Aurora

Chapter 10

After everyone found out I was the princess and what happened in the woods it made my father become a little more tight with guarding me. Robin was charged to follow my every move, which he did alarmingly too well. I couldn't shake him. It was nice that he was protecting me and nice that he was trying to make things less awkward by befriending me, but I longed to be alone just for a little while. Of course, it was somewhat my fault that my father decided to arrange for more knights to follow me around and Robin go this grizzly task. I was the one with the big mouth who let it slip that Maleficent was giving me daily visits. Sometimes I really wish I would keep my mouth shut.

I wasn't used to all this. I wasn't used to everyone bowing when they saw me or try to strike a conversation with me because they wanted to petition something to me so I could help sway my father to give them permission for what ever they were trying to do. It was amazing how when people think you are no one they leave you alone. You simply don't exist. Then they find out you have a position or even money and they all flock to your side because all of a sudden you have just became their best friend. I felt like I was on display. An object that everyone came to ooh and aw at, like one of those holy relics in the churches. Mary said I was imagining it all. Flora said that it was only natural that everyone watched me because I was the most beautiful girl in the castle, Foina agreed with her. I thought they were all a little crazy, and perhaps a bit biased.

To get me away from all the craziness Phillip persuaded Robin to let him take me into the woods to practice. I could use it too I was beginning to feel the tingling in my fingers again. I was supposed to meet Phillip in the woods at night alone and we were going to sneak away to a private spot that I didn't know about.

"Phillip? Are you there? Phillip, answer me now!" A twig was snapped behind me. I quickly grabbed an arrow and aimed it toward the sound.

"Wait!" Phillip shouted. "It's just me."

"Why in the world didn't you answer me before?"

" I just got here. You walk fast."

"I was anxious to get away, you knew that. Where is Robin?"

"I tried my best to shake him back there, he's fast too. No wonder your father hired him to follow you."

"We're not fast, we walk normally. You leisure walk like you've got all the time in the world."I shot back.

"Well whoever or whatever wants to get to me will eventually if it's important enough."

"Not much is important then." I gave him a sassy look.

"Well, not much that I can think of."

"How about me? Am I important?"

He narrowed his eyes at me "This feels like a trap."

I chuckled, "smart man."

"We should get going I have a place I would like to show you and we need to get you back into the castle before morn and people notice you're missing. Since it's so close to your birthday and there are more people who would notice you missing it would be harder to hide the fact that you're gone." He took me through a few cluster of trees where a couple of horses were waiting.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise, just follow me."

"Can I get a hint? Are we going to the creek? Are we going to that little clearing just outside the castle wall? Oh, are you taking me to the west wing that's supposed to be haunted? I heard a couple of maids refuse near there. No one goes there anymore it would be a great place to practice. Could you imagine?"