A/N: A big thank you to all of you who reviewed!! I enjoyed reading every
single one of your comments. =). Well, here's the next chapter!
::Chapter 16: Just In Case::
"Princess, it's time for you to get up. The Duke and his son are leaving in a few minutes," a voice whispered, as someone pulled the sheets off my bed.
I groaned, pulling my pillow over my head. "Just five more minutes. . ."
"Princess!" Annabelle said with a bit more force. "Your acting like a young child! You've already missed the early dinner. The LEAST you could do is tell them goodbye."
After a few moments of listening to the lady-in-waiting's nagging voice I finally gave up. "All right, I'm up, I'm UP!!" I cried groggily, tossing my pillow to the side.
Annabelle ginned. "Now that's more like it. Here, I've laid out you're gown and I have a brush ready. There's no time for a bath-"
In minutes I was ready and waiting outside, watching as the Duke and his son say their goodbyes to the other people of the palace.
"Your highness!" the Duke cried enthusiastically as he bowed low, taking my hand in his own. "It has been a great pleasure staying with you at this wonderful palace, and I give you all my gratitude." His smiled faded. "I am very sorry about what happened, Queen Ella was a great ruler, and I'm sure she was a wonderful Mother. . ." His eyes lowered before perking up again. "I hope we meet again soon," he said, with an wide grin on his face. He bowed once more, and headed off towards the carriage that was awaiting for them before I could speak a word.
I was about to turn back to the palace when I heard someone clear their throat behind me.
"Ahem."
I whirled around, and came face to face with Nate.
"O-Oh!" I cried softly, surprised. "Well. . . I guess this is goodbye." I added a nervous smile.
He nodded, bowing. "Thank you for everything, your highness," he said loudly, as if he wanted the whole court to listen to what he was saying. I saw him move his glance slightly over to his father before moving them back to me. "It has been a great pleasure," he said, following his father's lead. "Um. . . I hope me meet again soon." He paused for a few moments before adding an overly exaggerated grin on his face.
I held back a grin. "You too." I paused. "Uh, Sir," I added, not knowing how to address him.
"Come along now, son," I heard the Duke call from the carriage.
He nodded. "Right." As he started for the carriage, he discretely dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a tiny package. It was small enough so that he was able to hide it in his palm. He quickly pushed it into mine own.
I looked up in wonder.
"Just in case," he said with a straight face. "Think of it as a late Christmas gift," he added before turning away. He started whistling a Christmas carol- Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. . . the one we had danced to on the night of the ball- as he started to walk. It might have just been my imagination, but as he was heading towards the carriage I thought I saw him quickly glace back, and wink.
I stared at the small package in my hand, and looked back up at the carriage, which was now on its way to Ayothia.
After the Duke and Nate were out of site, the court members started to return to the palace. Within a few moments, I was alone.
I carefully peeled the thin paper off from the package, to reveal two tiny objects, each about the size of a single grape. It took a few moments before I realized what they were. Two cloves of garlic.
I felt my face turn pink, and felt a strange sensation in the pit of my stomach I had never felt before. A grin slowly started to spread across my face.
"You two must really love eachother."
Startled, I looked up to see the owner of the voice while quickly shoving the gift into my pocket. I could have sworn I had been alone. . .
I looked around, and spotted a young blonde haired child, dressed in a fancy silk gown. Mayleah. From the way she was just staring at me, her eyes unmoving, it seemed as though she had been there the whole time.
"Oh! I didn't realize there was anyone else still out here- What did you just say??"
"I said, You two must really love eachother."
My eyes widened as I felt my blush deepen. "You mean me and Nate?? Oh," I said, laughing, "you've got it all wron-" I groaned as my surroundings started to blur. I quickly shook my head.
"Oh. . ." Mayleah answered. "I see. You two would have been great together. . ."
My eyes lit up. I shook my head again. I did it!! I counteracted the curse- sort of. I found a way to go against it! I shook my head again.
"No?"
I shook my head again and again, as a wide grin spread across my face. "Yes!! I did it!!" I cried with glee, as I shook my head continuously.
There was a frightened look on Mayleah's face, as she stepped back. "Umm. . . are you okay, Your Hi- I mean, Amena??"
I shook my head again. "Ask me more questions!!" I cried, great excitement coming over me.
"I-I should go. . ." Mayleah said as she stepped back even further. Suddenly she gave out a shriek as she tripped backwards onto the floor.
My eyes widened as I rushed over to her. "Are you alright?? What happened?"
The blonde girl nodded her head as she stood up, brushing herself off. "I- I'm fine. . . I just tripped. It happens pretty often," she said, looking slightly embarrassed. "It's because of my feet." She lifted the hem of her gown slightly, enough for her to reveal her shoes. She carefully pulled one of her feet out, and stepped it onto the floor.
My eyes widened with shock.
Mayleah shrugged. "I knew you would react that way. . . Almost everyone does. I don't know why they're so tiny. M-Mother- My Mother, has them too. She says it's in our genes. . ."
"Fairy feet," I breathed under my breath.
She looked up at me curiously. "What was that you said, Your- Amena?"
"N-Nothi-" I stopped myself and, instead, shook my head with a grin as the scene around me started to blur a bit. "Tell me about your Mother."
A/N: I know that was probably one of my shortest chapters yet, and I'm sorry for the long wait for updates, but I've been very busy lately and haven't found the time to write/post. PLEASE REVIEW!! I'll try to get the next chappie up asap!!
