SPELLBOUND
Chapter II: A Dog Named Frog
Alec
"Alec it's really important that you listen to me now" My father, King Christopher Windam said as he walked through the Palace's gardens with me and my dog Frog. Yes, Frog. Don't ask.
"I'm listening, dad." I answered as I threw a stick for Frog to catch.
"No, you're not You're playing with your dammed dog."
"Alright," I said, throwing the stick far away down the path. "What is it?"
"You do recall I've been telling you that you mother and I have plans to leave this weekend."
"Yes, you told me at least three times already. I assume the Knights Council will stay as temporary government?"
"You assume wrongly. You will stay in charge of the government."
"Me? You must be joking." I said, looking at him. He was completely serious. "You're joking right?"
"No."
"But Dad!"
"Alexander, you're the crown prince. Sooner or later I'll have to step down the throne and I rather do it sooner so I can have and enjoy time with my wife and the grandchildren you ought to be providing for me soon enough. You're the crown prince and it's time you start behaving like one. I never wanted to make your life all about duty; I wanted you to have happiness and a normal life. Kaze and I wanted Cherith and you to be happy. But, God forgive me, I think I gave you too much freedom. You need to understand your heritage and the weight that will befall you when the time for me to abdicate comes."
"Dad, I know my heritage." I answered. "And I know of my responsibilities."
"And I want to believe you, Alec. This is your chance to prove it."
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Amy
"I think you're out of danger, dear." The doctor, an elder man told me as he exanimate me as he had done daily for the past two weeks. "Just continue to take the medicine for a couple of weeks more so you don't get sick again."
"Thank you, doctor." I said quietly.
"I'll walk you out," Mrs. Rose said and they left, leaving me with Lady Kaze.
"So, have you made your decision? About staying? I assure you you'll be safe here."
"I would like to stay." I answered, because it was true. I liked it here at the Windam Palace. "I've been talking to Mrs. Rose about getting a job in the kitchen with her. I like to cook."
"I'm glad." She said, tilting her head to the side. Though outwardly she was averagely pretty with her mahogany hair and sparkling blue eyes, she was the kind of woman whose gestures made her truly pretty, like how she was always smiling at everyone and that kind of thing. "My husband and I are leaving this weekend," she told me. "He wants to take a trip. But my son and daughter are staying. I'm going to introduce you to Cherith before I leave. If you need anything ask her, or Alec. I'm sure they'll be glad to help you."
"That's very kind of you, my lady." I said shyly. And I dared to ask something, I was staying so I needed to know. "If you don't mind that I ask… can you tell me why you are helping me? I know is not my right to ask and…"
She grinned. "It's understandable that you want to ask." She said and sat down on the bed. "I might not look like it now but when I was your age I ran away from my family. I know what it's like to have to depend on strangers. I want to help you because once I wasn't much different from you. I had no place to go. And if people at this very same place hadn't been good to me, I don't know where I would be right now. Please, feel free to make this your home."
"You're too kind, my lady." I said, covering my face, her words had brought tears to my eyes.
"Oh dear, I hadn't meant to make you cry." She said offering me a handkerchief. I dabbed my eyes. "Well now, come along. We need to find you some clothes and I really want you to meet Cherith."
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Cherith
Okay, I knew Chris hadn't taken too well the news of his appointment as Prince Regent while our parents were going to be gone. So I probably shouldn't have bugged him right then. But he was my brother, so I had all the right in the world to bug him whenever I wanted.
"Big-Bro-Ther!" I called out in a sing song voice when I saw him pacing around in the garden's maze.
He was startled. I ran up to him. "Dammit, Cherith, don't do that."
I grinned. "I'm sorry."
"Where have you been all day, anyway?"
"Oh, with Mom. You know that girl you found in the stables a couple of weeks back? She's staying here. Mom got her a job in the kitchens. Her name is Amy and she's really nice. I like her."
"Oh, good." He said distractedly, he probably had already forgotten about Amy. He's dumb that way. Lucky for him that he's cute – Or that's what I hear from the other ladies in the court, what do I know, he looks a lot like my dad – otherwise he'll be lost.
"Daddy says you didn't take well the news of him and Mom leaving."
"I don't mind that they are going away, I mind that it's going to mess up my free time."
"What you were planning to do with you free time, anyway? It's the dead of the winter. There's nothing to do here for another two months at least."
"What do you know?" He asked irritated. "Run along now, go play with your dolls or something."
"Alec, I'm eighteen, I don't play with dolls anymore…" he arched one of his dark brows… "Okay, I still play, but not much!"
He smiled. "Run along, Cherry-pie. I need some time to think, okay?"
"Okay." I said and turned to leave, but then thought on something and went to kiss his cheek. "I know you're going to do a great job filling in for Dad. We all think so, Alec. We got faith on you."
"Thanks." He said and meant it.
And I ran off. Since Amy wasn't still on duty, maybe she would accept to play with me to whatever.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Amy
I was adjusting to my work just fine.
Cheirth – I had attempted to use her proper title but she corrected me each time I called her 'Lady' or 'Your highness' that I just gave up – had showed me around the Palace and Mrs. Rose had given me light tasks so I wouldn't overexert myself at first.
I was given a small room on the third floor of the palace and three dresses to wear daily, and a pretty green one to wear to church. Everyone was being extra-nice with me. Cherith had even offered to make a glamour spell to cover the scar over my face, but I wouldn't let her. It was something I had learned to live with… and I had already had enough experiences with Magic. Even good intentioned magic like hers scared me.
