Today Helena hadn't woken up in time, so I went to breakfast in my nightgown. The boys didn't seem to care. Niall had asked to spend the day with me, and I agreed, but he said that we would meet around lunch time. He had some things he had to do beforehand. I wasn't sure exactly what we were doing, but according him we were going out of the castle grounds.
I had returned to my bedroom after breakfast, and Helena was already inside, and as soon as I walked through the door she started begging me for forgiveness...ok not really, she just shrugged her shoulders and started getting me ready for the day.
I was dressed, my makeup was done, and Helena was just doing the finishing touches to my hair when she asked me about my day with Harry yesterday afternoon.
Helena had seen me half way through the day after lunch, but she was busy with the preparations for the ball, so I drank my nightly tea alone...it felt odd.
"Harry and I chased Fredrick and his son around the castle." I stated, amused with the memory. Helena gave me a look that seemed like she was questioning my sanity, but continued with doing my hair.
Yesterday afternoon, Harry and I returned to the kitchen cautiously, and found Freddie and Junior there. I was going to get a cookie off of the plate they were sitting at, when I tripped over something. I fell to the ground with a thud, and Harry came to my aid straight away. I looked back at what I had tripped on, and found a very large hand fan. I looked up at the father and son, and they were both giving me cheeky smirks. I put two and two together, realising that they had played us. I told Harry, and the both of us spent most of the afternoon chasing Freddie and Junior around the castle.
Helena had spent most of the time doing my hair. She decided she wanted to 'experiment' for the ball. She had done my hair up in several different hair styles, but she hadn't found one that she was completely satisfied with. Personally I was very bored, I hated sitting still, and I didn't like Helena, or anyone for that matter, touching me for long periods of time.
There was a knock at the door, and I sprung out of the seat. Helena began to complain, but I ignored her, and shook my hair, making the braid fall down my back.
"Look what you've done. You've ruined it- actually, that looks pretty good. That's the one." She laughed, and I gave her a triumphant smile.
When I opened the door, Niall was standing there the usual bright smile on his face. "Hey Beka, are you ready to go?" Niall asked, and I nodded. He took my hand, and I said a goodbye to Helena over my shoulder, and she nodded in reply, before we left.
-
I sat back in the wooden chair, feeling beyond full. Niall had taken me into town to the bakery. He had paid Cole to close his shop for the afternoon, just for the two of us...plus the several fangirls that had followed us here that were outside. Niall said to Cole, that we would have one of every pastry that he made, each. At the time, I thought it was a strange, yet fun, idea, but I was deeply regretting it now.
I sighed, rubbing my bloated stomach. "I'm so glad I had a small breakfast." I groaned, as Niall took another bite of his croissant. "Will you stop eating; I seriously don't understand how you maintain your figure."
Niall shrugged, and swallowed the mountain of food in his mouth. "The boys and I get bored very easily, so we usually run around a lot and play games; keeps up active." He smiled, his blue eyes shining.
"Will there be anything else for me to make, your highnesses?" Cole asked, coming from behind the counter.
"Cole, you've known me since I was a baby. You don't need to call me that, but no thank you, I don't think I can eat another bite." I said smiling.
"It's a law; I do need to call you that." Cole informed me, before he turn to Niall and asked if he wanted anything else. Niall shook his head.
"It's not a law for another two days, until then I'm just a regular person." I stated, and Cole smiled, picking up our plates, and taking them behind the counter. The whole kingdom had heard about my will- be adoption into the royal family, and it seemed that every move I made, people were watching me.
"I don't understand why you don't let people call you that?" Niall asked, while wiping left over chocolate off of his lip.
"I do it, because it's not official yet. Signing the documents is going to be a massive change for me, Niall. It means that I'm leaving the life I grew up in behind, and becoming the complete opposite of what I was."
Niall thought over what I said for a couple of seconds, before agreeing. "I guess you're right." He smiled.
A silence fell over the two of us. It didn't seem to bother Niall, but it bothered me. He stood and took my hand, while we said a massive thank you to Cole. Niall left a very generous tip before leaving the small bakery.
It was much later in the afternoon now, the fan girls had left because of the curfew for all teenagers to be in their houses by sundown.
The two of us fell silent again as we walked, hand in hand back to the castle, and I got annoyed again. "Do you want to play the question game?" I blurted out, unthinkingly.
"Ah...yea, sure." He smiled, not expecting me to ask him that.
I racked my brain for a question, but couldn't think of any. "You go first." I persisted.
"Ok...What is your dream? Something you really want to do in life?" he asked.
I looked at Niall, stumped. I actually had no idea what I wanted. "I'm not sure," I said pathetically. "I don't really have one. It's always been my philosophy to live life as it's thrown at me, sort of like living in the moment, but if I did have a goal, I'd probably be that I can help you and your brothers find your happily ever after." I said with a small smile. Niall let out a quiet laugh, and hugged me to him.