::Chapter 16: Just In Case::
"Princess, it's time for you to get up. The Duke and his son are leaving in a few minutes," a voice whispered, as someone pulled the sheets off my bed.
I groaned, pulling my pillow over my head. "Just five more minutes. . ."
"Princess!" Annabelle said with a bit more force. "Your acting like a young child! You've already missed the early dinner. The LEAST you could do is tell them goodbye."
After a few moments of listening to the lady-in-waiting's nagging voice I finally gave up. "All right, I'm up, I'm UP!!" I cried groggily, tossing my pillow to the side.
Annabelle ginned. "Now that's more like it. Here, I've laid out you're gown and I have a brush ready. There's no time for a bath-"
In minutes I was ready and waiting outside, watching as the Duke and his son say their goodbyes to the other people of the palace.
"Your highness!" the Duke cried enthusiastically as he bowed low, taking my hand in his own. "It has been a great pleasure staying with you at this wonderful palace, and I give you all my gratitude." His smiled faded. "I am very sorry about what happened, Queen Ella was a great ruler, and I'm sure she was a wonderful Mother. . ." His eyes lowered before perking up again. "I hope we meet again soon," he said, with an wide grin on his face. He bowed once more, and headed off towards the carriage that was awaiting for them before I could speak a word.
I was about to turn back to the palace when I heard someone clear their throat behind me.
"Ahem."
I whirled around, and came face to face with Nate.
"O-Oh!" I cried softly, surprised. "Well. . . I guess this is goodbye." I added a nervous smile.
He nodded, bowing. "Thank you for everything, your highness," he said loudly, as if he wanted the whole court to listen to what he was saying. I saw him move his glance slightly over to his father before moving them back to me. "It has been a great pleasure," he said, following his father's lead. "Um. . . I hope me meet again soon." He paused for a few moments before adding an overly exaggerated grin on his face.
I held back a grin. "You too." I paused. "Uh, Sir," I added, not knowing how to address him.
"Come along now, son," I heard the Duke call from the carriage.
He nodded. "Right." As he started for the carriage, he discretely dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a tiny package. It was small enough so that he was able to hide it in his palm. He quickly pushed it into mine own.
I looked up in wonder.
"Just in case," he said with a straight face. "Think of it as a late Christmas gift," he added before turning away. He started whistling a Christmas carol- Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. . . the one we had danced to on the night of the ball- as he started to walk. It might have just been my imagination, but as he was heading towards the carriage I thought I saw him quickly glace back, and wink.
I stared at the small package in my hand, and looked back up at the carriage, which was now on its way to Ayothia.
After the Duke and Nate were out of site, the court members started to return to the palace. Within a few moments, I was alone.
I carefully peeled the thin paper off from the package, to reveal two tiny objects, each about the size of a single grape. It took a few moments before I realized what they were. Two cloves of garlic.
I felt my face turn pink, and felt a strange sensation in the pit of my stomach I had never felt before. A grin slowly started to spread across my face.
"You two must really love eachother."
Startled, I looked up to see the owner of the voice while quickly shoving the gift into my pocket. I could have sworn I had been alone. . .
I looked around, and spotted a young blonde haired child, dressed in a fancy silk gown. Mayleah. From the way she was just staring at me, her eyes unmoving, it seemed as though she had been there the whole time.
"Oh! I didn't realize there was anyone else still out here- What did you just say??"
"I said, You two must really love eachother."
My eyes widened as I felt my blush deepen. "You mean me and Nate?? Oh," I said, laughing, "you've got it all wron-" I groaned as my surroundings started to blur. I quickly shook my head.
"Oh. . ." Mayleah answered. "I see. You two would have been great together. . ."
My eyes lit up. I shook my head again. I did it!! I counteracted the curse- sort of. I found a way to go against it! I shook my head again.
"No?"
I shook my head again and again, as a wide grin spread across my face. "Yes!! I did it!!" I cried with glee, as I shook my head continuously.
There was a frightened look on Mayleah's face, as she stepped back. "Umm. . . are you okay, Your Hi- I mean, Amena??"
I shook my head again. "Ask me more questions!!" I cried, great excitement coming over me.
"I-I should go. . ." Mayleah said as she stepped back even further. Suddenly she gave out a shriek as she tripped backwards onto the floor.
My eyes widened as I rushed over to her. "Are you alright?? What happened?"
The blonde girl nodded her head as she stood up, brushing herself off. "I- I'm fine. . . I just tripped. It happens pretty often," she said, looking slightly embarrassed. "It's because of my feet." She lifted the hem of her gown slightly, enough for her to reveal her shoes. She carefully pulled one of her feet out, and stepped it onto the floor.
My eyes widened with shock.
Mayleah shrugged. "I knew you would react that way. . . Almost everyone does. I don't know why they're so tiny. M-Mother- My Mother, has them too. She says it's in our genes. . ."
"Fairy feet," I breathed under my breath.
She looked up at me curiously. "What was that you said, Your- Amena?"
"N-Nothi-" I stopped myself and, instead, shook my head with a grin as the scene around me started to blur a bit. "Tell me about your Mother."
A/N: I know that was probably one of my shortest chapters yet, and I'm sorry for the long wait for updates, but I've been very busy lately and haven't found the time to write/post. PLEASE REVIEW!! I'll try to get the next chappie up asap!!
