The next week went by rather slowly for Bonnie, she had one of the Maids teaching her how to be a Princess. And somehow all the stuff she was being shown seemed familiar, even the maid complimented on how fast she caught on. How was she supposed to tell this girl that she'd dreamed of these very things nights before?
Meredith was being taught how to be a Princesses friend, and poor Elena was being taught how she was to act when being shown with the King. They hated it, almost as much as poor Joe-Anne, but soon she stopped leaving threatening notes on our pillows after changing them.
Once everyone got into their places, and knew what was expected, they met in the Ball room, and when all was quiet they began to explain the game we were going to play.
"Princess Angel has reached the Marrying age." Charles was saying. "And her Father agreed to let her choose her husband, but only out of the guys that he thought fit the job. That's where the Princes come in." he said, gesturing over toward the guys. They all stood in their best clothes that were provided, Scott looking ruggedly handsome while Damon and Stefan looked as if they came straight out of magazines. Ryan looking electric with his white suit he'd brought and Matt simply looked like Matt.
"It was said, that the real princess was to marry the one named Damien Smith. Her Father had hoped she would pick him because he was very ruthless around this part of the world. But she was killed by one of his competitors when he found out she didn't want him." she told the group, turning and looking sternly at the boys she added, "Hopefully, that won't happen with Bonnie." Anna turned and tried to smile warmly at Bonnie.
She felt weird.
"There were seven men back then, but this time we figured we would only allow five. Just to liven it up a little." She said winking at the guys.
"Now, we have given you a day of this week." He told the guys. "That is the day that you have Princess Angel all to yourself. You may take her to do whatever it is you want. But it has to be on the grounds, we have stables and gardens, in fact the Pond in the garden can be used as a swimming pool sort of." Charles said.
"The water is pretty much clean, except for the occasional fish that may swim by you. And we also have games in the game room, mind you we haven't been very good on electric things, so you won't find any of those sorts of games. But we do have a ping pong table, and a pool table. We'll prepare your meals when you want them, since you may want to eat with just the two of you." She said, winking again at the guys.
They were turning red, even Stefan had rose colored cheeks.
"Everyone else is to stay out of the two's way while they are on their date, if anyone is caught disturbing the others, they will automatically lose, and be forced to give up their status as Prince or whatever else you maybe, and become the official Dishwasher." Charles said. "The Princess must be left alone between the hours of midnight and seven in the morning, to give her time to rest. So whatever you had been doing that day, end it at midnight or you will be taken out of the race. And no hanky panky." he said, looking at the boys warningly.
"Everyone else knows what their jobs are, and how they must do them. So all that is left to say is, Let the Games begin!" Anna said, smiling.
"There will be a small ball tonight, were everyone can come, but the next one will be after each guy has had their date, two nights afterwards will be the second ball. That is when only the select elite can come that will also be when the Princess will tell who it is she thought was the best, and if she were really faced in this predicament, would chose to marry." Charles said, smiling a little. "We will personally crown him the true prince, and then before you go, we'll perform a fake marriage." He said.
After everyone was dismissed, all the girls crowded around and talked about what they would wear and how their hair was made up. But Bonnie slipped out and went out to the Gardens to think, diary in hand. She had a lot to think about and tell her Diary, and she'd have even more after this week was over.
*~~*~~*
"My real name is…" he whispered to her, his voice soft as silk and just barely above a whisper. His lips so close to her own...
"Bonnie?!" Stefan said again, waving his hand in her face.
"Huh? Dangit!" she yelled, frustrated that she didn't get to hear his name once more. "He was about to tell me his secret!" She started laughing when Stefan stared at her funnily. "Never mind, you won't understand." She said. Giggling.
"Daydreaming about something?" he asked, a little concern in his eyes.
"Yea. And the funny thing is I keep seeing this place as the setting for it all. And that's the fourth time that's happened this week. Some klutz always trips me out of it." She sighed as he looked offended. "But it's OK, I'll find out sooner or later. What is it that you wanted?" she asked.
"Just wanted to talk." He said, smiling slyly.
"Talk huh?" she said, smiling back. "Well, talk away." She sat back against the tree, and giggled as he looked uncomfortable. "Or was that your way of saying you wanted to get in early on flirting with me?"
He turned bright red. And she started laughing at how silly he was acting. Surely he didn't act this way around Elena! "What's so funny?" he asked, sounding hurt.
"Nothing! I just think it's cute when guys don't know what to say." She told the vampire.
"Well, my lady," he said, going into medieval mode quickly. "I assure you that I'll try to the best of my knowledge to entertain you in three days." He said, finally getting his poseur back. "I just wanted to ask what it was that you liked, as to not bore you." He flashed his own demonic smile, and for the first time, Bonnie noticed that the brothers acted alike when flirting with someone they wanted.
But she also thought of Damon from the smile. And a little something in her chest hurt. "Well, I like to do lots of things. I love this little pond. It's so cute, and peaceful." She said, smiling at him.
"Hope you have a swim suit." He said smiling. "Me. I can just swim in my pants." He grinned wildly. She was only mildly surprised to see this side of him.
