A/N Good morning all. I will continue posting but each chapter will always be right around 1000 words. Please enjoy and leave me some love in the form of a review at the bottom.

Chapter 9

At seven, Anthony returned in a suit and escorted me to dinner. He sat at the head of the table and I sat to his right. "Anthony, why are the only windows in the ceiling here?"

"Because we're protected that way. Each window gets limited light each day."

"Why Anthony?"

"Queen Bella, you are a brilliant lady. The king must love your intelligence. He loves how I ran the castle; but I don't think he knows about the rest or cares."

"I would care," Anthony said. "He never asked your opinion."

"No. As long as our castle ran smoothly and I um um um…. Never mind. He was happy with me."

"Bella, what is it?"

"Sir, it is none of your business. My glass of wine just almost ran away with me."

"Fine." Come with me and he escorted me to the door. We stepped outside.

"It's a beautiful small flower garden."

"Yes, all roses."

"My favorite." I went and twirled from one bush to another smelling them. Anthony touched my shoulder. "Yes, Anthony." Then I thought why did his touch feel so familiar to me.

He took my hand and said, "It's nice to see you smiling even if you only for the briefest moment in time. I didn't know roses would make you smile so much."

"Thank you," I went to kiss his cheek which was obviously his beard. He caught my chin and gently kissed my lips instead. His beard was very soft and almost ticklish.

"Sir," I said and backed away.

"I'm sorry, your majesty. I shouldn't have done that."

"No, we shouldn't have. Please take me back to my room." He did. I was in a haunting dream. There was a ghost haunting me trying to make me remember something or someone. I actually tossed and rolled one too many times and screamed and fell to the floor. The next thing I knew Anthony was at my side asking if I was okay and helping me up.

"What happened?"

"I was having a nightmare. A ghost kept coming in and out of dream trying to show me someone or something. I don't know why."

"Tell me about it."

"Can I have a glass of wine to relax with first?"

"Of course." He left and was quickly back with a glass of wine for both of us; I sat on my bed and propped myself up.

"Before you tell me about your dream, I forgot to tell you the doctor will be here in the morning to make sure you healed okay."

"That's fine and thank you for having your doctor check on me."

"Tell me about the dream. Bella, what was so haunting and scary about it?"

I replayed as much as I could remember and finally falling out of bed screaming to leave me alone or explain myself.

"What do you think it means? I don't know normally I am all for forgetting my dreams."

"Do you want to? It seems to have you pretty wound up?"

"Well, the wine is helping, talking about it with you has helped and knowing that there were no weapons in the dream makes me feel a little safer."

I finished the wine and laid down. Anthony said, "I will be right back." When Anthony returned he said, "May I?" as he sat on the edge of the bed and he read me poetry until I fell asleep. I slept peacefully for the rest of the night.

When I awoke the next morning, Anthony was sitting in my room and asked, "Did you sleep better of the rest of the night?"

"Yes I did. Thank you."

"I can call Nancy to get you breakfast if you'd like."

"Yes, please," so he left.

When I returned, he was waiting in my sitting room. We had breakfast together and then the doctor arrived. "It is an honor to meet you, Queen Bella."

"Thank you, doctor for your help."

"May we go perform the exam? Nancy will you please join us?"

"Yes doctor."

After an hour, I was deemed healthy. "Queen Bella, I'm still going to say this. Please do not try and get pregnant again until you've had three monthlys."

"Yes doctor, I understand and thank you again."

With that we both left my bedroom, Anthony was waiting and asked, "Well?"

"The queen is fine." The doctor left with Anthony and I was locked in my suite. "She will be fine. I have told are she should wait to try and get pregnant after three monthlys. You remember that as well, sir."

"Last night, she was awoken with nightmares about a haunting ghost trying to get her to see someone or something."

"Is it you?"

"I think so."

"Be careful your highness and thank you for allowing me take care of our Queen Bella." Anthony returned to my room and asked me my opinions on multiple topics. We talked about how a country should be run and how to stop the revolutions. We talked stars, food, Paris when we were both young. We walked around the grounds and read together. We debated and discussed poetry and on Sunday evening while at dinner at the beginning of my eighth week there. Anthony came in to my suite after we had had dinner that night and said, "I am going to take care of some business a young man asked of me. On my return, I will see if I have heard back from King Edward."

"My time is almost over here."

"Yes, your majesty. You know while I'm gone you'll be locked in your two rooms. A guard will take you for a walk twice a day."

"Anthony, I will be fine. You just please be careful."

"Why your majesty?"

"Because I've really enjoyed our conversations with you and I never want harm to come to any one."

"Thank you, your majesty."

"How long will you be gone?"

"That depends it can be three nights to seven nights."

"I will miss you."