Chapter 2 – Apologies and More Mischief
After mass on Sunday, Liam decided to go for a walk to his favourite place in the forest behind the castle. When he got there, he was surprised to see that Ann was sitting under his favourite maple tree.
He debated on whether to go and talk to her or just turn back. It had been three days since she dumped the water on him. He hadn't seen her since and was relieved, since he couldn't face her anyway. He decided to face her and get it over with.
"Hi Ann," he said in a friendly tone as he walked over and stood beside her. When she didn't answer, he tried again. "What are you doing?" he was answered by silence.
Liam shrugged and peered over her shoulder. Ann was sketching the castle with a piece of charcoal on parchment. The image resembled the real thing so much that even the flags seemed to move.
"Wow, where did you learn to sketch like that?" Ann ignored him and continued to sketch.
Liam sat down beside her; this was harder than he thought. He took a deep breath and said to her ear, "Look Ann, I apologize for what I did. I didn't mean to."
Ann put down her charcoal to look at him, "Hmm, you didn't mean to," she paused. Then it seemed to Liam that a sudden light seemed to go off in her head, "Oh you mean your hands slipped and you accidentally poured the liquid into the cup and you accidentally gave it to me. Then words just slipped out of your mouth to tell me to drink it," her eyes contained that same fierce look. "Okay, I forgive you, since it was all an accident," Ann said sarcastically.
Liam blinked, "What?"
"Look pretty boy, you ain't sorry until you mean it," Ann stood up with her stuff and added, "The apology that is."
She started to leave. Liam stood up and followed her.
"Wait," he walked in front of her and blocked her way. "Ann, I'm sorry, for giving you that drink. Honestly. Please forgive me," he looked her in the eye, hoping that he looked apologetic. "I didn't like it," he added.
Ann sighed and nodded, "Fine, I forgive you." Then she said softly "If you didn't like it, why did you do it?"
"I, I'm not sure myself."
Ann shook her head in amusement and sat back down at the base of the tree. "Are all princes like you?"
Liam smiled and sat down with her, "No, unfortunately. Did you know that you are sitting under my favourite tree?"
They sat there all afternoon, talking easily. Ann even offered to sketch a portrait of Liam.
~*~
Ann was carrying a stack of plates to the kitchen to be washed. The nobles were having a feast and took up a lot of plates. She didn't have a specific job, so she did odd things around the castle.
She was so intend on getting the plates to the kitchen as fast as she could, she didn't see a group of young nobles around the corner, nor did she see the foot sticking out in front of her just as she reached the kitchen. She tripped over the foot neatly, dropping the plates. Ann grimaced as the plates shattered, the pieces flying everywhere. She even lands on some shards, cutting her hands. She picked herself up quickly and looked for the culprit.
"What did you do that for?" she asked angrily to the blonde girl from the other day.
"Oops. Did you trip? Wasn't my fault that you are such a klutz," she stuck her nose in the air.
"What happened?" a middle-aged woman poked her head out from the kitchen. Then she saw the broken plates, "Ann! What did you do?"
Ann gave the blonde girl and her friends a menacing look. She saw Liam standing there, just watching. Then she turned to the woman and curtsied, "I'm sorry ma'am, I'll be more careful next time."
The woman sighed, "You'd better clean this up. I'll forgive you since you are new, but don't do it again."
Ann followed the woman into the kitchen. As she passed Liam, she said in a low voice so that only he could hear, "Two-faced jerk."
~*~
"I'm so sorry Ann," Liam pleaded the next day while Ann sketched under the maple tree.
"That's what you do. You hurt me, then apologize and expect me to forgive you just like that," Ann said without looking up.
"It wasn't my fault! Briana and Nick did it," Liam tried desperately to defend himself
"Well you could've told them to stop. You are the prince aren't you?"
"Well yes, but…" he trailed off, not sure of what to say.
"I was starting to think you are actually nice, and maybe be a friend. But you ruined it," Ann stood up. Although she was much shorter, Liam felt that he was the smaller one. "The least you could do was to stand up for me and help me. Did you know that what you and your so-called friends could've gotten my mother and me fired? I don't feel like searching for another job."
"I, I'm sorry," Liam shrank even more. "But what did you mean by my 'so-called' friends?"
"They are not your true friends Liam, can't you see that?"
Liam shook his head, "How would you know? You haven't even been here for a week yet."
"I can tell. I can tell that they are putting you up to things you don't want to do," Ann said softly, "I know that you can be a sweet guy if you want to be, like the other day. If only you could stand up to them."
Liam was surprise at Ann's seemingly understanding of him. "Does this mean you forgive me?" he asked cautiously.
Ann sighed and closed her eyes, "I'll give you one more chance Liam. But I can't completely forgive you until you can stand up to your friends and stand up for me."
~*~
"Briana, please, can't we stop picking on her?" Liam pleaded the next day in the garden.
"Why? It has always been tradition. We always play with the new people until we get tired of them. I'm still having fun with her."
"But – "
"Oh Liam," Nick cut in, "Are you in love with her, an ugly servant girl?"
"NO!" Liam said quickly, his face growing warm.
"Then why do you want us to stop?" asked Archer.
"I, I don't know," Liam mumbled in defeat, "I just think…" he trailed off; no one was listening to him.
