Hidden Identities

Chapter 5: Scott

        "Honestly, Scott, can't you just try? You're heir to the throne! You have to get married! Isilee is very nice. I don't see why you don't like her!" Henri, my younger brother, says.

        "Henri, listen to me! I'm supposed to be getting married in two weeks! I'm expected to fall in love with Isilee before then? I mean she's pretty and friendly and all that, but marriage? It's all way to soon! We barely know eachother!"

        "You would have had five weeks to get to know her, but you spent your time sulking. Why can't you just grow up?"

        "Five weeks still isn't enough time for me to fall in love with somebody."

        "Don't you understand? You and Isilee getting married is the only thing that will keep Yrialo and Dilvania from going to war with eachother. This is extremely important!"

        The door opens and June, a maid, enters. "Hello, Scott! Isilee has invited you to have tea with her in her room."

        "Thanks, June. I'll be there in a minute."

        She smiles and turns away.

        "June?" Henri asks.

        "Yes sir?"

        "When addressing Scott you call him Prince Scott. Same thing for Isilee. It's Princess Isilee."

        "I'm sorry, Prince Henri."

        "Good. You are dimissed."

        June hurries away.

        "Servants! They act as if we are their equals. Now, you best get ready for tea. Be nice to her!"

        I hurry off to Isilee's room. The guard opens the door and I step in.

        "Hello?"

        "Scott! Come on in and sit down. Have some tea!" Isilee says, standing up from her chair.

        I sit down and Isilee pours me some tea.

        "Thank you."

        "Your welcome. Since it's such a nice day today, I was thinking we could go outside. There's this sport called badminton that we play in Dilvania. I thought I'd teach it to you."

        "Okay. That sounds like fun."

        We finish our tea and then go outside. She hands me this little racket thing and shows me something called a shuttlecock. There's a net set up in the middle of the yard.

        "You hit the shuttlecock with your racket over the net. Keep it within the boundaries."

        We begin to play. I start out horribly, still sort of confused about how to play. After a couple hours I beat her in a game and we rest in the shade. We decide to go for a walk.

        "Well? What did you think of badminton?" Isilee asks.

        "I thought you were extremely good at that game compared to me. But I enjoyed myself."

        She laughs. I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. She looks so happy...and pretty. Maybe I'm actually starting to like her. 

        "Isilee, look, I'm sorry for being so mean to you before. It's just--"

        "It's okay, Scott. I totally understand your feelings. We don't know eachother very well, but we're expected to be alright with this whole planned marriage. I get it. To be honest, I was scared to come. I didn't want to marry some stranger." She glances at me with a mischievous grin. "I thought you were going to be some stuck-up, ugly prince. But you're not..."

        "So is everything alright now? You forgive me?"

        "Of course I do!"

        "Good," I say and take her hand.