To Court a Lady

Chapter Fifteen

"Checkmate!"
Paula and I embrace each other as we laugh at our win. The King and Bash pout like young children, crossing their arms,
"I can't believe we lost. I declare a rematch!"

We had drawn quiet a lot of attention and a crowd had formed around us as we played including Prince Daniel and the rest of his court and most of the debutantes and ladies in waiting. They laugh at the dramatics of the Royal men and start to disperse to the activities they were doing before.

As the night rolls in everyone goes to the dining room, not bothering with leaving to their suites to freshen up. The tables that we eat at have been moved and tonight the dinner is on one long table with the royals at one end and the debutantes and ladies in waiting following down the line. The food seems especially tasteful and the mood seems lighter. I smile as I eat my meal, something warm and happy rushing through my veins.

After dinner we are excused and I wander off to the library that seems to belong to Bash. I walk through the corridors, searching for a secret door since I do not know how to enter from the proper door when searching for it from the dining room. When I find a secret door I wander through the cold stone corridors, hiding in plain sight until I find the library. I listen through the door for any voices before opening it and seating myself in the armchair I always use.

I smile as I leaf through the book I brought with me, its worn pages releasing a musky scent every time I turn a page. I suddenly hear loud voices from beyond the main door. As they get louder, I rush to the secret door and hide in the cold corridor with the door ever so slightly ajar. The main door into the library creaks open and loud, angry voices attack the previously silent room,

"Father, you cannot force me to court a woman that doesn't wish to be courted. I don't wish to ruin someone because you want me to marry."

"Sebastian, you need to court someone, you need to marry at the end of this Season."

"Why?"

"Because you don't want the Debutante season next year or the year after or any year."

"Because it is a horrible situation to force ladies into. Always forced to be interested at the grand prize of princess or queen."

"You need to marry and that is final. And you would be lucky for it to be someone like her."

I rush away from the door, down the passage ways and to the stables. I shouldn't have listened. It was a conversation strictly between Bash and the King. Why do I always do this? Poking into the Royals private lives. My mind races and I open Vesper's stall, jumping onto his back and riding into the darkness of the forest.

<<>>

My mind loosens its thoughts, letting them fly away with the wind as Vesper gallops rhythmically through the forest and onto fields. He whinnies to the moon and I laugh, my tense muscles  relaxing. I have never heard the King or Bash angry, or loud for that matter. People always rest their strained voices when I speak to them. I guess that is what it was like before I met Bash. I guess that is why his parents were so shocked for him to play chess and smile and laugh and have fun.

As Vesper slows to a halt at a river I lean back until my head rests on his rump, my eyes trailing across the sky as I look at the luminous spots that my father calls stars. Some glow brighter than others, catching my eye faster but as I look from the bigger stars to the dimmer ones I notice how they can be just as bright if you don't focus on the bright ones.

Vesper stomps his hoof and lifts his head from the water looking across the river. I sit up and look ahead, a horse stands there, like a ghost, and I smile. Pegasus.

I look at the rider and see sad blue eyes stare at me. Fear strikes my heart for a moment when I remember those cold voices in the library, but I shrug it off and I tilt my head to the side before calling over,
"What did your father say this time?"

His eyes widen and he tries to push down the smile that attempts to take over his face,
"He wants me to court a lady, starting either tomorrow or the day after."

I smile sympathetically and cross the stream, the water barely reaching the knees of Vesper's long legs. We walk to Bash's side and I place a hand on his rein hand, like those few days ago.

"You'll find someone."

He smiles and looks at my hand on his, I start to pull it away when his other hand clasps onto it, making me look at him.

"I think I have."

I stare into his eyes, this time it wasn't a murmur under his breath, he said it out loud. I search his eyes for any humour or mocking but there is none, only hope and happiness.

"But the other ladies in waiting, the debutantes..."

"Don't matter to me."

I shake my head in disbelief and remove my hand from his.

"Bash, you can't be serious. You're just panicked and found me first, you are a Prince, you need to wed someone who went to finishing school. Who can be a Princess."

His eyes show the hope crumble and he shakes his head,
"No, I want someone who understands me. I want you."

My eyes heat up with tears and I look up to Bash's eyes,
"What if I'm not enough? What if my understanding of you is not enough to court you? What about my sister?"

He grabs my hand, kissing it and holding it to his heart,
"But there is more than understanding. There is love and your sister will understand, she will be happy for you. You know that."

I bite my lip, tears slowly descending down my cheeks as I feel his heart quicken at my touch, like what I feel when we are close together,
"After about seven days. How can there be love? How can you know that?"

"Because..."

I look at him expectantly,
"Because when our hands meet, a surge of energy runs through me. When you walk into a room it lights up like a thousand candles. When your eyes meet mine my heart races. When I think of tomorrow I see you. Please, Willow."

More tears run down my cheeks and I let out a shaky breath,
"Bash..."

He leans closer to me, his warm hands resting on my cheeks, his thumbs rubbing away the tears. His forehead rests against mine and our breaths mingle into one. My hands grip his as they stay on my cheeks.

"Bash?"

"Hm?"

"I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"The scrutiny, the hate, the dislike I will get from people because a lady in waiting is courting a prince during the debutante season as they fight for a husband."

His hands tilt my head so I look up into his eyes again as he pulls his forehead away from mine,
"Willow, those people don't matter. And have you met yourself? No one can hate you, at least not after they meet you."

He gives me a small smile which I fight to return.

"Thank you."

"No, Willow, thank you."

I smile and our eyes meet again, he raises his brows,
"So? Can you manage to be courted by me?"

I smile and watch the hope regrow in his eyes,
"Yes. Yes, I think I can."

I giggle as he shouts with joy, before pulling me close to him for a tight embrace, even with the horses beneath us.