"And that is why we no longer speak to people from Corea." finished Clarke, happily.
Arianthe continued to stare out the window oblivious to the hour long history lesson she had paid no attention to.
"Arianthe? Are you listening to me?"
She blinked and turned to her tutor.
"Yes, of course I am." she replied.
"Then tell me what I just said."
"Um, something about Corea and us speaking to them."
Clarke sighed and massaged his temples.
"Princess if you continue to take no notice of our lessons then you shall never learn anything. There are things you simply must learn before you become Queen and I fear that you shall never be ready." He said angrily.
"Well I don't see how any of this is going to be any help. Instead of trying to teach me who we're not talking to you should be teaching me how to make peace with these people." snapped Arianthe.
"That will never work your highness you must understand this."
"No, you don't understand this..."
"With all due respect, Princess, I think I know a lot better than you do so I suggest you shut your mouth and pay more attention in your lessons!" Shouted her tutor in frustration.
Arianthe leaned back in her chair with silent anger in her heart, she loathed her tutor almost as much as she loathed her father. The way he looked her, the way he treated her like a child, the way he talked her and assumed that because of her age she knew nothing. The princess just held her tongue and longed for the day she had enough power to get rid of him.
~~~~~
Since her father had banned her from going anywhere except her room, Arianthe had not been to the stable for seemed like ages. She wondered how Mr Farrier was getting on as well as Heloise her horse.
In fact Arianthe wondered how how sane she would be if she didn't have Agnes to wait on her. The two girls had been brought up together and in many ways they were closer than sisters. And as Agnes sat plaiting the Princess' long hair they talked about the main thing girls talk about when they are alone; men.
"I've heard the Lord of Essex is a handsome man, and rich too it seems he has more land than he knows what to do with." Agnes was saying.
"Yes and he's rude and arrogant and rather grotesquely ugly." replied Arianthe scathingly.
"But you must marry someone soon otherwise the crown may go to someone else." persisted Agnes, not unkindly.
"If I do marry I want it to be for love and not because I have to," she replied "and besides I'm not sure I'm ready to be married off to some stranger."
"What about Sir Denver, he's a complete dreamboat isn't he?" smiled Agnes slyly.
Arianthe blushed.
"I don't know what you are talking about." she replied trying not to grin.
"Oh yes you do, I've seen the way you look at him don't try to hide it, Princess Arianthe." laughed Agnes
The girl smiled and bit her lip, there was no way she could have feelings for that man. Even if he was what Agnes called a 'dreamboat'...
YOU ARE READING
Her Portrait
FantasyYoung Princess Arianthe has never stepped foot outside the castle. Her father, King Eustace is determined to keep her safe due to the disappearance of her mother years ago. But what he doesn't know is Arianthe is slowly learning his secrets and find...
