Chapter Sixteen - Out Of My Comfort Zone
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At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh, yeah, at last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you
I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last
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I knocked on Aleene's door late in the evening. Earlier I had been pacing around my room thinking the same thought over and over again until finally it drove me crazy enough to come and ask what to do about it.
'I need Belinda.'
"Come in," Aleene called. I opened the door quickly and shut it.
"We need to talk," I said quickly. Aleene looked over at me and took in my distraught figure.
"You want Belinda, don't you?" She asked.
"Is it that obvious?" I asked.
"Only to me because I know you too well."
"Help me, please," I said desperately.
"You really want her? You're positive?"
"With all my heart."
She sighed, "I didn't think you were this serious about her. I thought you were going to forget about her."
"I've tried, but I can't."
"I don't think that this is a good idea, Andrew."
"Why not?" I started to become angry.
"Because you can have anyone you want. She's not fit to be a queen."
"What happened to, I'm glad you've found someone that you love?" I snarled.
"That was when I thought you were going to forget about her because she rejected you." A pang of hurt ran through my heart.
"I have to try again, Aleene. You don't understand. I need her."
"You don't 'need' anyone."
"You know, I thought that you'd be the one person to be able to help me with this, but I guess I was completely wrong. I thought you'd be the only person to understand. But since you can't I guess I'll just have to figure out a way to get her by myself!" I yelled at her and rushed out the door and to my room to think some more.
Think Andrew, think! How would I go about winning a girl? God, I have no idea. I've never had to win a girl. The girls always flock to me. I've never had to beg for a girl. This was completely out of my comfort zone. I had no idea how to win Belinda. I just knew that I needed her. All I have is determination. I have a feeling that the determination, no matter how small and crushed it may be, would get me through it. I would have Belinda by the end of the night.
~
I knocked on Belinda's door at eleven o'clock. I heard someone retreating to the doorway. When the door opened I was met by the face that had haunted my dreams, and thoughts for the past couple of days.
"May I come in?" I asked politely.
"What are you doing here?" She asked bluntly.
"To fight for you," I answered, "I can't really do that while standing outside." I hinted for her to let me in. She stepped aside to offer me in and I stepped into her home. I took off my cloak as she shut the door.
"I've already rejected you once, did you want to come and here it again?" She asked. A sharp, shooting pain ran through my heart.
"I'd like to hear the opposite," I whispered. I wasn't sure if she heard me or not because she didn't reply.
"So, what's your proposal this time?" She asked sounding bored.
"The same as the last time."
"What makes you think that I will accept your proposal this time?"
"Last time, I figure that you would do whatever I wanted you to do, just like any other girl would do."
"I'm not like any other girl."
"I know, I figured that out rather quickly." I paused. "I didn't know how to win you over, and to be quite honest I still don't. When you rejected me last time I was dumb-founded, broken-hearted. I have something now that I didn't have before. Determination. Determination to go home tonight, smiling, because you, my love, accepted me."
"And what if I don't?"
"Oh you will, and if not tonight then the next. I will come back every night begging for you until you accept me."
"You begging? I'll believe it when I see it." She walked back and sat down on her couch with a bored expression on her face.
She wanted me to beg? If that's how I'll win her over then so be it. Here goes nothing.
I walked in front of her and knelt down on both knees with sincerity and love completely obvious in my eyes.
"Belinda," I said. "I have absolutely no idea how to win you. I've never had to beg for a girl before. The girls always flocked to me." She scoffed. "I thought you'd be the same way. I figured you'd be more willing than any of the other girls especially because of the way you kissed me in the cell."
"Things are different when you think you're about to die," She defended.
"I wouldn't doubt it," I said. "There is something that you need to know, Belinda. And that's how many times I've thought about you the past couple of days. When I got home the night you rejected me I cried myself to sleep. I've drawn your face. I've yelled at my sister. I've yelled at my etiquette teacher for saying that she didn't think it was a good idea for me to go here tonight and beg for you. She was the person that I'd gone to because I thought she could give me a few pointers on how to win you over. She didn't understand me, though. She didn't understand that I need you. She didn't understand how crazy I've been. She thought that I was going to forget you and move on. Trust me Belinda, I've tried that. I've tried forgetting you. I've tried to lie to myself and tell myself that I didn't love you." I paused catching my breath. "But I can't. I can't forget about you. It's impossible." I paused again in my speech. "If this isn't begging for you, then I have absolutely no idea what begging for you is. I'm on my hands and knees pouring my heart out to you to try and get you to be mine." I sat there looking into her eyes and noticing the change in them. When I first arrived, they were cold and hard, like Fathers, but now they were warm and sad.
