Recap:
Chloe, having watched Allegra, asleep on the bed, waking with a jolt at Bromof's booming voice, she now ran over to her friend.
"Allegra! Allegra! It is me, Chloe."
Allegra groggily looked around the room as she felt a thud on her bed and suddenly, in a flash of blonde curls, she
was immersed in the arms of the princess.
"Allegra, Allegra" Chloe said, close to tears, "I have been so worried about you!" Chloe felt the tears on her eyelids and let all her worry and anxiety flow from her in the tiny silver droplets, expressing her great relief and finally coming into contact with her friend.
"Oh Chloe, Chloe! Have they hurt you at all?" She patted her friends head, which was buried in her shoulder and embraced her as she cried. After holding her for a few minutes, releasing her own tears of joy and relief as well she, realized that they must only have limited time, and she began to coax her friend out of her now damp shoulder. "Come Chloe dearest, we only have a small amount of time and we need to talk about-" hushing her voice to little more than a whisper, "we need to talk about how we could escape here, surely you would not think to marry that monster."
Drying her eyes on her sleeve, she grinned sneakily at her attractive friend. "Ah but Ally, how I have already started this! At dinner tonight, I played my part in this to perfection. I have decided that I will earn his trust by playing along with his plan for marriage, and then, as he gives us more and more privileges, we use them to our advantage! I shall make the old man fall in love with me, and I shall bend him to meet my purposes!" Allegra smiled at the enthusiasm in her friend's voice, but also she smiled at Chloe's plan. Make him fall in love with her? That man did not look as if he had a heart at all. But she may as well try, this is the best plan that anyone has suggested so far.
"Very well. But do you really think that it will work? The King came here to see me earlier, and I got by no means the impression that he had a heart." She watched her friend's face intently.
It showed not a flicker of doubt. Does she know something I do not? "Oh just watch Allegra! You should have seen him at dinner tonight. As I began to, as much as it made me sick to do so, to show him an interest, he responded beautifully." Chloe turned her brilliant smile on Allegra, and she felt with a pang of jealousy, just a small one, that her beautiful friend may well be right. If any man could see her like this, they would be a fool not too, Allegra thought, mentally sighing to herself. She had never realised how attractive the mysterious beauty she herself possessed in impeccable quantities was.
Meanwhile, Chloe bounced off the bed and skipped over to the window. She opened the shutters and looked out. "Yes, it is as I feared, there is no hope of climbing out of either of our windows. So we will have to walk out. A disguise maybe?" Lost in thought, Chloe continued to mutter to herself.
Allegra realised that she had nothing to do, and feared that she would go mad staying by herself in the small room. "But Chlo, what am I to do? I cannot just sit here, wondering how you fare." Chloe looked absent, but then rounded on her friend.
"Just be yourself. Be quiet, and when you have the chance, I want you to talk to the birds which come to your window, and ask them about the castle, the grounds, when the king leaves, anything they can give you. It would be helpful to know how big this place is, when it is that hunting parties go out and the like." Chloe had tried to imagine it herself, but to no avail.
Knock, knock.
It was with dread that Allegra opened the door, and farewelled Chloe, muttering something about how quickly the hour had gone and how she wished they would see each other again soon. The girls hugged, and then at Bromof's stern command Chloe left, and as Allegra heard the key scrape in the lock, she moved back over to her window and surveyed the landscape. Suddenly a wave of exhaustion over came her, and she stripped down and slipped on the nightgown that had too been left in her cupboard.
2 WEEKS LATER
Chloe sat by her window, waiting for the knock on her door which would allow her, for the first time, out into the palace gardens in Allegra's company.
Contrary to Allegra's belief that the King had no heart, he had fallen for her, and fallen hard. It was quite pathetic to see him grovelling, and deep down, Chloe felt a little guilty for leading him on like this, but whenever she began to feel this strongly, all she had to do was remind herself that he had imprisoned her and was forcing her to marry him.
She had donned her new dress, a present from Marcius. It was a mint green silk, trimmed in lace with flouncy sleeves and a ridiculously puffed skirt, held up by many petticoats and the like. Recently Allegra had been moved to stay also in her chambers, as her maid.
Hearing the key scrape in the lock of the grand oak door, Chloe rose from the window seat and walked over to the dresser. Allegra entered the room, followed by Bromof. The chunky guard remained as expressionless as ever, I wonder if he ever smiles, Chloe thought for the umpteenth time.
Allegra however, ran over too her and related the results of her meeting with their captor.
"Oh Chlo I'm so excited! My lord king has agreed to your request to be allowed to walk through the palace gardens." Allegra smiled ecstatically and Chloe could not help but take part in her joy. She smiled down at her happy maid and embraced her.
"But 'tis wonderful news! Let us leave immediately." Turning to Bromof, "Sir, would you please permit us to spend the morning in the gardens? By what hour would you like us back?"
Staring him in the eye as she spoke, Bromof returned her gaze steadily, face like a stone. "Princess, his majesty has requested that you are returned by the twelfth hour. That gives you two hours in the gardens. He has also requested that you stay in the quieter Rose and Palomino gardens, you will find these on the east side." With this, Bromof stepped to the side to allow the two girls past, and with one more hasty glance in the mirror Chloe fluffed her curls slightly, and then, holding her head high, exited the room in a most regal manor.
Allegra followed close behind, thinking to herself just how beautiful Chloe would be once her skin had been sun-kissed once more, restoring the roses in her cheeks. If Marcius has fallen in love with her beauty now, just wait until he sees her after today. He shall be blown away completely. Smiling to herself, she half-ran to keep up with her eager friend.
"Chlo what on earth is the rush? We have two hours remember."
"Ally, we are about to get outside! We haven't been out of this dark and dingy castle for more than 2 weeks! Why not run?" With that, she picked up her pace even more, and Allegra hitched up her skirts and ran to keep up. Just as they were coming to an intersection in the castle halls, a young man of about twenty-one years old, with dark brown hair, cut not very short, but above his ears.
His piercing blue eyes, of the most incredible blue, like that of a sky on the perfect summer's day.
The handsome young man, humming softly to himself, did not see Chloe, and Chloe did not see him either. "Chloe, look out!" at Allegra's cry, both parties looked up and saw each other. Chloe however was unable to stop herself, and smacked into the young man, but luckily enough he was able to catch her in his muscular arms before she ended up on the floor.
She looked up at her handsome rescuer and smiled timidly at his surprised and curious, yet so intense, gaze.
"Sir I beg your pardon." Chloe broke from his embrace and smoothed her skirts and her hair. "I should have looked, I apologise."
The youth smiled at her "No forgive me. My father is always warning me against daydreaming when I travel around the castle. But my fair lady, I do not recognise you. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is…"
A/N: hehehehehe… im sure you have guessed who he is though. But maybe you didn't? then you really would think I was horrible lol.
But anyway… What do we love? REVIEWS! When do we want them? NOW! Or asap anyway.
A very big thank you to my fabulous reviewers:
PearlWalrus: is that a good or bad thing?
Babydione: thanks a bunch that's what I like to hear
Cinnamon: patience, patience.
Ok everyone, I hope you enjoyed this chapter (tell me if you did lol) and have a great weekend! FRIDAY TOMORROW! Yay!
Love always,
Jess
Ps R&R