and she scoffed. "Aw, you really do care."
"Jerome Clarke! I can't believe you did that!" she scolded, pushing his shoulders as he tried to sit up and he grabbed her arms, rolling her underneath him.
"Calm down, Mara, I'm fine." He shrugged, standing up and dragging his longer fingers through his blonde hair. He held a hand out to her and she took it with a glare directed at that teasing look on his face. He mounted his horse and she did the same, and once again, they were on a journey to nowhere.
As the sun got higher, they ventured farther away from the castle. They eventually stopped to water their horses again and Jerome removed his black boots and his dark blue cape from his shoulders.
"What are you doing?" Mara asked, stroked her horse's nose gently.
"I'm gonna see what's at the top of that hill right there." He pointed to the boulders that bordered the back of the pond. He splashed through the water and climbed onto the first boulder; then the second and then the third. When he made it to the top, he looked down, and Mara called up to him,
"What's up there?"
"A really long fall," he replied, turning around. He sighed as he sat down at the top. "You know, I really don't wanna get married."
"I know, but we can't help it."
"Actually there is," he corrected.
"Really, what," her eyebrows scrunched in confusion and then her dark brown eyes grew wide as she watched Jerome tilt backwards and fall off the hill, out of sight.
"Jerome!" she shrieked. The horses whinnied in fright at her scream and backed away from her as she ran through her water.
Hurriedly, she took the same path he had when he climbed to the top of the boulders. And with a racing heart and sweaty palms, she made it and looked down. She glared at him when she saw that he was lying face up in the calm water of another pond, not ten feet from the ledge she was kneeling on.
"I hate you," she stated. "Would you stop making me think you're dead?"
"I'm sorry," he whispered up to her. His hair was wet and swept back from his face. The buttons on the collar of his white shirt had come undone and his collar bones were visible.
She shook her head at him.
"Little help?" he asked, holding out his hand and she relented, gripping it in her small one, only to be pulled down into the water with him.
"Jerome!" she sputtered once she had surfaced.
"You're so easy," he laughed.
She sighed at him, hands on her hips. At least she could touch the bottom of the shallow pool, but the water still reached her shoulders and Jerome still towered over her by a foot.
"Jerome, please stop scaring me." she pleaded.
He nodded. "Alright, I'm sorry. I promise I'll stop."
"Thank you. Now how do we get back to the horses?" she wondered, look back up at the ledge. All around them, there were rocks that kept them from leaving the pool.
"I don't think we can; seems like we're stuck in this little pool forever. We'll have to make the most of it, I guess." He grinned wolfishly at her and her cheeks flushed as she pushed past him.
She pointed to stones on the side of the pool. And she climbed onto the first one. "These could be like steps."
"Mara, maybe you should let me go and make sure it's—" he winced as Mara slipped on a wet rock and fell in the pool again. "—safe." He held her arm and helped her stand up. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," she coughed.
He stepped around her and made it up the route. Once he was at the top, he held his hand down for Mara's and helped her up they sat on the ledge silently.
"I'm soaked." She stated, pulling the sleeves of her dress away from her arms with a frown. Her entire dress clung to her slim body uncomfortably and she suddenly felt very conscious about her appearance.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Jerome chuckled, facing her.
"You're just a big kid," she giggled, bumping his shoulder with hers.
Their laughter faded away and Jerome stared at her shamelessly. Mara tucked a strand of her wet hair behind her ear self-consciously. He leaned forward, inches from her face when the tips of her fingers pressed to his thin lips, stopping him short.
"Jerome, I said, no." she reminded.
Jerome took her hand in his and draped her arm over his shoulder, cupping his back of her neck with his hand. "You didn't mean it," he whispered as he closed the gap between them.
Hehe, Jara... ;)
Review?
Sarah: I knew you would! ;)
Lorna: Oh, yes, I've got big plans for this story! I'm really excited! :D There could also be a chapter 5! How awesome would that be?! ;) Cool! I don't drink coke, but it'd be cool to find my name on a bottle. :) I'm glad you like it! Don't worry about it! I understand you're busy! Sometimes I don't have the chance either. :P I know, it annoys me too... -_-The next chapter will come soon! I promise! :D
Cruzguadalupe6: I'm glad you liked it! And you got a nice healthy dose of Jara in this chapter, I believe. :)
AvatarRocky: Aw, I'm so glad you like them! Thank you for your review! :)
Jasmine: I'm sorry! I thought you knew about it! :P Like, I read this review as soon as I got it and I was sitting there grinning my face in half the whole time! :D Yep, fantasy and Jara fit well together. :) Wow! You like this a lot if you like it more the Lucy! Yeah, I love any kind of friendship really...I thought I'd go with Eddie and Jerome this time around. :) Who doesn't love a little Mara and Poppy right? Alright, I will! I promise! :D That's amazing! I'm curing headaches with my stories! How awesome am I? ;) Love ya, babe. :)
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. -Psalm 84:10
-Rachel
