Back in the throne room of the castle, Daniel was looking out the window that over looked town.
Jonathan was talking "That's why it's important for you to pay attention."
Daniel just stared out the window "Sure"
"And you need to be more responsible." Duke Edward added.
"Yeah, sure." Daniel replied
Ella looked over at him, that was all he had been saying since he had walked in and looked out the window. Ella walked over to the window. Daniel didn't even notice.
She looked out. There wasn't that many people out in town. She followed Daniels gaze.
"Furthermore, you're twenty-one now, it's time you grew up!" Jonathan continued.
"Sure." Daniel said, his gaze never leaving the window.
Ella looked out over the town till she finally found what Daniel was staring at. Ella smiled.
Jonathan looked over at Daniel "And you haven't even heard a word I've said."
"Yeah, sure." Daniel said.
Ella bit back a laugh. Daniel seemed quite taken with the girl he was watching out in town.
Jonathan threw his hands up in frustration and walked out of the room, the duke and duchess followed. Ella took on last look at Daniel before leaving throne room.
Daniel walked through town about three times, hoping he'd run into Angel. He looked around and spotted her "Hey, Angel!" he called out, then he looked at the lady standing beside her. He gasped. it was his mother! He looked around, seeing a vegetable stand, he dove under it.
Angel and Ella looked up upon hearing some one call out Angel's name. But no one was there.
"Weird." Angel commented.
"No kidding." Ella agreed. She turned back to Angel "So, what do you think about the kingdom?"
She asked as they continued walking.
Angel sighed "It's well…"
Ella looked at her confused as they stopped beside a vegetable stand. "What do you mean?"
Angel looked around "The kingdom isn't doing too good, I mean look around. Buildings need repaired. The bank and land owners keep on kicking people out of there houses for no good reason. Things are a mess!"
Ella looked around. The buildings were in pretty bad shape. She wondered why Jonathan hadn't told her things were so bad off. "I have to go. Maybe I'll see you later?"
Angel nodded "Ok. Bye." Angel watched as Ella walked off. she was about to turn and go when she heard a thud and someone groan. She looked down to see a pair of boots sticking out from under the vegetable stand. she kneeled down and looked under "Daniel? What are you doing?"
Daniel looked to see Angel looking at him "Angel, hi. Umm, is she gone?"
Angel gave him a puzzled look "Is who gone? And what are you doing under there?"
Daniel watched as Angel stood up and backed away from the stand so he could crawl out.
He stood up and brushed himself off
Angel stood there looking at him "What were you doing? Not causing trouble I hope."
Daniel shook his head "No. Actually, I was looking for you."
Angel quirked an eyebrow "Under a vegetable stand?"
"No! That wasn't… oh never mind."
Angel giggled.
Daniel smiled "Anyways I was wondering if there was anything you needed help with."
Angel looked at him "You want to help me?"
Daniel nodded.
"Come on." She said starting to walk off. Daniel happily followed.
Back at the castle, Ella was back in her queen clothes and looking for Jonathan, which she found in his office.
She walked in "Can we talk?"
Jonathan looked up to see Ella standing in front of him with a serious look on her face. "Sure. What about?"
Ella sat down in a chair that was in front of the desk "The Kingdom and its raising problems."
Jonathan groaned "How did you figure out about that?"
"Umm, Jonathan. I am the queen. Why didn't you tell me the Kingdom was having trouble?"
"Because I didn't want you to worry." Jonathan was trying to decide if he should tell her some important papers went missing. He decided not to.
"Worry? Jonathan, I could have helped!" Ella exclaimed.
Jonathan stood up and walked over to Ella. He kneeled down in front of her and took her hands "Ella, there's nothing that can be done. I've tried everything, but there's other problems. There's been some trouble between some of the solders and other little things, that if they're not taken care of could cause a lot of trouble."
Ella sighed "Jonathan, please let me help! I'm the Queen! I'm supposed to help you."
Jonathan looked her in the eye "I know. But I don't want you to over work yourself."
Ella laughed "I like working."
Jonathan smiled "You know what you can do."
Ella smiled at him "What?"
"Take Duchess Emily and go out to town and figure out what the most important stuff is they need."
Ella nodded "Ok."
Jonathan stood up and helped her up "Oh and take some guards with you." Ella face fell "Please."
Finally, Ella nodded "Ok."
Daniel and Angel were picking apples in an apple orchard.
Angel sat on a branch of one of the trees "So, why did you want to help?"
Daniel climbed up the ladder so he was at the same level with her "You told me when we first meet to prove that I was sorry, well the truth is, I wasn't then, but I am now." Daniel continued "Plus, I realized it was time I started caring about something other than myself." Daniel looked up at the sky "Looks like it's past lunch."
Angel nodded "Yeah. We better go tell the Smiths' that we're done."
The Smiths owned the apple orchard that they were in. They had hired Angel to pick apples.
Daniel and Angel walked towards the house and knocked on the door.
Mrs. Smith answered it "Yes?"
