Author's Notes: hello again i am sorry i have been so lazy. But i am going on holidays i a week i will try to update as much as i can before then, but i make no promises.
thanks to you reviewers:
Nosilla: I know the cliff hangers dont seem evil to me because i know what happens next ;)
Abbeygirl06: I failed english terribally lol so my punctuation and spelling are not too great i am looking in to getting a beta but because i write in so many different fields it is hard. i will try to do something about it soon. hope it isnt too distracting.
I dont own anything to do with anything at the moment so for whatever reason dont sue me ;)
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She spun, sure enough when she turned around there was a young man there, He had brown hair and brown eyes and he was watching her intently. Christine put her sword up.
"You are trespassing on My- The Dutchess of Datson's land I suggest you leave now"
The young man laughed and stepped forward
"You have nothing to fear miss, I am simply passing through" He tired to walk past her but met her sword
"I do believe you are going the wrong way"
"I have no desire to fight you Miss, But I simply must pass it is of great importance"
"If you had no desire to fight you would have turned around and left the property" The young man pulled out his sword and Christine took this chance to study him quickly. He was about half a foot taller than her and he wore clothes of such high standard he must be a noble. I am challenging a noble, I hope this doesn't come and bite me later.
"One last chance to leave" Christine said calmly getting in to a fighting stance just in case.
"Not a chance" He started the fight with a mighty lunge which Christine blocked and moved in to defensive stance letting him have the upper hand for the moment. In a break she fought back swiftly and t started backing away and in to a tree. He ducked as she swung to hit him but she got the tree instead, so he came up behind her and put his sword to her throat. So she wouldn't fight back.
"I told you I didn't want to fight" His chest was slightly pressing in to her back and she could smell her fragrant hair, A cross between strawberries and the forest he musedChristine stayed silent, not sure what to do with a sword under her chin.
Galloping horses in the distance separated them and what happened next was even stranger in Christine's opinion. The young man grabbed her and pulled her behind the tree so that they were out of view of the approaching group. Now Christine had her back pressed against the tree with a complete stranger in her view pressed against her with his hand over her mouth. She heard the party approach and stop on the other side of the tree.
"We must find him soon; his highness will not take anymore excuses"
"He could not have gone far"
"I do not know why he does this" Christine listened intently, but what they were saying wasn't making much sense. She looked at the brown haired man in front of her; he couldn't be more than a few years older than her and he was only slightly taller and she was not what you would call tall. A lock of dark brown hair fell in to his chocolate brown eyes and Christine realised with a blush that he was starring at her too. She looked away quickly and started listening to what the search party were saying on the other side of the tree.
"What he has to escape from I will never know"
"Come on lets keep going he can't be too far" Then they were galloping away once more; Christine removed his hand from her mouth
"They were after you weren't they, what have you stolen from the king?" Christine pushed him off her and stepped away and quickly picked up her sword
"It is not what you think, I'm Derek by the way" he said, trying to changed the subject
"I'm Chris" She nodded and checked the sun position in the sky "I should be going my mistress will be looking for me, if you get caught on the property I will deny everything" with that Christine mounted her horse and took off at a gallop for the stables.
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Once back at the house Christine had an hour before she had to begin dinner. She was on her way to her room when she heard the summoning bell. This only rang when Mistress wanted to see all staff. Something is up Christine thought as she moved to the entrance hall.
There stood her mother and sister. Once all the servants were assembled her mother spoke:
"During our lunch at the palace today I invited the Royal family to have lunch here tomorrow. And they accepted. Now this gives my beautiful daughter a chance to meet the prince, he was unfortunately absent during our visit" The story behind the prince even Christine had heard. He has been travelling for three years and has grown up he is barely recognisable. All the girls in the kingdom were trying to get a glimpse of him. It was said he had a habit of disappearing so no eligible girls had met him.
"I will expect perfection and silence in the house during their visit. Kathryn and Alice will be waiting on the tables Jake you will be taking their carriage on arrival and tending to the horses. Blake you have the duty of being footman and officially announce and welcome them. Mandy I shall expect no expense spared on a delicious meal. If any of you put a foot out of line you will be dismissed" Her mother took a deep breath then her eyes settled on Christine "Girl you will make sure the entry hall floor is scrubbed, dusted and perfect as well as the dinning room. You will take extra care that my angel Melanie looks perfect and you will disappear before the royal family arrives and not return till they are gone. Do I make myself clear, all of you?" she looked around to the staff everyone nodded and exited quickly.
Christine followed Mandy in to the kitchen where they were starting dinner.
"What a flurry the house shall be in tomorrow morning" Mandy sighed
"I know" Christine agreed she really wasn't surprised that she was to be absent when the royal family was here. "On the plus side I don't have to be here to serve the royal family"
"Yes, I would love to spit on your mother some days the way she treats you" Mandy started peeling potato's for dinner.
"Don't worry about it, I sure don't"
"What upsets me most is that it is your title Lady that your sister is parading around with"
"Mandy don't call me that and I don't care about the title, after all-"
"It could be worse" Mandy finished for her
"Exactly" Christine laughed and helped peel the potatoes. They prepared dinner in a comfortable silence.
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Christine had just finished turning down Melanie's bed and checking the fire when her sister walked in. She looked high on life.
"I had the best day maid, Lunch at the palace when divinely even if I do say so myself. Even thought he prince wasn't there, But his mother assured me that he did not know I was coming, if he had I bet he would have been there" She sighed and sat down so Christine could remover she shoes and stockings.
"If it's not to bold Lady, What does his highness look like?"
"I haven't seen him in years, since before he left for travelling at my fathers funeral" Christine's heart dropped, it hurt when she said stuff about her father and pretended like he wasn't Christine's father. Despite the fact that really Christine wasn't Lady Christine Datson and this wasn't her sister to them. It was still like a knife in the heart every time it was said. Christine moved like a robot helping Melanie undress. Once she was done Melanie sat at her dressing table for Christine to brush her hair.
"The prince will be here tomorrow I will have the chance to get to know him, I have the chance to become queen" She sighed "The queen confided in us today that in a few weeks there will be a official coming out ball for the Prince where the queen is hopping he will take a bride" Christine was watching Melanie. It seemed odd to her that it would happen it must have shown in her face or something because of Melanie's next reply
"You jealous bitch, I can see it in your face you don't have a chance. Your just the maid" after so long of taking Melanie's tantrums and taunts on the chin and never letting her know what she was really thinking went out the window and cool calm and look at the glass half full Christine just snapped.
"YOU KNOW WHAT I AM SICK OF YOU PRETENDING THAT I AM NOT YOUR SISTER, YOUR FAMILY, I DO ALL THESE THINGS WITHOUT COMPLAINT WHEN I AM TRULY THE LADY OF THE HOUSE AND NOTHING WILL CHANGE THAT" Christine stopped and instantly wanted to shove all the words back in to her mouth and swallow them.
Melanie looked like she was going to implode; her face was getting redder by the second till she opened her mouth
"MOTHER" She screamed at the top of her lungs
About five seconds later her mother burst in to the room and it took an additional minute for Melanie to spill the beans on what Christine said and another second for her mother to tell her that she would be whipped tomorrow morning after breakfast.
I knew today was going to be different…..
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ok so tell me what you think it you have any plot ideas i would love to hear them and any thoughts you may have, but i wont know till you review.
E J Riddle