Chapter 19 – Midnight Ride
"Careful Miss." The person I bumped into said. I couldn't see his face yet because the moon hit behind a cloud just then. But the voice sounded awfully familiar.
"Dee? Is that you?" the voiced sounded surprised, I guess he didn't realize who I was either.
"Yeah it's me." I answered absentmindedly while brushing off my dress. Mother would kill me if I ruined it. The cloud passed and I got a good look at the face, it was John!
"Oh hi John, I didn't realize it was you."
"I didn't recognize you at first either." He chuckled, "Wow, you're actually wearing a dress!" he teased.
"Yeah, so what?" I looked defiantly into his eyes.
"Nothing." His blue eyes shone in the moonlight. "It's just that, you look, um, nice." He paused before adding "Beautiful."
I suddenly felt myself blush. "Thanks." I whispered.
After a moment of awkward silence, I asked John what he was doing outside the ballroom.
"Actually I was going to ask you the same thing." John answered.
"I don't want to talk about it." John nodded and didn't press further. "You still have to answer my question. I thought you didn't want to come to the ball." I continued.
"Oh, I was just passing by going to the stables." I raised my eyebrow, he sighed. "Okay, I was curious and maybe hoped to peek inside. I'd never thought I would catch a princess though." John grinned. I jabbed him in the ribs playfully.
"So are you going back inside?" John asked. I shook my head. I didn't want to face my parents and Oreto any time soon. "In that case, why don't you accompany me to the stables." His gentle eyes cast down toward me.
"What, are you afraid you're going to get lost or something?" I kidded him, but started walking with him anyway.
We walked in silence. I was glad I had a distraction so I didn't have to think about my parents wanting to marry me off to Prince Boring. It was so unlike them though. They never said they would, I told myself, but they were probably thinking about it though.
"Do you want to go riding?" John's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Uh? Oh sure." Then I looked down at my dress "I can't ride in this though."
"If you want, I'll wait for you and you can go change." John suggested. I nodded and snuck into my room from my window.
A couple of minutes later, I climbed back out in my usual tunic and breeches. I threw on my coat on the last minute, for the night air was a bit chilly.
"Ready?" John asked, when I nodded, he handed me Lightning's reins. While he was waiting for me, he got the horses ready to go.
We mounted the horses and went riding in the field that we first rode together months ago. I wanted to ride Apple, but I couldn't get him to behave well for a long period of time.
"Race you!" I called out and went into a gallop before John could react. "First one to the stream wins."
"Hey, no fair!" I heard him yell, "I'll catch you." I laughed but slowed down enough for John and Hotspur to catch us.
The full moon cast a soft glow to the night, illuminating the horses and us. The cool wind ran its fingers through my hair, and John riding next to me. It felt so nice. For a moment, I forgot about my parents, Oreto and the ball, I concentrated on having fun and being free. Free to do what I liked, without someone telling me it wasn't proper princess behavior. Free to be with whomever I like, without being hinted at that I needed to marry a noble. I wished this ride could go on forever.
Alas, all good things must come to an end. We arrived at the stream all too soon. We dismounted and cooled down the horses. John threw a blanket over them and let them rest.
We sat down under the apple tree, where we had lunch the first day we met. Everything looked different at night. The stream sparkled from the glow of the moon, and the grass was tinted silver. I sighed and stared at the mesmerizing movement of the stream.
"Dee," John's voice drifted in, snapping me awake from my thoughts. "Do you believe in love?" he asked softly. It was the second time he asked me that. I didn't know how to answer.
Finally I said: "I don't know. But my Mother and Father do. Speaking of them – " I was going to ask John why he wouldn't go inside the castle, but I didn't know how to bring it up without intruding his privacy. He had been very careful not to intrude my privacy.
"What about them?" John inquired.
"Oh, um, nothing." There was a strange silence between us. There was only the running stream and the snorting of the horses to be heard.
"Um, why do you want to know? About believing in love I mean." I was both afraid and anticipating the answer.
