Thank you all so much for the wonderous reviews. I wish I could have posted this chapter with the last one because it would have saved a few questions, but unfortunately, it was only about half done. But, in a way I'm glad that you guys have those types of questions! It either means I'm a faboulous writer, or I have supremely intelligent readers. In lieu of my ego, I'm going to choose the latter. :cD
I'm so excited! This is the ending to Part II, the beginning to Part III! I have most of the last part worked out in my mind, and have even written a little bit of a timeline (which is very rare for me.) Please! Enjoy!
naughty little munchkin:yay for romance!I'm sorry if it's a bit fast for you, but Ijust love sexual tension (the best kind, usually).I'm glad you like the dialogue!I love making up worlds, I just have a little bit of trouble making up stories. That's why I love thisplace! Oh, he suspects that Danni's, well, Danni. He just can't prove it yet.
Glaze: He's a prince. They'rerenowned for wanting it both ways. But there's more in this prince's head than that.
fell4adeadguy: Yes, well, actually, he's only kissed one person, but that's hardly important, neh? He only kisses people he likes, at least. (woah, that came out weird)
Tiger Lily21: Yay! (beams) I love someone who loves love as much as I do! XcD Thank you for the completement! Writing is one of my favourite past times.
TrudiRose: Oh, yeah. He knows something's up, but he's a careful guy. He doesn't like accusing people without proof, and that's why he hasn't gone after Lord Vardon yet.
You guys are the greatest! I hope this chapter helps a little bit, maybe not with answers, but that you aren't alone in your questions.
See you next update!
-Lulai
Chapter Ten: Truths
I'm immensely sorry, Danni, but I will be unable to do your hair this evening. Please understand. I'm very close.
It was signed with an ordinate 'L'.
Danni almost crumpled the note in sheer frustration. Now who would do her hair? What on earth was so important? Why did he have to be so damn cryptic?
She blew the little wisps of hair out of her face. She knew it wasn't Lark with whom she was frustrated.
The whole business with Aiden was confusing to say the least. First, he only wants to be friends, but then, why would he kiss her like that? Unless the kiss didn't affect him as much as it did her. She slammed the note down on the dresser and exited her rooms.
She growled as she marched down the hall. There were two guards posted outside of the princess' chambers.
"Princess," one of the guards said, bowing. Danni didn't trust herself to respond and instead knocked on the door.
"Come in!" a pretty feminine voice called. Danni burst through the doors. Lynn sat there, a maid putting the finishing touches on her raven hair.
She turned to Danni and saw the angry look in her violet eyes. "What's wrong?"
"It's your brother!" Danni hissed, trying to keep the tears caged up with anger. Lynn's blue eyes widened, and she nodded at her maid. The girl left, closing the door behind her softly.
"What about my brother?" Lynn asked, motioning for Danni to take a seat in the bay window. Danni flounced down and looked out the window crossly.
"He confuses me," Danni said, feeling her anger breaking down. Lynn sat down across from her.
"He confuses me too," she said with a raised eyebrow, "but I am thinking that your confusion is different."
"He kissed me!" Danni exclaimed, tears pushing at the back of her eyes.
Lynn smiled. "Is that so bad?" she asked.
"Yes! I mean, no!" Danni closed her eyes, lest they pop out of her sockets. Her hands were fisted in her skirts so tightly that her knuckles were white. "I mean, it was nice, but he told me that he wanted to be just friends. And then he kissed me! What does he want?"
Lynn scowled. "No wonder you are confused. I might have to have a word with my dear brother."
Danni's eyes flew open. "Oh, no! You can't do that!"
"And why not?"
"Because… because… Oh, God, I don't know!" Danni burst into tears.
"Shh…" Lynn said, taking her head and cradling it to her. Danni cried harder. In the back of her mind she realized that she was simple stable girl crying all over a princess of the realm. But it had been such a long time since someone had held her.
Soon, her sobs faded and she wiped her eyes.
"Plus, I have no one to do my hair," Danni sniffled.
Lynn laughed. "What happened to your maid?" she asked.
"I don't know," Danni said, suddenly tired of all the lies and not wanting to make another one up. "She just didn't show up."
Lynn cupped her chin. "I think I can do your hair."
Danni sniffed again and gave a weak smile. "You think?"
Lynn gave her a mock frown. "Of course." She stopped and winced, thinking of her brother's hair cut. "As long as I'm just styling it."
Danni nodded. "Thank you," she said softly, not talking about her hair.
Lynn understood. "Anytime."
"It was Danni, I tell you!" Aiden exclaimed for the third time as he paced the carpet in his cousin's room.
"Of course it was," Theo said, trying to tie his cravat in the full length mirror. "I've met Daniela."
Aiden scowled and raked his hand through his hair. "Not Daniela, Danni! The stable hand! The boy who was a girl."
"What makes you think that?" Theo said, casting a critical glance at the irritating knot. He sighed and undid it.
"It looks like her!" Aiden said, glaring at his denser cousin. "Sounds like her!" Kisses like her, he added silently. "She even has the same name."
Theo gave Aiden a withering look. "Do you think that if Danni is who you say she is, she would have been smart enough to change her own name?" He turned back to his reflection. "I'm sure there are many Dannis in the world, you've just met two."
"You didn't know her like I did!" Aiden nearly exploded. "It's her, damn it!"
Theo faced his cousin. "You are wearing a hole in the carpet."
"It's my carpet," Aiden growled, but he stopped pacing.
"Fine," Theo said. "Now, let's say you're right and Princess Daniela is actually Danni the stable girl. How did she get here?"