"I find it very amusing how much the tables have turned in this situation," She said.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked.
"Here you are, groveling at my feet, the way a commoner would do to you," She said. I then realized how true her statement was.
"What do you say?" I asked. She sighed and let her hands drop to her lap.
"I don't know," She said while shaking her head.
The tears had welled up in my eyes, "I don't know? I just poured my heart out to you, and you say you don't know? I just told you everything I've been going through the past couple of days, and you say you don't know? I've made myself completely vulnerable, which is something that I have never done, and you say you don't know? Belinda, I can't deal with that answer. I need a yes. The answer I'm looking for is yes. I can't deal with I don't know. I can't deal with you rejecting me again. If you do reject me again, I'll have to get over it, I guess. Although, at this point I'm not sure if I can get over it." A single tear ran down my face at this time. I gripped her hands in mine and let my face rest on her knees while I let a few more tears escape.
I sat there forever, waiting for an answer. I waited for her to say one word that would make me the happiest man on Earth, but it never came. I finally looked up at her face and I could see the love in her eyes. That look alone made me the happiest man on Earth and I couldn't help the grin that fell upon my face.
"Why are you smiling? I haven't told you anything yet," She asked confused.
"I'm smiling because I can see the love in your eyes." I paused and asked, "Can I take that as a yes?"
She looked at me for the longest time and there was still the look of love caressed in her emerald green eyes. I didn't care for her answer because I already knew it. I still wanted to see her say it though. Then she nodded her head. I thought that would never come. Somehow my smiled widened causing a timid smile to spread across her face. I quickly took her in my arms and sat down beside her on the couch. She was apprehensive at first, but after a while she loosened up. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me tighter. She fit perfectly in my arms. It felt so right to be wrong. I pulled away slightly to look at her face. Her eyes still held love as did mine.
"May I kiss thee?" She nodded her head slightly and I brought my lips to hers slowly. Her lips were soft and sweet on mine. It was like no other. I've never felt this way with anyone. I deepened the kiss and laid down on my back pulling her back with me. She clung onto me desperately. I loved it. It was exactly what I needed. I tangled my fingers in her hair and pressed her closer to me. This felt good. I needed more of her. I turned her over so I was on top of her now. To my dislike she pushed me away. I frowned at her.
"What's wrong?" I asked concerned.
"I don't want to go that far," She said shyly. "I'm not ready." I smiled at her.
"That's completely fine," I said.
She looked at me in amazement and asked, "Your not going to force me to.....?" She trailed off letting me figure out the rest of the sentence.
"Of course not! Who do you think I am? I believe in $ex after marriage."
"I just figured it was different for royalty." She blushed.
"Not at all. Even if it were I wouldn't make you because I mean, how fun could it be if one person is making all the effort." I smirked at her. She slapped my chest playfully.
"I can promise you that I'll have you reacting to me," She said. Oh, new Belinda. I like it.
"Are you sure? I mean you are a commoner, and you couldn't have had that many men."
"Uh, what happened a few seconds ago? Weren't you the one that wanted to continue the kiss? I obviously did something good."
"Mhm, you definitely did," I said. I think it surprised her that I didn't deny.
"Belinda?" Her mom called.
I quickly got up off of her and brought her up with me. She smoothed down her hair and looked toward the dark hallway. When she walked in the room she gave us a knowing look.
"I knew that it was a matter of time before you came back and swept Belinda off of her feet." I couldn't help but smile.
"I'm glad that you finally accepted him, Belinda. I could tell that you weren't as happy."
I looked at Belinda and asked, "You were upset?" She nodded her head.
"Then why did you reject me?" I asked.
"In fear of getting hurt."
"The night she rejected you, she cried herself to sleep. I could easily tell that you were all she'd been thinking about since that night."
"Do you mind to give us some privacy for a minute?" I asked her mom politely.
"Sure thing, Darling." She smiled and left.
I turned to Belinda and took her hands in mine.
"I want you to know what I am fully asking before you agree." She nodded for me to continue, "How well did you listen the night I showed up and explained everything?" I asked.
"Very well," She said. I took her word for it.
