Chapter 6
I was back "home," lying on my face in the grass outside the palace. I was no longer in my gown or jewelry, but in the servants' apparel I'd donned while living at the palace. I rolled over on my side, and on the grass beside me, folded up neatly, was the gown I'd worn at the ball, with my slippers resting on top of it. I guess the enchantress allowed me to keep it as a souvenir. Sitting up, I noticed several familiar gardeners trimming hedges. I called out to them, and they looked. They recognized me and dropped their shears, running over to me.
"Where is the prince?" one asked, confused, as she looked around us.
"Not here. yet. I'll explain later; just get me inside."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"WHAT?!" Annabelle cried out angrily. I flinched slightly, but tried to remain composed.
"I gave him a map, Annabelle. Don't worry, he's going to come."
"What do you mean, 'don't worry'? You DO realize what will happen if he DOESN'T come, don't you?"
"Yes, my lady, I do." I sighed and fidgeted with a loose thread in my skirt.
"Leave now." She dismissed me with a scowl and a wave of her arm.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I lay on my back on the stone bench in the middle of my favorite garden, gazing numbly at the clouds. Even my haven couldn't comfort me now. I kept wondering what would happen if Cynric didn't come back, as he'd promised. What then? What if nobody ever came to the castle? But the chances of that were slim. Colonization was happening, and with population expansion, it would be nearly impossible for people to fail to notice this place. How odd it would seem to them, finding a solitary castle filled with people in a place that had been abandoned, and they'd definitely think it strange that we could have avoided outside influence for as long as we have. Worse yet, what would happen when they found out that we couldn't leave the grounds, and that we didn't age? I guess most of us were pretty ignorant about the situation, or we tried to convince ourselves that nothing would ever happen to us.
I heard a brushing sound and footsteps, and then sat up to find Mirra standing before me. She took one look at my aggrieved face and then sat down and hugged me.
"Mirra, what's going to happen if he doesn't come?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Let's put it this way: The two weeks following that were probably the worst I'd ever experienced. Everybody in the castle hated me for what had happened. They thought that I was a traitor, sinner, and witch. Many cruel jokes were played on me, and the only people who didn't participate in them were Mirra and Scarlett (though they didn't really speak up for me either for fear of being shunned). Yes. I was pretty mad.at myself. It took three years to finally even see Cynric, and all of that time had been wasted. We all knew he wouldn't come. I was sure I would never see him again.
And then he came back. I was outside hanging clothes up on a line between two trees. I heard a group of horses galloping toward the castle, but I knew it wasn't our horses, which were all in their stables at the time. I didn't want to go see who it was. Fortunately, I didn't have to. A group of maids who had been particularly unkind to me waited there. I took that as an opportunity to dash inside. Cynric, if it really was him, was the last person I wanted to see at the moment.
On the down side, while I was just approaching the marble staircase in the main hall leading up to many more floors of the castle, they came in. "They" were Cynric and a small group of five other men. I wasn't sure where to go, so I hid behind a pillar beside the staircase. I heard the maids who had greeted the group talking.
"Please wait right here. We'll go get Princess Annabelle." With that, the group of giggly maids scurried off to go find the princess. Following a brief pause I heard one of Cynric's men speak.
"What an odd little place. It's all by itself off in the countryside, so far from any other towns." The man's voice sounded kind and clear, and I guessed that the speaker must be young.
"Yes, it is an odd place to have a castle, and a castle that doesn't seem to serve much purpose, but I'm sure there's a reason." Cynric's voice had changed somewhat but I knew it was he who spoke. His voice was deeper, but still had a mischievous, jolly air to it.
A new man spoke now. "How long do you think we will be here?"
"However long it takes me to.finish some business." He stumbled when he reached the word "to." Nobody asked what business that would be. I, myself, was curious.
After this dialogue, my nose began to itch. Badly. I felt a sneeze coming on. I covered my nose and held it back. It went away. And then suddenly, it came back. I didn't get to hold it back that time, and a high- pitched sneeze erupted from me.
"What was that?" one of the men asked, startled. I heard footsteps approaching.
Cynric looked down on me. He grinned at me, and pulled me to my feet.
"So what have I missed out on in the past two weeks?" he asked.
"I think a more appropriate question would be 'What have I missed out on in the past three years?'" I replied.
"I'll ask Annabelle that question, considering that you haven't exactly been in the area." Then there was a pause. He studied me. "You've changed," he said.
"I doubt that, my lord. I don't think a person can change too much in the course of two weeks."
"I mean you've changed in the past few years. You look even more lovely than you did so long ago."
"I wouldn't consider three years a tremendous amount of time. Thank you for the complement, however untrue it may be. You look different too. You're taller, and your voice is deeper. Plus you don't have a bandage wrapped around your head."
He smiled, and touched his forehead. "Yes, that too. I didn't hurt myself on this trip." I heard one of the men behind Cynric clear his throat, as if to cue Cyn to introduce them to me, but Cynric seemed not to hear it.
"You've also grown a bit more impolite, sir," I said, smiling at him. "You've forgotten to introduce me to your men."
"Of course! I'm sorry! Men, this is Summer, my good friend. Summer, these are my knights: Sir Peter, Sir Lionel, Sir Bradley, Sir Carl, and Sir Will." I noticed that all of them were middle-aged except for Will (and Cynric, of course).
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," I said to them with a warm smile. They said the same. I saw Annabelle walking down the hall, and decided it would be best to leave-especially considering Annabelle was giving me a look that shot daggers.
"Well, the princess is here, so I must leave, but I hope I'll have the opportunity to get to know each of you better later on." Cynric looked puzzled at my hurried exit, but said nothing. I dashed up the staircase and went up to the third floor, into a corridor of empty guest rooms. There I stayed for a long time, afraid of what would happen to me if I went back down there. Why Annabelle still hated me (even when her "Prince Charming" had returned) was a mystery.
Eventually I left that corridor. I still didn't feel like facing other people, so I wandered around until I found a balcony. I sat there and watched the sunset, and then I lie down and gazed at the stars. I was startled when I felt the presence of someone else.
"Oh! There's someone else here. I'm sorry. I was just looking around and this place looked pleasant." I'd heard that voice before. It was one of Cynric's knights.
"No, please stay. It's me, Summer, the girl that Cynric introduced you to much earlier today." He sat down beside me, and I recognized him as Sir Will.
"A lot of people were looking for you today," he said.
"Most likely so that they could kill me," I replied.
"What?! Why?"
"To avoid having to tell you a story that would take at least a week to explain, I'll put it this way. They blame me-with good reason-for Cynric taking so long to come back. The whole castle, particularly Annabelle, has been trying to destroy me for the past few weeks."
"I won't ask about it..." It was quiet for a period, and the chirping of crickets was the only sound there. "I wish it were as lovely back at home as it is here," he said to me.
"What, you don't have trees and crickets and gardens where you live?" He chuckled.
"None of it is as beautiful as this." I leaned back against the wall, behind us, and gazed at the sky. He did too.
"I used to do this so often when I was younger.when I had the time for it. Ever since I became a knight everything's been a rush."
"I come out here whenever I'm stressed out or don't feel like talking to people."
"Oh! Should I leave you alone?" he asked.
