5sos imagines & preferences (with photos)

187. they're a prince

ashton
He was finishing his fencing match, out in the courtyard, He thanked his opponent for the challenge and walked back to the castle. "Your highness, do you require a drink?" you asked the moment Ashton walked in. "I'm fine, and call me Ash, you know I hate formalities." he said with a chuckle. "I know" you smiled, "but still let me at least go fetch you something to eat" you said, "I can do it myself" he said. "As your personal maid, I should at least help you with something", you answered. "Fine you can go get me something to eat, but you have to eat with me." he said smugly. "Fine, go wait in the dining hall" you said as you walked over to the kitchen. You have been in the castle since you were eight because you were an orphan. You remember the day you first met Ashton, you sat on the hard cobblestone road, hoping that anyone would give you anything that could get you food "Hey where are your parents, you shouldn't be by yourself?" you heard a voice say. You looked up and saw a young boy about your age with the most beautiful hazel eyes staring down at you. "I don't have any", you responded weakly. "No parents?" he asked confusedly, "but doesn't everyone have parents?" "Not me", you answered not noticing that the boy was staring at you sadly. He was about to ask you something till he heard the rumbling of your stomach, "you're hungry?" You nodded embarrassingly and looked up at him to see him holding out his hand for you to take and smiled to you, wanting to help you, something that no one really did. You placed your soft hand in his and he led you to the castle. You didn't know why he was taking you there, till he explained that he was the prince. You felt so improper looking down at your raggedy clothes, but he refused to let your hand go. He made people bring you food and told you to eat and not to be shy, and you weren't since you hadn't eaten in days. He showed you around the castle, but it was an excuse for him to talk and play with you, since there was no one his age in the castle and in that short amount of time he became really attached to you. Just as you were about to leave, Ashton said that you should stay since there were so many room here, not wanting you to sleep in the streets. You refused saying that you really couldn't take that offer because he already did so much for you. His mother walked up, noticing how much his son liked you and said that you should stay as well, but you could only stay if you agreed to Ashton's personal maid. He looked at his mom with a glint of anger, telling her that how could he make you, of eight years old and homeless, stay only if you worked. His mother lightly laughed at seeing his son so brave to defend you, but she explained that your only duty would just be Ashton's friend. Despite how much they said you didn't need to, you still helped out around the castle. You owed a lot to his family, and you felt that helping like the other servants was at least some way way to repay them. Through the years of playing with Ashton on the castle grounds, you fell for the boy, but you knew that no matter how much you loved him, he would never be yours. The reason was because royalty could only marry other royal families, and you were just an orphaned girl. You were arrived at the dining hall and noticed a chair pulled out for you, as well as the table being set for you both to eat. You placed the plate in front of him, and set yours down as well. You both ate as he talked about his sparring match, saying that he really needed some real competition, and that spring was rolling in, meaning that you two could head to the fields to see the blooming flowers. You told him how you helped tend the animals this morning, something that you loved to do. "Here you got to try this steak, it's delicious", he said as he held out his fork with the meat on it. A blush rose to your cheeks as you opened your mouth a little and Ashton smiled as he leaned his fork to feed you. "Good, but my chicken was still better", you said as you swallowed. "Really?" he said as he took another bite of his food. "Yep, want to try it?" you said looking down at you food. "Sure" he said turning over to you and opened his mouth. You cut a piece of chicken for him and brought it to his lips. "You're right it does taste better." he said with a smile that made your heart race. You ate, trying to calm down your fast beating heart. You felt that it was so loud that you were worried that he might be able to hear it, and really hoped that he didn't, because you wanted to keep your feelings for him a secret, hoping that with time they would go away. You didn't want to experience the heartbreak that would come the moment you would see him with someone else in his arms. You finished your plate and waited for him to finish before you took it to the kitchen to place it in the dirty pile that you or someone else would get to it later and returned to Ashton. "Do you want to go for a horse ride?" he said with a smile. "Right now?" "Of course right now, it's a nice day for a ride." "Sure" you smiled. His smile got wider as he reached for your hand and began walking to the stables. Your heart began to race again as you felt Ashton tighten his grip on your hand as he led you through the castle. Looking down at your intertwined hands made you remember that day that you first met him. But the hand that held yours didn't belong to a young boy anymore, it was larger and stronger. But what was really different about today than years ago, were your emotions. When you were a child, this hand holding meant nothing, but right now, it only reminded you that somewhere along the years you fell for Ashton hard, and despite how perfect your hand felt in his, you knew it wasn't meant to be there. No matter how much you loved Ashton, you could never be anything more than friends.