"Oh." John turned away, but I caught a glimpse of his pink cheeks, even in the moonlight I could tell he was blushing. I wondered why, but was too afraid to think the matter further. "I just thought to ask."
Another awkward silence.
"Dee, when I first saw you, I admired you." John said finally and turned to me expectantly.
"Oh." was all I could manage. I was afraid of what he was going to say next, but I was also afraid to get my hopes up. I wanted to tell him how I feel about him, ever since we came back from Ayortha. But I was too afraid that he would turn me down. I was a princess, and maybe he would be afraid to return my feelings. It seemed to me that he was trying to tell me the same thing, so I wanted to wait for him to say it first. But I didn't want to get my hopes up; maybe he wanted to tell me the opposite from what I wanted to hear.
I waited for more, but he trailed off. I was both relieved and disappointed. I guess if I want him to know, I should've told him. Tonight was the perfect night to tell him. So I took a deep breath and said: "John, I love you." Only it came out as a tiny whisper. I closed my eyes. I didn't want to say it again if he didn't hear me. I didn't have the courage. I thought myself as brave before, but I realized being brave took at lot more than what I had.
I guess John heard me, because the next thing I knew, our lips met. I was scared and shocked at first, but felt the fear melt away, replaced by love. All my thoughts on how kissing was disgusting disappeared. I finally knew how Mother and Father felt when they say love. For a moment, the world consisted only the two of us.
I drew back, still a bit dazed from our kiss. Our faces were inches apart. John cupped his hand under my chin.
"I love you too Dee. I've been trying to tell you that for a while." John whispered. "I love how you are talented at so many things, even though they are not things women do, but that doesn't matter."
I smiled and looked into his dark blue eyes and asked: "John, will you marry me?"
His reaction wasn't what I expected at all. John's eyes widened and his shook his head slowly.
~*~
cliffs!! Muahahaha
yup I finally updated, and with fluff!
Next chap – John's Secret.
I love reading your reviews. Plz keep them coming 'cause that's what keeps me writing.
p.s. i need more votes so i can update my other story "White as Snow? Not Really!"
"Careful Miss." The person I bumped into said. I couldn't see his face yet because the moon hit behind a cloud just then. But the voice sounded awfully familiar.
"Dee? Is that you?" the voiced sounded surprised, I guess he didn't realize who I was either.
"Yeah it's me." I answered absentmindedly while brushing off my dress. Mother would kill me if I ruined it. The cloud passed and I got a good look at the face, it was John!
"Oh hi John, I didn't realize it was you."
"I didn't recognize you at first either." He chuckled, "Wow, you're actually wearing a dress!" he teased.
"Yeah, so what?" I looked defiantly into his eyes.
"Nothing." His blue eyes shone in the moonlight. "It's just that, you look, um, nice." He paused before adding "Beautiful."
I suddenly felt myself blush. "Thanks." I whispered.
After a moment of awkward silence, I asked John what he was doing outside the ballroom.
"Actually I was going to ask you the same thing." John answered.
"I don't want to talk about it." John nodded and didn't press further. "You still have to answer my question. I thought you didn't want to come to the ball." I continued.
"Oh, I was just passing by going to the stables." I raised my eyebrow, he sighed. "Okay, I was curious and maybe hoped to peek inside. I'd never thought I would catch a princess though." John grinned. I jabbed him in the ribs playfully.
"So are you going back inside?" John asked. I shook my head. I didn't want to face my parents and Oreto any time soon. "In that case, why don't you accompany me to the stables." His gentle eyes cast down toward me.
"What, are you afraid you're going to get lost or something?" I kidded him, but started walking with him anyway.
We walked in silence. I was glad I had a distraction so I didn't have to think about my parents wanting to marry me off to Prince Boring. It was so unlike them though. They never said they would, I told myself, but they were probably thinking about it though.
"Do you want to go riding?" John's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Uh? Oh sure." Then I looked down at my dress "I can't ride in this though."
"If you want, I'll wait for you and you can go change." John suggested. I nodded and snuck into my room from my window.
