Twisted Beauty (A Sleeping Beauty Tale)

Chapter Eight

The next two days passed swiftly, and Drake and I spent every moment together. I had been given time off my classes, so we spent our days reading poetry, having picnics and walking through the gardens. Leighton followed us like a shadow, and was kind to keep his distance so we felt comfortable. I knew Father had chosen him to intimidate Drake, though I had to admit he wasn't doing so well. Drake broke small rules about courting – kissing my hand or forehead, placing a hand on my waist as we walked, and other such things. I didn't mind; after all, his kingdom likely had different rules and traditions.

Soon enough, the day for Aunt Diane's arrival came, and I found myself as excited as ever. I could hardly sit still as Katherine prepared me that morning, and she ended up scolding me for being unladylike. But I didn't care about such things, and as soon as she was done, I raced through the castle and towards the Gate. Living so far away, it was the main way she travelled when visiting us.

I arrived just as the Gate lit up, and hardly waited until she appeared before throwing my arms around her neck, a small squeal escaping me. She laughed and wrapped her arms around me as I inhaled her sweet perfume. Pulling back, I drank in her appearance, as it had been so long since I last saw her. Her dark hair was pulled up elegantly, a few strands framing a pale face with striking green eyes that met my own.

"My beauty," she said, cupping my cheek with a hand. "Oh, you have grown so much. You're such a beautiful young woman now – the last time I saw you, you were thirteen, were you not?"

I nodded – five years was the longest time in between visits so far, but I understood how busy she was. I remembered my whole life just lighting up at her visits as a child.

"Belleza." I turned to see Drake enter the courtyard, bowing his head. He seemed surprised upon seeing Diane, his expression matching his.

"Good morning, Drake," I said cheerfully. "This is my aunt – she's staying here for a few days."

He didn't seem surprised to hear her relation to me, rather bowing his head and saying, "An honour to see you again, Lady Diane." Ah, so they had met before. It wasn't surprising, considering Diane had lived in Kallis for years. Perhaps she had some work that related to the royals in some way.

"The same to you, Prince Drakenston. You were barely a young man when I last saw you." Drake's ears went a little pink, and he turned to me, offering a smile. "Well, Their Majesties are no doubt busy, so I will speak with them later. As you two are courting, I will be taking over as your chaperone to ensure all is well. Have you any plans for today?"

I was surprised when Drake spoke up, but was delighted with his idea nonetheless. "Shall we go riding? The day is perfect for a picnic." I nodded enthusiastically, and Diane dipped her chin in approval.

"I will meet you both at the stables in half an hour." With that, she turned towards the castle, likely to unpack the bag that dangled from her hand.

Drake and I stared after her for a moment, both of us a little too stunned to speak. "Well, she's intense," he finally said, and I giggled in response. "I will see you soon, Belleza," he said, kissing my knuckles. We departed ways, going to prepare for riding.

My dress was suitable enough to ride a horse, so I quickly changed into thicker shoes before heading down to the kitchen. Being so excited to see my aunt, I hadn't eaten, so I was excited for the picnic. The kitchen maids were more than happy to fill a basket with savoury and sweet pastries, and with a wink, one added a small bag of sugared strawberries.

Twenty minutes later, with a full basket and a skip in my step, I headed towards the stables, where I could see Drake and Diana talking as they waited for me. Upon arriving, they both smiled at me, though I sensed a tension of sorts. I brushed it off, however, and attached the basket to one of the horses' saddle bags.

"Shall we go, then?" Diana said, swinging onto her horse. I almost grinned at the sight of her in riding gear – seeing a woman in pants wasn't common, but she didn't seem to care for such traditions. She only wore dresses at formal occasions, as far as I knew.

Drake helped me onto my horse, perhaps still wary because of my fall several days prior. I thanked him, though noticed my aunt frowning as she watched. But she said nothing, so Drake ignored her expression as he swung onto his own horse. Soon enough, we were on a trail into the woods, Diane following some distance behind us – much closer than Leighton would've, I noticed.

After a glance behind us, I leaned towards Drake and said, "Drakenston?" He groaned, running a hand through his hair.

"My father has the most absurd names for all things," he sighed. "Once, he called his hunting dog Lord of Canines because the creature caught more game than the other dogs in the hunting party." I giggled at the title, my mind immediately imagining a dog wearing a crown – an absurd thought, but it made me smile.

"Oh, that isn't the worst of it," Drake added. I tilted my head to the side, and with a grin, he launched into tales of his father naming pets. I was not disappointed.

***

Diane watched us as we ate our picnic, though she leaned against the tree and refused to join us, remaining silent most of the time. Drake and I laughed as we spoke, nibbling pastries and sugared strawberries – a treat that I was rarely allowed to have. Most of our day was in the woods, and we spent time picking wildflowers in the clearing, which I braided into a crown for Drake. He had such a soft look in his eyes as I placed it over his dark hair, and I wished we could stay there forever.

But when the afternoon came, Diane told us we needed to head back to the castle for dinner. So, we reluctantly packed up and prepared to leave, untying the horses before Drake helped me onto my mare once more. Diane narrowed her eyes as his hand rested on my waist, but made no comment. It was only when we were riding back to the castle, with Diane far behind us, that Drake spoke up.

"I apologise if some of my actions are deemed inappropriate," he said, his head lowered as he fiddled with his horse's mane. "The etiquette in my kingdom is much different than yours, and I'm only just realising that some of the things I do might offend people."

"It's alright," I smiled. "I don't mind, really. It's mostly the public and my family that tend to take things more seriously – the rules can be quite strict."

"Especially when you are the princess," he sighed. "I would hate to ruin your reputation, especially unintentionally." He still hadn't looked up, and I could tell he felt guilty. It saddened me to see him so upset, so I reached out a hand and touched his arm. I admit, it was difficult, as we both rode horses, but I managed. He looked up at me, slightly surprised, but a mischievous smile soon tugged at his lips. "Will your aunt be upset if I held your hand?"

"Oh, most definitely," I replied, lacing my fingers with his. He stared down at our intertwined fingers, a small smile on his face.

"This isn't appropriate at all, Your Highness. Whatever would the people say?" he asked in mock horror.

I giggled and said, "I haven't a care." His eyes almost glazed over, he raised my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles. For what seemed to be a long time, we gazed at one another quietly.

"Drakenston and Belleza," snapped Diane, her voice sharp. The moment was immediately ruined as we turned to see her giving us a stern look. Her eyes were focused on me, burning away at me. "Let go at once. I thought you were raised better – act as a lady, not a common whore."

I flinched, dropping Drake's hand from shock, more than anything. For a few moments, all I could do was stare at my aunt, no words entering my mouth. Silently, I faced forward once more and gripped the reins tight enough that my hands trembled and my knuckles were white. No one spoke for the rest of the ride, and it occurred to me that Diane had certainly been more intimidating towards Drake than Leighton, for he sat silently as if he didn't dare to speak up for the rest of the ride.

It was as if I didn't even know my aunt anymore.