"Of course not. I'm enjoying your company." It was quiet again. "What did Annabelle say today?" I asked, curious.
"She greeted Cynric, ate supper with us, and then entertained us with her voice and a piano."
"Did anybody mention me?"
"Annabelle asked a servant where you were and Cynric wanted to know if you were all right. You did rush off in a hurry this morning."
"I'm sorry." After another, longer silence, Will spoke again.
"We've both been out here for a while. I think it's time that we went inside." He stood and helped me get up, and we entered the castle again, going our separate ways to our rooms.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning when I slipped down the kitchen to chat with Mirra and Scarlett, I received many smiles. What hypocrites. They didn't even apologize for the things they'd done to me.
"Are you feeling any better today?" Scarlett asked. I nodded, and asked for a biscuit.
"So, is there any news involving Cynric or Annabelle?" I asked.
"Nothing that happened today, although yesterday they pretty happy to see each other again."
"Figures they'd be all lovey-dovey," I said while rolling my eyes.
"We said nothing about 'lovey-dovey,'" Mirra told me. "We just said they seemed happy to see each other."
The rest of the conversation wasn't really important, just regular chatter, so after I finished my biscuit I left.
In the hall I was stopped by-guess who-the wonderful Prince Cynric Alden Hartford.
"Hello there, sweet one. Where were you yesterday?" Something about the way that sounded irritated me.
"Avoiding social interactions." My tone made him aware of my grouchiness.
"Whoa. Wait. What did I do?" I sighed, knowing it wasn't his fault I was so ill tempered.
"You didn't do anything wrong," I said to him calmly. "I've just been in a bad mood lately."
"If you'd rather be alone today, I'll understand."
"No, I don't mind being with you. Why, what did you have planned?"
"Nothing exciting. I just wanted to talk to you."
"Sure, when?"
"Now, if you're not busy."
Together we walked outside, and he led me out to the fields. I wondered what this talk would be about. Then he plopped down on the ground, right in the middle of a field of tall wheat. I sat down next to him.
"How have things been going lately?" he asked me.
"Fine." I said, raising an eyebrow at him. "Was there anything in particular you wanted to talk to me about? You seemed pretty anxious to talk when we were inside."
"No, nothing in particular. I just wanted to talk to you because I feel uncomfortable in the castle."
"Is there something I can do for you to make it less uncomfortable? If your room is too drafty or toasty then we can fix that."
"No, nothing's wrong with the room. I just don't like being inside, and I missed talking to you."
"Those knights of yours seem pretty nice, and I'm positive you're not lacking in companions to talk to. You're a prince-people clamor to you just to bask in your glory."
"That's the thing. You and I talked about this a few years ago, I remember. The knights are fine, yes, but the only one who's really worth talking to is Will, and there's not too many people back home who associate themselves with me just for friendship."
"You remember that conversation?" I asked, surprised.
"Of course. You are one of the very few people I feel close to."
I decided to change the subject. "When you first got inside the castle, when I was hiding behind that pillar, you told your knights that you'd be here until you managed to 'finish some business.' What kind of business would that be?"
Cyn's face went pink for a moment before he said, "You'll find out in due time."
"You just blushed."
"Oh shush, woman. Hey, do you remember how the last time that I was here you and I used to stay up late just talking?"
"Yes. What are you getting at?"
"Well, I'm stuck with a truly lousy maid, and I'm desperate to be rid of her. Would you be willing to take her place?"
"The last time you stayed here you were the most annoying twit I ever met."
"And you weren't?"
I glared at him.
"I take it you won't be replacing her?"
"I will, but I swear if you even dare to try to pull some of the tricks you did last time, I'll never forgive you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later that evening I found myself slipping inside of Cyn's room with a small bag of popping corn kernels.
"What took you so long?" he asked the moment I stepped inside. He was sitting in a chair by the fireplace, with a book on his lap. He gazed up at me with a half-grin on his face, waiting for my excuse. Beneath his chair was a sheepskin rug, and a few feet in front of the fireplace was a spacious bed. The walls were decorated with paintings and tapestries, and a large chest was against the wall, for his possessions. The smell of the fire was comforting, as was the heat provided by it. I glanced back at Cyn. He hadn't changed into his sleepwear yet, thank goodness, but looked a little sleepy. In the dim firelight he looked extremely handsome.
"You try sneaking down to kitchen to get popping kernels and then coming back up here unnoticed," I replied, preparing the kernels for popping.
As we watched the corn pop, he spoke. "I've decided to tell you the real reason I came here," he said quietly, gazing into the fire.
I became oblivious to the corn, and turned to face him and listen.
"I came back to ask Princess Annabelle to marry me." Even though I should have been prepared for that, I was still surprised.
"What? When?" I said quickly, feeling a little twist in my stomach. Wasn't this just a tad bit sudden? He leaves us and then the day after he comes back he announces he's going to ask the woman he deserted to marry him? Just who did he think he was?
I didn't let him answer. "Just one minute! YOU LEFT US OVER 3 YEARS AGO FOR NO APPARENT REASON, AND THEN THE SECOND YOU COME BACK YOU EXPECT HER TO MARRY YOU?! What is your problem?!" I yelled at him furiously.
"I left you a good reason! I had to return to my kingdom! You didn't honestly expect me to stay here forever, just abandoning my people, did you? And I can't just leave whenever I feel like to come back here! I have duties, responsibilities, Summer! Yes, I know 3 years seems silly, but I couldn't get away, all right? I LOVE ANNABELLE, AND I'M DETERMINED TO MAKE HER MY BRIDE!"
I'd never seen Cyn get this upset, and what frightened me even more was the fact that there seemed to be some kind of restraint in the way he said that. The firelight reflected devilishly in his eyes, but I couldn't break our gaze. I noticed I was shaking. He noticed too, and instantly his look softened.
"Summer, I'm sorry. Really, I am. I didn't mean to scare you." He sat down on the rug beside me and enveloped me in a warm hug.
After he released me I noticed the corn I'd put in the fireplace was burning.
"So much for a late-night snack," I said, sighing. Cyn smirked, and then looked back into the flames again.
"What do you think the chances are that Annabelle will accept my offer?" he said softly.
I thought about that, not sure how to answer. Sure, Annabelle would say yes, but not for the reasons he thought. Annabelle didn't love him, and I knew that. We all did. But if it meant that the curse on the castle would be gone and things would be "normal" again, then she'd definitely say yes.
Suddenly I despised Annabelle more than I ever had before. Cyn was one of my closest friends, and he would be crushed if he ever found out that she didn't care for him the way he wanted her to. I wished that I could change the situation. I wished he'd never fallen in love with her. I wished he'd never even come anywhere near here. At least then he'd be safe from heartbreak and pain. But I still had to answer Cyn's question.
"She'd have to be the craziest woman alive to not accept your offer. I'm absolutely positive she'll say yes," I said, with pain.
Cyn broke into a wide grin, and laughed happily. "Thank you," he said, and then he started talking about something else, but I couldn't focus. I felt very weak and pale, and my stomach hurt badly. I managed a feeble smile, and pretended to listen.
Eventually he decided to go to sleep, so he changed his apparel and climbed into bed. I lie down on the sheepskin rug beside the fire, feeling guiltier than I ever had before.
