"Prince George! Are you ready to go?" called Alyssa from the top of the stairs.
"Certainly Princess, if you are ready to take me?" George replied with a smile. He was standing in the entrance hall were he had been waiting for the Princess. Her attire pleasantly surprised him; she was dressed simply in a plain blue dress devoid of embellishments. George suddenly felt foolish in his regal looking doublet. Simple yes, but made of a quality that proved his status to be obvious.
"Well then let's be off!" she said happily bounding down the stairs towards him. He offered her his arm and she took it, lightly leading him down towards the stable yard. "I do hope you like horses, if not we can skip our tour of the grounds and simply take a turn around the gardens." Said Alyssa. She hoped he liked horses, because she loved them and it was much easier to hold a private conversation out in the woods.
"Fear not, Princess, I enjoy horses very much. I took to riding as a child, and they haven't been able to coax me out of the saddle since," joked George.
"Excellent," Alyssa smiled.
"And you, Princess Alyssa? Do you enjoy riding?" asked George.
"Oh yes!" exclaimed Alyssa, feeling foolish for not having carried that part of the conversation herself. "I love all animals, actually. Except for cats, I can't explain what it is they just strike me as untrustworthy." She scolded herself for rambling like an idiot, but the Prince merely laughed. Thankfully, just then they arrived at the stables and Alyssa threw herself into the task at hand. "Ryan!" she called.
"Lyssa is that you?" shouted back a voice from within the barn.
"Yeah, Prince George and I are going to go for a ride." Alyssa shouted back. "Would you mind getting out his horse? I'll get Giro out myself."
"Sure thing!" came the response.
"Right then, come along Prince George, and try not to look so shocked by our exchange." Alyssa smiled kindly at him. "Have you no friends who are below your station?"
"Well, of course I do, but, but you surprised me that's all." Blustered poor George, who was afraid to admit that he had almost labeled her an 'Ice Princess'. Gone was the cold young woman who had glared at that Duke, and he chided himself for being so closed minded. He followed her meekly into the stables and smiled at her friend who was holding onto his horse's halter. "I take it you're Ryan?" asked George, trying to make up for his earlier blunder.
"Yes sir!" quipped Ryan, "Now would you like me to ready your horse or would you like to do it yourself?"
"I'll do it, if you'll be so kind as to show me were I can find his brushes and tack." Said George. Ryan gave him an approving nod, and pointed to where he had already taken out George's things. "Excellent, thank you Ryan." Said George, moving over to his horse and beginning to brush him down.
Just then the Princess returned leading a gorgeous black stallion. George stifled his surprise yet again, and made a rash promise to himself to never let this young lady shock him in the future. He would take it all in stride form here on out. As Crown Prince, George was unused to surprises, and he now felt that might be a gaping hole in his education.
Alyssa tied Giro up alongside George's gelding and smiled when she saw that he was caring for his own horse. Then Ryan distracted her by taking her hand and spinning her out as though they were in a dance.
"Most charming and beautiful Crown Princess, please allow me to have this dance and all of the others."
"Never!" she laughed.
"Never, you say? But Princess I am none other than the most esteemed and vile Duke of Belmonte, you cannot possibly refuse my most worthy suit. I beg you to reconsider." cried Ryan
"Dear Duke, I must refuse, for you see your intentions are as hideous as your face!" With that they promptly stopped dancing in favor of laughing. "Thankfully," said Alyssa, recovering first, "I only danced with him once, and I held him away from me the whole time so that he could not whisper anything stupid at me." She started giggling again, "I think my mother is going to make me take another dancing lesson, she claims that my arms have become too stiff."
"Come now," said Ryan, "She must realize it's only self defense!"
"Sadly, self defense is not what she calls it." Sighed Alyssa, then with a voice that sounded uncannily like the Queen's she continued, "Alyssa, my darling girl, you simply cannot carry on this way. Rejecting every suitor before they even open their mouths. Take the Duke for one! He is a fine gentleman, and yet you refuse to spend any time with him! Sometimes I wonder where I went wrong in your education…too much fencing and not enough flirting," Alyssa had to stop there, because Ryan and George's laughter was making her laugh.
Later that morning, when they had stopped laughing enough to actually tack up their horses and leave the palace grounds, the two royals rode quietly down the main rode towards the neighboring woods. George hardly knew what to make of this vibrant Princess. Her attitude in court was one of cool composure and suffering through a silent torture, but out at the stables she had transformed into a laughing, carefree girl. Then she had had this air of mystery as she asked him to, "please don this dark cloak". He was thoroughly bemused by her behavior and hoped that she might give some clue as to what guided it.
Alyssa glanced back at George to make sure he was still following, and tugged the hood of her cloak closer around her face. She greeted all of the servants that they passed by name, asking after their families. But when a fancy carriage drove up the road towards them she turned her head to the side, casually avoiding discovery. It would not do to be seen today, as she had plans to invite this young Prince to their cause. She had provided George with a cloak as well, to cover up his nice clothing, but he needn't wear the hood, as he was a foreigner. Hopefully no one would recognize him, she thought worriedly. He had raised his eyebrows as she offered him the cloak, but accepted it without question.
