CHAPTER FOUR - The Stare-Down
Clary's POV
We have been walking for an hour maybe, I am not good at keeping track of the time. We have not been talking much, just walking and exploring the castle.
"You are not much of a talkative person are you?" Sebastian ask suddenly.
"Well, usually I am but right now I am just thinking way too much" I tell him honestly.
"What is it you are thinking about?" he asks me.
"Just home, my family and this new home I will be living for the rest of my life" I say and sigh.
"It will be nice having you here" he says and smiles. "You know, I am very excited about whom you will marry" he says a little excitingly. I don't know what I should answer to that, I did not expect it.
"Oh, thank you" I say a little shy and try to smile back. That was a little weird. Does he think of this as a game? Which prince will get to marry the faraway princess? Am I overthinking?
"Clarissa?" Sebastian says and brings me back from my thoughts.
"Yes, sorry" I say.
"I was asking if you would want to have dinner with me when I come back from my hunting trip?" he asks and it is then that I notice we have stopped walking. I pause for a bit. He looks at me questioningly, he does not seem to be the waiting-kind-of-boy.
"Hunting trip?" I ask Sebastian.
"Yes, the one me and Jonathan are going on alongside our guards and close friends. It is an annual thing" he tells me. "We will be leaving tomorrow morning"
"Did Jonathan not just come home from a hunting trip just yesterday?" I ask Sebastian. I notice it that he seems to dislike it when I mention Jonathan.
"Yes, but now I am coming with him" he tells me. "But will I be enjoying your company when I come back home?" he asks impatiently. Suddenly I realize that I am to be married to either of them. Of course I should be willing to get to know them as much as I can so I can decide whom to marry. "Umm, yes sure" I answer him.
"I will be looking forward to it" he says smiling and excitingly. "I will see you at dinner tonight" and then he kisses my hand and leaves me with my thoughts.
The day goes by as I start the first day with my new tutors. I attend reading-, dance-, gardening- and common princess-classes. Later, as I get ready for dinner I write a letter to my parents. I mention the deal I never agreed to but finish the letter by telling them about the interest Prince Sebastian has shown in me, I am sure they will be very pleased with that. I do not want to hold any grudge towards them about the agreement between them and King Valentine so I keep it on the cool terms in the letter. As I fold the letter and put it in an envelope I hear a knock on the door. It can't be Mary and Kenna because they had already helped me get ready for dinner.
"Come in girls" I call from my desk, expecting my ladies-in-waiting to come inside and rushing for me to hurry.
"Sorry, just a humble prince entering, no girls" I hear from behind me. My heart skips a beat as I am very startled to hear Jonathan's voice.
"Sorry, did I startle you?" Jonathan asks me as he walks towards me. I can feel my cheeks warm up, I am still a bit embarrassed about last evening.
"No, it is alright I just was not expecting you" I tell him honestly.
"Yes, I was just hoping I would get to escort you to dinner again" he tells me. "That is, If you are ready for dinner" he says. I stand up from the desk and walk up to him.
"I thought maybe you had lost all liking in me after yesterday" I tell him honestly. He pauses for a bit before he answers.
"No of course not. Why would I?" he asks me. I am a little startled by his answer, he did not think badly of me after I, an honorable princess, cried my heart out to him? I can feel yesterday's sobs coming to me again.
"Because I was crying and complaining and…"
"It is okay to cry you know. It is not like we are inhuman, we cry." he says. "Even though I am a prince I cry from time to time, it is healthy" he tells me. I can feel a single tear crawl down my cheek. He then smiles to me. "I am happy you opened yourself to me, now I know you are not just a self-absorbed, stone-hearted princess" he says sarcastically and laughs. I can't help but let out a little giggle. "See, I even made you laugh" he says and pins my chin. I feel my cheeks flush again, goddamn them.
"Sorry" I apologize. He stares at me questioningly.
"Why are you apologizing?" he asks. I think for a second before I answer. "I honestly don't know" I tell him. He smiles and I smile back. Our communications are as simple as that.
"Now, Clarissa-"
"Clary" I interrupt, "You can just call me Clary" I tell him.
"Clary, right" he says remembering this morning. "Now Clary, are you ready for dinner?" he asks and stretches forth his hand. I take it. "Yes, we should get going. We are probably going to be late again" I say as we walk out of my chamber.
"That is okay, they can start without us" he says and grins.
As we walk towards the dining room, Jonathan tells me about his youth here in the palace and tells me how each and every corner of the castle has a story from his youth. He tells me a few of them. One story takes place behind a statue of Jonathan's great grandfather. He and Sebastian had been playing hide and seek on the second floor when they were littlemand Jonathan thought it a great idéa to hide there but ended up falling asleep there because Sebastian did not find him. He did not want Sebastian to find him so he decided to take a nap. When he woke up it was almost dinner time. He ran to the dining room and found Sebastian there just eating with his father. He was so angry that he did not find him that he ran to his room and stayed there the rest of the night.