When I was sure Cyn was asleep, I sat up and gazed at him. His handsomeness never ceased to amaze me, and he looked very innocent in his slumber. He was so kind, so sweet, so caring. Annabelle would never be worthy of him. He was my best friend, and she would be getting married to him. I wanted so badly to do something. A few years ago in this situation I might have been inside Annabelle's sleeping chamber, strangling her, but I guess I'd changed a little over the years, as did Cynric.
It was then I realized, with great sadness, that I was still very much in love with him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I woke up before Cyn did. I couldn't bear to be around him when he got up, so I left and went to see Mirra and Scarlett. Only Scarlett was there.
"Where's Mirra?" I asked.
"Princess Annabelle assigned her to serve one of the prince's knights."
"Why are you alone? Shouldn't there be other scullery maids here, helping you with breakfast?"
"Princess Annabelle gave them other jobs for the day."
"Then I'm staying with you today."
"I thought that the princess assigned you to take care of the prince."
"She did, but he can take care of himself. Besides. never mind."
"Here, stir this," Scarlett said to me, handing me a bowl. The kitchen seemed so desolate without all the regular servants in it. The chairs, which were normally filled with chattering maids, were now empty. There was a pile of dishes from last night's meal that needed to be cleaned, and the kitchen lacked the normal cheeriness that usually inhabited it. Even the fire was quiet.
"Is it just me, or is the entire castle suddenly more depressing than it ever was before?" I said.
"It's not just you," Scarlett replied. "Everybody's noticed it."
"You'd think that with Cynric coming back everything would be so much better, but it's not. Something's different with him back, and it's not good," I said unhappily.
Scarlett stopped what she was doing. She poured two cups of tea and sat them on the table, and plopped down in a chair. She beckoned me to the chair across from her.
"Something's wrong with you, Summer, and I don't know what. You're upset, and I want you to tell me what happened." Her voice was stern but understanding and patient. I heaved a sigh, and took a sip of tea. It calmed me a little.
"Scarlett, I have a confession to make, but you can't tell a soul about it. Not even Mirra. I'll tell her when I'm ready. Promise me you won't tell anybody."
"I swear to you I'll be loyal," she said to me. My voice caught in my throat, and I had to take another sip of tea.
"I'm in love with Prince Cynric. I realized it last night." Tears pricked my eyelids, but I refused to let them fall. I was still strong. "Oh, Scarlett, he's about to make the worst mistake of his life!" The tears won, and a few of them ran down my face before I could wipe them away. "What do I do?" I whispered.
Scarlett clasped my hands in hers, and waited until my sobs were under control. "Honey," she said calmly, "you can get over him. Trust me. It might take some time, but you can do it. Darling, you're a very strong young woman, and you're capable of letting go of him. But first, I think you should have some time away from him."
"How?" I asked. "If I avoid him he'll know something's wrong. Besides, I'm his maid at the moment, and I can't get out of that." I started hiccupping.
"I'll tell the princess that you're ill, and then you'll have time to relax and get through this. Alright?" I nodded gratefully, and hugged her.
A while later I was lying on my back on that one particular stone bench in my favorite garden. I'd managed not to think about Cyn at all, but I still felt a dull ache in my chest. This garden hadn't yet lost its cheerfulness, though the castle had. But I wasn't thinking about the castle. I was focusing on the puffy white clouds passing by slowly in the sky. Everything inside this garden was so bright and comforting that it was impossible for me to be sad while in here. I liked it.
But, naturally, since I can't be at peace for long without being interrupted, somebody entered the garden. I turned my head to the side and saw that it was the person who had interrupted me only two nights before.Cyn's knight, Sir William.
"This is the second time I've disturbed your peace. I'll just be leaving now," he said to me.
"And this is the second time I've had to tell you: I don't mind being interrupted and you can stay." He smiled at me, but turned to walk down a path leading off into another garden. I stood up and walked over to him.
"A little anti-social?" I asked.
"No. Shy," he said, smiling. He looked down at a small patch of flowers we were standing next to. "Those flowers are very lovely. What do you call them?"
I laughed. His cheerfulness amazed me.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing," I replied. "It's just. I'm surprised you're so cheery. Everybody else here has been so irritable and unkind lately, and yours was the first smile I've seen in a while. And as for the name of the flower, I'm not quite sure."
"Would you like to walk with me?" His warm smile trapped me, and we walked down the path together, talking about flowers and gardens.
"Oh, I nearly forgot why I came here. Prince Cynric sent me to look for you," Will said to me. "He'd like to know if you're angry with him."
We stopped walking, and I looked Will in the eye. "You're good friends with Cyn, right?"
"Yes. He's my best friend."
"Then I take it you're a good, trustworthy man. By any chance at all, did Cyn tell you the real reason why he came here?"
"Yes, he did, but I'm not at liberty to tell you, my lady."
"It's all right; I already know. He told me about it last night in his bedchambers. But to make sure we know the same secret, does his 'business' involve matrimony?"
"Yes." Will looked me fiercely in the eye, studying me.
"I'm not lying," I said. "He honestly did tell me. He's going to ask Princess Annabelle to marry him, and he asked me what the chances were that she'd say yes." Will sighed.
"What do you think of it?" he asked.
"I was furious with him when he told me, and I still am."
What Will said next really surprised me. "I think he's the biggest fool that ever lived. It's plain as daylight to see that Annabelle doesn't love him."
"Wow. That came as a surprise. It seemed to me that you were the shy, extremely timid kind of guy."
"I tend to be shy when I'm first getting to know someone, but I strongly disagree with the timid part. If I were timid, I can guarantee you that I wouldn't be a knight."
"I'm sorry. You're right; Cyn wouldn't have much need of a cowardly knight." I paused. "Do you really think it's that easy to see Annabelle doesn't love him?" I asked.
He laughed, and smiled broadly. "Completely obvious. Cyn's just too lovesick to tell."
"Annabelle is going to say yes to him. She doesn't love him, but she's going to say yes anyway."
"Yes, I'm sure of that too. Cyn's a fool about her, and he's not going to listen to us if we try to persuade him out of it."
"So what do we do?"
"If we get really lucky, maybe a fortnight or two into the engagement she'll reveal her true self and he'll realize what an idiot he's been."
"I strongly doubt that will happen."
"So do I," he said sadly. "Oh well." Then he jolted. "I have to leave soon, so what should I tell Cynric when I find him.you know, about whether or not you're upset with him?"
"What Scarlett told Annabelle is that I'm ill and can't serve him until I'm well again. Obviously that's a complete lie, but I really need time away from him so I can cool down, so just tell him that I'm not well."
"Fine, I will."
"Thank you."
"One last thing, Summer."
I looked up at him and nodded.
"I'd like to talk to you again soon. Would you like to meet me in my rooms this evening after our afternoon meal?"
"Of course. I'll be there as soon I can."
"Good," he said merrily. He bowed and then left the garden.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I successfully managed to avoid running into Cyn for the rest of the day. I was also notably happier. I guess a little bit of Will's good humor had rubbed off on me. It helped that I wasn't the only one that knew about Cyn's not-so-wonderful secret.
