Jaspenor makes an announcement!

The Press

Jasper Frost walked down the halls and stopped until he came to the only double doors in the hallway. He stared at the oak doors before pushing them open. Then he stood in the doorway for a few seconds before entering the room. His eyes quickly scanned the quiet room until they came to a stop at Her Royal Highness, Princess Eleanor.

Her Highness, Princess Eleanor stopped mid-stride when she felt someone look at her. She exhaled and said in a snippy tone, "Thank god you're here, Jasper. What took so long? I was going to send James after you."

"I'm sorry, I'm late… There was traffic," Jasper replied as he walked further into the room.

"Well you should have left earlier," she said with a huff as she started pacing the large rug in the middle of the room.

Jasper unbuttoned the two buttons of his dark color suit jacket before he sat down in one of the four chairs at the edge of the carpet. He silently watched as she paced the rug. He rested his head on his hand as he watched.

When he did not respond to her earlier comment, Eleanor stopped and said, "Well aren't you going to say anything?"

"What do you want me to say?" he asked as she placed a hand on her hip.

She placed her tongue in her cheek and stared at the built in book case lined with books. She then looked at him and said, "I don't know… Maybe reassure me that everything will be all right… You know Jasper, which is why we have people like Rachel. They know what we should say and do."

"Ok…" He paused, lifted himself slightly out of the armchair, and asked, "Would you like me to find Rachel?"

"No, I don't want you to find Rachel…" She threw her arms up in the air and said, "Bloody hell… We should just cancel this."

In a claim tone he said, "We're not going to cannel this." He stood up and pulled her towards the chair he sat in and pushed her down slightly so she sat down. He knelt down, looked into her eyes, and said, "You don't need Rachel because you know what to say… There isn't anything the press can ask that you can't answer."

She ran a hand through her loose wavy hair and asked, "How will I know what to say when I don't even know what they're going to ask?"

He gave her a grin and pointed to the spot on her chest where her heart beat and said, "Cause all you need to do is answer from your heart."

Just as she was about to speak, the doors to the room open and James stood in the doorway. He looked at the couple and said, "Your highness, Mr. Frost… It is time. You don't want to keep the reporters waiting."

Jasper stood up and then gently pulled Eleanor out of the chair. He buttoned his suit jacket as she patted down the skirt of the halter dress she wore. He turned his head and said, "You can do this…"
Eleanor rolled her eyes and said, "Don't be so smug."

Jasper smiled and whispered back as they made their way out of the room, "After all these years I don't think they can throw anything that would surprise me."

A few minutes later, the couple found themselves standing in front pair of large oak doors. Rachel stalked down the hall towards them. She held a dark color binder close to her chest. Her dark eyes quickly scanned the couples outfit and cleared her throat. "Everyone in the room are from the press. As Her Majesty, said the Press has no idea what you plan to announce therefore there shouldn't be many questions about your pass." She directed the last part towards Jasper. "But if they do ask anything, just stick to what we talked about."

"Understood," Jasper replied.

Eleanor exhaled deeply and said, "Can we get this over with?"

"Certainly, your highness…" Rachel replied and glanced at Eleanor's left hand where a sparking dark purple ring sat on her finger. She looked up at Eleanor's ring and said, "Remember to keep the ring visible."

"Yeah, yeah," Eleanor said with the waved of her hand and she wrapped her left hand around Jasper's bent arm.

As the doors slowly opened Jasper leaned over and said, "Remember don't only play your hand but your opponents hands too." Eleanor gently shook her head before they stepped into the ballroom.

As they entered the room flashing lights from the presses' camera went off. They stopped to the front of the room. Rachel followed behind them and stood a few feet away. Eleanor's eyes roamed over reports who ether held a camera, or a tape recorder. Queen Helena had made it clear that none of the reports were allowed to use their mobile phones as a tape recorder and had confiscated them when they entered the room.

After a few minutes of silence and the flashing lights had died down slight, Eleanor said, "Thank you all for coming. I know that the Queen invited you here in very vague terms, and that is because we wanted to keep things quiet and be the ones to make the announcement." Eleanor paused and then said, "We have asked you here this afternoon because I, Princess Eleanor Henstridge is officially engaged to Mr. Jasper Frost."

The room remained silent for a few seconds before the reporters started to talk among themselves before turning their attention to them. Jasper cleared his throat to gain their attention and said, "The Princess and I will answer a few questions you may have."

As the flashing lights of the cameras went off again, the reports' hands shot up waiting to be called on. Rachel called the name of one of reports in the back of the room stood up and said, "First of congratulations on your engagement." He paused and Eleanor smiled politely at him. "We have seen Mr. Frost as briefly your security detail and Prince Liam. When did the two of you fall in love?"

Jasper chuckled slightly as Eleanor kept herself from rolling her eyes at the question. Nevertheless, she held it in as she smiled and said, "Well for one thing it wasn't love at first sight. As you know, I am known for firing my security details after two days but Jasper hung in there after I tried everything to get him fired. When did we fall in love?" she paused and then said, "As they say love hits you when you least expect it so I guess it was as he was assigned as my brother's security detail,"

As reporters nodded their heads as Rachel called on another person who also sat in the back row. The reporter smiled at Eleanor and said, "Can you tell us where and how he proposed to you? Did he get down on one knee?"

Eleanor smiled widen as she thought back to that day and looked at Jasper. While still holding Jasper's gaze for a few seconds, she replied, "It was unexpected… We had planned on going on a double date with my brother, Liam and his girlfriend Lady Willow and we were down in the royal wine cellar. As I had selected a bottle of 1942 he asked me…"

"It sounds very sweet," the report commented.

Jasper smiled and said, "It's not as fancy as some other proposal but the location has a special meaning for us. It was the place we met."

"Mr. Frost, as a member of the Royal family's security detail, you know most of the rules of the royal family. But now you are officially entering the family, are you nervous?" asked the next reporter Rachel called on.

Jasper looked at Eleanor this time and waited a few seconds before he said, "A little because now I'm on the other side. However, Eleanor has been teaching me and although she won't admit it she is a good teacher. Her brother, Prince Liam has also been teaching me."

"Have any wedding plans been made and a date been set?" asked another reporter.

Jasper chuckled, "I'll have to let Eleanor answer that one."

"We've talked about briefly but nothing has been set. I'm sure social media would be helping me plan once the people find out and I don't mind," Eleanor said.

The questions stood for a few seconds to let reporters snap a few more photographs. Afterwards, Rachel announced that had time for one more question. She called on the reporter closest to them.

Ten minutes later, Eleanor and Jasper exited the room. They walked down the hall in silence for a few minutes before Eleanor stopped. Jasper stopped walking and watched as she stood in silence. She looked up at him and then said in whisper, "We announce our engagement?"

"Yeah…" Jasper replied closing the gap between them.

"And nothing bad happen?" she asked still in a whisper.

"No… Nothing at all…" he wrapped his arm around her waist. "Now all we have to do is watch as your mother and the world plans our wedding for us," he said in a light tone.

She squeezed her eyes shut for a second and then said, "Well in that case I think I'm going to need a nap… I've been up since 5 o'clock this morning thanks to my mother…"

"Whatever you want… your highness." Jasper said as he now took hold of her hand and they walked back to her wing of the palace.