"I even skipped dinner!" Jonathan says jokingly. I laugh at that and Jonathan follows.
"That is a nice story Jonathan" I tell him. We have stopped, we are outside the dining room.
"You know what, you can just call me Jace" he then says.
"Jace?" I ask him.
"Yes, it is the name my mother used to call me before she died. My brothers use it and sometimes my father. I feel like Jonathan is the name my acquaintances and others use but since we are friends and all I feel like you should call me Jace" he says and smiles towards me. I nod my head.
"Alrighty, Jace" I say and smile back. We are clearly late to dinner, again, since everyone´s heads turn towards us as we walk in.
"And you are late because…?" King Valentine asks as we take out seat. I can feel Sebastian's questioning eyes on me and Jonathan, Jace.
"I was just writing my parents a letter" I tell the king. He did not seem to expect me to answer so he nods his head and the servants bring in the food.
"It is very nice of you Jace to escort our young princess to dinner, again. Have you not yet learned the way from here to your chambers?" He asks me sarcastically, I think. Although he is asking me he is looking at Jace.
"No, not yet. It is too big of a palace I guess." I tell him and smile to ease the tension I can feel coming between them. I don't understand them, are they in a competition or something? Who can spend the most time with me? Who gets the princess?. Sebastian finally turns his head towards me and smiles back to me.
"Of course, what was I thinking" he says and laughs. I feel uncomfortable, I don't know if he is being sarcastic or not. The rest of dinner time is spent talking about politics and about tomorrow's hunting trip. Clearly the King is going too. After dinner and after the king has left alongside all of his friends (assistants and personal counselors) that eat with and my ladies-in-waiting, I notice I am left alone with the three princes. Sebastian stands beside me and Jace and Max on the other side of the table.
"Would you like me to escort you to your chambers?" Sebastian asks me filled with confident. I would say yes, but I feel like Jace wants to talk to me.
"No, I am alright. Thank you for the offer though" I say politely. I can notice Sebastian's grudge as I turn him down.
"Alright my lady" he takes my hand, "I will see you in three days, and I can tell you that I am very excited about our private dinner" he says and kisses my hand. I notice Jace's eyes on us.
"Me too Prince Sebastian, have a nice trip" I say, again politely. He smiles, takes a bow and then leaves. As Sebastian leaves I walk towards Jace and Max.
"Private dinner?" Jace asks curiously.
"Yes. Sebastian asked me on our walk after breakfast if I wanted to spend an evening with him when he gets back from the hunting trip" I tell him. Jace doesn't seem all that happy about it.
"It is only a dinner. And after all, I should get to know BOTH of you if I am to be married to one of you" I tell him honestly. He nods in agreement. We stand in silence for a split second.
"I am sorry about earlier" Jace apologizes.
"You mean when you and Seb had a stare-down" Max says and laughs. I giggle with him and Jace smiles with us. He puts his right hand over Max's shoulder and messes in his hair. Max laughs and tries effortlessly to get away.
"But why are you sorry?" I then ask him suddenly. Jace lets go of Max.
"I guess I don't like you being in the middle between me and Sebastian. If he is frustrated about something he should talk to me, not you" he answers and I notice his smile fading. I don't know what to answer him so I just nod.
"Sebastian told me you were going on a hunting trip with him tomorrow morning, are you leaving too Max?" I ask. Max's smile turns into a frown. "
No, they won't let me" he says and looks up to his brother.
"Because your are only 10 years old" Jace says and smiles. "Maybe I will take you on a little trip next summer, how about that?" Jace says, trying to cheer him up.
"I can wait for that! Summer is only a couple of months away" Max says excitingly.
Suddenly I feel my head getting dreary and tired, it has been a long day of lessons and teachings. "I think I should go to bed, I am very tired" I tell them.
"I can escort you Clary!" Max then says and takes my hand. I look at Jace for approval.
"It is okay, I have to start packing for tomorrow's trip anyway" he says and blinks me.
"I look forward for your return" I tell him and smile.
"Maybe we'll also get to enjoy an evening together when I come back?" he asks. I am not sure if it is a joke or not so I just smile and take a bow out of courtesy. He watches after us as Max leads me out the door. Maybe he was serious after all.
AND THAT'S IT...for today.
Wow it has been a while hasn't it? I am so sorry, I have been so busy writing my final essay for school and I just turned it in this week. I really hoped you liked this chapter. Please leave me a message or review if you want, I really appreciate it.
Until next time...