So after eating a meal of leftovers brought up to my room by wonderful Scarlett, I brushed my hair, made myself look as presentable as possible, and snuck down to Sir William's sitting room. I knocked on the door to make sure I wouldn't be walking in on him changing, and then entered.
A fire crackled in this room, and two armchairs were positioned on either side of a table in front of the fireplace. Will rose from one of the chairs and greeted me, and then ushered me to the chair opposite him. Two cups of hot tea were on the table, along with a plate of cookies.
"Are you feeling any healthier yet, sick one?" he said with a good-natured grin.
"I no longer feel like smacking Cyn silly, if that's what you mean. I'm going to keep my distance from him for a bit longer, and then I'll apologize and try to convince him what a mistake he's making."
We were both quiet as we sipped our tea, but it was a comfortable silence. I felt surprisingly safe with Will, as though I had known him for years.
"How long have you been one of Cyn's knights?" I asked him.
"Three years this September. How long ago was it that Cyn last came here?"
"Three and a half years ago was when he left, but I'm not exactly sure of when I found him."
"Found him?" Will sounded surprised. I guess Cyn hadn't told him much about this place.
"Mmm-hmm," I nodded. "He was unconscious by the side of the woods, and I brought him into the castle. The physician took care of his wounds, and I was his maid, and that's how we know each other."
"I never knew the story about how you two met, but Cyn used to talk about you and Annabelle often while we were back home. He said he'd wanted to go see you, but he never had the time."
I didn't really want to talk about Cynric anymore. It just reminded me that even though he cared a lot about me as a friend, I wasn't the one who was being asked to marry him. With my luck, I never would be. I guess my face showed my emotions, because Will looked at me strangely.
"Are you all right?"
"Yes. I was just reminiscing. I shouldn't be doing that now, though, because I'll have plenty of time for that when I'm an old woman."
"How old are you right now?"
"I'm 17 years old, and you?"
"I'm 20."
"I thought you had to be a little bit older than that to work yourself up into the position of one of the prince's knights."
"I guess I'm pretty skilled."
For about 15 minutes we continued speaking, and after that I decided it might be a good idea for me to leave. He led me to the door and told me he hoped to run into me more often, and then I made the trip back to my room.
The following morning I was rudely awakened by a sharp knocking on the door. I crawled out from under my quilt and opened the door. And groaned. Cynric leaned against the doorframe, holding a white rose. He was smilingly joyfully at me.
"Yes, sir?" I asked with a yawn. My heart gave a tiny flutter of hope at the sight of the white rose.
"I brought this as a get-well gift, but it doesn't look like you need it. You seem pretty healthy at the moment." He looked at me, waiting for me to say something.
"You're determined to make my life miserable, aren't you?"
"What makes you think that?" he asked, fake shock on his face.
"If I'm not mistaken then the minute I'm done talking you're going to ask me why I lied, and then you're going to con me into babying you as soon as I brush my hair."
"I am a bit curious about why you lied, but it's up to you whether you'd like to talk to me about it or not. As for conning you into taking care of me. pleeeeeeeease?"
I rolled my eyes and said to him, "Give me the rose and a promise that you won't make me arrange anything for Annabelle and you, and you just might convince me."
He got down on one knee. "My dear Summer, I solemnly swear that I will not trick you into arranging any plans between Annabelle and me, and I offer you this white rose."
He looked so ridiculous that I burst out laughing, and pulled him up to his feet. He put one arm around my waist and dragged me out into the hallway and down the stairs, all the way to his room. I was still laughing stupidly when he let me go at his doorway, and I crumpled to the ground.
"Wonderful. My best friend has gone mad," he murmured. I managed to get control of my laughter, stood, and walked into his room.
"Good God! Cyn, what happened? Didn't you have a maid for the past day and a half?" The room was a jungle. The sheets for the bed were flung onto the ground; clothing littered the floor; the fire was out, and everything was a mess.
"You know what? I think I will just leave this for someone else to handle, because I just don't think I can clean that." I pushed him out into the hall and closed the door behind us.
"Okay then. How about we go into one of the gardens and have some apples for breakfast?" He smiled at me, and then we walked out of the castle and into an orchard. "I have another announcement to make, Summer," he said once we finished eating our apples.
"You're going to ask Annabelle to marry you today?" I asked.
"How did you know?" he asked, surprised.
"Hmm. Let me think. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you've been grinning like a fool for the past three days, and all that you've talked to Will about is Annabelle?"
"You talk to Will?" Cyn asked me.
"Yes. I had tea with him last night. Is something wrong?"
"No. Well, maybe. Just how mad were you at me?"
"I still am mad, Cyn, but I can't change anything, and if it'll make you happy then I won't protest to your face. I won't ever like the idea of you and Annabelle getting married, and you won't change that, Cyn." He frowned at me, and leaned back against the trunk of the apple tree we stood by. I had my arms crossed, and a scowl on my face.
"I don't see why you won't just accept it," he growled at me.
"This is one battle you just won't win, Cyn, so I suggest you don't try," I hissed back.
"At least TRY to be supportive, Summer. This is going to make me happy."
"Fine. I'll PRETEND that I'm happy for you." I smiled a broad, sickening, completely fake smile, and stiffened my neck muscles. "Is this happy enough?"
"Summer, I'm seriously not in the mood for this."
"I'm not going to pretend to be something I'm not, Cyn. Feel free to ask her to marry you. Feel free to do whatever you want. I really don't care. But if you think I'm going to be supportive of your marriage, think again."
"Okay, I'll change the subject, but I have one more question."
"Yes?"
"If she and I do get married, will you come with us back to my castle?"
"Of course. You're still my best friend, and I'm not leaving you, whether you like it or not."
"What are your plans for the day?" he asked, as the sun started to come in through the trees. I'd forgotten how early in the morning it still was.
"Currently I have no plans. What you going to make me do?"
"You will come with William and me for a horse ride around the grounds. It'll be a bonding experience."
"Oh goodie. A manly bonding moment. I can't wait," I replied with fake enthusiasm. He grabbed my hand and led me into the stable.
Will was already there, so I assumed these plans had been made the night before. I stumbled inside, and saw that three horses were already prepared.
"Good morning, my Lord, and the same to you, Summer."
I gave him a weak smile and waved, as all of us mounted our horses. I noticed that attached to Cyn's saddle was a bundle.
"What's in the bundle?" I asked.
"Lunch."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
".and that's my plan," Cyn finished, as we polished off our lunches. After a few hours of riding, we'd set up lunch in a field, and Cyn told Will and me about his plan for asking Annabelle to marry him. He was going to take her out into the most quiet and beautiful garden in the grounds, and right at sunset he'd ask her to marry him. I pictured it in my head, and it was very romantic.
"I wish you luck, Cyn," Will said to him.
"I already know, and so do you, that she's going to say yes," I said to Cyn.
"I really hope you're right." We picked up the remains of lunch, and mounted our horses again. We returned our horses to the stable and walked inside. Will left us and went off to his rooms, and I joined Cyn in his. Miraculously, in the amount of time we'd been gone, maids had managed to restore Cynric's room.
"Am I free now?" I asked him once we got inside his chambers.
"Sure," he said.
"One last thing." I ran over to him and threw my arms around his neck. I squeezed him tight, kissed his cheek, and wished him luck before leaving.
Then I went to my rooms and cried.
