Chapter 5

Jean looked at the red rose that laid between her delicate, yet dirty fingers. She raised it to her nose to smell the sweet scent again and again so it would be imprinted in her clouded head. Scott had something in common with her. A passion for the life laid before their eyes. A princess and a gypsy, just living and breathing the air around them. Actually taking time to feel the breeze and smell the air. She lightly carried the rose to her chest.

The sound of her shoes sounded on the hard marble floor. She lightly bent down to take them off and held them in her hands. She lifted the hem of her green dress in her other hand with the rose, making sure the rose was untouched. She slowly touched the steps of the servants entry way and closed their door behind her. She looked to her left and then to her right. No one was scurrying around at the moment so she headed to her room. She had completely forgotten about the dinner but was relieved that she had not stayed. Although the consequences were not going to be good.

She turned the corner and immediately ran into someone. Oh no, was it her mother? Jean let out a gasp as a hand went over her mouth. She widened her eyes as her heart began to beat in her ears. "Shh, Madam," Kitty said as she removed her hand from Jean's mouth. Jean let out a sigh of relief. It was just Kitty.

"Kitty, I," Jean began quietly.

"Jean," Kitty regarded her by her first name and Jean smiled at that. "I do not need you to explain to me where you have been." Jean smiled when Kitty's words were done. Kitty made her feel so comfortable with her happy personality and knowledge of Jean's personality. Kitty's eyes immediately diverted to the red rose. "I'm reading a book about Jean-Marie DeGreyon and I sense that the next scene is not going to be well. Although the brave and intelligent servant and care-taker warned her about the consequences of her actions with the prince of the novel."

Jean giggled and rolled her eyes playfully. Although she knew Kitty's words were true. Kitty put her arm in the middle of Jean's back and led her to her room quietly. Jean turned to her and placed her head on her shoulder. When they reached her room Jean wore her shoes and dropped the hem of her dress. She reached for the doorknob when she felt another person's skin over hers. Jean looked to her side to see her mother's tilted body. Jean suddenly felt her hand pulled off the doorknob and jolted back by her mother's force. The rose fell from her fingers and onto the hard floor, making a loud thud in Jean's ears. Her parents had not noticed. "Where have you been?" Jean shut her slightly open mouth, clenched her jaw, and leaned her back against the rock wall. She did not have the feeling of putting up with her mother's lectures now. She was so worn out. "You are in a heap of trouble young lady. After humiliating your parents and the king and queen of France, you owe me a big explanation. Now, answer me!!!"

Jean looked to Kitty, who was standing next to her, from the corner of her eyes. Kitty already knew who she was with but there was no need to tell her mother. "I was at the library," Jean answered vaguely. She had the urge to lie to her mother or to anyone who questioned her. She had the urge to be selfish and keep the experience to herself, and no one else. But she had to admit to herself that was a vague lie and her mother saw right past it.

"Do not lie to us!" King John put in after his silent moments.

Queen Elaine grabbed Jean's hand and examined her fingers. "You are filthy," she said with disgust as Jean hid her hands behind her back. "No doubt that you were with that peasant boy!"

"His name is Scott, Mother," Jean stated almost quietly. Queen Elaine did not regard her and just knitted her shaped brown eyebrows together.

"I already forbade you to see that boy Jean-Marie," Queen Elaine practically shouted as Jean cringed to the name her mother regarded her with. "If I learn that you are with that boy once again the wedding will be moved up one year!" She started pacing back and forth as Jean put her lips together tightly. "He is not worthy for your hand when he makes those delicate hands filthy with his kind. He is but a filthy, illiterate wretch! If you think that he will treat you well and 'love' you, you are out of line. The only reason he spends time with you is because of your wealth."

Jean clenched her sweaty palms into a fist and began to let the heated body let out energy. "Duncan Mathewette would only marry me to obtain a higher social status. Is he not marrying me for the money also, Mother?!?"

"Well at least Duncan has a mind to think with," Queen Elaine stated harshly, green eyes piercingly cold.

Jean felt like knocking the gold, jeweled crown onto the floor. "I begin to wonder which is better, to have no mind or to have no heart," Jean said as her green eyes sent daggers to her mother. Jean stayed against the wall and did not move a muscle. They were as tense as her gaze.

