To Wear The Crown

06

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and it's an all round good moment. When meeting princess Imogen, she asked the prince if they could go for a ride into the woods. Now the sound of their horse's galloping breaks through the peaceful afternoon woods. Side by side they pick up the pace, fallen leaves thrown into the air as they race. The two smile at each other as they come to stop in a clearing by a river.

"That was fun." Princess Imogen is smiling from ear to ear as she looks at the area they've stopped.

"Indeed." Nick climbs down from his horse, his feet landing firming. Walking over to princess Imogen, Nick holds out a hand.

"Thank you." She takes the hand, appreciating the help from her horse.

Nick proceeds back to his horse and pulls a blanket out from one of the satchels. In one swift movement, Nick opens the blanket and lays it onto the grass— all so princess Imogen's dress doesn't get muddy. "Wait here a second. I'll tie the horses to that tree." He takes the horse's reins and guides them over to a nearby tree.

"Prince Nicholas." Imogen calls out from the blanket she's laying on.

Nick lifts his head and he tightens the final knot. "Is everything okay?" He walks over to the princess and takes a seat beside her. It's a large enough blanket that there is plenty of space between them.

"Yes, there is nothing wrong at all. It's just that I've been wanting to ask..." The smile on her face fades as she straightens her dress on her legs. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?" Nick's brows furrow with confusion.

Imogen leans in closer to Nick's ear, whispering "well, that... um. Is it true that your servant is gay?"

Nick turns his head to look at her directly, their face's mere centimetres apart. "What?" He questions. Out of all the questions he thought Imogen would ask about the ball, and him having to find a wife— she's asked about his servant being gay?

"Pardon me." Imogen pulls her face away, coughing to clear her throat. "I'm sure it's just a rumour, but I wanted to ask you."

"First of all, Charlie is not gay. Second, where did you hear such a thing?"

"When my maid was in the kitchen early she overheard a conversation." Imogen starts, not looking at the prince as his gaze intimidates her. "She said that your servant and another were talking in the kitchen. That um.. they were talking about someone who made your servant's heart skip a beat... a male prince."

"Oh." Nick leans back and looks up at the sky. He's known Charlie for over a decade and not once has he noticed Charlie's interest in males, or even women in fact. Sure enough, Harry makes jokes about Charlie being gay, yet that's just because he's so skinny and has to follow the prince around all day long.

"I don't think it was meant like that. Sometimes when I see a pretty dress my heart skips a beat, but I don't want to marry it." Imogen is quick to add and make sure there hasn't been a misunderstanding. "Like I said, I'm sure it's just a silly rumour." She tries to laugh it off.

Nick's face is stern as he continues to look at the blue sky. "Who is this so-called male that made Charlie's heart skip a beat?" The warmth in his voice has faded as he talks with the princess.

"Prince Benjamin. That's if I remember correctly." Imogen answers straight away feeling a change in the wind. "Why? Is it true?" The princess covers her mouth, thinking she's said something to the prince that she shouldn't know about.

"No, it's not true." Nick smiles at Imogen to reassure her that she's done nothing wrong, and that the rumours are nothing more than rumours.

Imogen turns her head to the daisy growing in the grass beside her. "Oh, okay. Can I ask you something else?" Her voice is soft.

"You may." Nick has laid down on the blanket, one arm shielding his eyes from the sun while the other props his head up. He doesn't know if it's going to be another question about Charlie, or about the ball.

"Can you help me make a daisy crown? I've always wanted to make one, but I've never been able to." She plucks the first daisy and holds it closer to her face, spinning it in her fingers as she examines its small petals.

Nick uses his elbows to push himself back into a sitting position. "Why not. I've never made one myself so I can't promise you it'll be very good." He says plucking a few more daisies from around them and places them in the middle of the blanket.

~

"Thank you for today." Princess Imogen hugs Nick once they're back into the castle's stables.

"The pleasure was mine." He helps adjust the crown they made, before it falls off her head.

"If I don't see you tomorrow, I'll surely see you in a few weeks." She smiles, already excited to get another dance with the prince. Nick smiles back at her which makes her heart skip a beat. "You should keep it." Imogen says as she takes the daisy crown from her head and places it on Nick's.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, use it to remember me while I'm gone. You can give it back when I come for the ball." Imogen is already walking out of the stables, waving goodbye, before Nick can say anything in return. The corner of his lips curl as he gently touches the petals of the flowers on his head.