A beautiful maiden jerked awake, far away from the feared ally way sweat soaking her beautiful body and running through her long brown curls. "The same dream again!" she shook her head and got up to wash her face in the next to her closet. It had been a hot night, and she had not slept well for months because of this bothersome dream.
Drying her face unsuccessfully on her practical pajamas, she lay back down, on top of her covers so that she could cool down a little.
Why does it always come? In truth Esmerelda knew the answer to this, it had all started on the night that Kath had disappeared.
Katherine. Katherine. The beautiful, intelligent princess-to-be who had disappeared on a night much like this one, not so long ago.
She had often had dreams about what had happened to Kath, but this was the most common. Maybe it had sprung from the way she had always suspected that Charles, the prince who Kath had been engaged to, had known something more than he had said.
Perhaps it was the way his eyes glassed over when it was obvious he was thinking about her. Or the way he stutterd, more so the way he had always claimed that the two of them, Charles and Esmerelda, had been playing billiards when Kath had disappeared. But she did not suspect him for the assumed murder of course, just that he knew something. Had seen it happen maybe.
But she could never quite work him out. In truth, it had been she who had introduced the pair, and they had worked well together. She had known Charles since they were first introduced at the cradle. They had clambered up the biggest trees on their properties together, gotten dirty together, had lessons together and grown up together.
Esmerelda could remember her mother scolding her many times over for ruining her dolls, or not playing with the other girls because she was pre-occupied with bugs and boyish things inappropriate for a lady, a blood PRINCESS like herself.
That was how she had met Katherine. She had been the Duke's daughter, I suppose you could call her a duchess but she had hated that title. It had never suited her at all, neither had princess really. Or queen. She needed goddess to do her justice.
Her long flowing locks, the colour of pure, untainted gold, fell in waves around her face, just like those you would read about in fairy tales. Esmerelda had always envied her for that. She had run to her mother and cried, even tried to cut all her curls off when she had heard a rumour that you could wish for them to grow back differently.
She had always felt insuperior to Kath. But that was what had made their friendship work well. It meant that she got left alone to spend her time with the normal people, in the markets and with her subjects. She left Kath to play princess and do all the work. It had just happened like that, no plan had been made, just one girl had been perfect to mingle with the royals, the other with the commoners.
And the Prince.
She and Charles had always hung around together, they both had similar interests and neither had held the noble woman in much esteem, preferring to roam the streets together or stroll around the gardens, the deserted ones mind you, never any where they might meet others. Such fond memories did Esmerelda have of that time. Just her and Charles. She had always supposed that they would one day marry, Charles was a fantastic suitor from every point of view, being a prince and all.
But then he had gone away.
The war had begun and for 3 long years Charles had been taken away from her. In that time she had grown, matured and become more beautiful than ever. But so had Katherine.
And when Charles had first entered the room, it had been only her he had seen. Every inch of her was goddess-like, so stunning and magical that he was possessed.
And so he had remained.
It had bothered her at first, her heart had broken, but over those 3 long years she and Katherine had become inseperable, and she had never seen her friend so happy. Even if it was at the expense of her own happiness, she would have done anything she could to see it remained that way.
After a couple of summer months of courtship, Charles had secretly asked permission of his parents and hers, and then proposed to his beloved Katherine. Before she disappeared they had been set to marry within the month.
But while it had been incredibly painful for all to lose their beloved future queen, none had felt it more than Esmerelda. For on that terrible night, she had lost not only one best friend, but two.
From that night on Charles had been painfully distant, the once jovial, open young man had closed completely, like a clam that you poke with a stick. The old Charles was gone, and Esmerelda was not sure that she liked what had been left.
Maybe he was still there somewhere, buried under all the stress and grief of the previous months. But however hard she looked, she could not seem to find him.
Maybe it had something to do with a certain secret, which had been just between the three of them. Or was it what he had seen?
A/N: Hottyjessy here! How do you like it? Its my first combined work so id love u all to r&R to let me know!
Lets see what our gorjuz pearlwalrus will write next time? Just to let you all know, I am writing from Esmereldas POV and pearly will write from Charles's
R&R angels,
Cya
Hottyjessy over and out