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Chapter 10:
Liza resisted the urge to look back at the palace as the coach rolled on. She rested her head against the seat and sighed, massaging her temples. Why did things have to be so complicated? No wonder she felt Jonathan wasn't like the rest. He was a noble. Not a plain old one, but a Prince. A prince who's not supposed to be even interacting with her. A prince whom she is not supposed to even know, much less to like. Before she could think anymore, the coach rolled before Diana's house. Liza scrambled off the coach into the welcoming arms of the girls.
"Liza, spill at once, how was the palace?"
"I bet everyone there looked grand.. did they?"
"Tell us everything Liza."
"Were the ladies gorgeous? What about the men?"
Liza smiled feebly back at them but didn't have the energy to answer back. Diana sensed it and immediately drew Liza aside.
"Hey. Why don't we let Liza rest for the night first before interrogating her?"
The girls reluctantly agreed, seeing how tired she was. They bided her goodnight and left for bed in disappointment. Liza thanked Diana gratefully and went to bed. She slipped out of her gown and admired the way it shimmered under the moonlight. The orchestra music from the ball and the dancing came to her mind. Liza gave herself a mental shake. "Don't even think of treading that territory, Liza Wellson. Why don't you just stay put in your commoners' world."
After tossing and turning in bed for several minutes, Liza gave up on sleeping. She sat on the window sill and gazed out into the night scene. The trees swayed to the gentle breeze and the occasional hooting of the owls could be heard. Liza shivered when the breeze turned chill. She wrapped her arms around herself. Involuntarily, she remembered how warm and cuddly she felt with Jonathan's arms around hers. How drunken she felt, drowning in his kiss. How happy she was, just chatting with him. Every moment with him felt magical and perfect.
A distant owl's hooting brought her down to reality. Jonathan and she were two worlds apart. They could never and will never be together. Ever. Nothing could change the harsh truth. A lone tear ran down Liza's cheek. She was probably just another girl to Jonathan. Another one of the other hundreds he must have known. What was she thinking? That she hoped Jonathan would be as affected as her? That he would eventually pin for her day and night? Jessica was right. Liza only had herself to blame, being so silly as to fall for Jonathan when he clearly felt nothing for her. Liza's heart felt as if it had been torn apart. She sobbed and a flood of tears burst through. There she sat the whole night, crying her heart out.
******** Jonathan ran after the coach like he had never ran before in his life. "Please, wait! I just want ..your..name..." He trailed off when the coach rolled out of sight. He kicked the ground in anger. "Damn!" He was furious with himself. Girls all over were attracted to him and they clung to him like a second skin. But not that girl. The moment he revealed himself, she looked as scared as a deer faced with a wolf, prepared to flee. And flee she did, disappearing before even telling him her name. He knew they shared something special. Finally, there's this one girl whom he actually enjoyed communicating with. Yet, he found her just to lose her again.
Jonathan trudged back to the palace and found himself face to face with his angry sister.
"What do you mean by frightening away Elizabeth? She's my friend and now you've chased her away! Not to mention the fact that you snatched her from me, leaving me all alone," Jessica snapped.
"Jess, not now, okay? I'm not in the mood. If you're wise, just leave me alone," Jonathan muttered distractedly, running his fingers through his hair. He whirled around, prepared to leave when he suddenly froze. Elizabeth...the name stuck in his mind. The lady in the blue dress with those incredible eyes.
"Wait! That's her name? Elizabeth? You're sure, Jess?" Jonathan demanded.
"Of course I'm sure. Don't tell me...she didn't reveal her name to you? Now, that's a first!" Jessica hooted, sides shaking with laughter. "Maybe you'd better brush up on your skills, brother."
Jonathan didn't bother to retort back. Elizabeth...Elizabeth..that was all he could think about, his mysterious lady. It really suited her well. Jonathan grinned. He scooped his sister up and hugged her tightly. "Thank you so much, Jess. I owe you this time."
Jessica's expression changed. She struggled against Jonathan. "Let me go, Jon," she hissed. Jonathan obliged and loosened his grasp on his little sister. "That was totally humiliating! I can't believe you just did that and ruined my reputation in front of all those people." Jessica exclaimed in horror.
All Jonathan could do was to stare at his sister in bewilderment. "What reputation do you have around here?"
Jessica shook her head in despair. Her brother was just so dense sometimes. "Never mind, that's not the point anyway. The thing is I am so not going to let you off the hook easily for scaring Elizabeth away. She looked like she just saw the Devil himself." With that, she turned around and walked away.
Jonathan's good mood evaporated. He winced. Did his sister need to be that blunt? He probably scared Elizabeth with his advances on her. But he was pretty sure that she enjoyed it as much as he did by the way she responded. Why, she didn't object when he continued. Since the masquerade ball would last for three nights, Jonathan was pretty sure that she'd turn up again. He would then sought her out and apologize to her.
