Twisted Beauty (A Sleeping Beauty Tale)

Chapter Ten

I didn't speak to Diane for the next four days, despite seeing her every time I was around Drake. I felt sorry for him – he wanted to be polite, but he also did not want to upset me by being friendly to her. Of course, I didn't mind whether he spoke to the woman, but I was grateful when he remained silent every time that she tried to speak to me.

"I can't believe you're to leave in just four days," I sighed, staring into my cup of tea. We sat under the shade of a wooden gazebo, its white pillars embraced by flowering vines, as we ate luncheon together. It would have been a pleasant experience, were it not for my aunt sitting by us. I hesitated before adding, "Will you return?"

He smiled gently, taking my hand in his. "Of course. I will never leave you, Belleza." I gazed up at him, a weight lifting from my chest. Ever since he confessed his love to me just days prior, I had suddenly become aware of how little time we had left before he had to leave. How long would it be until he returned? Weeks? Months? Just hearing from him that he would return made me feel better, even if it was such a long time. He opened his mouth, as if to continue, but paused, his brow furrowing. "Isn't that your friend?"

Turning, I saw Lillian running through the gardens towards us. Her cheeks were tear stained and her eyes red, making it clear that she had been crying. I jumped to my feet and ran to her, taking her into my arms as she almost collapsed against me. She clung to me, sobbing into my shoulder.

"I'll give you both some space," Drake said quietly. I nodded to silently thank him, relieved that Diane followed Drake as he headed towards the castle.

"Lillian, what's the matter?" I asked, stroking her hair in an attempt to soothe her. She choked on her words, unable to speak from her sobbing, so I silently led her under the gazebo and poured her a cup of tea. She took it with trembling hands, but slowly calmed her sobs. I passed her a handkerchief, which she used to dab at her eyes and nose.

"Oh, Belle, it's simply awful," she squeaked, her voice cracking. After another few moments and a deep breath, she found her voice. "My parents have arranged my marriage. I'm to be married within the year." Her parents, like most within the kingdom, believed in arranged marriages, done purely for money.

My heart ached for her and I said, "Oh, Lill, I'm so sorry. Who is your fiancé?"

"Lord Harrison," she replied, her voice nothing but a whisper. As if saying his very name would summon him. Eli Harrison was the son of a wealthy man, and the Harrison family was one of the highest families within the kingdom. But wealth made Eli a cruel and horrible boy – enough so that a few families would purposely avoid any dealings with him, even for money and status. "What am I to do? When it was announced, he kept giving me this awful look. I'm so afraid of him, Belle."

"Don't fret," I murmured, tucking a lock of her hair behind an ear. I gently raised her chin so she faced me. "Everyone loves you, Lill. Even the grumpy old gardener dotes on you, and he hates everyone. I'm sure it is simply a public act – a façade to keep his image strong. Take time to know him, and perhaps he won't be so bad. If you can get the gardener to like you, a lord should be child's play."

"You may be right," she said. Letting out a shuddering breath, she brought a smile to her face and wiped away her tears. "I have the better part of the year to win him over, and by the end of it, he will be smiling. Thank you, Belle." She pulled me into an embrace and kissed my cheek, looking much happier than before.

"If you ever need anything, you let me know," I said. She nodded, and with a final smile, she excused herself – her parents had scheduled her to meet with the young lord later that day. As I watched her walk through the gardens, my heart ached for her and I had to close my eyes for a few moments. Eli was a horrible boy and there was nothing that would change his ways. When I was younger, I saw him setting traps in the gardens to catch squirrels and birds. I didn't know what they were until days later, when I found him snapping their necks. Just the thought made me shudder.

I almost jumped as Drake set a hand on my arm, smiling down at me. "Are you alright?"

Sighing, I nodded, glancing up to see Lillian was out of sight. "Lillian has an arranged marriage she just found out about. Her fiancé is . . . a horrible man. Cruel. She just needed some cheering up." I leaned against his chest, inhaling his citrus scent as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "My aunt didn't follow you?" I asked, suddenly noticing she was not there.

Drake's lips twitched into a smile. "She has no idea that I'm with you." I felt my cheeks redden slightly at the thought.

"Breach of etiquette," I chided. The look in Drake's eyes set my heart pounding.

"My deepest and most sincere apologies, my dear lady," he said, bowing at the waist and kissing my knuckles. "I rather like being able to kiss you – the rules here are absurd."

"I agree," I murmured. "It's ridiculous that you aren't able to hold my hand, and yet you held my waist at the ball. No one scolded you for that."

With a smile, he tugged at my waist and swayed side to side, following a silent tune. "But my lady, that was because we were dancing." He removed a hand from my waist and intertwined our fingers, humming the song we played on the pianoforte together. With one fluid movement, he neatly twisted me into a twirl and I fought the urge to giggle. "I think there's some room for bending the rules," he murmured, his head resting against mine.

"What are the rules in your kingdom?" I asked. I hadn't seen any books in the library that related to his kingdom, other than a few history ones, so I was curious.

He huffed out a laugh, his lips teasingly close to mine. "I would be able to take you on picnics alone," he murmured. "We could hold hands and embrace without being scolded." He leaned closer and I wasn't sure whether I was even breathing. "But most of all, my love, I could do this." With that, his lips were on mine and a burning sensation filled my chest. The kiss was gentle and sweet, though I felt his grip on my waist grow a little tighter as I kissed him back. It was over all too fast, and I found myself gazing into his gold-flecked eyes, my lips suddenly feeling too cold.

"I love you," I said, never being surer about anything in my life. His lips smiled, the movement making them brush against my own again.

Leaning in to kiss me again, he whispered, "I love you too, my dearest Belle."

I didn't care that we broke many rules. I didn't care what anyone would say. I was with the man I loved, and that was all that mattered. And yet, as we swayed to a silent tune, I couldn't help but feel the sensation of someone watching us. But I supposed that would be added to the list of things I didn't care about.