"This is William, my brother and your uncle." My father announces.
"We have been done with a wedding for two hours and you are already having us meet family?" Alexon retorts.
A man who looks almost exactly like my father and Alexon steps forward. A woman stands beside him and she has brown hair and stands about as tall as my uncle who is about 6 foot.
Everyone looks down to see my reaction. "Why am I so short!?" I cry out. "Wait! Let me get my heels!"
Alexon and Mason break into laughter and my pouting face.
"How old is she again?" The woman whispers, an arrogant tone in her voice.
"17, ma'am. I'm Princess Annabelle, Duke Mason's wife." I respond to her question and hold out a hand, purposefully disrespecting her.
Her brown eyes snap to my blue one before a scowl takes place on her face.
I smirk, knowing she will become weak once her husband leaves her side. "Would you like me to show you around the castle?"
"Guardian Sanders already did that, thank you." My eyes widen when I hear the name.
"Dad! Peter's home!" I yell out, excitement filling me.
"Really? Do you want to go find him?" My father asks, a small smile on his face.
I nod and run towards the training room, Mason and Alexon in tow.
°•°•
"Boo!" Someone yells right beside me and I scream, tripping over my dress and falling forward. Arms wrap around me and pull my against a familiar chest. I look up into the warm brown eyes of Guardian Sanders.
"Peter!" I yell out, wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.
"What has it been? Three months?" He asks, hugging me back.
"Too long. I needed a friend. I needed my best friend to help me in my heels, to help me walk down the aisle. You missed the wedding Peter."
"For once I'm going to agree with Belle and say I missed you at the wedding." Mason jokes.
"Aww, did you miss me, darling?" Peter says, pulling away from our hug and walking over to Mason.
I snicker as Peter wraps his arms around Mason in a hug. "Get off of me!"
"Fine, be stubborn!" Peter snaps and acts like he flips hair over his shoulder.
"So Belle has a new enemy." Alexon joins in the conversation in a hushed whisper.
Peter steps closer to us. "What? How so? She just got back!"
"William's wife. Glared down Belle and disrespected her."
A maid runs in with a scared expression, looking directly at me. "Your highness, your father is calling for you!"
Alexon looks at me and nods. "I have your back."
I roll my eyes at their dramatics and walk out of the room with Mason helping me walk without falling. The last thing I need is that lady thinking I'm not worthy of what I was born to take over.
"Guardian Sanders is Annabelle's personal guard. He just came back from training. Annabelle is also married to our previous duke, Mason." My father's voice echos down the hall.
Peter moves to stand against the wall, hidden from sight like a guard is supposed to be.
"Who is Annabelle, brother?" Willaim asks, his arm around his wife.
I look to Alexon only to see him focused on someone else. I follow his gaze to see a pretty woman standing beside a guard.
She has long red hair and light brown eyes. She stands the average height at 5 foot 9, only three inches shorter than Alexon. Her light pink dress makes her seem as if she is a duchess already.
"William, sir," I begin to gain his attention. I wait until he look sat me. "Who is she?" I ask then nod my chin towards the girl.
"Oh how rude of me! Helena, dear, come here." Willaim calls out to the girl.
Her eyes snap up in shock and she walks over to us. She curtsys to my father, Alexon and to me.
I shock all of them by curtsying back. I look up and give her a smile. "Welcome to the kingdom. Would you like me to show you around? I'm sure my brother, Alexon, won't mind accompanying us."
She gives me a small smile and nods. She look to William with hopeful eyes. "May I go and see the kingdom?"
"Will she have guards?"
"Two royal children are going and the new prince is going along. Annabelle is naturally having her personal guard and Alexon wouldn't mind watching her." My father says as if we offer any comfort.
Willaim nods but his wife speaks up. "No, I would not feel comfortable letting her go out with no guards."
"Ma'am, I was persoanlly trained by my guards in both archery and swordmanship. My brother is the second best swordsman in this kingdom along with my husband. My personal guard just came back from training in everything. Don't tell me she isn't pretected when everyone of us here knows how to use a weapon." I snap.
She blinks. "Excuse you-"
"Margaret, be quiet. You will not disrespect your queen that way. She is being kind to Helena." William scolds his wife.
Helena looks at me. "Are you sure that dress isn't too...fancy for going to the kingdom?" I look down and notice that I still have a party dress on.
"Oh, I guess I do." I look back up and turn to Alexon. "Could you get Starlight ready? And show Helena to the stables?"
He smiles and nods, holding his arm out for Helena. She blushes and takes the arm.
Mason smirks and tries to do the same. I roll my eyes. "You aren't smooth anymore." I begin to walk back to my room and he chases after me.
"What!? No! Please tell me you are lying!" He crys out, grabbing my arm like a lost child.
I laugh and drag him to my room. "Maybe I'm just immune to your charm."
He sighs and releases my arm. "It does make more sense. You are my best friend."
"Oh? I'm immune to your charm just because I'm your best friend? What if I have charm just as much as you?" I look through my dresses for a simple outfit.
"Love, your charm just doesn't work like mine does." Mason says and I hear the creaking of him sitting on my chair.
I pull a simple blue dress out. "Mind helping me out of this?" I ask as I turn to face Mase.
He stands up and walks to the door first, closing it. He walks over to me and I turn around to have his loosen the strand of the dress.
I feel his fingers gently graze my back and the dress loosens.
As the dress loosens enough for me to pull it off, Mason has grip my hips and slide around to pull me against him. I feel his lips against my neck.
"You are teasing me, princess. I don't like it one bit." He whispers huskily and his thumbs rub circles against my stomach.
I gasp and lean against him. I feel his entire body against me and I blush. I did tease him.
"Told you." He whispers.
"We still have to show Helena the kingdom."
"I'm sure Alexon has taken care of that." He turns me around and I see him trail his eyes all over me. The blasted dress decided to agree with him and falls to the floor. His eyes widen and I bury my face in his chest in embarrassment.
A corset and underclothes. That is all I am standing in. "Belle-"
"Just help me in the dress?" I cut him off, holding the blue dress up.
I feel him pull away. I look up to see him moving to help me in the dress. His hands trail my sides before he ties the back of the dress.
"I'm going to see it all one day." He whispers before kissing under my ear.
"I'm just not ready yet, Mase."
"I know, love. Maybe if I am good then you will change your mind. I do want kids."
I laugh and walk out of the room with him following behind me. "No kids yet and just because you might be good doesn't change anything except for the idea that you won't sleep on the floor."
"You would never!"
"I would!"
"But...Belle!" Mason whines as I ignore him and continue down the steps. Father, William, and Margaret still talking.
"I forgot my cloak!" I mumble.
"Here." I stop on the steps and see Mason carrying my red cloak.
I smile and kiss him on the lips. "See, good."
He laughs as I clip my cloak on. I chuckle and continue walking down the steps.
I trip over my dress and see the step coming close to my face. Arms wrap around me tightly.
"I have you, love."
"Thank the gods for that. Stairs hurt."
I hear laughing as Mason rightens me. I look over to the female laughing and see her husband glaring at her while my father seems indifferent.
"Guardian Sanders, please escort my daughter and her husband. Make sure you have arrows and a bow." My father orders as Peter moves from the wall to follow Mason and I.
"Yes, your highness."
Peter steps behind us as we exit the castle and head towards the stables.