Carmen: me alegro que te haya gustado, sabes, no estaba muy convencida de ese capítulo, por lo menos le agregué trecientas cosas hasta que me quedó más o menos aceptable -. Te mandaré un correo. Gracias por tu review!
Harumi: En serio? Me lo podrías mandar, pleaseee? Mi correo es: Te lo agradecería mucho ya que no tengo ni uno - Actualizaré una vez por semana. Gracias pot tu review!
Chapter 06
The next morning, Hilda woke up earlier than normal, she wanted to go and tell Sigfried the good news, Brigitte knocked the door of her bedroom slightly, and Hilda opened it quickly.
"Good morning, child, how was you night?" Said the old maiden, Hilda smiled brightly and let her in.
"Wonderful, father let me break up the engagement, actually, he personally went to speak with lord William, I'm so happy to be free again!" She said cheerfully, Brigitte smiled warmly at her and embraced Hilda tightly.
"Oh, my lady, I'm so happy for you, now you can go for Sigfried... but don't let him know your feelings before you know what he feels first" Advised Brigitte, Hilda nodded, at least she knew it was possible to make him jealous, that could be a good way to begin with.
"Well, I better hurry or Fler won't let me eat anything before I go to pray, she wants me to accompany her to town today" Hilda said, Brigitte quickly went to the bathroom to prepare the bathtub for the princess.
Later, Hilda almost ran to the dinning room, but she clashed against a strong chest that happened to be Sigfried's. Hilda almost made them both fall to the floor, but the young man managed to keep the balance.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I..." Hilda apologised, she still didn't know who was the person she had run over.
"Don't worry, princess, I'm alright, and you?" He said, Hilda was surprised to hear Sigfried's voice, and smiled brightly at him, what a good luck she had had.
"I'm ok, sorry, I hadn't seen you coming this way, I'm late for breakfast, that's why I was running" She said, still in his arms, neither of them seemed to want to separate yet. Sigfried sighed and let her free, Hilda had forgotten the breakfast by now.
"I was going to see you, princess, you and your family came back earlier last night, what happened?" He asked, very curious. Hilda hooked her arm in his and guided him to the dinning room again.
"My father called the marriage off, you were right about the businesses he had, but according to what my father could read, William didn't invested all his wealth at all, but a great amount, the worst is that he didn't tell father anything of this, I told dad that I didn't love him though I tried to accept it, and now I'm free again to choose the right man for me, one I can truly love" She explained, Sigfried smiled softly, he had won over that jerk's ambitions after all and saved Hilda from an inconvenient marriage with a man who would never make her happy.
"I have to thank you, Sigfried, if it wasn't for you, I couldn't have found the strength to oppose everyone" She said, Sigfried put his hand over hers and gave it a little squeeze.
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After going to pray, Hilda was taken by Fler, her young sister wanted a pair of new shoes, but she wanted Hilda's opinion first, so Hilda took Sigfried and Hagen with her and Fler. It was a perfect opportunity to watch Sigfried's reactions with her from now on.
"Hilda! Look! That place seems to have pretty shoes, let's go there first!" Said the blond girl, Hilda snickered and looked in the direction of her guardian, who was rather distracted lately. People who recognized them got near, the notice of Hilda's cancelled marriage had spread like a gunpowder's track.
"Princess Hilda, what a nice surprise to see you in town" Said a young woman, Hilda smiled to her a greeted the rest of the people too. Sigfried was on guard in a second, although he knew the people loved Hilda.
A young man also got near, he seemed to be a lord, so when Hilda noticed him, greeted the man too.
"Good morning, your highness, you seem to be even more beautiful since the last time I have seen you, the ball, you remember?" Said the lord, taking Hilda's hand and kissing it, she smiled at him and nodded, Sigfried seemed calmer, but that was far from being true. His eyes were getting darker, and Hilda noticed it.
"Of course, lord Derek, it is nice to see you again" She said in the sweetest way, the young man took the opportunity to ask about the rumours.
"Is it true that the marriage between you and lord William was cancelled?"