"So to summarize my proposal I would say that I am wanting you to follow through with this plan I have created for you to become my wife. If you want it summarized even more then this is what I'm asking." I paused and knelt down on one knee in front of her, "Although I have no ring the words I speak are true. I'm not sure why I fell in love with you. I'm not sure when I fell in love with you, either. But none of that matters, because you never truly know when you fell in love with someone or why you fell in love with someone, you just do, and until that realization hits you, you don't know it. What I'm saying is that it doesn't matter how long I've loved you, but how much I love you. I love you enough to say that I want you to be my queen. That's a lot coming from me because I've never wanted to be tied down to someone until I met you. Belinda Melrose, will you do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Andrew Theodore Richard?" My gaze never unlocked from hers as I asked her.
"I do," She said. The best part was that she said it without hesitation.
I smiled at her and quickly hugged her. I heard someone clearing his throat and the voice was obviously a man. I pulled away and stood up to bow in his presence. I held out my hand for him to shake.
"It is an honor to meet you, Sir Melrose."
"As it is to you my lord."
"I'm not your lord yet, for now please call me Prince Andrew," I said.
"What are you here for?"
"I would like to ask you something, and if you allow me, I would like to explain my plan. It will make sense later, Sir."
"Proceed."
"I would like to marry your daughter." I paused. "Please, I beg of you to not see me as a prince. Treat me as though I was a commoner that was asking for your permission. I don't want special treatment just because I'm royalty."
"Why do you want to marry my daughter? I figured that a guy like you would have ladies galore coming after you."
"I do, Sir, but none of them are as charismatic as your daughter."
"I see," He said. "As long as you are worthy to my daughter I do not see a problem because you seem like a very nice young man." I let out a sigh of relief that I hadn't noticed I'd been holding. Honestly, he was scaring the life out of me. I think I could take him, but I never would. He looked scruffy with a five o'clock shadow and his eyes were judging my every move. His ears were criticizing every word I spoke. He was slightly taller than me and he was kind of scrawny, but he wore himself confidently, which is something I'd never seen in a peasant man.
"Thank you," I said sincerely. He nodded which was expected, after all I did tell him to treat me as a commoner, therefore making me lower on the class scale than him. My, how the tables have turned.
"If you allow me, I must also explain the plan behind all of this."
"Proceed."
"I fell in love with your daughter after the first day of meeting her in a very gnarled situation," I said, not going into details because I was bringing up a touchy subject for them and me. "I developed a plan. One that you have to pay close attention to. For you see, my father only knows half of the plan. What he doesn't know are the parts that contain Belinda. My father wanted me to get married to Sue Trymond. At first I was fine, but after I realized I love your daughter is when I developed my plan. I have made an agreement with my father that all of the nobleman's daughter's will come and live in the castle for three months to train to be a queen. Whomever has made the most progress will be my queen. I'm hoping that Belinda will be the one with the most progress. Now I know that you aren't a noble family, so I have made plans to change that. Since the king knows Belinda's face we have to change the family's last name, you can keep your first, and we have to disguise Belinda by putting a blonde wig on her. The king will never know the difference. Your new last name will be King. In a few days you will need to move outside the land's perimeters. You will stay there for a couple days and show up as the Kings. I have arranged for my favorite and most trusted etiquette teacher, Aleene Allen, to teach Belinda the proper decorum for being a lady. We have two months until my plan starts and Belinda has to move into the castle." I paused to catch my breath and scan their faces to try and read what they thought. Belinda's mom seemed to love the plan, Belinda the same as her mom, but her father's eyes were scrutinizing me.
"If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm not sure if I left anything out or not," I said.
"I don't have any. What about you, David?" Mrs. Melrose asked her husband.
"I have none," He said. The clock struck midnight signaling that it was time for me to leave.
"I must go," I said.
"David, let's go back to our room so they can say goodbye," Mrs. Melrose said while clutching onto her husband's arm. I figured that by now her father would have loosened up and told me if he liked me or not.
"It was nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Melrose," I said while bowing to them as they left.
I turned back to Belinda who was sitting on the couch with an awed expression on her face.
"What?" I asked smiling down at her.
"Nothing," She said a little breathlessly.
"I really must go," I said sadly. I walked over to grab my cloak and slip it over my shoulders. Belinda came up in front of me and tied it in the front. She leaned up and kissed my lips quickly.
"I love you, Belinda," I said to her.
"I love you too, Andrew," She said. The words sent a pleasurable feeling to my heart. I turned around and grabbed the handle to her door.
"Andrew," She said catching my attention. I turned my head around so I could see her, "Don't fret, my dad likes you," She said. I walked out of the door and to my house with a smile on my face, just like I told her I would.