"I don't know," Aiden muttered darkly.
"How did she afford such wealthy clothes when you told me that she didn't even have a spare blanket?"
"I don't know."
"How could she possibly impersonate the Princess of Tolaro?"
"We don't know much about Tolaro," Aiden said defensively. "She could have made everything up."
"Why?"
Aiden felt like pulling his hair out. "I don't know!" he forced out through gritted teeth.
"Do you just want it to be her?"
Theo's softly spoken question stopped Aiden short. "What?"
"Are you finding similarities between these two because deep down, you want it to be the other Danni?" Theo asked seriously.
"That's stupid," Aiden snarled, but in the back of his mind, it had a ring of truth to it.
He rubbed his temple irritably. "Fine," he said. "Forget it. Let's just go to dinner."
Theo shrugged and managed to tie his cravat to his satisfaction. "Okay, let's go," he said.
Aiden's countenance was black as he trudged alongside his cousin. For being a crowned prince, no one seemed to take him seriously at all. First, his misgivings about Lord Vardon. Then his objections for having to marry. Finally, this thing about Danni.
It was so frustrating. He really wanted to put his fist through the nearest wall.
He entered the dining room and everyone stood. His eyes went unconsciously to Danni's form, sitting two chairs down from his customary seat. She was disturbingly pretty, dressed in a gown of rich sapphire velvet. Her hair was done up in a series of twists, and some sort of jewels had been added to it so that they twinkled when she moved her head.
At the moment, she was moving her head very much as if she was looking for a way to escape. Aiden could see why. Sitting beside her, chatting amicably, was Lord Vardon. He was dressed in a robe of deep scarlet, his long blonde hair combed back and his goatee trimmed neatly.
He decided to rescue her.
"My Lord Vardon," Aiden said, coming up to him. "Might I steal this lovely woman from your side? I had promised to show her Queen Annalia's rose garden."
A look of something akin to hatred flashed in Vardon's eyes, but was quickly extinguished, followed up with friendliness. "Of course, highness," Vardon said, rising from his chair. "There is something I must check on anyway. Please excuse me."
"No worries, my lord," Aiden said as politely as he could.
"Thank you for the conversation, my lady," he said, kissing Danni's hand. He left towards the South Tower.
"Thank you, my lord," Danni said to Aiden. She would have looked relieved but for the downcast look of her eyes. "You are right. The man does strike me as peculiar. I just can't put my finger on it."
Aiden opened his mouth when the trumpets blared, announcing his parent's arrival. King Gerald and Queen Isabelle entered the room arm in arm, and motioned for everyone to sit. Aiden took his seat beside his father.
"My friends and countrymen!" the king announced from his seat. "First of all, I'd like to thank-"
"She's a fake!"
"What's this?" the King Gerald exclaimed.
"I'm sorry, your majesty," Princess Amanda panted, having barged in the double doors late, "but I feel the need to reveal this impostor to the court might overcome my rudeness." Her finger fell accusingly on Danni.
As Aiden watched, Danni's face went as white as a sheet.
"Why do you think she's an impostor?" Aiden asked calmly.
Amanda drew herself up regally. "I wrote a letter to the Sea Port, and they wrote back saying no boat bearing a princess of any kind came from Tolaro. Plus, I'm afraid, they said that the princess' name is Arlene, not Daniela. She's been lying to us all."
Danni stood up, her hands splayed flat on the table.
Aiden also rose to his feet. "What sort of game is this, Amanda?"
"This is no game, Prince Aiden," Amanda said, glaring at Danni. "I also have in my possession a stable guard who took her and her mother in when her mother lost her job. She is no princess, she is a stable hand!"
Danni's lips were tight, her eyes brimming. She fled.
"See?" Amanda crowed. "Her flight is just a demonstration of her guilt!"
"Danni!" Aiden called, running after her.
Danni heard Aiden behind her, but she did not stop running, nor did anyone stop her escape. The floor in front of her was a blurry haze as the tears ran down her cheeks.
She ran down the steps and towards the stables. It was where she belonged, a place of refuge. Her slippers were soaked from running through the grass, but she hardly noticed.
"Danni!" A hand took her shoulder and spun her around. There was Aiden, not even looking winded from the run behind her.
"Go away," she cried, covering her face with her hands.
"Is it true then?" he asked softly, taking both her shoulders in his hands.
"Yes," she said from beneath her fingers. It wasn't the answer he expected.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he snarled. "Do I look like an idiot to you? Did you think that I wouldn't figure it out?"
"Tell you what?" she yelled, her anger momentarily overriding her misery. "That I was actually the stable hand you befriended back at Theo's castle? That I actually wasn't a princess?"
Her voice dropped to a whisper, her moment of anger over. "I did not intend it to get this far," she said. "I though you were the prince's valet. I just wanted to see you again."
A thread of guilt seeped into Aiden's mind. Danni looked so… broken. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and make the world all better again.
He gave himself a mental shake. This was not the time to be soft.
"Who gave you the clothes?" Aiden asked, although in a slightly less derogatory tone.
"A friend," Danni said. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you more than that."
She looked at him, her blue-violet eyes shimmering with tears. "I have a question for you," she started nervously.
"What?" he asked curtly.
"Why did you kiss me?"
Aiden's jaw dropped and, for a moment, he had to struggle to find his voice.
"What do you mean?" he finally strangled out.
Danni looked somewhere in the vicinity of his left knee. "You said you wanted to be friends, but most friends I know don't kiss like that." She looked at him again. "Do they?"
Before Aiden could answer, they were thrown back by a blast from the castle.