Chapter 4-Friend
On that very same afternoon, Lottie herself was feeling rather suffocated in her role as princess. She'd just spent another two hours with Lady Howard and her niece, and now her head pounded. She lay on her bed with a cold cloth on her forehead but it wasn't helping at all. She still had a migraine.
What she needed, she thought, was not a cold cloth. She needed to do something, or she feared she'd do something crazy like bite the bed to keep from screaming.
But she didn't really want to do that. What she truly wanted to get out of the castle, for at least a little while, and forget that she was a princess. She glanced out of her window, yearning to be out there instead of here, and walk the streets of Corona. She probably shouldn't though and her parents' voices echoed in her mind. You never know what could happen to you out there, Lottie. You need to stay in the palace where it's safe.
Huh, she thought. They often conveniently forgot that Rapunzel had been kidnapped when she had been in the palace, so it therefore wasn't as safe as they thought it was.
So why couldn't she go out of it?
She couldn't come up with any good reasons. Besides, how could a princess help her people if she didn't even know them?
She couldn't, Lottie decided, and she was going to go walking outside the palace, at least for a little while. She threw her legs over her bed, and went to her wardrobe, searching for a scarf to cover up her hair. After all, she didn't have to make the fact that she was the princess completely obvious.
She soon found one, and hastily covered her hair. Then she opened her door, looking for any guards. There were none.
So she quickly and quietly snuck out of the palace, all the while keeping an eye out for anyone who could stop her. Nobody did, and when she finally got outside the palace walls and into the city, she couldn't help a triumphant laugh. That was much too easy! She should have done this long ago.
In a happy daze, she walked around Corona, taking everything in, from the inhabitants to the many buildings. She stopped briefly to buy a scone, and ate it as she continued to explore. But she didn't know where she was going, and inadvertently she wandered into a darker part of town.
Finally she realized where she was, and a cold feeling came over her. She should have paid more attention to where she was going. Her hair prickled the back of her neck, and she felt like someone was following her. Sure enough, when she turned around she saw two rough-looking boys behind her.
Instinctively she started walking faster through the streets, then glanced over her shoulder. They were still following her. She decided to be upfront, and she stopped. "What do you want?"
They looked at each other, then smiled at her. She was not reassured. There was something….almost sinister about it and shivers went down her back. "Well, surely a wealthy lady like you has money to spare."
They wanted to rob her? Unbelievable! Why, oh why hadn't she changed her dress before she went? That clearly betrayed her status. "I don't have any money," she said. And it was true. She'd already spent the little amount she had brought with her.
One of them snickered. "You expect us to believe that?"
"I honestly don't care if you do or not," she retorted. "But I do know one thing. If you don't stop harassing me, you're going to be sorry."
One of them mumbled to the other, and he started reaching for her. Without hesitation, she kicked him in the shins. The other one managed to grab hold of her, but she hit him in the nose with her elbow and he let go of her. "Get-away-from-me!" she hissed. She didn't wait to see if they'd try to grab her again or not. She bolted and ran as fast as she could away from them. She heard pounding footsteps behind her, and she knew they were coming after her again. She continued to run, but she had a feeling they were gaining on her. Oh, why had she been so stupid? Surely this was probably why her parents hadn't wanted her to leave the palace. She kept running, and as she turned to another street she scraped her arm on something. Pain shot up her arm, but she didn't stop.
But all of a sudden, she slammed into something. She looked up only to find she'd run into a man- a handsome young man with brown hair and gentle brown eyes. Heat flooded to her face. "Um…please excuse me," she mumbled.
He smiled kindly at her. "That's quite all right," he said. "No harm done. But I-…" He broke off, and he started to frown. She glanced behind her, and the two ragamuffins were there. Her feet twitched, and she wanted to run away again. But the man was standing in her way.
"What are you looking at?" he asked them and stepped in front of her. "There's nothing here that concerns you." They didn't look too convinced, but his hand reached to his waist and Lottie saw a knife there. She was sure that they had too. "Go on. GO! Or do you want me to go tell the palace guards that you hassle young ladies now?"
They looked at each other, and then they started to walk away, grumbling all the while.
She stared at him in surprise. "You got rid of them."
He smiled again. She decided that she liked it very much. "Oh, it was nothing," he said modestly. "Boys like that….they're all bark, but no bite. When you threaten them, suddenly they cave."
It might have been nothing to him, but she felt incredibly grateful. "Well, I still didn't know if I could outrun them," she said. "So I thank you."