"Yes, my father found him not suitable to be the next king" Hilda asked, lord Derek offered his arm to her and she gracefully accepted, and now Sigfried was REALLY getting angry. The hell if he would let another lord take Hilda again. Hilda glanced at him and smirked, that was the kind of reaction she was waiting for.
Fler spotted Hilda accompanied by a young man and frown. What was Hilda doing with that man now? Fler didn't get it until she saw Sigfried's cold expression, and then it hit her... her sister was doing it on purpose!
Lord Derek decided to accompany the ladies the rest of the time they were in town, to Sigfried's dismay. Hilda and Fler, who decided to follow her sister's game, were very sweet and attentive with the man,Hagenwas in Sigfried's band and didn't like the way Fler was flirting too. But the worse was that Hilda invited him to dinner in palace, and Derek accepted delighted.
Fler bought a pair of red shoes, very pretty ones, and during this, Sigfried took his chance and cornered Hilda behind one of the showcases.
"Sigfried! What's your problem?" Hilda said, a little mad, Sigfried took a glance at the others and then frowned to his princess.
"What is MY problem? What's yours? You've just escaped a bothersome engagement and you're flirting with that lord so soon!" He said, angry, Hilda frowned at him too and nailed him with a finger against his chest.
"I can do whatever I want, I really want to find a man I can love and I expected your help not your critics!" She said, and turned to go back to where her sister was waiting. He saw her back retreating and cursed in lower voice, then he followed the others out of the store.
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Back in the castle, Royce received them warmly, he was glad to see lord Derek too, he knew the young man since he was a child.
"Derek, It's so nice to see you again, will you accompany us for dinner?" Asked Royce, Derek said that princess Hilda had invited him first and he had accepted already. The king smiled to his elder daughter in approval, Hilda inclined her head to her father and excused herself for a while, Fler did the same and followed Hilda to her chambers. Sigfried greeted the king and disappeared withHagenat his heels.
Hilda hadn't finished entering her own room that Fler started with the questions.
"Hilda, what are you planning, uh? It's not like you to flirt in that way, I don't think you want lord Derek to get it wrong, do you?" She asked, Hilda smiled at her little sister and jumped onto her bed, sprawling her slender body and stretching like a cat. Fler smiled too and did the same.
"Well, you're right, I'm doing it on purpose, it's not Derek I'm interested in" She said, closing her eyes, Fler turned around to be over her belly and see her sister's face.
"It's Sigfried, right? You want to make him jealous, and I think you have succeeded" She said snickering, Hilda stared at her and snickered too.
"You think that? I hope so, he was really mad at me, he accused me of being , um, kind of too flirty with another men, and I told him that I could do whatever I wanted, I think he didn't like that" Hilda said, staring at the roof. Fler nodded,Hagenwas mad too, she felt it all the way home, and smiled remembering the way both men wanted to freeze poor Derek... this could be very funny.
After a while, Fler and Hilda went down stairs to reunite with their father and his guest, Derek escorted both ladies to the table, and helped them to sit down too, then he sat too beside Hilda.
Dinner went right, after taking a light dessert, lord Derek and the king retired to the library to talk about the things men were interested, so Hilda and Fler decided to go to sleep after biding goodnight to them.
"Fler, I'll go later to my bedroom, I want to take a walk in the garden" Hilda said, Fler nodded yawning and went straight to her room. Hilda smiled to her and turned to the doors the led to the garden.
The sky was clear and there were just a soft breeze, Hilda took a breath and start walking without any direction in special, she got near a big old tree, when she was a child she used to play under its shade. She sat down at its base and kept staring at the sky.
Sigfried wasn't asleep, in fact he couldn't close an eye in all the time he tried. So, he decided to go and walk for a while, he was too upset and the cause was his princess, and that was something he couldn't understand, she was right, he should support her not criticize her... but the idea of her marrying another man just got the worst of him, just imaging another touching her delicate skin or kissing her soft lips made his blood boil. He sighed deeply, and jumped from his window until he got to the garden.
Hilda had closed her eyes, a soft smiled in her lips, anyone could have sworn she was the image of innocence and sweetness. Hilda didn't heard the soft steps that were approaching to her...