A/N: Thanks to my reviewers! I guess I realized the "falling for a 10 year
old" part, I just didn't think. LOL. Sorry! Anyhow...Read, enjoy and review!
And...here she is older:
ARABELLA
Chapter Five: The Discovery
TWO YEARS LATER
Spring came again to the earth, after a particularly long and frosty winter, and the snows began to melt. The trees put forth the buds of new leaves. Everywhere, new life was appearing. Arabella was now a beautiful thirteen, and beginning to mature in appearance. She was a child no longer, but a young woman, and King Stefan and Queen Glorianna began to discuss her marital future. Arabella wandered into the midst of one of these discourses and was appalled to discover that her parents thought her grown. She made for the courtyard as quickly as possible and inspected her new flowers.
Her lilies were returning, reaching up to bask in the new sunshine. As usual, the Princess began to sing to her flowers, and it seemed that her very voice was food to the plants, for they began to visibly bloom.
Suddenly, Arabella heard a noise on the other side of the wall. She had never been overly timid, so she went over to investigate. She climbed up onto the high bench that rested against the wall, and looked over.
She fell back with a start. There was a very handsome young man sitting at the bottom of the other side of the wall, leaning against it. She stole another look.
This time, she noticed his horse tethered nearby, munching contentedly on the new clover. The man was chewing a long piece of grass, and seemed to be daydreaming. Arabella felt her heart beat a little faster, though she did not know why. Certainly, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. He had curly brown hair and serious brown eyes, and was very tan. Likely, this man stayed out of doors most of the time.
The man must have sensed he was being watched, for suddenly he looked up. He spied Arabella and became immediately flustered. He jumped to his feet and yanked the horse's tether out of the ground (much to the annoyance of the horse, Arabella noted). He rode quickly away.
Arabella wondered at this very much. "What frightened him away? Probably he is shy." She shrugged and climbed back down from the wall. "Could he have been listening to me sing?"
Arabella knew that her voice was very fine. She had heard enough people say it, so she assumed it to be true. She didn't think it was out of the ordinary, however. "Plenty of people are fine singers, and they don't usually make men run away, looking scared," she told herself.
She puzzled out this new situation for the rest of the week. Although she was constantly outside, and frequently stole glances over the wall, the handsome man did not return.
Arabella found herself strangely disappointed, and somewhat lonely for the first time in her life, even amid her flowers.
ARABELLA
Chapter Five: The Discovery
TWO YEARS LATER
Spring came again to the earth, after a particularly long and frosty winter, and the snows began to melt. The trees put forth the buds of new leaves. Everywhere, new life was appearing. Arabella was now a beautiful thirteen, and beginning to mature in appearance. She was a child no longer, but a young woman, and King Stefan and Queen Glorianna began to discuss her marital future. Arabella wandered into the midst of one of these discourses and was appalled to discover that her parents thought her grown. She made for the courtyard as quickly as possible and inspected her new flowers.
Her lilies were returning, reaching up to bask in the new sunshine. As usual, the Princess began to sing to her flowers, and it seemed that her very voice was food to the plants, for they began to visibly bloom.
Suddenly, Arabella heard a noise on the other side of the wall. She had never been overly timid, so she went over to investigate. She climbed up onto the high bench that rested against the wall, and looked over.
She fell back with a start. There was a very handsome young man sitting at the bottom of the other side of the wall, leaning against it. She stole another look.
This time, she noticed his horse tethered nearby, munching contentedly on the new clover. The man was chewing a long piece of grass, and seemed to be daydreaming. Arabella felt her heart beat a little faster, though she did not know why. Certainly, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. He had curly brown hair and serious brown eyes, and was very tan. Likely, this man stayed out of doors most of the time.
The man must have sensed he was being watched, for suddenly he looked up. He spied Arabella and became immediately flustered. He jumped to his feet and yanked the horse's tether out of the ground (much to the annoyance of the horse, Arabella noted). He rode quickly away.
Arabella wondered at this very much. "What frightened him away? Probably he is shy." She shrugged and climbed back down from the wall. "Could he have been listening to me sing?"
Arabella knew that her voice was very fine. She had heard enough people say it, so she assumed it to be true. She didn't think it was out of the ordinary, however. "Plenty of people are fine singers, and they don't usually make men run away, looking scared," she told herself.
She puzzled out this new situation for the rest of the week. Although she was constantly outside, and frequently stole glances over the wall, the handsome man did not return.
Arabella found herself strangely disappointed, and somewhat lonely for the first time in her life, even amid her flowers.