A week into the job, I had finished my chores early – mostly it was fetch whatever the cook wanted and help to chop vegetables and the like – and Mrs. Rose sent me upstairs. Dulcie -a young housemaid I had been making friends with- had gotten sick and I offered to help cover up her chores.
So I went to the fifth floor – where the rooms of the royal family and other important people were – to clean up the king's study, which was usually Dulcie's work.
I opened the door of the study, just to be pounced on by a big, chocolate-coloured dog. The dog knocked me over and was eagerly licking my ears as I tried to breathe.
"Frog!" A deep, masculine voice called and the dog got off me. And my perfect view of the ceiling was replaced by a masculine face. He had dark hair, very dark; and tanned skin, his lips were smiling and his eyes were of a darkish colour I had never seen before, like a mixture of grey and purple. "Are you alright?"
"Uh?"
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Alec
I had been going to council meetings with my father since I was about three. I had been in such meetings without my father in the past. I had never presided one and it was nerve raking.
I felt like everyone was looking at me, hanging on my every word and… waiting for me to make a mistake.
I didn't know how my father did this on a regular basis… and how I was supposed to do it for the next couple of months. Once I got out of the meeting I decided to go up to my father's study on the fifth floor… who knew, maybe some of his capability would rub on me or something.
As always, Frog was right with me, following me around all day.
I sat down behind my father's desk, I had a report to read on the agricultural production of the northern regions of the valley, but I was really just doodling on a sheet of paper, Frog lying in front of the fire.
He got up suddenly, mere moments before the door swung open.
Always excited at the prospect of more people to lick, he pounced over the unfortunate visitor. It was a girl, by the looks of her, a house maid. The poor girl got knocked over by 80 pounds of enthusiastic dog.
"Frog!" I called and he retreated at once. I leaned down over the girl. "Are you alright?"
"Uh?"
I helped her up. "I'm sorry about Frog; he just gets very excited when he sees people."
"Frog?" She asked dazedly.
"My dog." I said. Frog padded to me, his head down, knowing he shouldn't have pounced. I petted him to make him feel better. He whined and trusted his muzzle into the girl's palm – which lay limp by her side.
She smiled and petted him as well, to which Frog answered with a happy bark.
"You must be new here, I don't remember you."
"I've been working here for a week or so. Dulcie is sick so I came her to fill up for her but I'll go if you wish, sir."
"No, no, that's fine. What's your name?"
"Amy."
"Amy… Amy…" That sounded familiar. "Oh, yes, Gerry and I found you in the stables weeks ago, right?" She nodded. "I'm Alec, by the way."
"Oh! I never got a chance to thank you!" she said. "For finding me and letting me stay, I mean. I know most people would have just kicked me out."
"It was just the decent thing to do. Think nothing of it, Amy."
"Still, thank you very much." She said.
I nodded embarrassed. There was a small silence, a little awkward.
Frog whined. And began to sniff around the pockets of the apron Amy was wearing. "Smart boy." She said and dug out a cookie and feed it to him. "Frog." She smiled. "It's unusual."
"I know. See, when I was about four, I found this frog in the river and I brought it here to the palace and kept it for about two or three years. One day my mother 'accidentally' set him free. And to make it up to me she got me a dog. But what I really wanted was my frog back, so I named him Frog and it has worked just fine since then."
She laughed and as she did so I caught a glimpse of a long scar over the left side of her face. I chose not to comment. Instead I kept drawing her into conversation. At first she was shy, but I wouldn't let her off the hook, it was so easy to talk to her, and far more entertaining than doodling avoiding the pending work.
In an odd way, I think we became friends that day.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
End of Chapter Two
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Notes!
Thanks so much to everyone that has been reading this!
YOU GUYS ARE SO AWESOME AND I'LL LOVE YOU FOR EVER AND EVER!
WINNIE FORRESTER I'll LOVE YOU TILL THE DAY I—
Sorry, I had a Lind's moment there.
Squishys to Starry for taking the time to proof read )
Joank: Thanks. I'll try to update soon!
Katty: --Huggies- Me hearts u
Connie: Thankies –Huggies—
Helen: Amy will lighten up… )
Rowenhood: Okay, what happened was that when I started to write Fairy-tale-like stories, I didn't know where to put them, so I put them on FFN, even when they aren't based on specific stories. That's why I'm doing the double posting. Thanks so much to reading
Pink-Raven: Thanks so much! You're so sweet! Thanks so much for reading!
Masked Dragonfly 0926: I know what's like to have tons of hw, so good luck to you with that. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Hoolihoopgrl131: Thanks. I'm updating at soon as I can!
I'il bling bling: Thanks! Peace!
EreshkigalGirl: Hugs! Thanks I'll work on it. Thanks for pointing it out, I'm still trying to better my English, sometimes the Spanish grammar gets in my brain – Spanish being the first language and all. Thanks so much for reading.
Brat: Thanks so much! Everyone loves the "Hot Kisssss" by the way!
Starry: Lovey! You're a darling and deserve tons of hugs and candy and hot kisses :wink, wink:
Okay, I asked if it's true we can't answer individually on the author notes. I've not gotten an answer so I'm doing it meanwhile. Love you all so much!
Oh, and before I forget. Alec's eyes are just like Chris' I never got around describing them in Love & Magic. See, Rafer (Wind Warriors) had dark grey eyes, and when he married Merle – who has part fairy and with purple eyes- their eye color mixed. Their first born had grey-purple eyes, just as each ruler of the Windam family has had ever since.
It's like their trademark.
Anyway, this is a very long note.
Any questions or commentaries… please let me know. I'll try to answer.
Luv you all!
Clavie