Chapter Fourteen

"You have to go." The prince looked at Annie and I seriously. We had just returned from our walk around the planet

"Go? Now?" Asked Annie. She seemed hurt and I didn't blame her. The prince had seemed do happy to see us when we had arrived and now he wanted us gone?

"Yes. I want you to go. Go, right now."

Something was amiss. I was sure of it. I wondered what the rose had told him.

"What about the missing animals?" Annie inquired. "Don't you want us to help you find out what happened to them?"

The prince paused. "No… no, I don't care about that anymore."

"But prince---"

The prince turned to me. "You will go home now, won't you? And take Annie along too?"

I didn't know what to say. Respectively, this was his plant and he could tell us when to leave whenever he wanted, but something didn't sit right. I had never seen the prince act so hostile. Especially towards Annie.

"If you want us to leave. We will go."

"But Papa…" Annie looked to me.

I turned to her. "It is his planet. If he wants us to leave, then we shall."

Her shoulders slumped in defeat. She wouldn't argue with me. I was still her chaperone, even if she were older.

I looked back to the prince. "Well, it has been a nice visit. Thank you for having us. Um…" I looked to the cots and the linens I had drawn standing not far away.

"Don't worry about those." Said the prince. "I will take care of it."

I nodded. "Take care, my friend." We shook hands, "We will visit again sometime."

His face got sort of a strange expression on it. "Um… no. Don't do that. I will visit you."

"But prince---?"

"Please. It is better this way." He glanced quickly at the rose and it is then my suspicions increased. It seemed that I was right. The prince's sudden desire to get rid of us had something to do with what she had told him.

The prince turned to Annie. "Bye, Annie. I will miss you." He opened his arms wide to her for a hug, but she ignored the gesture.

"Goodbye." She said plainly nodding at the prince and then taking me by the hand. "Come on, Papa. Let's go."

I nodded. "Goodbye, Prince. Goodbye, Miss Rose."

"Goodbye, sir." Said the rose and Annie and I walked a ways away from the pair. We posed paused a moment, before jumping into space, to take the time to look back at the pair. The prince looked miserable, his eyes glued to Annie, but Annie, I noticed, looked away.

It was sad to see such young people part on such bad terms, but I knew it was best to leave, for the time being. I could do my thinking once I reached the king's planet. I was sure he would welcome our visit as he did before.

"Come on, Papa. Let's go!" Annie tugged at my hand and leapt into the air. I soon followed her and we began our journey back.

I tried hard to read the face of my granddaughter as we floated through space and only saw a lone tear slide down her face. So, that was it. She wasn't only mad. She was also as sad as the prince had been about the parting. I could only imagine what the prince's rejection did to her. I wondered if she knew what her rejection did to the prince. I was sure he hadn't really wanted us to leave. But if so, why did he ask us to? Why didn't he ask us to stay? What had the rose told him?