Chapter 23 – Together
John sneaked up behind the Count and brought the flat of the sword down on his head hard. The Count dropped to the floor, dropping his knife, which I caught. My parents looked up, surprised at the sudden visitor. John was not taking any chances and put his foot on the Count to prevent him from getting up. Count V groaned and opened his eyes, they widened as he saw John.
"Don't even think about hurting Dee and her family again, or anybody else for that matter."
Count V groaned again as some guards came in on Father's request dragged him away.
"John, is it?" Mother asked once the Count was out of sight, John nodded. "Well thank you for coming in here just in time," Mother shook his hand. "Say, how did you know to come in here?"
John looked uncomfortable for a moment; I guessed he realized that I hadn't told my parents yet. "Oh, um, Dee told my earlier that she was coming in here to tell you something."
"Oh yes Dee, you never got around to telling us what you wanted," Father said to me.
I shot John a murderous look for bringing up the topic. Just as I opened my mouth however, John interrupted me.
"Your Majesties, if I may ask, may I have your daughter's hand in marriage?" I was surprised that he asked before I did.
My parents exchanged glances and Father spoke up, "Only if you promise to take good care of her and of course, she agrees."
I smiled at John, and he smiled back. It was easier than I expected.
"By the way, I'd only heard of you from Ella, but I'd never seen you around. What family do you come from?" asked Father lightly.
My blood froze in my veins, oh no, is Father going to be mad if he knows?
"I, I work in the stables, Your Majesty, and I don't really have a family," John mumbled.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know," Father said softly, "And please, call me Char. But if I may ask, could I know what family my daughter's fiancée comes from?"
I was really nervous. John swallowed, "I'm sorry sir, I can't tell you that," with that, he walked out of the study. I watched him go with mixed feelings. He was brave to ask my parents' permission, yet he chickened out on the most important fact. I thought it was better to tell him now then for him to find out later.
Father watched him go as well and shrugged. He tore the Count's document in half and threw it in the trash.
"Were you really going to make him your heir?" I asked.
"Of course not," Mother answered crisply, "I suggested that Char would sign a fake name and give it to him, he wouldn't know anyway."
I stood up to go, but Father stopped me. "Just a second Dee, I want to ask you something." I sat back down.
"Do you know what family John comes from?"
I nodded, might as well tell him now. "Yes, his grandfather was your language tutor," I whispered, squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the blow.
It never came. Instead Father said softly, almost apologetically, "The one I fired?"
I opened my eyes and nodded. Father closed his eyes, took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry about that. I was young and stubborn. I'm sincerely sorry for everything I've done. Will you ask John to forgive me?"
My mouth opened, it wasn't the reaction I expected. I guess Father could find it in him to forgive.
"I will. Thank you Father," I left the study into the cool night air. I wanted to find John and tell him everything.
I went to the stables but he wasn't there. I walked to the pastures to look for him and found him standing there with Hotspur, who was saddled and ready to go. The saddlebags were also full. John started to mount his horse as I ran up to him.
"John wait!" he jumped back down but didn't look me in the face. "Where are you going?" I asked. He didn't answer. "John? Are you all right?" Apple the centaur came over and watched us curiously.
"I'm leaving Dee," he mumbled quietly after a while.
"Leaving where?"
"Here. Kyrria."
"What?" I was exasperated, "Why?"
"Because," John stuttered, "Because I'm not worthy."
"What are you talking about? John, look at me," I forced him to look at me, for once, I was ordering "Now tell me, why aren't you worthy."
"I'm a coward. You were right; I couldn't even face your father. You deserve better than me."
I threw up my hands, I could not believe this. "So you are leaving me, without even telling me? Did you consider how I would feel? And you can't just run away from the problem."
"I know. But I thought you hated me."
"Hate you? What are you talking about?"
"You said you didn't even know why you wanted to marry me."
"But I was angry! I didn't mean it."
"How was I supposed to know that?"
"Then why did you ask my parents' permission to marry me then?" I was even more confused.
"I," John trailed off.
"Look, I'm sorry I said that, I was being too hard on you. I do love you and wish to marry you. Could you please stop being so hard on yourself? Please stay, I need you here. Besides, Father apologized for what he did to your grandfather," I said softly.
"He did?" I nodded. "All right, I'll stay then."
We kissed under a soft moonlight and the watchful eye of my centaur.
~*~
there! all is left is the epilogue now
WindPrincess1 - i don't want it to end either, but it has to end sometime, or else it would be the never ending story! there will be more stories by me, though not necessarily in this section 'cause i'm working on another story in the fairy tales and i haven't got an idea for EE right now, but we'll see.
Thanks to jelie36 for the idea of have Count V escape, except i changed it to have john rescue them.
sry about the chapter title, it's lame but it's the only thing i could come up with.
