Well, after receiving reviews telling me that I'm evil (i already know that Muahahaha), I decided to update before someone gets hurt. lol
so here it is, the much anticipated chapter, hope it's up to your standards.

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Chapter 20 – John's Secret

"Why can't you marry me if you love me?" I asked.

"Because you are a princess and I am just an orphaned peasant boy." John mumbled.

"So what, Mother was a servant before she married Father. If anyone will understand our situation, it'll be them."

"You, you don't understand Dee, I-I just can't okay, I'm sorry." He turned away.

"I would if you tell me." I pressed, then seeing his discomfort I softened a bit. "You can trust me John. Please, can you tell me?"

John took a deep breath and faced me, "Did your father ever mention his childhood tutors?"

I blinked, what did this have to do with anything? Was he trying to change the subject? "No, I don't ever remember him doing so. Why?"

He looked down and didn't answer me, "My grandfather was the one that taught me how to read and write. He was once the King's childhood language tutor."

"That's great! My father would welcome you even more then if you are the grandson of his teacher." I exclaimed. But when he didn't look up, I got worried "Isn't it?" I asked in a small voice.

"NO, it isn't!" John looked up, his eyes boring into mine. I saw anger and sadness. "I, I mean you don't understand…" he trailed off, his face softened.

"Don't say that to me. Just, please, just tell me everything." I was getting impatient.

"Your father is a great king Dee, but once he was foolish." John started to tell me the story.

"You see, my grandfather was a bit strict in his teachings, but that was just his way. After he taught your father, Prince Charmont, who was twelve at the time, he taught your father's sister Princess Cecilia. I guess his strict ways made her cry. So the Prince warned him. The second time Princess Cecilia cried, he dismissed my grandfather. My grandfather tried talking to King Jerrold about the situation, but he trusted the Prince and let his decision stand.

"That was bad, but not as bad as what your father did next. I guess he was really mad, for he made sure my grandfather would never find a job as a teacher again. This ruined him as well as the rest as my family. I wasn't born yet when this happened of course, but everyone in my family knows about it." John paused to take a shaky breath and continued.

"Since he couldn't teach anymore, my grandfather had to start all over again, so he became a merchant. It was a hard time in my family, not only did he have to find new ways to feed the family, we also carried the shame of angering the Prince. For a while, no one wanted anything to do with us. I think the incident is pretty much forgotten now, but the results are everlasting. No one in my family wanted to have anything to do with the monarchs, and the hate stayed in the family. I, I shouldn't even be with you, the daughter of the one person that ruined my family. If my father was alive, he would kill me if he knew." John finished his story and put his arm around my shoulders "But I can't help myself Dee."

I didn't hear his last sentence. I felt sick. At that moment I hated my family and myself. How could Father, a just, easygoing, honest, and patient king, do this to a poor family? I'd never seen Father lose his temper at his subjects.

"Dee, are you okay?" John sounded concerned.

No, I refuse to believe this, it's all a lie!

"No, it's not true, you're lying. Father would never do this!" I screamed, tears streamed down my face.

John looked sadly at me. That look on his face told me he wasn't lying.

"No, no…it can't…" I sobbed into John's shoulder, he put a comforting arm around me. I knew this meant we could never be together. Rank wouldn't matter to Father, but this would, for I knew he was slow to forgive. Then there was the fact that he wanted me to marry Prince Oreto.

I finished sobbing, and suggested we go back before everyone came looking for us. The ride home was slow and agonizing. Even though I gained knowledge that John loved me back, I also gained the knowledge that this love could never stay together.

After resting and horses in their stalls, John kissed me goodnight. I could tell he, like me, was sad and happy at the same time.

I slipped into my room unnoticed. But I knew I'd have to answer questions about my disappearance first thing tomorrow. It was still worth it. I'd much rather spend time riding with John than being stuck inside with stuffy people, even if I had to face the probable consequence of being grounded in my room.

I walked across the room to my bed, my riding boots clicked on the stone floor. I took them off to avoid noise and the risk of being discovered. The cold stone on my bare feet sent a chill up my body. My bed was already made, despite my request of doing that myself.

I changed into my nightclothes and blew out the candles. Just as I was climbing into my bed, I saw something in the corner of my room. I walked over to it and saw it was John's present. The package was long and thin wrapped carefully in brown paper. I gingerly removed the wrapping and gasped when I saw his present. There, lying in front of me were sixteen beautiful arrows tied together with a red ribbon. I picked them up gently over to the window to see them better.

I took one out of the bundle and examined it. The arrow was a bit shorter than me; the head was made of the finest material. I didn't know what it was, but I could tell it was strong. A hand below the head was a band of colour; it looked silver under the moonlight, but seemed to shift colours if I looked at it from different angles. I ran a hand over the smooth wooden body of the arrow and decided it was made of maple wood. My eyes shifted to the end of the arrow. There were more of the colour bands near the tail. The tail itself was made of what looked like phoenix feathers, because the colour was the colour of fire, and the shape looked like phoenix feathers. But there hadn't been any phoenix around for a long time.

My gaze fell to a piece of paper stuck to one arrow in the bundle. I carefully took it off and saw it was a note from John.

Dear Dee,

Happy birthday! Hope you have a happy one.

Do you like my present? They were made by fairies and given to my grandfather as a present. I want you to have them. Originally there were twenty, but since you are sixteen, I'll give you sixteen arrows. The heads are made of what the fairies call steel, and the tails are made of phoenix feathers (I was right).

Well, happy birthday again.

John

P.S. when the fairies gave Grandfather the arrows, they meant him to use them for tournaments, not for killing. I hope you will do the same thing. But I guess it's okay to use them for self-defence.

I thanked John silently. I loved my gift, and even though I know my parents meant well, I liked John's gift better than the ball they threw for me.

I stashed the package in the trinket box I received for my fourteenth birthday and climbed to bed.

John's grandfather must've been an important person for the fairies to give him such beautiful arrows. I sighed; too bad Father couldn't see the tutor as a good person. I thought about that and tears threatened to spill again. I rarely cried, but that night I cried myself to sleep.

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Well, was that what you thought John's secret was? Hoped you liked my idea on his secret.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I had a reviewer say that happy endings in stories are kinda boring. Actually, I kinda agree, but I want your opinion. So 1) should the story have a happy ending or 2) should it have a sad ending?
Plz review and let me know!

oh yeah, EvenSong: when i made the name Oreto up, i thought of Oreo
Brittney-Btrflies, Shima And Tempis, Olenochka, Ryolli, jelie36, EvenSong, and other reader of my story: thank you for putting up with me and the evil cliffs!