Chapter 3

When the sun rose the next morning, Kate was snuggled into Rick's side, his cloak covering them both for warmth. They stirred at the same time, as the gentle early morning sunlight filtered through the trees.

"Good morning," Rick said, kissing her hair.

"We stayed out all night," Kate giggled.

"Yes, we did."

"We stayed out all night," Kate shot up, panicked. "My father's going to be furious! Maybe I can sneak back in. He might not be up yet...it's still early."

Just then, a voice rang over the garden. "Your Highness! Princess!"

Rick was impressed with the caliber of her swearing.

"Please, Rick," Kate begged. "Get out of here. They can't find you!"

Much as it pained him, Rick obliged. But he gave Kate one more toe-curling kiss before he scrambled off.

Kate was still numb when a footman crashed through the trees to her. "Oh, Your Highness! We were so worried. Everyone's out looking. They'll be so relieved…" the man babbled on, but Kate wasn't listening. "Come along, Princess. We must get back to the palace and let His Majesty know you are alright."

"No. I don't want to go back," Kate muttered absently.

"What?" The footman asked.

"I mean, yes, of course. We must go see my father," Kate snapped herself out of it and marched back to the palace, the footman trailing behind.


"Whatever were you thinking, Katie?!" the king cried, half furious and half bewildered.

"I don't know, Daddy," Kate lied. "I woke up early this morning and couldn't fall back asleep, and the garden looked so peaceful, so I went for a walk. I'm sorry if I worried you."

"Worried me?! I was going crazy, Katie! You weren't in your room and we couldn't find you anywhere in the castle. Ever since your mother died…" her father trailed off and Kate felt ashamed of all the trouble she had caused.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," she repeated. "It won't happen again."

"Okay. Go get cleaned up. You look like you've been up all night."

Kate froze at her father's words and he noticed. "You weren't, were you, Katie?"

"N-no," Kate's voice wobbled.

"Oh, Katie," he sighed. "You weren't with that man from the ball, were you?" But it wasn't a question.

"His name's Rick," the words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"Katie, Katie," the king rubbed a hand over his face. "You know that there is no place for him in your future. And after your behavior, I have no choice. I'm placing you on house arrest until further notice and you are forbidden to see him again."

"No!" Kate cried. She was immediately filled with the sensation that comes after one is told very bad news. She felt that her insides had been sucked in by a black hole and every pulse of her heart was a little more painful than before.

"I'm sorry, Katie, but you've left me no other option. Now go to your room."

Kate stood motionless for another minute before flying from the room. She pounded through the corridors and slammed into her chamber. She collapsed on the bed, sobbing.

But she couldn't just sit and cry. She forced herself up and went to her writing desk. Dipping her quill in the inkpot, she scratched out a shaking message to Rick.

"Dear Rick," she wrote, "My father has forbidden us to ever meet again. He somehow discerned that I had been out all night with you. I'm sorry if this brings trouble to you. Please don't give up; you are everything to me. I will talk to my father. I must figure out a way to make him accept you. Please write back soon.

All my love,

Kate."

Sealing the letter with a drop of scarlet wax, Kate rang for Roy. Roy was the head steward in the castle and he loved Kate like his own daughter.

When he arrived, Kate pressed the letter into this hands. "I need you to deliver this to Richard, the young bard in town. I trust no one else to do it. And my father mustn't know."

Roy kissed the top of the princess's head. "I'll see to it," he promised. He secreted the letter in vest and gave Kate a wink. Then, he marched off down the hall. Kate watched him go with a shaking heart, hoping against hope that her father would not catch him.


Just FYI, I do not write smut, so I'll leave it up to your imaginations what they did all night and whether they were clothed in the morning.