That night, Jonathan drifted off to sleep, fantasizing about a certain angel with abundant red curls and sea-green eyes
Chapter 10:
Liza resisted the urge to look back at the palace as the coach rolled on. She rested her head against the seat and sighed, massaging her temples. Why did things have to be so complicated? No wonder she felt Jonathan wasn't like the rest. He was a noble. Not a plain old one, but a Prince. A prince who's not supposed to be even interacting with her. A prince whom she is not supposed to even know, much less to like. Before she could think anymore, the coach rolled before Diana's house. Liza scrambled off the coach into the welcoming arms of the girls.
"Liza, spill at once, how was the palace?"
"I bet everyone there looked grand.. did they?"
"Tell us everything Liza."
"Were the ladies gorgeous? What about the men?"
Liza smiled feebly back at them but didn't have the energy to answer back. Diana sensed it and immediately drew Liza aside.
"Hey. Why don't we let Liza rest for the night first before interrogating her?"
The girls reluctantly agreed, seeing how tired she was. They bided her goodnight and left for bed in disappointment. Liza thanked Diana gratefully and went to bed. She slipped out of her gown and admired the way it shimmered under the moonlight. The orchestra music from the ball and the dancing came to her mind. Liza gave herself a mental shake. "Don't even think of treading that territory, Liza Wellson. Why don't you just stay put in your commoners' world."
After tossing and turning in bed for several minutes, Liza gave up on sleeping. She sat on the window sill and gazed out into the night scene. The trees swayed to the gentle breeze and the occasional hooting of the owls could be heard. Liza shivered when the breeze turned chill. She wrapped her arms around herself. Involuntarily, she remembered how warm and cuddly she felt with Jonathan's arms around hers. How drunken she felt, drowning in his kiss. How happy she was, just chatting with him. Every moment with him felt magical and perfect.
A distant owl's hooting brought her down to reality. Jonathan and she were two worlds apart. They could never and will never be together. Ever. Nothing could change the harsh truth. A lone tear ran down Liza's cheek. She was probably just another girl to Jonathan. Another one of the other hundreds he must have known. What was she thinking? That she hoped Jonathan would be as affected as her? That he would eventually pin for her day and night? Jessica was right. Liza only had herself to blame, being so silly as to fall for Jonathan when he clearly felt nothing for her. Liza's heart felt as if it had been torn apart. She sobbed and a flood of tears burst through. There she sat the whole night, crying her heart out.
******** Jonathan ran after the coach like he had never ran before in his life. "Please, wait! I just want ..your..name..." He trailed off when the coach rolled out of sight. He kicked the ground in anger. "Damn!" He was furious with himself. Girls all over were attracted to him and they clung to him like a second skin. But not that girl. The moment he revealed himself, she looked as scared as a deer faced with a wolf, prepared to flee. And flee she did, disappearing before even telling him her name. He knew they shared something special. Finally, there's this one girl whom he actually enjoyed communicating with. Yet, he found her just to lose her again.
Jonathan trudged back to the palace and found himself face to face with his angry sister.
"What do you mean by frightening away Elizabeth? She's my friend and now you've chased her away! Not to mention the fact that you snatched her from me, leaving me all alone," Jessica snapped.
"Jess, not now, okay? I'm not in the mood. If you're wise, just leave me alone," Jonathan muttered distractedly, running his fingers through his hair. He whirled around, prepared to leave when he suddenly froze. Elizabeth...the name stuck in his mind. The lady in the blue dress with those incredible eyes.
"Wait! That's her name? Elizabeth? You're sure, Jess?" Jonathan demanded.
"Of course I'm sure. Don't tell me...she didn't reveal her name to you? Now, that's a first!" Jessica hooted, sides shaking with laughter. "Maybe you'd better brush up on your skills, brother."
Jonathan didn't bother to retort back. Elizabeth...Elizabeth..that was all he could think about, his mysterious lady. It really suited her well. Jonathan grinned. He scooped his sister up and hugged her tightly. "Thank you so much, Jess. I owe you this time."
Jessica's expression changed. She struggled against Jonathan. "Let me go, Jon," she hissed. Jonathan obliged and loosened his grasp on his little sister. "That was totally humiliating! I can't believe you just did that and ruined my reputation in front of all those people." Jessica exclaimed in horror.
All Jonathan could do was to stare at his sister in bewilderment. "What reputation do you have around here?"
Jessica shook her head in despair. Her brother was just so dense sometimes. "Never mind, that's not the point anyway. The thing is I am so not going to let you off the hook easily for scaring Elizabeth away. She looked like she just saw the Devil himself." With that, she turned around and walked away.
Jonathan's good mood evaporated. He winced. Did his sister need to be that blunt? He probably scared Elizabeth with his advances on her. But he was pretty sure that she enjoyed it as much as he did by the way she responded. Why, she didn't object when he continued. Since the masquerade ball would last for three nights, Jonathan was pretty sure that she'd turn up again. He would then sought her out and apologize to her.
That night, Jonathan drifted off to sleep, fantasizing about a certain angel with abundant red curls and sea-green eyes