They turned left into the woods, and trotted out at an easy pace towards the pool Alyssa had in mind. It was perfect, secluded and quiet. No one but the council knew how to find it. Even George would struggle to trace a path here again without her to lead him, for the first fairy, Delia, had cast an enchantment on the surrounding trees to hide the spot from discovery. Alyssa gave Giro a pat as they arrived, and slid out of the saddle. Then she turned to the Prince and nodded that he should do the same.
George looked around at the little clearing they had stopped in. The pool at its center was clear, and beautiful with wild lilies resting on it's surface. He looked over at the Princess only to find her studying him intently. A little flush crept up his neck as he realized they were all alone out here, surely that was not what she had in mind…
"Prince George, as you have doubtless noticed, I am unlike other royalty." she began softly. "I know what rumors run rampant across the five kingdoms."
"Princess Alyssa, you underestimate me if you think I am inclined to believe all that I hear." Replied George, wondering where on earth this conversation was headed. But she smiled a little at his response, so he felt safe for the moment at least.
"That is good to hear," said Alyssa. "Well now I must admit that the tour I offered you last night was not solely out of a desire to show you the grounds." Uh-oh, thought George, that can't mean anything good. She continued to speak, "You too are different, from other nobles Prince George." George gave a surprised nod at this, urging her to continue. She took a deep breath, here was the moment of truth where he would either join their cause or need his memory erased by Delia.
"Prince, do you believe our form of government, that is to say the monarchy, is perfect? That the systems in place do our people justice?" She cringed inwardly at the shocked look on his face; her nearly treasonous comment seemed to have stunned the poor man. But then his eyes turned pensive, and his mouth closed. She would wait and see then. She kept her hand casually resting on amulet around her neck, designed to summon Delia if Alyssa asked it to.
"You are very brave, Princess. I appreciate your trusting me with these questions." George began. He thought of all the times the nobles at his own court had dismissed the servants, or reprimanded them without a thought to their well being. True slavery had been outlawed long ago, but had things really improved for the impoverished lower classes? Perhaps not, thought George. And he had thought many a time before that the justice system of the monarchy was flawed, and the power play that the nobility never tired of destructive to justice and overall peace.
"No, I do not believe it is perfect. There are many flaws, I hope to one day fix those flaws as King. I wish to help the people, not hinder them in a mad quest for power. That is not a King's duty, although many kingdoms today seem to operate under the pursuit of wealth and authority." He took a deep breath, a little surprised that he had admitted so much of his thoughts to this Princess before him that he barely knew, and yet trusted all the same.
"I am rather of the same mind," said Alyssa with a grin, mischief sparkled in her eyes as she said, "Prince George I'm going to tell you a secret, the best kept secret in all the five kingdoms. Do you swear to keep and protect this secret with your life?" she asked him.
After a moment of misgiving, George responded, "I swear."
And so, Alyssa told him of her worldwide effort to lesson the effect of the horrid decisions of the Kings and Queens. To intervene when people of power acted only to benefit themselves. They bettered the lives of the people, and protected them from rash political decisions. They even staged rescues from royal jails for the innocent men and women who had been condemned as guilty. Alyssa confessed the help of the four fairies.
"But how on earth have you managed to keep all of that a secret?" exclaimed George, promptly sitting down on the bank of the pool to better take in all of the information she was telling him. So much for not being surprised by her anymore, George thought ruefully.
"The fairies help, and it doesn't hurt that we are the masters of disguise," Alyssa laughed a little. "We also have contacts in all five kingdoms, and all five palaces. Though I must admit, you are the first Prince to join our cause. That is, if you decide to join." She amended.
"It is quite an invitation you extend, Princess." Mused George. "What would be expected of me?"
"As Crown Prince and Princess you and I have more power than we realize. How many times a day could you intervene and end a dispute more fairly than those involved? How many times have you let the extra food from feasts rot rather than handing it out to the poor? How much money would easily solve a school or orphanage's problems? Daily and trivial things that you can do to help!" Replied Alyssa enthusiastically. George admired the happy light to her face before nudging his brain back to the question at hand.
"But surely those types of things wouldn't require such secrecy?" asked George. Alyssa looked momentarily put out, as though he had asked an unfortunate question.
"I will not lie to you." She said quietly, "but as I outlined previously we do a fair bit of…other work. We would not ask you for direct assistance of course, if you did not want to help, but to turn a blind eye to our activities. Or schedule guard duty such that our men are positioned near a prisoner we wish to free." She trailed off, looking at him searchingly.
"Law breaking activities; turn a blind eye to your law breaking activities." Muttered George skeptically.
"The Council breaks laws in the name of justice, in the name of the people. They deserve fairness and equality. We break laws that are flawed!" Alyssa said. Again her voice was quiet; but no one could doubt the strength with which she spoke those words, nor the fire alight in her brilliant green eyes.
After another moment of reflection, George looked into her determined, radiant face and made his decision. "I will join you."