"Oh, so the good little boy is going to bare all just to win some game?" she teased him.
He grinned at her still. "Maybe, depends on if this red heads going to be fair game."
"Oh, well when you put it this way, I can't back down now can I?" she said, flashing her own sly smile. "Oh, what to wear. The white one piece that never seems to stay on, or the black bikini that bares all." she teased him.
He smiled, looking slightly startled. "Well, if my vote means anything, I say the black one." He grinned at her laughter. She'd never seen this side of Stefan and was really enjoying it.
"Well, I'll take it into consideration." She said, acting like she was really thinking it over. "I'll get back to you in three days." She said, giggling.
"What in the world do you find so funny!" Ryan said, sitting on the grass beside her and Stefan, but not acknowledging him.
"We were just talking about the date he has to take me on." She said, grinning at him too. She saw Stefan looking funnily at the guy, and that caught Bonnie off. 'Is he trying to find out who he is, or is he trying to figure out how to get him away from me?' she asked herself.
"That's not fair, not sharing information with all the guys. Shame on you, now he has an advantage over us." He flashed her a smile that brought up a picture of him in front of her. The picture was pretty frightening, but she ignored it because she'd only just met him.
"It was nothing important, he was just trying to flirt with me before he has to take me on the date, that's all." she grinned when Stefan smiled at her.
"Well, Princess. I would like to Escort you to dinner." He said, smiling warmly at her and politely crooking his arm for her to take.
"That's all right." She said smiling at him too. "I think I want to skip dinner, and go up to my room to take a nap before the ball."
"As you will it, My Lady." He said, and was off in the same direction he was going. Stefan stared after him for a while, a look of concentration on his face. After a few minutes she couldn't stand the silence coming from him.
"Stefan?" she asked, looking at him. He looked up at her, and smiled.
"Just trying to figure him out." He said, grinning. "May I escort you to your room?" he asked, faking the other guy's voice.
She giggled and took his arm as he led her to her room.
*~~*~~*
A few hours later, she woke up screaming.
She'd been dreaming about the ball, and then everything went hectic. She'd just told everyone who she wanted to be with, and the crowded had loved it, they all cheered warmly as she curtsied politely towards the dark figure. But soon the cheers turned to screams of fear as she felt pain explode around her chest. Someone had came up and stabbed her in the heart, her own blood was gushing out all over, and her black dress was turning a blood red.
She fell into someone's arms, and knew him instantly, though she couldn't see him. She knew he was only there to help, and so she whispered to him. Saying over and over again that she would return for him, as long as he waited for her.
She woke up in Stefan and Damon's arms while they were trying to wake her up and calm her down. She had sat straight up upon awakening, and was met with Damon's arms around her shoulders, cradling her like a baby.
"Relax, it was only a dream." He said, she could feel him probing her mind, and didn't have the strength to shut him out because she was now crying uncontrollably. Shaky sobs burst from her lips as her exhausted body shook so hard that it took most of Damon's strength to hold her still.
That was the ninth time this month that had happened. Every time it was hurting her more and more. And what she was afraid of the most was that it would come true. This dark figure was obviously a friend, but someone else didn't want her to be anyone else's. Up until then she'd only seen parts, flashes in her dreams of what was to happen.
Tonight she'd seen almost all of it.
She felt both their minds around hers, shielding her away from anything that might try to hurt her while she was vulnerable, and she felt a little better, knowing they were helping her. Elena and Meredith were there, in her bathroom getting some water for the hiccups that she had gotten from crying.
"Relax. It was only a dream." Damon whispered in her ear.
She shivered slightly, she wasn't used to hearing him talk like that to her. And he smiled softly at her, trying to help her to feel better without the others knowing.
"Here, drink this, maybe it'll stop those hiccups." Elena said, as she and Meredith took over for the guys.
"How did you hear me? That door is like, forever thick." She asked, swallowing down the water.
"Damon and Stefan heard you first. We only followed. Good thing your door was unlocked huh?" Meredith said, smiling. "Was it the same dream?" she asked, pulling Bonnie's red curls from her face. She nodded slowly, taking deep breathes to calm herself down.
"Same dream?" Elena asked, looking confused.
"I've been having a dream about someone killing me for the past month, ever since I heard about this trip. And every time they get more detailed. Tonight I could feel someone holding me though." She said, eyes narrowing in concentration. "And I said something like, 'I'll return if you'll wait.' To whoever it was that was holding me." she said. Everyone looked at her funnily, but it was Damon who spoke up, sounding lost and abandoned.
"'I'll return to you, but promise me that you'll keep me in your heart and wait for me'." Damon said quietly, looking funnily at Bonnie.
"Yes, that's exactly it. How did you know?" she asked, not helping the excitement that entered her voice and eyes that he knew.
"That's what the real Princess Angel said before she died." He said, getting up and walking to the door.
"How do you know?" she asked, confused again.
But he had already walked out of the room, muttering something about impossibilities.
Awww poor Damon? No?
Whatcha think!!??