I was back "home," lying on my face in the grass outside the palace. I was no longer in my gown or jewelry, but in the servants' apparel I'd donned while living at the palace. I rolled over on my side, and on the grass beside me, folded up neatly, was the gown I'd worn at the ball, with my slippers resting on top of it. I guess the enchantress allowed me to keep it as a souvenir. Sitting up, I noticed several familiar gardeners trimming hedges. I called out to them, and they looked. They recognized me and dropped their shears, running over to me.
"Where is the prince?" one asked, confused, as she looked around us.
"Not here. yet. I'll explain later; just get me inside."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"WHAT?!" Annabelle cried out angrily. I flinched slightly, but tried to remain composed.
"I gave him a map, Annabelle. Don't worry, he's going to come."
"What do you mean, 'don't worry'? You DO realize what will happen if he DOESN'T come, don't you?"
"Yes, my lady, I do." I sighed and fidgeted with a loose thread in my skirt.
"Leave now." She dismissed me with a scowl and a wave of her arm.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I lay on my back on the stone bench in the middle of my favorite garden, gazing numbly at the clouds. Even my haven couldn't comfort me now. I kept wondering what would happen if Cynric didn't come back, as he'd promised. What then? What if nobody ever came to the castle? But the chances of that were slim. Colonization was happening, and with population expansion, it would be nearly impossible for people to fail to notice this place. How odd it would seem to them, finding a solitary castle filled with people in a place that had been abandoned, and they'd definitely think it strange that we could have avoided outside influence for as long as we have. Worse yet, what would happen when they found out that we couldn't leave the grounds, and that we didn't age? I guess most of us were pretty ignorant about the situation, or we tried to convince ourselves that nothing would ever happen to us.
I heard a brushing sound and footsteps, and then sat up to find Mirra standing before me. She took one look at my aggrieved face and then sat down and hugged me.
"Mirra, what's going to happen if he doesn't come?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Let's put it this way: The two weeks following that were probably the worst I'd ever experienced. Everybody in the castle hated me for what had happened. They thought that I was a traitor, sinner, and witch. Many cruel jokes were played on me, and the only people who didn't participate in them were Mirra and Scarlett (though they didn't really speak up for me either for fear of being shunned). Yes. I was pretty mad.at myself. It took three years to finally even see Cynric, and all of that time had been wasted. We all knew he wouldn't come. I was sure I would never see him again.
And then he came back. I was outside hanging clothes up on a line between two trees. I heard a group of horses galloping toward the castle, but I knew it wasn't our horses, which were all in their stables at the time. I didn't want to go see who it was. Fortunately, I didn't have to. A group of maids who had been particularly unkind to me waited there. I took that as an opportunity to dash inside. Cynric, if it really was him, was the last person I wanted to see at the moment.
On the down side, while I was just approaching the marble staircase in the main hall leading up to many more floors of the castle, they came in. "They" were Cynric and a small group of five other men. I wasn't sure where to go, so I hid behind a pillar beside the staircase. I heard the maids who had greeted the group talking.
"Please wait right here. We'll go get Princess Annabelle." With that, the group of giggly maids scurried off to go find the princess. Following a brief pause I heard one of Cynric's men speak.
"What an odd little place. It's all by itself off in the countryside, so far from any other towns." The man's voice sounded kind and clear, and I guessed that the speaker must be young.
"Yes, it is an odd place to have a castle, and a castle that doesn't seem to serve much purpose, but I'm sure there's a reason." Cynric's voice had changed somewhat but I knew it was he who spoke. His voice was deeper, but still had a mischievous, jolly air to it.
A new man spoke now. "How long do you think we will be here?"
"However long it takes me to.finish some business." He stumbled when he reached the word "to." Nobody asked what business that would be. I, myself, was curious.
After this dialogue, my nose began to itch. Badly. I felt a sneeze coming on. I covered my nose and held it back. It went away. And then suddenly, it came back. I didn't get to hold it back that time, and a high- pitched sneeze erupted from me.
"What was that?" one of the men asked, startled. I heard footsteps approaching.
Cynric looked down on me. He grinned at me, and pulled me to my feet.
"So what have I missed out on in the past two weeks?" he asked.
"I think a more appropriate question would be 'What have I missed out on in the past three years?'" I replied.
"I'll ask Annabelle that question, considering that you haven't exactly been in the area." Then there was a pause. He studied me. "You've changed," he said.
"I doubt that, my lord. I don't think a person can change too much in the course of two weeks."
"I mean you've changed in the past few years. You look even more lovely than you did so long ago."
"I wouldn't consider three years a tremendous amount of time. Thank you for the complement, however untrue it may be. You look different too. You're taller, and your voice is deeper. Plus you don't have a bandage wrapped around your head."
He smiled, and touched his forehead. "Yes, that too. I didn't hurt myself on this trip." I heard one of the men behind Cynric clear his throat, as if to cue Cyn to introduce them to me, but Cynric seemed not to hear it.
"You've also grown a bit more impolite, sir," I said, smiling at him. "You've forgotten to introduce me to your men."
"Of course! I'm sorry! Men, this is Summer, my good friend. Summer, these are my knights: Sir Peter, Sir Lionel, Sir Bradley, Sir Carl, and Sir Will." I noticed that all of them were middle-aged except for Will (and Cynric, of course).
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," I said to them with a warm smile. They said the same. I saw Annabelle walking down the hall, and decided it would be best to leave-especially considering Annabelle was giving me a look that shot daggers.
"Well, the princess is here, so I must leave, but I hope I'll have the opportunity to get to know each of you better later on." Cynric looked puzzled at my hurried exit, but said nothing. I dashed up the staircase and went up to the third floor, into a corridor of empty guest rooms. There I stayed for a long time, afraid of what would happen to me if I went back down there. Why Annabelle still hated me (even when her "Prince Charming" had returned) was a mystery.
Eventually I left that corridor. I still didn't feel like facing other people, so I wandered around until I found a balcony. I sat there and watched the sunset, and then I lie down and gazed at the stars. I was startled when I felt the presence of someone else.
"Oh! There's someone else here. I'm sorry. I was just looking around and this place looked pleasant." I'd heard that voice before. It was one of Cynric's knights.
"No, please stay. It's me, Summer, the girl that Cynric introduced you to much earlier today." He sat down beside me, and I recognized him as Sir Will.
"A lot of people were looking for you today," he said.
"Most likely so that they could kill me," I replied.
"What?! Why?"
"To avoid having to tell you a story that would take at least a week to explain, I'll put it this way. They blame me-with good reason-for Cynric taking so long to come back. The whole castle, particularly Annabelle, has been trying to destroy me for the past few weeks."
"I won't ask about it..." It was quiet for a period, and the chirping of crickets was the only sound there. "I wish it were as lovely back at home as it is here," he said to me.
"What, you don't have trees and crickets and gardens where you live?" He chuckled.
"None of it is as beautiful as this." I leaned back against the wall, behind us, and gazed at the sky. He did too.
"I used to do this so often when I was younger.when I had the time for it. Ever since I became a knight everything's been a rush."
"I come out here whenever I'm stressed out or don't feel like talking to people."
"Oh! Should I leave you alone?" he asked.