"We picked about fifty big baskets." Angel told her
Mrs. Smith smiled "Well, in that case, you can take a basket with you."
Angle nodded "Ok. Thank you, Mrs. Smith."
After Daniel had insisted of carrying the basket of apples to Angel's house, and helped her make lunch for the elderly folks.
Daniel turned to her "Is there something for them to eat for supper?"
Angel nodded "Yes, there's chili in the crock pot. Why?"
Daniel smiled "Come on" he nodded towards the door.
"Make sure you have her home before midnight" Clara called from the other room.
"Yes, Ma'am" Daniel called back before shutting the door. Daniel took Angels hand and they ran towards town.
Angel and Daniel walked trough town talking about this and that and about each others lives. Daniel avoided anything that might reveal he was the prince or rich. Their talking was interrupted by a man shouting and beating his servant. Before Daniel could blink Angel was walking over to them.
Angel stepped in-between the man and his servant "What do you think you're doing?!" she asked the man.
The man sneered "None of you business, Missy"
Angel glared at him "You have no right to beat him!"
"I have a right! He's my servant!"
"That gives you no right! He's still a human being and unless he has done some terrible crime, you have no right whatsoever!"
Daniel just stood there staring, mainly in shock.
The man growled "How about I teach you to mess in other's people's business" He raised his hand. Angel just stood there glaring.
The mans hand came down and stopped. Angel looked to see Daniel holding the mans wrist.
"I don't think so, Buster." Daniel said, pushing the mans wrist back before releasing it. Daniel stood in front of Angel, like a protective shield.
The man was about to say something.
"Sir I think you're done here." A stern voice behind Angel said.
Angel turned around and gasped.
Daniel froze. I am so dead. He stayed facing the man, seeing a ally to the left of him, he reached behind him, grabbed Angels wrist and dragged her away into the ally and through it to the other side, which brought them out on the other side of town.
Ella motioned to the guards that were with her to arrest the man. She watched as Angel was drug away trough an ally, by the man that was protecting her from the Man that had tried to hit her. Ella smiled. She would like to meet that young man one day. she had only seen the back of him, but his voice seem strangely familiar. Ella shrugged. Oh well. She and Emily continued their walk through town, seeing what needed done.
on the other side of town Daniel sighing with relief.
"Is everything ok?" Angel asked, looking at him curiously.
Daniel nodded "uh... Yeah. Everything's great."
"Why did you pull me away so fast?"
"I thought, well um... I thought it would be better if we left so the Queen and her guards could take care of it."
"How did you know it was the queen. You didn't even turn around."
Daniel mentally kicked himself "I um.. I've um... I've heard her speak before at a meeting, that other people went to, you know?"
Angel nodded "I guess, Ok."
Daniel smiled "Now, where were we?"
"We were on the other side of town."
"I mean… Oh never mind."
Angel smiled. He had tried to change the subject, but he had failed "We where walking around town talking."
Daniel smiled "Right."
Angel giggled, they resumed walking and started talking about there lives.
Ella, Jonathan, and Duchess Emily were all pacing in the throne room. Duke Edward was drumming his fingers against the wall.
Ella stopped and looked at Jonathan "Maybe we should send out the army."
Jonathan shook his head "He's come home all the other time's. We'll give him till midnight."
Ella sighed. Daniel was missing again. But the point was that it was eleven-thirty pm and he wasn't home yet! He had never stayed out past dark. Plus, he had left yearly that morning, because he wasn't at breakfast.
Ella stopped, so did Emily. They watched Jonathan paced back and forth "Did we really look like that?" Emily asked.
Ella shrugged.
Jonathan stopped, Edward was about to say something, when Jonathan silenced him. in the distance, you could hear happy whistling. It grew louder.
Daniel was happily whistling as he walked down the hall. He walked past the throne room door.
"Daniel, get back here" Edward and Jonathan shouted at the same time.
Daniel stopped mid whistle. He back tracked and looked in the room. His parents and the duke and duchess were all standing there. Daniel walked in "Yes?"
Ella ran over to him and gave him a hug. To her surprise, Daniel hugged her back "What are all of ya'll doing up?" He asked.
"Waiting for you" Jonathan answered
Daniel quirked an eyebrow "I've been gone before."
Ella nodded "Yes, and we've waited for you those times. But this time, you were out past dark Daniel!"
Daniel looked out the window, he was wasn't he "We'll i got um... distracted"
Jonathan looked at him doubtfully "You got distracted and didn't notice the sun going down?"
Daniel shrugged "The sun was always shining were I was at." an embarrassed look crossed his face "I mean, no Sir."
Jonathan stared at Daniel. If he didn't know any better, he'd say he was in love.
Daniel smiled "I um... better get to my room. You know it's late soo... goodnight."
Daniel practically ran out of the throne room.
Jonathan shook his head "Now he notices it's late."
Ella walked over to Jonathan "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he met a girl, and I'm guessing her name is Sunny."