"You're welcome," he said. Then abruptly he took her arm and studied her scrape. "You know, you'd better let me help you with that."
She felt hesistant. She didn't know this man at all, and how did she know he wouldn't kidnap her? Shouldn't she be a proper princess and go back home?
She didn't want to be a proper princess, and she didn't want to go home. She smiled at him. He'd helped her get rid of those horrible boys, and so she doubted that he'd hurt her. What could be wrong with going to his house? "Well, thank you," she said. "That'd be quite kind of you."
"Sure," he said, and he gestured for her to follow him. She did. "So what's your name?" he asked as they walked.
She was silent. For most people this wouldn't be a dilemma, but she wasn't sure she wanted to introduce herself as the princess. People had a tendency to treat her differently when they knew. It was at least partly why she'd never made a close friend. "Lottie," she said finally. "Just…..just Lottie."
A pleasant grin appeared on his face. She really liked it. "Well, Lottie, I'm pleased to meet you. I'm Tom."
"Pleasure."
He continued to smile at her, and he started to walk-she guessed- toward his home again. "So," he said, after they had walked a ways in silence. "Just wanted to see what the ruffians of Corona were like, did you?"
Her cheeks heated up. "I-….I didn't know that was…a rough part of town."
"Oh, I see," he said. "You don't come out to this way a lot?"
That was for sure. She hardly ever even left the palace! "Not really."
"Well, just for future reference….don't."
She doubted that she would. If she did decide to walk around Corona again, she would make sure to stay out of that part of town. "I'll keep that in mind."
They walked quietly until they reached a little house in the middle of town. Tom grinned at her. "Here we are!" He opened the door, and gestured her inside. "My humble home."
She looked around to see a nicely furnished, but small, cottage. She thought that he must have some money because there were books, pens and papers all over the table and several coffee cups. Judging from the papers, she guessed he was literate.
He noticed her gaze and started to gather up the papers in a pile. "Sorry about that," he said. "Occupational hazard."
"You write?" she asked politely.
"Only when I breathe," he answered. He laughed slightly. "I'm writing a book, to be precise."
"What about?"
He shrugged. "Oh , life, love….the usual." He cleared his throat and dampened a cloth with water from a bucket. "Anyway," he said, walking over to her and gesturing for her to sit down. She did. "Let me clean that up for you." He pulled up a chair next to her and started dabbing at her cut.
She watched as he did, thinking that she wasn't sure why he was being so kind to her. Did he know that she was the princess? Most people felt obligated to act nice, so maybe he felt the same way… She couldn't believe he was being nice to her only for altruistic reasons.
"You know," he said, breaking the silence. "I feel bad that you had such a horrible experience today. So let me make it up to you." He smiled at her again. "Let me show you around town, and I promise we won't run into any young ruffians."
She stared at him. He wanted to do something with her? Really? "Um…."
"Come on, it will be fun!" he coaxed.
The princess inside her couldn't say no. "Okay," she said slowly. "I guess I could."
He smiled and his whole face lit up- like he had truly wanted her to go. What? "Wonderful. What would be a good day for you?"
"I don't know….," she said. "Maybe next Tuesday?"
He continued to smile. Did he ever not smile? "That would be perfect. I'll meet you at the square."
"Um…okay," she said awkwardly. "I guess I'll see you then." She wasn't entirely sure what to say now. "Thanks for your help."
"Oh, you're welcome," he said. "Good bye, Lottie."
She managed to recover some of her composure. "Good bye, Tom." She walked away, but she couldn't help but look back at him. He grinned at her.
She found herself smiling back, even after everything, because of one reason:
Tom had been kind to her, and not because she was Princess Lottie. But because she was herself. Just Lottie.
XxXxXxXx
Tuesday came more quickly that Lottie thought it would, and all too soon, Lottie found herself walking to the town square with some measure of trepidation. Part of her felt rather nervous at the thought of a whole afternoon with Tom, but part of her was also excited. When had she ever done something as normal as walk around town with a friend?
Well, maybe he wasn't a friend yet. But he could be.
Soon she reached the square, and her eyes searched for him. She finally found him, sitting by himself at the fountain, scribbling something intensely.
She approached him hesitantly. He looked rather preoccupied…. "Um...Tom?"