"Of course not. I'm enjoying your company." It was quiet again. "What did Annabelle say today?" I asked, curious.
"She greeted Cynric, ate supper with us, and then entertained us with her voice and a piano."
"Did anybody mention me?"
"Annabelle asked a servant where you were and Cynric wanted to know if you were all right. You did rush off in a hurry this morning."
"I'm sorry." After another, longer silence, Will spoke again.
"We've both been out here for a while. I think it's time that we went inside." He stood and helped me get up, and we entered the castle again, going our separate ways to our rooms.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning when I slipped down the kitchen to chat with Mirra and Scarlett, I received many smiles. What hypocrites. They didn't even apologize for the things they'd done to me.
"Are you feeling any better today?" Scarlett asked. I nodded, and asked for a biscuit.
"So, is there any news involving Cynric or Annabelle?" I asked.
"Nothing that happened today, although yesterday they pretty happy to see each other again."
"Figures they'd be all lovey-dovey," I said while rolling my eyes.
"We said nothing about 'lovey-dovey,'" Mirra told me. "We just said they seemed happy to see each other."
The rest of the conversation wasn't really important, just regular chatter, so after I finished my biscuit I left.
In the hall I was stopped by-guess who-the wonderful Prince Cynric Alden Hartford.
"Hello there, sweet one. Where were you yesterday?" Something about the way that sounded irritated me.
"Avoiding social interactions." My tone made him aware of my grouchiness.
"Whoa. Wait. What did I do?" I sighed, knowing it wasn't his fault I was so ill tempered.
"You didn't do anything wrong," I said to him calmly. "I've just been in a bad mood lately."
"If you'd rather be alone today, I'll understand."
"No, I don't mind being with you. Why, what did you have planned?"
"Nothing exciting. I just wanted to talk to you."
"Sure, when?"
"Now, if you're not busy."
Together we walked outside, and he led me out to the fields. I wondered what this talk would be about. Then he plopped down on the ground, right in the middle of a field of tall wheat. I sat down next to him.
"How have things been going lately?" he asked me.
"Fine." I said, raising an eyebrow at him. "Was there anything in particular you wanted to talk to me about? You seemed pretty anxious to talk when we were inside."
"No, nothing in particular. I just wanted to talk to you because I feel uncomfortable in the castle."
"Is there something I can do for you to make it less uncomfortable? If your room is too drafty or toasty then we can fix that."
"No, nothing's wrong with the room. I just don't like being inside, and I missed talking to you."
"Those knights of yours seem pretty nice, and I'm positive you're not lacking in companions to talk to. You're a prince-people clamor to you just to bask in your glory."
"That's the thing. You and I talked about this a few years ago, I remember. The knights are fine, yes, but the only one who's really worth talking to is Will, and there's not too many people back home who associate themselves with me just for friendship."
"You remember that conversation?" I asked, surprised.
"Of course. You are one of the very few people I feel close to."
I decided to change the subject. "When you first got inside the castle, when I was hiding behind that pillar, you told your knights that you'd be here until you managed to 'finish some business.' What kind of business would that be?"
Cyn's face went pink for a moment before he said, "You'll find out in due time."
"You just blushed."
"Oh shush, woman. Hey, do you remember how the last time that I was here you and I used to stay up late just talking?"
"Yes. What are you getting at?"
"Well, I'm stuck with a truly lousy maid, and I'm desperate to be rid of her. Would you be willing to take her place?"
"The last time you stayed here you were the most annoying twit I ever met."
"And you weren't?"
I glared at him.
"I take it you won't be replacing her?"
"I will, but I swear if you even dare to try to pull some of the tricks you did last time, I'll never forgive you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later that evening I found myself slipping inside of Cyn's room with a small bag of popping corn kernels.
"What took you so long?" he asked the moment I stepped inside. He was sitting in a chair by the fireplace, with a book on his lap. He gazed up at me with a half-grin on his face, waiting for my excuse. Beneath his chair was a sheepskin rug, and a few feet in front of the fireplace was a spacious bed. The walls were decorated with paintings and tapestries, and a large chest was against the wall, for his possessions. The smell of the fire was comforting, as was the heat provided by it. I glanced back at Cyn. He hadn't changed into his sleepwear yet, thank goodness, but looked a little sleepy. In the dim firelight he looked extremely handsome.
"You try sneaking down to kitchen to get popping kernels and then coming back up here unnoticed," I replied, preparing the kernels for popping.
As we watched the corn pop, he spoke. "I've decided to tell you the real reason I came here," he said quietly, gazing into the fire.
I became oblivious to the corn, and turned to face him and listen.
"I came back to ask Princess Annabelle to marry me." Even though I should have been prepared for that, I was still surprised.
"What? When?" I said quickly, feeling a little twist in my stomach. Wasn't this just a tad bit sudden? He leaves us and then the day after he comes back he announces he's going to ask the woman he deserted to marry him? Just who did he think he was?
I didn't let him answer. "Just one minute! YOU LEFT US OVER 3 YEARS AGO FOR NO APPARENT REASON, AND THEN THE SECOND YOU COME BACK YOU EXPECT HER TO MARRY YOU?! What is your problem?!" I yelled at him furiously.
"I left you a good reason! I had to return to my kingdom! You didn't honestly expect me to stay here forever, just abandoning my people, did you? And I can't just leave whenever I feel like to come back here! I have duties, responsibilities, Summer! Yes, I know 3 years seems silly, but I couldn't get away, all right? I LOVE ANNABELLE, AND I'M DETERMINED TO MAKE HER MY BRIDE!"
I'd never seen Cyn get this upset, and what frightened me even more was the fact that there seemed to be some kind of restraint in the way he said that. The firelight reflected devilishly in his eyes, but I couldn't break our gaze. I noticed I was shaking. He noticed too, and instantly his look softened.
"Summer, I'm sorry. Really, I am. I didn't mean to scare you." He sat down on the rug beside me and enveloped me in a warm hug.
After he released me I noticed the corn I'd put in the fireplace was burning.
"So much for a late-night snack," I said, sighing. Cyn smirked, and then looked back into the flames again.
"What do you think the chances are that Annabelle will accept my offer?" he said softly.
I thought about that, not sure how to answer. Sure, Annabelle would say yes, but not for the reasons he thought. Annabelle didn't love him, and I knew that. We all did. But if it meant that the curse on the castle would be gone and things would be "normal" again, then she'd definitely say yes.
Suddenly I despised Annabelle more than I ever had before. Cyn was one of my closest friends, and he would be crushed if he ever found out that she didn't care for him the way he wanted her to. I wished that I could change the situation. I wished he'd never fallen in love with her. I wished he'd never even come anywhere near here. At least then he'd be safe from heartbreak and pain. But I still had to answer Cyn's question.
"She'd have to be the craziest woman alive to not accept your offer. I'm absolutely positive she'll say yes," I said, with pain.
Cyn broke into a wide grin, and laughed happily. "Thank you," he said, and then he started talking about something else, but I couldn't focus. I felt very weak and pale, and my stomach hurt badly. I managed a feeble smile, and pretended to listen.
Eventually he decided to go to sleep, so he changed his apparel and climbed into bed. I lie down on the sheepskin rug beside the fire, feeling guiltier than I ever had before.
