Crowned

Chapter 9 - Derrick

Derrick stuck the last bite of biscuit with preserves in his mouth.

The misty night turned into a gray, dismal morning, leaving Derrick wondering what time it was.

After being awake all night in prayer, he was famished as well as tired. Yet adrenaline rushed through his body.

Today he was going to be dubbed as a knight. Sir Derrick. It had a nice ring to it. Then he was going to ask Katherine to marry him.

The King and Queen liked him. Cedric liked him. And he was pretty sure Katherine liked him. He had already asked the King for permission to marry her and, quite surprisingly, gotten a yes.

The ring he bought a month ago was sitting in the bottom of his drawer, all ready to go. Now all he needed was Katherine to say yes. And he was fairly sure that he would receive it.

Cedric burst into the kitchen where Derrick was gobbling down all the food in sight. "Hurry up. Katherine says she wants to see you before the ceremony."

Derrick raised an eyebrow. Why did she need to see him before the ceremony?

"And, I might add, if I hadn't seen you two sneaking off yesterday, Mother and Father would have been in a fit." Cedric said in hushed tones. The kitchen staff didn't need more gossip material. "After her disappearance three years ago, they have been on high alert."

Derrick brushed the crumbs off of his hands and strode out of the kitchen and down the hall.

"And," Cedric caught up with Derrick and stepped in front of him with his arms crossed, "she was wearing her maid's clothes! Of all things!"

Derrick narrowed his eyes at Cedric.

Cedric's expression changed to that of wonder and leaned forward. "However did you do it? She hasn't worn anything drab since her childhood."

Derrick smirked and shrugged, brushing past him. "Ask her."

Cedric followed him up to Katherine's room. "I would say Katherine's got you wrapped around her finger, but I think the exact opposite is also true."

Derrick knocked on Katherine's door, choosing to ignore Cedric.

"Come in!" Came her quick reply.

"I daresay you could have her in your arms before the night is up." Cedric whispered, none too quietly.

Derrick wrinkled his nose at Cedric and shoved him away. "Get out of here."

Cedric was still laughing in the hallway as Derrick entered Katherine's room.

"You asked to see me?" he asked.

Katherine turned around with her hands behind her back.

"Yes I did. I have something for you." She held out her hands, and in them, lay a brass compass with a chain. "On the outside, it looks like an ordinary compass, but on the inside," she pried it open to reveal an inner compartment, "is a lock of my hair."

A small curl lay inside of the compass.

"You cut it off?" He studied the delicate curl. It looked so smooth and fine.

She nodded. "I cut off an underneath curl but it will grow back."

"It's for me?"

She nodded once more, her soft curls bouncing. "It's a good luck charm." She snapped close the compass and pressed it into his hands.

"Thank you." He slipped it inside his vest pocket. "I'll keep it safe."

She smiled, then pushed him towards the door. "Now get out of here before mother catches you inside my room."