John sneaked up behind the Count and brought the flat of the sword down on his head hard. The Count dropped to the floor, dropping his knife, which I caught. My parents looked up, surprised at the sudden visitor. John was not taking any chances and put his foot on the Count to prevent him from getting up. Count V groaned and opened his eyes, they widened as he saw John.
"Don't even think about hurting Dee and her family again, or anybody else for that matter."
Count V groaned again as some guards came in on Father's request dragged him away.
"John, is it?" Mother asked once the Count was out of sight, John nodded. "Well thank you for coming in here just in time," Mother shook his hand. "Say, how did you know to come in here?"
John looked uncomfortable for a moment; I guessed he realized that I hadn't told my parents yet. "Oh, um, Dee told my earlier that she was coming in here to tell you something."
"Oh yes Dee, you never got around to telling us what you wanted," Father said to me.
I shot John a murderous look for bringing up the topic. Just as I opened my mouth however, John interrupted me.
"Your Majesties, if I may ask, may I have your daughter's hand in marriage?" I was surprised that he asked before I did.
My parents exchanged glances and Father spoke up, "Only if you promise to take good care of her and of course, she agrees."
I smiled at John, and he smiled back. It was easier than I expected.
"By the way, I'd only heard of you from Ella, but I'd never seen you around. What family do you come from?" asked Father lightly.
My blood froze in my veins, oh no, is Father going to be mad if he knows?
"I, I work in the stables, Your Majesty, and I don't really have a family," John mumbled.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know," Father said softly, "And please, call me Char. But if I may ask, could I know what family my daughter's fiancée comes from?"
I was really nervous. John swallowed, "I'm sorry sir, I can't tell you that," with that, he walked out of the study. I watched him go with mixed feelings. He was brave to ask my parents' permission, yet he chickened out on the most important fact. I thought it was better to tell him now then for him to find out later.
Father watched him go as well and shrugged. He tore the Count's document in half and threw it in the trash.
"Were you really going to make him your heir?" I asked.
"Of course not," Mother answered crisply, "I suggested that Char would sign a fake name and give it to him, he wouldn't know anyway."
I stood up to go, but Father stopped me. "Just a second Dee, I want to ask you something." I sat back down.
"Do you know what family John comes from?"
I nodded, might as well tell him now. "Yes, his grandfather was your language tutor," I whispered, squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the blow.
It never came. Instead Father said softly, almost apologetically, "The one I fired?"
I opened my eyes and nodded. Father closed his eyes, took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry about that. I was young and stubborn. I'm sincerely sorry for everything I've done. Will you ask John to forgive me?"
My mouth opened, it wasn't the reaction I expected. I guess Father could find it in him to forgive.
"I will. Thank you Father," I left the study into the cool night air. I wanted to find John and tell him everything.
I went to the stables but he wasn't there. I walked to the pastures to look for him and found him standing there with Hotspur, who was saddled and ready to go. The saddlebags were also full. John started to mount his horse as I ran up to him.
"John wait!" he jumped back down but didn't look me in the face. "Where are you going?" I asked. He didn't answer. "John? Are you all right?" Apple the centaur came over and watched us curiously.
"I'm leaving Dee," he mumbled quietly after a while.
"Leaving where?"
"Here. Kyrria."
"What?" I was exasperated, "Why?"
"Because," John stuttered, "Because I'm not worthy."
"What are you talking about? John, look at me," I forced him to look at me, for once, I was ordering "Now tell me, why aren't you worthy."
"I'm a coward. You were right; I couldn't even face your father. You deserve better than me."
I threw up my hands, I could not believe this. "So you are leaving me, without even telling me? Did you consider how I would feel? And you can't just run away from the problem."
"I know. But I thought you hated me."
"Hate you? What are you talking about?"
"You said you didn't even know why you wanted to marry me."
"But I was angry! I didn't mean it."
"How was I supposed to know that?"
"Then why did you ask my parents' permission to marry me then?" I was even more confused.
"I," John trailed off.
"Look, I'm sorry I said that, I was being too hard on you. I do love you and wish to marry you. Could you please stop being so hard on yourself? Please stay, I need you here. Besides, Father apologized for what he did to your grandfather," I said softly.
"He did?" I nodded. "All right, I'll stay then."
We kissed under a soft moonlight and the watchful eye of my centaur.
~*~
there! all is left is the epilogue now
WindPrincess1 - i don't want it to end either, but it has to end sometime, or else it would be the never ending story! there will be more stories by me, though not necessarily in this section 'cause i'm working on another story in the fairy tales and i haven't got an idea for EE right now, but we'll see.
Thanks to jelie36 for the idea of have Count V escape, except i changed it to have john rescue them.
sry about the chapter title, it's lame but it's the only thing i could come up with.