"You are possibly the most generous person I have ever met, Beka. I've come to realise that you'll never love yourself half as much as I love you. And you never treat yourself right, even though I want you so badly to. I constantly think that if I let you know that I'm here for you, then maybe, just maybe, you'll love yourself like I love you." He whispered to me, and I hugged him tighter, silently thanking him.
"What about you? What's your dream?" I asked, stepping back from the hug, taking his hand back in mine, as we continued to walk back to the castle.
Niall looked straight ahead, not looking at me. "I- I want to be known, not just for being the King's son, but because I'm a nice person. I want people to say 'Niall's a kind and good-hearted human being'. You don't realise the many stereotypes that are about our family..." he said solemnly.
Sympathy washed over me like a tidal wave. "Niall-..."
"It's a stupid dream, so just forget I said that." Niall interrupted, still not looking at me.
I pulled on his hand, making him come to a standstill. I walked around to the front of him, and took his two hands in mine, squeezing them gently. "Niall...? Niall, look at me." I said, quietly. Niall sighed, but peered down at me with his deep blue eyes. "God wouldn't have put that dream in your heart if He didn't want you to live it." I stated.
Niall gave me a shocked look. "Where did you read that?" he asked, smiling.
"I didn't read it from anywhere. I just know that for a fact." I shrugged, glad that I had gotten through to him.
Niall looked away from me, looking like he was debating something. While I waited for him to make up his mind, I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze again. "What are you thinking about?" I asked, while he was still staring off into the unknown.
"I'm deciding whether or not I should kiss you." he said nervously. A smirk came across my face, and I rolled my eyes, making the decision for him. I pushed him down onto a nearby bench, and kissed him square on the mouth. He was a little startled at first, but settled, and kissed me back.
He circled my waist with his arms, and pulled me towards him, so I was sitting on his lap. He broke the kiss, just leaving it at a peak. I gave him a surprised look, and he gave a gentle smile. "I know that you've shared long, passionate kisses with my brother's, but as much as I love you, I know that you won't be mine, and I don't find stopping the search for love a smart thing to do, when you know that you can't have someone."
I nodded, agreeing, and stood up from his lap. "Do you like rabbits?" I asked him.
Niall gave me a look that showed that he wasn't expecting my question. "No, not really. I think they're pointless, and they don't do anything." He said sternly. (Fun fact: Niall Horan actually doesn't like rabbits. He's said that line in an interview before)
I laughed. "Well I think you'll be presently surprised to meet Chester." I said, eagerly, grabbing his hand, and pulling him the opposite direction to the castle, and towards the forest.
"Where are we going? Who's Chester?" he said, as we ran through the town.
"You'll find out all in good time, my friend." I said laughing. "And besides, we need to work off all the pastries we ate."
-
The two of us were standing, barefooted, in the forest, and Niall was looking around in wonder. "I've never been this far from the castle. It feels strange...Why we are here again?" he asked.
I was searching the bushes for my furry friend as he was talking. Seconds later, Chester came hopping out of a blackberry bush, and rubbed his face against my leg. I bent down and gave him a loving pat. "Niall, meet Chester." I beamed.
"You brought me to the forest, passed sundown, to meet a rabbit." He conveyed a little annoyed.
Chester stared at Niall with his huge blue eyes, unsure of him. "I know you don't like rabbits, but Chester is a lot smarter than the others. Watch this." I stood, from my crouch. "Chester," the rabbit looked up at me. "Go find a daisy." The rabbit looked at me for a couple of seconds, before scurrying off through the bushes. Niall and I followed the white ball of fur, and it came to a stop, sitting beside a small patch of daisies.
I folded my arms across my chest, giving Niall a sarcastic smirk for doubting me. "Smart, but I want to see it try something harder. Chester, find a Blue Jay." Niall ordered, and Chester once again ran off, with us following it.
The rabbit sat in front of the Blue Jays, and waited for more orders. Niall sat in the soft grass, bewildered by the blue eyed rabbit. "Chester, find a cookie." Both Niall, and Chester gave me a confused look, but the rabbit sniffed the air for a couple of seconds, before bouncing over to Niall, and sitting next to his left pocket on his pants.
Niall became more bewildered, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a half-eaten cookie that Harry and I had made yesterday. "How on earth did you know what was in my pocket, Beka?" he asked, staring up at me, confused.
I gave him a small smile. "When you stood up from the chair in the bakery, I noticed some crumbs falling out of your pocket, but Chester is, as I said before, unlike any rabbit I have ever seen." I informed him, as Chester climbed into Niall lap, begging to be pat.
"Can we keep him, Beka, please?" Niall begged and I laughed. Chester looked at me as well, with what looked like begging eyes.
"Fine, but only because the two of you get along really well." I agreed, and Niall cheered, standing us and hugging the tiny bunny to him.
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Hey Guys,
Heres chapter sixteen :D I never actually planed for it to end that way but... OMG IT'D BE SO CUTE TO SEE NIALL WITH A BUNNY :3 I posted a picture of Chester on the side :) plus all of the other pictures that I said would be there
Let me know your thoughts <3
Love always,
Beka
xoxo