"We will continue this conversation in the morning," King John stated. "I think we all need a good night's sleep." Jean let out a sigh of relief and turned on her heel. She entered her room and shut the door behind her.

"John," Queen Elaine started. "Why did you not say anything? The girl obviously needs more discipline."

Kitty looked at Queen Elaine and knew that she had to say something. It was her place. "Your Majesty," she began as Queen Elaine turned to her surprisingly. "Jean needs time to sort her thoughts out about this Duncan lad. She takes things slow and is a deep thinker."

"Katherine, there is nothing to sort out," Queen Elaine said with emphasis on each word. "She is marrying that boy whether she likes it or not. And if I may remind you that it is your job to let her know that. You know she goes with that boy and yet you have done nothing to stop her."

"I told her that she………" Kitty said shyly before she was cut off.

"That shall come out of your pay," Queen Elaine said strictly. "Your job is not so challenging, yet you fail at it anyways." Kitty creased her eyebrows and bit her lip. The happiness in her blue eyes disappeared and was replaced by water. Tears that were pleading to escape.

Kitty did not look in the queen's direction. She just went around the king and escaped down the nearest steps. "Don't you think you were being a bit harsh?" King John asked as he watched Kitty disappear into the huge castle.

Queen Elaine squinted her green eyes at him and turned the corner next to Jean's bedroom. King John walked the other way with a sigh. A hint of dimmed red shone from beneath Queen Elaine's rising feet.

The only sound left in the empty hall was the sound of the weeping and crushed red rose that lightly rained upon the cold floor.

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Jean stretched her arms out from under her white covers and moaned loudly. She heard a knock at her locked door. She laid in silence for she had no feeling to speak to anyone. No feeling to speak to her parents. "Jean, it is just me, Kitty," Kitty said lightly as she tapped at her door once again. Jean shot out from bed and ran to the door. She stood there for a moment and looked at the brown door blankly. She had heard every word her mother had said and fell into emotional shock.

She closed her green and tired eyes lightly to breathe in the sunlight of the room. She would have some authority around here. Everyone tells her she could change the country and maybe even the world. But what they don't realize is she cannot do that as a princess. She only wished she could tell her mother to open her eyes and see her country, her people. But her mother could not possibly understand the people on her grounds when her nose is in the air. "Jean child?" Kitty's voice spoke from the opposite side of the door.

Jean lightly turned the doorknob and looked at Kitty's solemn face in return with a solemn face. Her blue eyes did not look as happy as usual. Jean always praised Kitty on her love of life even though she does not live in treasure. Someone who can live with passion when passion is what highness believe commoners and servants lack is considered, in her mind, more than just great.

Jean remembered all the fourteen years of her life and how much Kitty was involved in them. So she moved closer to her real mother and wrapped her arms around her shoulders and back and pressed against her chest and stomach. She felt warmth as Kitty ran her hand across the top of her hair. She stayed in her arms for long moments before she finally let go. Kitty gave her a wide smile as the happiness in her bright blue eyes reappeared. "What was that for?" she asked with warmth and love.

"Thank you," Jean whispered kindly. "For being such a good mother."

"Well it was not a privilege," Kitty said as Jean waited for her to say something further. "It was an honor." Kitty walked into the room and then paused. "You are growing. It is time to choose your own clothes without anyone's help."

"Finally!" Jean exclaimed with pleasure and confidence. Kitty informed her that she would be in the kitchen if she needed anything. Jean dressed herself with no corset and a very beautiful red gown. It's color was like an apple's and she felt like a fruit. But she was satisfied none-the-less with the dark red lace through the puffy sleeves and the white undergarment hanging through them. The top part of the dress covered much of her stomach and flowed the rest of the way down. Jean smiled at her reflection and let her hair loose, leaving two braids hanging together from the back.

She opened the door and decided to head out to find Scott today, rather than him coming to her. She had the urge to see the gypsies again. She started walking at a fast pace through the long corridor of paintings and past the throne room. It was empty, or so she thought. She stopped at the doorway and reversed her steps to find a moving body inside. A moving body with a blond head. She decided to discuss the matter she had been discussing with herself last night with him. But before she barged in she watched from the slightly open silver lined door.

