All characters are owned by George Macdonald except whatever OC's that I manage to come up with, purely fan made and inspired after reading all the great PatG fanfics
Irenie was reading her book, a novel she had grabbed on the instructions of her teacher and studying from it.
But studying seemed to be fruitless as her mind was all consumed by the one thought running constantly through her mind.
He, the only thing to consume her heart and mind entirely, was trapped within her mind, his smile like starlight, his voice like gentle deep whispers and his eyes like the sweetest chocolate.
The peculiar miner boy spent all his time in the mines and yet he always smelt of fresh pine, earth and rich, as if he had never stepped foot in those horrid tunnels.
Curdie was what Irenie saw when she awoke, and the very thing she thought on when she went to bed at night.
Lootie suspected as much whenever she saw her with him, they seemed like the perfect contrast, his rough but gentle hands holding her delicate lace trimmed arm as they escaped into the wilderness, probably off to somewhere completely new where Curdie would show her all that she had ever dreamed of.
The glowing butterflies of the willow trees, the quiet song birds chirping in the oldest oaks, the accumulation of all their adventures.
It seemed like such a long time that they gone on their last adventure, but as her father said, it was a princess' duty to her people first and herself second.
When she was only in her twelfth year Irenie was always learning more of the country, what riches they had, the farmers that raised the grain to feed the people to keep them happy.
It all seemed so trivial to her at the time, she had been so young, not that she tried to make excuses, after all what would a young child born into luxury know of the world outside her own land, she might as well think that everyone lived in castles and everyone had plenty to eat.
With her grandmother's guidance and the powers she had begun to form on her own accord, Irenie had grown into a strong confident woman, who began to see the people she ruled over more as people around her than subjects as she was often told they were.
Being in line to rule the throne after her father seemed to weigh on her most in these later years as she approached her sixteenth birthday.
As she saw the date drew near she wondered what would befall her, her Papa had been gone for so long, she had not spoken to him on the matter.
This ominous matter being her marriage.
It was destined, her father had married at the older age of twenty six while her mother had been only sixteen herself.
Irenie was fast approaching her sixteenth and soon her seventeenth and she had yet to be married. But she was not worried, her father was kind and so unlike many fathers of the Princesses she knew, who all had them into arranged marriages before they even grew out their baby teeth.
Her father would understand her choice, he liked Curdie, everyone liked the miner boy, even Lootie had a few occasional kind comments on the boy.
He would be the perfect match for though he was not of noble blood Curdie had the noblest of hearts and gentlest spirit. It was his heart alone she wanted and no other, certainly not some spoilt self absorbed princeling.
She had enough of that when her cousin visited her.
Irenie shivered at the mere thought of that imperious braggart she loathed to call her cousin. He would be visiting her on the celebration of her sixteenth birthday and would regrettably be staying for then entire year until her seventeenth.
Irenie was not slow minded nor was she as innocent as she had been when only eight years old, her father, the King, would wish her to marry soon, if she could prove her love was true and that there were no man more worthy, she could convince him, but that would take a year, a year from her birthday and Irenie was fully prepared to do such.
But she worried about the very thing that would make or destroy any plan she considered.
It was true she loved the miner boy; her entire heart was in love with him, but she could not guarantee with it that he would fully return that love.
Irenie shivered as she closed her books layers and layer it upon her lap slowly.
Though they had grown close, close as any miner boy and princess could ever, she was afraid that this was merely friendship, she did not have many friends here, though the entire castle staff loved her she had no friends her own age besides Curdie.
It was possible that in her state she had confused actual love with childish affection, and with that her heart would never be able to survive.
Irenie bit her lip as she thought in all there meetings had there ever been an subtextual feelings never expressed? Could he be afraid that she would not accept his love? Had she not been perfectly clear of her intentions, so that he would be unsure as to whether her love was his alone.
"Turnip?" she whispered gently as she prodded the sleeping cat with her foot, "do you- do you think Curdie loves me?"
Turnip, who had been pleasantly dreaming of mice and mended blankets warmed by the fires of the castle when he felt his mistress' dainty shoe poking him in the back.
He huffed in response, rolled onto his back and yawned; but Irenie continued on her gloomy thought without aid from her familiar.
"Oh I know Turnip, we are close, but does he really, really love me," Irenie muttered to herself grimly, "or does he even love me at all?" Turnip's ears perked up and he yawned slightly, glancing at Irenie before closing his eyes once more and curling up on the ground.