When I was sure Cyn was asleep, I sat up and gazed at him. His handsomeness never ceased to amaze me, and he looked very innocent in his slumber. He was so kind, so sweet, so caring. Annabelle would never be worthy of him. He was my best friend, and she would be getting married to him. I wanted so badly to do something. A few years ago in this situation I might have been inside Annabelle's sleeping chamber, strangling her, but I guess I'd changed a little over the years, as did Cynric.
It was then I realized, with great sadness, that I was still very much in love with him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I woke up before Cyn did. I couldn't bear to be around him when he got up, so I left and went to see Mirra and Scarlett. Only Scarlett was there.
"Where's Mirra?" I asked.
"Princess Annabelle assigned her to serve one of the prince's knights."
"Why are you alone? Shouldn't there be other scullery maids here, helping you with breakfast?"
"Princess Annabelle gave them other jobs for the day."
"Then I'm staying with you today."
"I thought that the princess assigned you to take care of the prince."
"She did, but he can take care of himself. Besides. never mind."
"Here, stir this," Scarlett said to me, handing me a bowl. The kitchen seemed so desolate without all the regular servants in it. The chairs, which were normally filled with chattering maids, were now empty. There was a pile of dishes from last night's meal that needed to be cleaned, and the kitchen lacked the normal cheeriness that usually inhabited it. Even the fire was quiet.
"Is it just me, or is the entire castle suddenly more depressing than it ever was before?" I said.
"It's not just you," Scarlett replied. "Everybody's noticed it."
"You'd think that with Cynric coming back everything would be so much better, but it's not. Something's different with him back, and it's not good," I said unhappily.
Scarlett stopped what she was doing. She poured two cups of tea and sat them on the table, and plopped down in a chair. She beckoned me to the chair across from her.
"Something's wrong with you, Summer, and I don't know what. You're upset, and I want you to tell me what happened." Her voice was stern but understanding and patient. I heaved a sigh, and took a sip of tea. It calmed me a little.
"Scarlett, I have a confession to make, but you can't tell a soul about it. Not even Mirra. I'll tell her when I'm ready. Promise me you won't tell anybody."
"I swear to you I'll be loyal," she said to me. My voice caught in my throat, and I had to take another sip of tea.
"I'm in love with Prince Cynric. I realized it last night." Tears pricked my eyelids, but I refused to let them fall. I was still strong. "Oh, Scarlett, he's about to make the worst mistake of his life!" The tears won, and a few of them ran down my face before I could wipe them away. "What do I do?" I whispered.
Scarlett clasped my hands in hers, and waited until my sobs were under control. "Honey," she said calmly, "you can get over him. Trust me. It might take some time, but you can do it. Darling, you're a very strong young woman, and you're capable of letting go of him. But first, I think you should have some time away from him."
"How?" I asked. "If I avoid him he'll know something's wrong. Besides, I'm his maid at the moment, and I can't get out of that." I started hiccupping.
"I'll tell the princess that you're ill, and then you'll have time to relax and get through this. Alright?" I nodded gratefully, and hugged her.
A while later I was lying on my back on that one particular stone bench in my favorite garden. I'd managed not to think about Cyn at all, but I still felt a dull ache in my chest. This garden hadn't yet lost its cheerfulness, though the castle had. But I wasn't thinking about the castle. I was focusing on the puffy white clouds passing by slowly in the sky. Everything inside this garden was so bright and comforting that it was impossible for me to be sad while in here. I liked it.
But, naturally, since I can't be at peace for long without being interrupted, somebody entered the garden. I turned my head to the side and saw that it was the person who had interrupted me only two nights before.Cyn's knight, Sir William.
"This is the second time I've disturbed your peace. I'll just be leaving now," he said to me.
"And this is the second time I've had to tell you: I don't mind being interrupted and you can stay." He smiled at me, but turned to walk down a path leading off into another garden. I stood up and walked over to him.
"A little anti-social?" I asked.
"No. Shy," he said, smiling. He looked down at a small patch of flowers we were standing next to. "Those flowers are very lovely. What do you call them?"
I laughed. His cheerfulness amazed me.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing," I replied. "It's just. I'm surprised you're so cheery. Everybody else here has been so irritable and unkind lately, and yours was the first smile I've seen in a while. And as for the name of the flower, I'm not quite sure."
"Would you like to walk with me?" His warm smile trapped me, and we walked down the path together, talking about flowers and gardens.
"Oh, I nearly forgot why I came here. Prince Cynric sent me to look for you," Will said to me. "He'd like to know if you're angry with him."
We stopped walking, and I looked Will in the eye. "You're good friends with Cyn, right?"
"Yes. He's my best friend."
"Then I take it you're a good, trustworthy man. By any chance at all, did Cyn tell you the real reason why he came here?"
"Yes, he did, but I'm not at liberty to tell you, my lady."
"It's all right; I already know. He told me about it last night in his bedchambers. But to make sure we know the same secret, does his 'business' involve matrimony?"
"Yes." Will looked me fiercely in the eye, studying me.
"I'm not lying," I said. "He honestly did tell me. He's going to ask Princess Annabelle to marry him, and he asked me what the chances were that she'd say yes." Will sighed.
"What do you think of it?" he asked.
"I was furious with him when he told me, and I still am."
What Will said next really surprised me. "I think he's the biggest fool that ever lived. It's plain as daylight to see that Annabelle doesn't love him."
"Wow. That came as a surprise. It seemed to me that you were the shy, extremely timid kind of guy."
"I tend to be shy when I'm first getting to know someone, but I strongly disagree with the timid part. If I were timid, I can guarantee you that I wouldn't be a knight."
"I'm sorry. You're right; Cyn wouldn't have much need of a cowardly knight." I paused. "Do you really think it's that easy to see Annabelle doesn't love him?" I asked.
He laughed, and smiled broadly. "Completely obvious. Cyn's just too lovesick to tell."
"Annabelle is going to say yes to him. She doesn't love him, but she's going to say yes anyway."
"Yes, I'm sure of that too. Cyn's a fool about her, and he's not going to listen to us if we try to persuade him out of it."
"So what do we do?"
"If we get really lucky, maybe a fortnight or two into the engagement she'll reveal her true self and he'll realize what an idiot he's been."
"I strongly doubt that will happen."
"So do I," he said sadly. "Oh well." Then he jolted. "I have to leave soon, so what should I tell Cynric when I find him.you know, about whether or not you're upset with him?"
"What Scarlett told Annabelle is that I'm ill and can't serve him until I'm well again. Obviously that's a complete lie, but I really need time away from him so I can cool down, so just tell him that I'm not well."
"Fine, I will."
"Thank you."
"One last thing, Summer."
I looked up at him and nodded.
"I'd like to talk to you again soon. Would you like to meet me in my rooms this evening after our afternoon meal?"
"Of course. I'll be there as soon I can."
"Good," he said merrily. He bowed and then left the garden.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I successfully managed to avoid running into Cyn for the rest of the day. I was also notably happier. I guess a little bit of Will's good humor had rubbed off on me. It helped that I wasn't the only one that knew about Cyn's not-so-wonderful secret.
