Several weeks had passed since that fateful night under the moon. In fact, it was almost time for another full moon to make its appearance. Alanna and Stephen were getting to know each other well. Alanna had taken to exploring the Palace, sometimes with Stephen, who knew just where something was that would interest her. He seemed to know the Palace very well, since he had lived there all his life.
On the days that Stephen wasn't around to show her places, she would find a hall that didn't contain suites and wander it for awhile, sometimes opening doors to see what was inside. Often, when she found a room that she loved, she would mark its location and attempt to come back the next day. This very rarely worked out, because the Palace was extremely large.
It was one such day as was mentioned earlier. Alanna was opening doors alone, fated to open random doors forever, it seemed, as she had not come upon anything interesting in the last hour or so. She saw a large, intricately carved door, inlaid with brass. She was in awe at the beauty of the door, it should have been in a frame up on the wall somewhere ! 'Whoever made it knew what they were doing,' she thought to herself.
She rested her palm for a moment on the handle of the door, which looked like a sun split down the middle with one half on each side. She thought for a moment, thinking of what could possibly be behind this door, then opened it.
The door was very heavy, and required someone larger than her to open it, but she did try. She leaned back with all her weight when the door swung open, if only an inch or two.
Alanna peered through the crack and gasped! She hadn't know this room was a conference room. Inside, the King, Queen, and Prince, having a meeting of some sort. Only they and two guards were present.
"Jonathan, you MUST find someone to marry by June. You have to be ready to accept the throne in a year, and after five years of knighting, can't you find anybody? I know I said thousands of pretty girls I could have married on my trips! But luckily, I found your mother just in time," said the King, attempting to avoid a stare from his wife.
"Father, Mother, did it ever occur to you that the entire time we've been here, I've been trying to tell you something?" asked the Prince, "You see, I've found…"
Alanna had heard the Prince's voice before, and it hadn't been at the ball. He hadn't spoken then. In fact, that wasn't the Prince at all! But she knew she'd heard that voice before, somewhere.
At that moment, Alanna had very unfortunate luck for her. Some maintenance worker hadn't oiled the hinges very well, and as she leaned, the door began to creak. The Prince turned around and looked at the open door. He stood up, and opened it all the way. It required no effort from him.
Alanna was crouched on the ground, and only saw legs for a moment. Then she rose. The face she saw was not that of the Prince.
"Stephen?" she asked wanly.
"Yes, Alanna?" he replied.
The shock of the whole thing had made her feel tired.
"I didn't know you were the Prince," she said.
He didn't reply. Instead, he took her hand and led her in. She curtsied to the King and Queen, and took the seat the the Prince offered to her. All eyes were on him as he began his story, first to Alanna, then to his parents.
~*~
Next time: the Prince's story AND does Alanna have any twists up HER sleeve? You have to wait and find out!
On the days that Stephen wasn't around to show her places, she would find a hall that didn't contain suites and wander it for awhile, sometimes opening doors to see what was inside. Often, when she found a room that she loved, she would mark its location and attempt to come back the next day. This very rarely worked out, because the Palace was extremely large.
It was one such day as was mentioned earlier. Alanna was opening doors alone, fated to open random doors forever, it seemed, as she had not come upon anything interesting in the last hour or so. She saw a large, intricately carved door, inlaid with brass. She was in awe at the beauty of the door, it should have been in a frame up on the wall somewhere ! 'Whoever made it knew what they were doing,' she thought to herself.
She rested her palm for a moment on the handle of the door, which looked like a sun split down the middle with one half on each side. She thought for a moment, thinking of what could possibly be behind this door, then opened it.
The door was very heavy, and required someone larger than her to open it, but she did try. She leaned back with all her weight when the door swung open, if only an inch or two.
Alanna peered through the crack and gasped! She hadn't know this room was a conference room. Inside, the King, Queen, and Prince, having a meeting of some sort. Only they and two guards were present.
"Jonathan, you MUST find someone to marry by June. You have to be ready to accept the throne in a year, and after five years of knighting, can't you find anybody? I know I said thousands of pretty girls I could have married on my trips! But luckily, I found your mother just in time," said the King, attempting to avoid a stare from his wife.
"Father, Mother, did it ever occur to you that the entire time we've been here, I've been trying to tell you something?" asked the Prince, "You see, I've found…"
Alanna had heard the Prince's voice before, and it hadn't been at the ball. He hadn't spoken then. In fact, that wasn't the Prince at all! But she knew she'd heard that voice before, somewhere.
At that moment, Alanna had very unfortunate luck for her. Some maintenance worker hadn't oiled the hinges very well, and as she leaned, the door began to creak. The Prince turned around and looked at the open door. He stood up, and opened it all the way. It required no effort from him.
Alanna was crouched on the ground, and only saw legs for a moment. Then she rose. The face she saw was not that of the Prince.
"Stephen?" she asked wanly.
"Yes, Alanna?" he replied.
The shock of the whole thing had made her feel tired.
"I didn't know you were the Prince," she said.
He didn't reply. Instead, he took her hand and led her in. She curtsied to the King and Queen, and took the seat the the Prince offered to her. All eyes were on him as he began his story, first to Alanna, then to his parents.
~*~
Next time: the Prince's story AND does Alanna have any twists up HER sleeve? You have to wait and find out!