She watched as he placed Jean's future crown on his head and folded one arm to his chest. She watched as he walked up the red carpet and towards the seats on the thrown. Jean watched with disgust as she slammed the door open before he could sit and cleared her throat. "Jean!" Duncan exclaimed with surprise. He went down the steps and slightly jogged up to her. He reached his hand behind her and shut the door. Jean backed up slightly against the door. She put her hand on his chest to back him away from her.

"That would be mine," Jean said as she took it off his head. She placed it on the table next to her and circled around him. "I've been meaning to speak to you of something vitally important."

"Nothing is more important than the beauty I see in front of me," Duncan said as he gave her hand a peck and gazed at her with his piercing blue eyes.

"Charmed, I'm sure," Jean said with a half smile as she took her hand away from his grasp. "Duncan, betrothal to one another is something our parents have negotiated." Jean paused and began to walk forward to the thrown. Duncan placed his pale hands together and put them behind his back. He slightly bent his head forward to understand what his future wife was talking about. He motioned with his hands for her to continue. "If I were to inform my parents on choice of marriage and you do the same, maybe……… maybe they will allow us to do so. Would you not want to marry by force but instead by love?"

"Love!" Duncan exclaimed as he barked out a laugh. "What is it with women and love anyways? A woman is a beautiful creature and nothing else. Her job is to prefect herself and satisfy her husband and that is the end of her duties."

"Are you implying that I am not capable of ruling this country?" Jean questioned with rising anger at the boy's ignorance.

"Jean dear, I was only implying that you are not capable of ruling the country alone," Duncan said with an uncomfortable gleam in his ice blue eyes. There was a piece of blond hair hanging on his forehead and Jean had the urge to rip it out and stuff it down his throat. Duncan approached Jean and she unconsciously backed away. It was that feeling again. That feeling where she felt something bad was going to happen. But this feeling was worse. Jean ran into a step and stopped before she fell forward……into Duncan's arms. A nightmare she did not intend on creating. He reached for her hand and pulled it forward quite harshly. He placed a quick kiss on it and smiled, as if nothing had happened. As if she was not going to take action for the things he said. "Although I am a guest here for another week, I shall be leaving for the time being. Until next time." She cringed at the thought of his presence here for another week. How was she supposed to live with him then if this was the case? At least it would give her time to make up for the missed dinner with him and his parents.

Jean brought her hand back to herself and wiped the mark on her dress. She watched him leave the room until she was secured he was out the door. When he finally left she bit her lip and shivered. There were more goose bumps on her arms now than when she thought about Kurtis Chagner.

Maybe Kurtis Chagner did have less evil in his bones than Duncan.

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Scott hurried to the library making sure he was not caught by anyone royal enough to eliminate him from their presence. Getting caught by the servants was another story. Jean had introduced him to all the servants and they accepted him and he enjoyed their presence. Especially Kitty. What Scott always questioned his conscience was how he could meet her servants but not her parents. Having heard and seen her mother many times he had a bad feeling about being introduced to her. He knew she would not approve of him.

Scott began to pick his legs up faster off the ground as he thought of Jean. He had not seen her for a week and it was driving him crazy. They say that distance makes the heart grow fonder and his heart was already fond. She was his best friend and a very intelligent person. She was beautiful from the inside and the outside. They had so much fun until the break of dawn a week ago when he had taken her to his family. She was more open minded than she seemed. They both had forgotten about Kurtis and enjoyed talking the whole night along with spending time with his parents, reading palms, and allowing Jean to play the tambourine for them. She even learned dancing the way they did with his mother as her teacher.

His parents had become quite fond of Jean and she had done the same. They would not stop laughing and enjoying each other's company. Jean seemed so intrigued when she heard the ancient stories that were passed down for decades that his mother and father had to tell. She made him promise her to take her there again and Scott was more than happy too. His time was not better spent without Jean and it would be great to spend time with her and his family at the same time. He only wished she could do the same.

Scott did not know what he was doing. He was following the words of his sub-conscience and his heart and it drove him crazy. She drove him crazy. He found himself thinking about his best friend all the time when he was not with her. He gave her a rose and found himself courting her in a way. He knew his feelings would grow overtime yet he did nothing to stop it. He knew there was no possible way that he could hang around with a beautiful girl all day with an extraordinary mind and a passion for living and not someday see her in a stronger light than he did when he was a little boy. But no doubt that he always saw her in a light, although it was not flaming as strong yet. But he knew his job was to keep quiet about his growing feelings before he causes an apocalypse. He would be living in an apocalypse he made for himself.

