The King Who Loved Me

Chapter 12

I found myself happily wondering the hallways with Luke. After the events of last night, we had grown so close that we had spent the entire day together. "Elenore, I was wondering if you would like to join me for a ride tomorrow?" He asked.

"But I've never been horse riding before? And I haven't got anything to wear" I add quickly looking down at my party dress. My entire wardrobe contained fancy dresses for balls and daywear. I'd never owned anything for riding before.

"My dearest, are you giving me that excuse" he chuckles.

"I'll try it but it's true." I roll my eyes back. "I can try see if I can borrow some" I smile not liking his upset look.

"Good. And let me pack a picnic for our journey. Hopefully getting you out of this palace will do you some good"

"That sounds lovely, thank you" I beam up at him. It sounded lovely, suddenly my life had changed too quickly, that a day away from it all seemed like a breath of fresh air.

"Elenore!" My father's call in the distance causes me to focus on reality and not my little bubble of heaven Luke created.

"Yes father?" I ask as he approaches us with a stern look. I had received that look a lot as a child, it could only mean trouble.

"You must go speak to the king, thanks to your antics last night he is in a right royal mood" he Huff's, catching his breath.

"Alright" I nod, knowing I am the last person James would want to be in the company of at the moment. Despite that I oblige to his request.

"Let me come with you?" Luke adds desperately, as I am about to follow my father towards James.

"That will anger him more, I'll see you later my friend" I smile before hitting after my father's quick paced steps through the hallways and past busy servants. The closer and closer we got to the king, the more agitated people appeared to be.

"I don't care if your tiered, or ill. Get me the damned documents now!" I hear James yell from behind the door. Right royal mood, was far from how angered the king seemed to be.

"But sire, they are on the other side of the country and will take a week to arrive" the other man's shaky voice says.

"Get the hell out of my face" he barks as I slip into the room. I bow quickly as I announce my presence.

"Your highness your tea is set up in your parlour, is now a bad time my lord?" I ask giving the man an apologetic smile, in the corner of my eye I watch James lift his head from his stance at the desk. He was leaning on his hands, head bowed down as if he had slammed his palms on the hard wood. His hair left astray, and I realised that it was always messy because he was always angered about something or other. There were men filled in this room and I needed a good enough excuse for them to leave and give him some air.

"Yes, I need to leave these insurable ibices to contemplate there future positions here at court" he adds following me into the next room his library in large strides.

I walk over and take a seat on the windowsill. "You can understand my emotions when I found that your proposal was one of your games" I started looking up at him. I know it was not the right thing to say at this delicate time, but I had to.

"But it wasn't" he added quickly. His hardened walls fell, instead of the powerful man I had seen no longer than a minute ago, a fragile man stood before me.

"And when I found out that the man who stole my heart, was already engaged to another. The pain I felt when someone like you could ever love me" I added smiling sadly. I knew in that moment that he realised that I knew, and that I was right, and in that moment I could see that he knew there was nothing in this world he could do to erase that piece of valuable information.

"Elen.." he tried.

"What did you expect? You knew you were bound to another. And yet you led me to believe otherwise. I do not want to be your whore, I do not want to be your wife. So please my lord. Let me go" I add raising my voice. I was standing now, somehow, I had made my way towards him standing only but a few feet away. My hands were clenched, and my eyes were breaming with tears.

Silence surrounds us, so thick I could cut it with a knife. "I'll take my leave, thank you for honouring me with an audience your highness." I bow low, stand up and walk past him. I couldn't even bare to look at him anymore. His frustratingly handsome face.

"Stay away from Luke, he is a bad man" he announced as I was about to leave the room. My hand clutched the door handle as I sighed. Are you sure you're in any position to judge his character? I wanted to say. My heart begged me to say.

But instead, my lips whispered, just loud enough for him to hear "thank you your highness for your concern", and with that I left James, the first man I ever properly loved.

That night I avoided the king at all measures. My feet were still aching with pain, it seemed more manageable as I have been off my feet as much as possible today. "There is my favourite Lady" a chirpy Luke beamed as he sat next to me.

"Oh. hush friend. Or people will begin to think that we are more" I roll my eyes. Full aware of the attention on us. The king was watching, and I wanted him to see us here. Me here, laughing and being happy, without him.

"Mm that's what I am here to talk to you about" he added in a more serious tone.

"You've not gone and married someone so quickly have you?" I asked quickly as a joke not liking the seriousness he was getting at.

"Come, let's talk in a more private setting. If we sit here any longer the king would have burnt our faces off with his gaze" he laughed under his breath.

Taking a deep breath, I nodded and followed him out the room, down the staircase and to the back balcony that had stone stairs descending into the garden.

"Your scaring me now Luke, pray tell me what is wrong!" I urged in a whisper, wrapping myself in my arms to hide from the frigid air.

"I.." he cleared his through looking up for a moment "I spoke to your father" his eyes move down to meet mine. My heart begins to race, my mind begins to fill with questions and confusion. Whenever someone mentions my father, I become a mistress.

"And your mother. I asked them for your hand in marriage Elenore. Thanks to my position and holdings, and of course our relationship they agreed to grant me it, on the condition that you accept my proposal" he adds with a smile. My heart racing, I watch him take my hands "My dearest Elenore, I know we have not known each other long, but from the first moment I saw your nose stuck in that book I knew that you had to be mine. I promise you a comfortable life, and my heart. Will you accept my hand?" He asks.

"I would be a fool not to" I smiled. "I would be most honoured Luke" I smile softly. Bringing his knuckles to a kiss. "You know I am not pure" I whisper, reality dropping onto my shoulders. "You deserve a pure wife"

"I deserve you, I know about the king. And I don't give a damn." He chuckles. "Come let's go share the news!" He chirps happily. I nod.

Before I know it we are racing down the corridors and up the staircase back to the banquet hall. "Your attention everyone! I have a very special announcement to make!" Luke yells, bringing the soft him of chatter to a stop. "As of this moment I am engaged to the very lovely Lady Elenore," he said his voice "So please join me in raising a glass to my soon to be wife Lady Elenore!"

My cheeks heat up as everyone's attention is on me. Glasses raise, and congratulations are said. Before people continue with their chattering. "You have made me a very happy girl, thank you" I smile up at Luke.

"And I, a very happy man" he smiles bringing his hand to rest around my waist. Now that we were engaged this was acceptable. I felt complete, someone to love me, and give me the destiny I felt was taken away from me.

"Congratulations cousin" a slurred voice came from in front of us. "Congratulations on proposing to my whore" he lets off a string of sloppy chuckles. "Just because you have a husband dear, didn't mean your duty is done in my bed" he wobbled about, pointing a shaky finger at me, his lips lifted as he sent me a sinister laugh that echoed over the entire hall, brining all life to a halt.