So after eating a meal of leftovers brought up to my room by wonderful Scarlett, I brushed my hair, made myself look as presentable as possible, and snuck down to Sir William's sitting room. I knocked on the door to make sure I wouldn't be walking in on him changing, and then entered.
A fire crackled in this room, and two armchairs were positioned on either side of a table in front of the fireplace. Will rose from one of the chairs and greeted me, and then ushered me to the chair opposite him. Two cups of hot tea were on the table, along with a plate of cookies.
"Are you feeling any healthier yet, sick one?" he said with a good-natured grin.
"I no longer feel like smacking Cyn silly, if that's what you mean. I'm going to keep my distance from him for a bit longer, and then I'll apologize and try to convince him what a mistake he's making."
We were both quiet as we sipped our tea, but it was a comfortable silence. I felt surprisingly safe with Will, as though I had known him for years.
"How long have you been one of Cyn's knights?" I asked him.
"Three years this September. How long ago was it that Cyn last came here?"
"Three and a half years ago was when he left, but I'm not exactly sure of when I found him."
"Found him?" Will sounded surprised. I guess Cyn hadn't told him much about this place.
"Mmm-hmm," I nodded. "He was unconscious by the side of the woods, and I brought him into the castle. The physician took care of his wounds, and I was his maid, and that's how we know each other."
"I never knew the story about how you two met, but Cyn used to talk about you and Annabelle often while we were back home. He said he'd wanted to go see you, but he never had the time."
I didn't really want to talk about Cynric anymore. It just reminded me that even though he cared a lot about me as a friend, I wasn't the one who was being asked to marry him. With my luck, I never would be. I guess my face showed my emotions, because Will looked at me strangely.
"Are you all right?"
"Yes. I was just reminiscing. I shouldn't be doing that now, though, because I'll have plenty of time for that when I'm an old woman."
"How old are you right now?"
"I'm 17 years old, and you?"
"I'm 20."
"I thought you had to be a little bit older than that to work yourself up into the position of one of the prince's knights."
"I guess I'm pretty skilled."
For about 15 minutes we continued speaking, and after that I decided it might be a good idea for me to leave. He led me to the door and told me he hoped to run into me more often, and then I made the trip back to my room.
The following morning I was rudely awakened by a sharp knocking on the door. I crawled out from under my quilt and opened the door. And groaned. Cynric leaned against the doorframe, holding a white rose. He was smilingly joyfully at me.
"Yes, sir?" I asked with a yawn. My heart gave a tiny flutter of hope at the sight of the white rose.
"I brought this as a get-well gift, but it doesn't look like you need it. You seem pretty healthy at the moment." He looked at me, waiting for me to say something.
"You're determined to make my life miserable, aren't you?"
"What makes you think that?" he asked, fake shock on his face.
"If I'm not mistaken then the minute I'm done talking you're going to ask me why I lied, and then you're going to con me into babying you as soon as I brush my hair."
"I am a bit curious about why you lied, but it's up to you whether you'd like to talk to me about it or not. As for conning you into taking care of me. pleeeeeeeease?"
I rolled my eyes and said to him, "Give me the rose and a promise that you won't make me arrange anything for Annabelle and you, and you just might convince me."
He got down on one knee. "My dear Summer, I solemnly swear that I will not trick you into arranging any plans between Annabelle and me, and I offer you this white rose."
He looked so ridiculous that I burst out laughing, and pulled him up to his feet. He put one arm around my waist and dragged me out into the hallway and down the stairs, all the way to his room. I was still laughing stupidly when he let me go at his doorway, and I crumpled to the ground.
"Wonderful. My best friend has gone mad," he murmured. I managed to get control of my laughter, stood, and walked into his room.
"Good God! Cyn, what happened? Didn't you have a maid for the past day and a half?" The room was a jungle. The sheets for the bed were flung onto the ground; clothing littered the floor; the fire was out, and everything was a mess.
"You know what? I think I will just leave this for someone else to handle, because I just don't think I can clean that." I pushed him out into the hall and closed the door behind us.
"Okay then. How about we go into one of the gardens and have some apples for breakfast?" He smiled at me, and then we walked out of the castle and into an orchard. "I have another announcement to make, Summer," he said once we finished eating our apples.
"You're going to ask Annabelle to marry you today?" I asked.
"How did you know?" he asked, surprised.
"Hmm. Let me think. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you've been grinning like a fool for the past three days, and all that you've talked to Will about is Annabelle?"
"You talk to Will?" Cyn asked me.
"Yes. I had tea with him last night. Is something wrong?"
"No. Well, maybe. Just how mad were you at me?"
"I still am mad, Cyn, but I can't change anything, and if it'll make you happy then I won't protest to your face. I won't ever like the idea of you and Annabelle getting married, and you won't change that, Cyn." He frowned at me, and leaned back against the trunk of the apple tree we stood by. I had my arms crossed, and a scowl on my face.
"I don't see why you won't just accept it," he growled at me.
"This is one battle you just won't win, Cyn, so I suggest you don't try," I hissed back.
"At least TRY to be supportive, Summer. This is going to make me happy."
"Fine. I'll PRETEND that I'm happy for you." I smiled a broad, sickening, completely fake smile, and stiffened my neck muscles. "Is this happy enough?"
"Summer, I'm seriously not in the mood for this."
"I'm not going to pretend to be something I'm not, Cyn. Feel free to ask her to marry you. Feel free to do whatever you want. I really don't care. But if you think I'm going to be supportive of your marriage, think again."
"Okay, I'll change the subject, but I have one more question."
"Yes?"
"If she and I do get married, will you come with us back to my castle?"
"Of course. You're still my best friend, and I'm not leaving you, whether you like it or not."
"What are your plans for the day?" he asked, as the sun started to come in through the trees. I'd forgotten how early in the morning it still was.
"Currently I have no plans. What you going to make me do?"
"You will come with William and me for a horse ride around the grounds. It'll be a bonding experience."
"Oh goodie. A manly bonding moment. I can't wait," I replied with fake enthusiasm. He grabbed my hand and led me into the stable.
Will was already there, so I assumed these plans had been made the night before. I stumbled inside, and saw that three horses were already prepared.
"Good morning, my Lord, and the same to you, Summer."
I gave him a weak smile and waved, as all of us mounted our horses. I noticed that attached to Cyn's saddle was a bundle.
"What's in the bundle?" I asked.
"Lunch."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
".and that's my plan," Cyn finished, as we polished off our lunches. After a few hours of riding, we'd set up lunch in a field, and Cyn told Will and me about his plan for asking Annabelle to marry him. He was going to take her out into the most quiet and beautiful garden in the grounds, and right at sunset he'd ask her to marry him. I pictured it in my head, and it was very romantic.
"I wish you luck, Cyn," Will said to him.
"I already know, and so do you, that she's going to say yes," I said to Cyn.
"I really hope you're right." We picked up the remains of lunch, and mounted our horses again. We returned our horses to the stable and walked inside. Will left us and went off to his rooms, and I joined Cyn in his. Miraculously, in the amount of time we'd been gone, maids had managed to restore Cynric's room.
"Am I free now?" I asked him once we got inside his chambers.
"Sure," he said.
"One last thing." I ran over to him and threw my arms around his neck. I squeezed him tight, kissed his cheek, and wished him luck before leaving.
Then I went to my rooms and cried.