"Watch your step servant, or you will be shipped off to the Americas," a voice spoke with cruelty. The voice spoke almost louder than his own thoughts. Scott stopped to realize he had not taken cover in front of a high class citizen and ran into him instead. The good thing was that he thought Scott was a servant. "Look at me when I am talking to you!"

Scott jolted his head upwards and looked at the blond man hesitantly. "Sorry Sir…" Scott stuttered nervously. He did not know his name so he moved on with his sentence. "I did not see you……it will not happen again."

"Of course it won't happen again," the blond said bitterly as he stared at Scott with his cold blue eyes, "and you shall inform me properly as Sir Mathewette."

"Yes, Sir Mathewette," Scott said as he waited for Sir Mathewette to pass. Then he scurried off to the library to finally meet Jean. When he met her in the corner that they usually met in on these days he ran to her to spin her around. Jean started giggling. Scott loved to hear her laugh. He would do anything to hear her beautiful laugh.

Jean smiled at his nature and presence. "You are late," She scolded him with raised eyebrows and warning eyes. Scott always faltered when she lectured him. He loved when she told him to be prompt or to fix his pronunciation on a word.

"I'm sorry, I ran into someone," Scott said. "Someone I need for you to inform me on so I won't do it again. He thinks I am a servant."

"Well I do not know who you are talking about," Jean said as she lead him to a corner where books she had chose were stacked as usual. "You have to give me a description."

"He had blond hair, and blue eyes. He also had an unfriendly tone," Scott explained as he measured his height and watched Jean's face contort in a twisted manner. She must not like him.

"That is the boy that I am betr………" Jean paused at the sound of her words. The sound of the truth. She could not lie to Scott. But she could not tell him she was betrothed to an empty hearted human being. An empty hearted human being who is not equal nor fair, and cares much about his social status and the crown. "He is a very important friend of the family with his nose high in the sky."

Scott nodded with understanding and scooted closer towards her. She grabbed a book and placed it between their laps. Today was the day they would read their favorite books. Most of the time they would choose Utopia. It was one of their favorites. Scott began to read to her as she put her head on his shoulders. Jean listened quietly and looked at the words that he was reading carefully. Then she realized they were just words. "The author to this book is just an author, like every other author," Jean began.

"Yes, I presume that that's what all author's do. They write," Scott said vaguely. Jean shivered as she felt the rain pounding on the glass window above their heads. She felt warm against Scott's comforting side. His shoulder was like a comforting pillow to dig her cheek in.

"Yes, and only those people who are open-minded and understanding would read and understand the content of this book," Jean said.

"Like you and I," Scott continued.

Jean looked up at him and smiled. Then she placed her cheek on his shoulder, as it was. "But those who are not the adjectives that I stated would never understand the book. So what would be the point of reading it? The people who do read it and take in the words have a mind already set in the contents Thomas Moore proposes." Jean breathed her air from her nose and closed her eyes. "But words are but words. Nothing more."

"They are words that define the aspects in the life we live in," Scott reasoned.

"They are words that define the aspects of the life we only dream of living in. That is why Thomas Moore wrote a book about paradise, not reality," Jean said as Scott turned his head to her. He took in her words and smiled at her deep thinking. She understood what she read and questioned what could be.

"Jean?" Scott asked.

Jean's eyes were closed and her face was peaceful next to Scott. "Hmm?"

"Why are Queens not able to rule independently?" Scott asked.

"Because a woman is not always treated as equally as a man," Jean said, trying not to think of what Duncan said.

"So women and gypsies are the same," Scott began to whisper with thought.

"I suppose," Jean whispered back and continued quietly, "And two minds are better than one."

"I believe your mind is greater than two. With that you could rule the world."

"Scott?"

"Hmm?"

"I don't know what I'd do without you," Jean barely whispered.

Scott let out a whispered laugh. "The angel in my dreams does not know what she would do without me?"

Silence.

"Jean?" Scott questioned as he listened to her steady breathing. Her breathing was like music to his ears. So peaceful, so calm. Scott listened to the rain beating against the window and held Jean closer to him. He looked down at her red head and slipped both of them down a little so their heads were comfortable on the wooden wall. He placed a small, soundless kiss on the top of her head and whispered lightly, "Good night……angel of mine."

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Author's Note REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please review??