The Secret Prince: The Story of Galen Nightwater

Dillian

Jade was the first to wake up. The gentle breeze that she had fallen asleep to had now changed into a strong gale. The clouds overhead had transformed from a fluffy white into a rapidly darkening grey. It was strange, she thought, that she fell asleep to such pleasant weather, and awoke to a storm. The grass that covered the hill was being tossed about and the leaves from the trees were swirling around them.

Galen was still asleep with his arms around her, although he was holding her a little more tightly than before. She smiled at the thought, happy to be closer to him. But not wanting for the impending storm to catch the outside, she decided to wake him.

"Galen." She whispered, shaking him gently. He stirred at little, and just pulled her closer. She chuckled and tried again.

"Galen, you need to wake up. There's a storm coming." She shook him a little more firmly this time.

He groaned. "What time is it?" He said, still sounding like he was dreaming. He was trying his hardest to open his eyes, but he was failing miserably. He had slouched down and rested his head on Jade's shoulder.

"I don't know but we need to go. I need to see Aunt Mary before I go back to the clinic." She explained. "Besides there's a storm coming."

"Ok," he said, his head getting heavier on her shoulder, " five more minutes."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. Just then a flash of light lit up the steadily darkening sky.

BOOM!

"I'M UP!"  Galen sat up instantly. "No need to yell." He grumbled. Jade wasn't sure who he was talking to, her or the thunder.

She just laughed. "I didn't yell...you weren't scared of the thunder? Were you?" She teased.

"Oh very funny, Jade."  He replied. But he didn't answer the question. "Let's get you home before the rain really starts." He said as he noticed little drops beginning to fall.

The walked down the hill at a walking pace but soon had to run because the drops were beginning to fall more steadily.  But the time they got to Aunt Mary's they were soaked. The rushed into the house, dripping water every, and met a very tense Aunt Mary.

"Oh how nice of you to drop in." She said sarcastically, her eyes narrowed to the wet patches on the little rug that were pooling under them. "I don't suppose you know that time it is?" She said eerily calm. It was never good when her voice became controlled and calm. Never good.

Jade looked up at Galen nervously, but he didn't offer much reassurance because he gave her the same look back. "No." He said, unsure whether that was the answer she was looking for.

The thing about Aunt Mary was this: she was a very nice person. Very nice indeed. So long as you were on her good side. In fact, it was a known fact among Jade, Galen, and even Marcus, that if you were on Aunt Mary's good side, you should do everything in your power to stay there. Because her bad side was pretty much equivalent to hell. She had the power to make you feel lower than an ant in her wrath, and then on top of that to give the coldest cold shoulder and silent treatment for days. It was severely uncomfortable, and the whole ordeal left one feeling heavily chastised and regretful that one ever did anything to upset her. Not that she was outrageous and ready to fly into a rage at the drop of a pin, not at all. She was reasonable. And yet on the flip side of the coin, she was incredibly forgiving. Which was the only upside to the fact that she had such wrath. Once she forgave you, she forgot.

"It is twelve o'clock." She said, staring at them very hard. Jade started to feel fidgety. And Galen tried not to squirm. After all, he was pretty much a grown man (well over six feet), and it didn't look good to squirm like a guilty child in front of a little woman.