The next day, Elizabeth took Dianna out to the castle gardens. Spreading a
blanket over the grass, she put down Dianna and opened the picnic basket.
After she opened the basket and removed the food, she scooped up Dianna,
who was wriggling away towards the edge of the blanket. As Beth was feeding
Dianna, a shadow crossed over them. Beth looked up and realized that it was
Prince William.
"Good afternoon, my lord. Would you care to join us?" Beth asked.
"If you don't mind." William lowered himself to the ground beside her, and took a now sleeping Dianna from her arms. "May I have some?"
"Go right ahead."
"So.have you seen the fountains nearby?"
"I haven't had the time to see them yet. But I've heard they're beautiful."
"I'll show them to you." He gave Dianna back to her, and offered her a hand up.
What Beth had heard was true. The fountains were beautiful. Elizabeth's favorites were of a maiden pouring water from a jug on her should and of a dolphin spouting it from his mouth.
"The sound of running water is so relaxing, don't you think?" asked Beth.
"Yes, it is. Come on, I want to show you something."
William pulled Beth along a path that led deeper into the gardens. Turning off the path to the right, he led her into the woods itself. Finally, they reached a clearing. Towards the far end of the clearing there stood a cottage. It had a chimney on the left and a little stoop in the front. A path of stones led to the front door, lined on both sides by flowerbeds that were now choked by weeds. The windows had lace curtains and shutters. The cottage itself was white, but the shutters and door were green.
"I used to come here a lot as a child." William's voice was wistful.
"To escape your world?" asked Beth.
"Yes, and I used to pretend."
"Pretend what?" Beth shifted Dianna in her arms.
"Pretend that I wasn't me."
"I understand. As a child, I used to pretend I was a princess. Could we look inside?"
"Of course. No one has lived here since before I was born."
The inside of the cottage was musty. Cobwebs hung in every room, creating a deserted look.
"Ah-ah-achoo!"
"Bless you, Beth."
"Thank you. Could we leave now? I don't want Dianna exposed to this for any longer."
"Let's go."
^_^
When they returned to the site of their picnic, no trace of it remained. Everything that Beth had brought out had been removed.
"D'ya think they're trying to tell us something?" asked William.
"Such as, 'just because you don't work the same as us, doesn't mean you can't clean up after yourself'?"
"Something like that."
"This is absurd. We're trying to think like people we're not."
"You're right, Buff-I mean Beth. Shouldn't Dianna get her nap round this time?"
"Yes, it's the right time. What did you call me, by the way?"
"I started to say Buffy, instead of Beth. And you can call me William."
"Okay, William. But I like Buffy. You can call me that, if you want to."
"I think it suits you better. Now, shall we put Dianna down for hr nap?"
"We shall."
William and Buffy spent all of their days together, taking care of Dianna. Since he had given her a new name, she began to call him Spike, because his hair spiked in the wind. Eventually, Spike and Buffy began to fall in love.
"Good afternoon, my lord. Would you care to join us?" Beth asked.
"If you don't mind." William lowered himself to the ground beside her, and took a now sleeping Dianna from her arms. "May I have some?"
"Go right ahead."
"So.have you seen the fountains nearby?"
"I haven't had the time to see them yet. But I've heard they're beautiful."
"I'll show them to you." He gave Dianna back to her, and offered her a hand up.
What Beth had heard was true. The fountains were beautiful. Elizabeth's favorites were of a maiden pouring water from a jug on her should and of a dolphin spouting it from his mouth.
"The sound of running water is so relaxing, don't you think?" asked Beth.
"Yes, it is. Come on, I want to show you something."
William pulled Beth along a path that led deeper into the gardens. Turning off the path to the right, he led her into the woods itself. Finally, they reached a clearing. Towards the far end of the clearing there stood a cottage. It had a chimney on the left and a little stoop in the front. A path of stones led to the front door, lined on both sides by flowerbeds that were now choked by weeds. The windows had lace curtains and shutters. The cottage itself was white, but the shutters and door were green.
"I used to come here a lot as a child." William's voice was wistful.
"To escape your world?" asked Beth.
"Yes, and I used to pretend."
"Pretend what?" Beth shifted Dianna in her arms.
"Pretend that I wasn't me."
"I understand. As a child, I used to pretend I was a princess. Could we look inside?"
"Of course. No one has lived here since before I was born."
The inside of the cottage was musty. Cobwebs hung in every room, creating a deserted look.
"Ah-ah-achoo!"
"Bless you, Beth."
"Thank you. Could we leave now? I don't want Dianna exposed to this for any longer."
"Let's go."
^_^
When they returned to the site of their picnic, no trace of it remained. Everything that Beth had brought out had been removed.
"D'ya think they're trying to tell us something?" asked William.
"Such as, 'just because you don't work the same as us, doesn't mean you can't clean up after yourself'?"
"Something like that."
"This is absurd. We're trying to think like people we're not."
"You're right, Buff-I mean Beth. Shouldn't Dianna get her nap round this time?"
"Yes, it's the right time. What did you call me, by the way?"
"I started to say Buffy, instead of Beth. And you can call me William."
"Okay, William. But I like Buffy. You can call me that, if you want to."
"I think it suits you better. Now, shall we put Dianna down for hr nap?"
"We shall."
William and Buffy spent all of their days together, taking care of Dianna. Since he had given her a new name, she began to call him Spike, because his hair spiked in the wind. Eventually, Spike and Buffy began to fall in love.