His eyes stayed focus on the paper. "Just a minute." She waited patiently, but she wondered what he was writing about. A few moments passed before he looked up at her. He smiled warmly. "Hello Lottie," he said. "Sorry about that, have to write when the muse hits you." He patted the spot next to him. "Please, sit." She cautiously sat down and gave him a tentative smile. "So, is there anywhere you want to go?"
She shook her head. "No, not really."
"You sure?" he asked.
"Yes," she said. "I mean, there's just a lot I haven't seen. So, any place is fine."
He blinked in surprise. "There's a lot you…haven't seen?"
She shrugged. She wasn't about to explain that she stayed in the palace most of the time. "I don't get out much."
"Oh, I see," he said. Then his expression brightened. "Well, stick with me and I'll show all the best spots."
And he did. He showed her the beautiful ocean that surrounded Corona, the busy market, lots of shops and stores, and….well, pretty much everything. It was grand to see it all, but Lottie felt rather fatigued as they went on. When they stopped to sit for a while, she wanted to tell him that she was tired, but she was sure that there was one more spot she needed to see. She decided to say nothing.
"Come on," he said after a few moments. "I still haven't shown you my favorite spot in all of Corona." He stood up and held his hand out to her.
She stared at for a minute, and then looked up at him. He was smiling. She couldn't help it; she smiled back. And she took his hand.
He continued to smile, and he began to lead her through the streets. "Of course, I love all of Corona," he said as they walked. "But this is where I fell most at home."
Lottie had a hard time focusing on what he was saying. Instead, she was thinking about how nice his hand felt in hers. She'd held a man's hand before of course, at balls when she danced with them. But it had never made her heart warm or her heart pound.
"Lottie?"
She blinked. "Yes, Tom?"
His eyes crinkled in amusement. "We're here." He gestured toward the building.
"Oh, yes," she said. She glanced at the name. Taylor's Books. "A bookstore?"
"Ah, but it's not just a bookstore, Lottie," he said "It also is part coffee-shop. So, would you like to go in?"
She found herself smiling again. It's like she couldn't help but smile around him. His enthusiasm was so infectious. "Sure. I like books."
His smile increased, and they went inside. He was immediately greeted by a tall, middle-aged man who smiled in welcome. "Hello there, Tom."
"Hello, Mr. Taylor," he said. "Got anything new?"
Mr. Taylor looked amused. "Not since yesterday, but it seems you do." He nodded at Lottie. Her cheeks went hot.
"Haha," Tom said pleasantly. "This is my friend, Lottie. Lottie, Mr. Taylor."
Thank goodness for her hours of princess lessons. They'd prepared her to be gracious at such a time as this. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Taylor."
He chuckled. "Oh, honey, it's a pleasure to meet you too. And you take care of Tom here, won't you? He's always in his imaginary world. He'd forget where his head was sometimes if it wasn't attached to his neck."
Lottie's cheeks heated up again at the implication and Tom cleared his throat. "So, Mr. Taylor, could you maybe get me a coffee and a…." He turned to her. "What would you like, Lottie?"
She wrinkled her nose. She hated coffee. It tasted disgusting to her. "Tea? Could I have some tea, please?"
"Of course," he said. "And two cupcakes too, please."
Mr. Taylor nodded, and he went to prepare them. "So," she said to Tom. "You come here often?"
He laughed. "Probably more often than I should. But it helps get me inspired sometimes." He gestured toward the rows of books. "Read some of the greats."
"Oh, I see," she said. "What's one of your favorite books?"
He looked a little embarrassed. "Well, it's sort of silly, but I just love The Tales of Flynnigan Rider." He chuckled. "I promise though, that I like good works too. Like Le Morte D'Arthur."
Lottie brightened. "Oh, I've always wanted to read that! Was it good?"
"Very," he said, and they continued to talk about books while they drank their coffee and tea and ate their cupcakes. Afterward, they slowly walked back to his house and Lottie found that she didn't really want their time to end. She'd had so much fun, and she felt like she didn't have to be Princess Charlotte. She could just be herself. Just Lottie. It was wonderful. All too soon, they were standing at his door. "Tom, I-…." She hesitated, trying to find the words. She wanted to tell him what a good time she'd had, but she wasn't sure how to say it. "I had a great time."
"I did too," he said. "We should do it again soon."
She just looked at him. He wanted to do it….again? "I'd like that very much. Maybe Tuesdays?"
He smiled at her, and it warmed her from the inside out. "I'd like that."
They exchanged goodbyes soon after that, and Lottie went home to the palace, thinking that she hadn't had such a pleasant afternoon in a very long time.