"I'm glad my guardian is you Turnip," huffed Irenie, "I'm afraid what would happen if I had something useful like a dog or a fox."
Turnip flicked his tail and still protested getting involved by ignoring Irenie as her fuming contorted into bitterness.
"Fine, I will ask Great Grandma what to do then, hm, perhaps she has a spell or something," perhaps, she thought, she could ask for a love potion.
Her heart flinched away from this horrid thought though, not only would great grandmother be disappointed, she would break her own heart if she ever tried to warp her dearest friend. Irenie shrugged to herself and lightly placed the novel she had intended to read on the tabletop.
She would not need a love potion anyhow, in her own gentle, 'princesselly' way she could make him love her.
But she desperately hoped that he already did.
"But," irenie spoke allowed now, her voice catching in her throat, "I can always look for some sort of incantation to silken my hair- or, or perhaps to create a beautiful dress." She smiled eagerly and turned to her familiar who didn't so much as flick his tale.
Irenie softly huffed to herself and went stomping off, the dainty pink shoes with small cotton balls atop sprung as she did so.
"What would a cat know of love anyway," she muttered to herself, "why should I ask advice from that over-pampered puff-ball-"
Irenie took a sharp turn and before she even knew what hit her, she collided with the nearest body to hers and would have fallen right on her royal seat if two strong arms had not grabbed her first.
"Princess! You almost fell!" Irenie blinked, she held herself stable and looked upon her saviour to find none other than her white knight, or miner boy.
His face was slightly scuffed with ash or dirt
"Irenie, please," she blushed lightly and fell away from his arms.
"Of course Irenie," Curdie smiled dashingly and took a step back and bowed to her, "I will try your highness."
"I am human too you know, we both are," Irenie could not suppress this blush, not this time and she smiled slightly.
"I hardly think that," he smiled in return and rose up from his bent over position, "but I was just on my way to find you."
"Whatever for," Irenie smiled gently as she tried her best to act flippantly, dancing around him like a fairy in the wood.
"I- I wanted to see you before the fall mines are open."
Irenie's joy and smile fell away from her simultaneously; the fall mines as they both knew opened for the winters they were safer for the miner who gathered cole for the palace fires but it also brought the miners closer to the hated droves of goblins hiding within it. The fall mines were so far away from the castle, this meant she would hardly see Curdie at all, even more likely is that she did not see him the entire winter.
"I'm sorry I did not tell you sooner, the snow is suppose to come early this year, they want to get an early start on flood prevention, you know?" he smiled politely but Curdie knew that this would trouble the princess, he had brought it up gently but even he saw it had wounded her.
She had not taken into consideration the fall mines being opened so early, she would not see him till spring and even then how would she convince her father?
"You have to come to my birthday party won't you?" Irenie pleaded, refusing to let go of his hand. "I would be so bored without you there, I won't talk to anyone."
"I-I don't know if I'll be able to make it this year, Irenie," Curdie spoke in a soft voice to be gentle on her, he leaned in, hesitated for a moment and then kissed her cheek, "But I'm sure you'll be the most beautiful girl in the entire ballroom."
Irenie's heart fluttered as the warm touch of his lips left her cheek and the scent of pine rose up from his jacket and left her breathless."
"It would be for nothing if you are not there. C-can't you stay? You cold stay in the castle! We have plenty of rooms a-and-" Curdie shook his head and stared down at her with a bitter sweet smile, lifting a hand to pat hers.
"Irenie- you know I cannot stay here, I must work, to support my mother, my father is much older now, I must attend to my duties to help both of them, I cannot merely hide away in the castle with you; though I might want to when winter finally hits." He laughed gently but it was empty, she could see he wished to leave this awkward meeting, this thing she had distorted into love.
Curdie stopped there, his gaze falling on her soft hopeless eyes.
Irenie shook her head as she stared upon him wide eyed, his hands leaving hers, "Goodbye- Princess."
He took many steps back and at last faced her no longer and left down the stairs.
She watched as his long shadow finally disappeared through the courtyard door, leaving her empty handed and helplessly disheartened
"Goodbye… Curdie."
It's been awhile but I'm busy with work and studying and what not… anyway, it''s a bit fast but at the moment I really wanted to get into Froglip's part, at the moment Irenie is just preparing for her birthday and planning out for the future. This chapter as inspired by Who Am I To Say by Hope
Love of my life
My soul mate
You're my best friend
Part of me like breathing
Now half of me has left
I don't know anything at all
who am I to say you love me?
I don't know anything at all
And who am I to say you need me…