A couple of minutes later, I climbed back out in my usual tunic and breeches. I threw on my coat on the last minute, for the night air was a bit chilly.
"Ready?" John asked, when I nodded, he handed me Lightning's reins. While he was waiting for me, he got the horses ready to go.
We mounted the horses and went riding in the field that we first rode together months ago. I wanted to ride Apple, but I couldn't get him to behave well for a long period of time.
"Race you!" I called out and went into a gallop before John could react. "First one to the stream wins."
"Hey, no fair!" I heard him yell, "I'll catch you." I laughed but slowed down enough for John and Hotspur to catch us.
The full moon cast a soft glow to the night, illuminating the horses and us. The cool wind ran its fingers through my hair, and John riding next to me. It felt so nice. For a moment, I forgot about my parents, Oreto and the ball, I concentrated on having fun and being free. Free to do what I liked, without someone telling me it wasn't proper princess behavior. Free to be with whomever I like, without being hinted at that I needed to marry a noble. I wished this ride could go on forever.
Alas, all good things must come to an end. We arrived at the stream all too soon. We dismounted and cooled down the horses. John threw a blanket over them and let them rest.
We sat down under the apple tree, where we had lunch the first day we met. Everything looked different at night. The stream sparkled from the glow of the moon, and the grass was tinted silver. I sighed and stared at the mesmerizing movement of the stream.
"Dee," John's voice drifted in, snapping me awake from my thoughts. "Do you believe in love?" he asked softly. It was the second time he asked me that. I didn't know how to answer.
Finally I said: "I don't know. But my Mother and Father do. Speaking of them – " I was going to ask John why he wouldn't go inside the castle, but I didn't know how to bring it up without intruding his privacy. He had been very careful not to intrude my privacy.
"What about them?" John inquired.
"Oh, um, nothing." There was a strange silence between us. There was only the running stream and the snorting of the horses to be heard.
"Um, why do you want to know? About believing in love I mean." I was both afraid and anticipating the answer.
"Oh." John turned away, but I caught a glimpse of his pink cheeks, even in the moonlight I could tell he was blushing. I wondered why, but was too afraid to think the matter further. "I just thought to ask."
Another awkward silence.
"Dee, when I first saw you, I admired you." John said finally and turned to me expectantly.
"Oh." was all I could manage. I was afraid of what he was going to say next, but I was also afraid to get my hopes up. I wanted to tell him how I feel about him, ever since we came back from Ayortha. But I was too afraid that he would turn me down. I was a princess, and maybe he would be afraid to return my feelings. It seemed to me that he was trying to tell me the same thing, so I wanted to wait for him to say it first. But I didn't want to get my hopes up; maybe he wanted to tell me the opposite from what I wanted to hear.
I waited for more, but he trailed off. I was both relieved and disappointed. I guess if I want him to know, I should've told him. Tonight was the perfect night to tell him. So I took a deep breath and said: "John, I love you." Only it came out as a tiny whisper. I closed my eyes. I didn't want to say it again if he didn't hear me. I didn't have the courage. I thought myself as brave before, but I realized being brave took at lot more than what I had.
I guess John heard me, because the next thing I knew, our lips met. I was scared and shocked at first, but felt the fear melt away, replaced by love. All my thoughts on how kissing was disgusting disappeared. I finally knew how Mother and Father felt when they say love. For a moment, the world consisted only the two of us.
I drew back, still a bit dazed from our kiss. Our faces were inches apart. John cupped his hand under my chin.
"I love you too Dee. I've been trying to tell you that for a while." John whispered. "I love how you are talented at so many things, even though they are not things women do, but that doesn't matter."
I smiled and looked into his dark blue eyes and asked: "John, will you marry me?"
His reaction wasn't what I expected at all. John's eyes widened and his shook his head slowly.
~*~
cliffs!! Muahahaha
yup I finally updated, and with fluff!
Next chap – John's Secret.
I love reading your reviews. Plz keep them coming 'cause that's what keeps me writing.
p.s. i need more votes so i can update my other story "White as Snow? Not Really!"