She was so glad she'd decided to go.
XxXxXxXx
The next week, Lottie met Tom and they went walking through Corona like they had the last time- and it was just as pleasant as the first time. Besides that, the more she spent time with him the more she grew comfortable with him. She even told him that she was the princess, and much to her surprise and delight, he just nodded and said something along the lines of he thought she was noble. But he didn't treat her any differently. It was grand.
But the following week, rain poured down almost as soon as she reached his house and they couldn't go walking like they normally did. Lottie wasn't sure what they would do, but Tom suggested they play a game called "Speak." She wasn't sure what that was. "I've never heard of it."
"That's because I made it up," he said with a grin.
"Well, how do you play?"
"It's simple," he said. "I ask you a question and you answer it truthfully. And then you ask me one."
"That doesn't sound too hard," she said.
"That's the beauty of it," he said. "It can be as easy or as hard as you yourself make it. All it depends on is one thing."
"What's that?"she asked in curiosity.
"How well you can actually tell the truth." His eyes met hers, in a challenge. Almost as if he knew how often she lied.
"I can tell the truth," she said defensively. "I just…don't do it often."
He smiled at her, and her insides felt like melted chocolate. "I'm sure you can," he said reassuringly. "And because I'm all benevolence, you can ask me the first question."
"Okay." She was quiet for a moment, before thinking of something. "Have you ever told a lie?"
He leaned back in his chair. "No."
She found that hard to believe. She didn't think she'd ever met anyone in the whole kingdom of Corona who had never told at least a white lie. "Seriously?"
"No," he said. "I always try to tell the truth. Don't you?"
"No, I can't, even if I want to," she answered. "I'm the princess, Tom. What do you expect?"
He frowned thoughtfully. "But surely you can talk to your family."
She sighed. She probably lied to them most of all. Exhibit A- the lie that she lived as Rapunzel's sister who liked "Eugene." But how could she tell her the truth? It could devastate her. Wasn't it better to keep her opinions to herself and not hurt her sister? "No. I can't."
He shook his head, like he truly felt sorry for her. "That's terrible, Lottie," he said. "How do you stand holding everything in?"
Actually, she couldn't think of a time in her life when she hadn't kept her feelings to herself. "Um….I'm used to it?"
"Well, don't be surprised if one day it all comes out sideways and backfires on you," he told her. "That's what happens in my experience."
"It's happened to you?" she asked.
"No," he answered. "But I've seen it happen to others, and trust me, you don't want it to happen to you."
"I see," she said. "Well, I think it's your turn to ask me a question."
He smiled, and she noticed how it lit up his entire face. "So it is." He thought for a moment. "What's the hardest thing you do every day?"
"Be a princess," she blurted, then covered her face with her hand. She felt heat creep up the back of her neck. "I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have said that."
He continued to smile. "Why not? Is it the truth?"
She didn't have to think long about that one. "Yes?"
"Then there's nothing to be sorry about," he said reassuringly. "So, why is being a princess so hard?"
"That's a different question," she told him.
"No, it's not," he said quickly. "It's a continuation of the first one I asked."
She wasn't sure about that, but since it was his game, she didn't want to argue. Princesses didn't argue anyway….they discussed. "Fine. I'd have to say living up to people's expectations."
He nodded. "Makes sense. Is that all?"
No, it wasn't. She could mention pinchy shoes, tight corsets, hours of curtseying, learning ridiculous etiquette, silly nobles, rude nobles, stupid nobles…She could probably go on for hours, but she would never let herself. It would violate so many princess rules that she wouldn't even be able to count them. "Yes."
He didn't look convinced. "Right….well, it's your turn. Do you want to ask me one now?"
She glanced at the clock. It was already past 5, and she should be back at the palace getting ready for dinner. "Actually, I'd better not. I should be getting back."
Was that a hint of…..disappointment in his eyes? "Oh…okay. Well, I hope you have a good evening, Lottie."
"You too," she said. She stood up and she noticed that he did too.
"Here," he said. "Let me walk you to the door."
She was pleased by his gallantry. "Well, thank you."
He kindly escorted her to the door. "I do hope we can see each other soon, Lottie."
She couldn't help but smile. "I'd like that."
He grinned back. "Wonderful."
They exchanged goodbyes, and Lottie hurried back to the castle. While she did, she couldn't help but feel happy. Despite Tom's hard questions, she truly enjoyed her time with him.
She felt like she'd finally found a friend.