~*~
how was that? i want three more reviews before continuing!
After mass on Sunday, Liam decided to go for a walk to his favourite place in the forest behind the castle. When he got there, he was surprised to see that Ann was sitting under his favourite maple tree.
He debated on whether to go and talk to her or just turn back. It had been three days since she dumped the water on him. He hadn't seen her since and was relieved, since he couldn't face her anyway. He decided to face her and get it over with.
"Hi Ann," he said in a friendly tone as he walked over and stood beside her. When she didn't answer, he tried again. "What are you doing?" he was answered by silence.
Liam shrugged and peered over her shoulder. Ann was sketching the castle with a piece of charcoal on parchment. The image resembled the real thing so much that even the flags seemed to move.
"Wow, where did you learn to sketch like that?" Ann ignored him and continued to sketch.
Liam sat down beside her; this was harder than he thought. He took a deep breath and said to her ear, "Look Ann, I apologize for what I did. I didn't mean to."
Ann put down her charcoal to look at him, "Hmm, you didn't mean to," she paused. Then it seemed to Liam that a sudden light seemed to go off in her head, "Oh you mean your hands slipped and you accidentally poured the liquid into the cup and you accidentally gave it to me. Then words just slipped out of your mouth to tell me to drink it," her eyes contained that same fierce look. "Okay, I forgive you, since it was all an accident," Ann said sarcastically.
Liam blinked, "What?"
"Look pretty boy, you ain't sorry until you mean it," Ann stood up with her stuff and added, "The apology that is."
She started to leave. Liam stood up and followed her.
"Wait," he walked in front of her and blocked her way. "Ann, I'm sorry, for giving you that drink. Honestly. Please forgive me," he looked her in the eye, hoping that he looked apologetic. "I didn't like it," he added.
Ann sighed and nodded, "Fine, I forgive you." Then she said softly "If you didn't like it, why did you do it?"
"I, I'm not sure myself."
Ann shook her head in amusement and sat back down at the base of the tree. "Are all princes like you?"
Liam smiled and sat down with her, "No, unfortunately. Did you know that you are sitting under my favourite tree?"
They sat there all afternoon, talking easily. Ann even offered to sketch a portrait of Liam.
~*~
Ann was carrying a stack of plates to the kitchen to be washed. The nobles were having a feast and took up a lot of plates. She didn't have a specific job, so she did odd things around the castle.
She was so intend on getting the plates to the kitchen as fast as she could, she didn't see a group of young nobles around the corner, nor did she see the foot sticking out in front of her just as she reached the kitchen. She tripped over the foot neatly, dropping the plates. Ann grimaced as the plates shattered, the pieces flying everywhere. She even lands on some shards, cutting her hands. She picked herself up quickly and looked for the culprit.
"What did you do that for?" she asked angrily to the blonde girl from the other day.
"Oops. Did you trip? Wasn't my fault that you are such a klutz," she stuck her nose in the air.
"What happened?" a middle-aged woman poked her head out from the kitchen. Then she saw the broken plates, "Ann! What did you do?"
Ann gave the blonde girl and her friends a menacing look. She saw Liam standing there, just watching. Then she turned to the woman and curtsied, "I'm sorry ma'am, I'll be more careful next time."
The woman sighed, "You'd better clean this up. I'll forgive you since you are new, but don't do it again."
Ann followed the woman into the kitchen. As she passed Liam, she said in a low voice so that only he could hear, "Two-faced jerk."
~*~
"I'm so sorry Ann," Liam pleaded the next day while Ann sketched under the maple tree.
"That's what you do. You hurt me, then apologize and expect me to forgive you just like that," Ann said without looking up.
"It wasn't my fault! Briana and Nick did it," Liam tried desperately to defend himself
"Well you could've told them to stop. You are the prince aren't you?"
"Well yes, but…" he trailed off, not sure of what to say.
"I was starting to think you are actually nice, and maybe be a friend. But you ruined it," Ann stood up. Although she was much shorter, Liam felt that he was the smaller one. "The least you could do was to stand up for me and help me. Did you know that what you and your so-called friends could've gotten my mother and me fired? I don't feel like searching for another job."
"I, I'm sorry," Liam shrank even more. "But what did you mean by my 'so-called' friends?"
"They are not your true friends Liam, can't you see that?"
Liam shook his head, "How would you know? You haven't even been here for a week yet."
"I can tell. I can tell that they are putting you up to things you don't want to do," Ann said softly, "I know that you can be a sweet guy if you want to be, like the other day. If only you could stand up to them."
Liam was surprise at Ann's seemingly understanding of him. "Does this mean you forgive me?" he asked cautiously.
Ann sighed and closed her eyes, "I'll give you one more chance Liam. But I can't completely forgive you until you can stand up to your friends and stand up for me."
~*~
"Briana, please, can't we stop picking on her?" Liam pleaded the next day in the garden.
"Why? It has always been tradition. We always play with the new people until we get tired of them. I'm still having fun with her."
"But – "
"Oh Liam," Nick cut in, "Are you in love with her, an ugly servant girl?"
"NO!" Liam said quickly, his face growing warm.
"Then why do you want us to stop?" asked Archer.
"I, I don't know," Liam mumbled in defeat, "I just think…" he trailed off; no one was listening to him.
~*~
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