Claude had revealed to me the shocking truth. That was Miss Cecille was in fact Prince Wilfred's fiancee...
Regina: "His... fiancee?"
Those were only words, I could think to say as I stared at Claude.
Claude: "Yes, which is why I think it wise if you don't get any closer to His Highness."
Claude's face was hard to read. I didn't really understand what he meant by what he said. I found myself unable to speak and I tore my eyes away from Claude. I started to walk to our next destination as the hall in which the main party was being held.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I drew closer to the party, I could hear the sound of elegant music being played. As if the music had cast a spell on me and I found myself walking usteadily into the hall. Then in a moment, my feet stopped still.
(Oh..)
There's I saw Prince Wilfred and Miss Cecille dancing gracefully together. They smiles beamed around the room as everyone watched the two of them flow with the music. Even the King and Queen...
(They're engaged after all...)
I couldn't watch as I didn't want to believe it to be true and I averted my gazed. Just then, a soft voice poured over me.
???: "Are you sad?"
Regina: "Huh?"
I looked up and I was met by Prince Stephen's kind eyes.
(Don't looked at me... but I know it's hurt about my feeling...)
Stephen: "You seem so distressed."
Prince Stephen caught my heart in his whispers. Just then, the music in the hall came to an end.
(Oh...)
Prince Stephen and I looked to the middle of the dance floor to see Miss Cecille coming towards us.
Cecille: "What are you two talking about...?"
Her voice was pleasant without any sense of censure in her question.
Stephen: "We were discussing how beautiful you look, of course."
Prince Stephen laughed as he spoke and Miss Cecille smiled in return as she staring at him curiously.
Cecille: "Oh you are clever, I'm sure as you say that to all the girls."
Prince Stephen assessed that she was joking before giving her a wide smile.
Stephen: "Of course not."
Stephen: "Would I be able to have the honor of the next dance, future princess?"
Prince Stephen held out his hand.
Cecille: "Of course."
Miss Cecille looked pleased as she took his hand and they lead back onto the dance floor.
(What? Miss Cecille's expression just now...)
For some reason, because her smile bothered me. As the two of them moved to the middle of the hall. Prince Wilfred came towards me as I watched him come closer when I felt my heart skipped a beat. Once he was close when he held out his hand to me.
Wilfred: "Would you like to dance with me?"
His low voice made my heart flutter.
(Prince Wilfred...)
I took his hand hesitanly.
Regina: "But are you sure it's okay to dance with me?"
As I spoked, a wide smile appeared on Prince Wilfred's face and he squeezed my hand reassuringly.
Wilfred: "Of course."
His hand on mine was warm and soft.
Wilfred: "I want to dance with you."
And with that, he pulled me out onto the dance floor.
(He wants to...?)
As taking me by the hand, he led me to the middle of the dance floor. As making sure to pay attention to the melody, I let Prince Wilfred lead. Prince Wilfred spoke quietly as we danced.
Wilfred: "I'm sorry about earlier."
Regina: "Oh..."
Wilfred: "When you spoke to me in the courtyard."
Regina: "I see... it's okay."
I felt a shot of pain struck through my heart as I recalled what had happened.
Regina: "You don't need to apologized, Prince Wilfred."
Wilfred: "Really?"
Regina: "Yes."
I felt my heart leapt at Prince Wilfred's soft stare.
Wilfred: "You are quick to show tolerance."
(Tolerance...?)
(It's not like I can just go and make a complaint to Prince Wilfred.)
Just then, the music stopped and then another song started playing.
(Well... our dance is over...)
For a split second, Prince Wilfred seemed as if he was going to let go of my hand and then reaffirmed his grip.
(Prince Wilfred...?)
Prince Wilfred continued dance and I followed as not really knowing what just happened. The crowd around the dance floor began to stir and their voices echoed through the hall.
???: "Wilfred!"
(Seriously!?)
Prince Wilfred stopped dancing and he turned to face the owner of the voice. The Queen was staring at us, because she slightly blue in the face.
Queen: "Wilfed, you're not permitted to keep dancing for two songs!"
Prince Stephen laughed from nearby.
Stephen: "Why ever not? Our country is bound to as too many traditions and rules."
King: "Are you telling me as you find the traditions of our country idiotic?"
Prince Stephen smiled softly at the King's quiet words.
Stephen: "Of course, I don't mean to call them idiotic."
Stephen: "My brother and I love our country, right Wilfred?"
Prince Wilfred pressed his lips together and he bowed deeply towards the King.
Queen: "Stephen..."
The Queen stared down at Prince Stephen as if she wanted to give him a piece of her mind. I looked towards Prince Wilfred as he bowed his head.it seemed to me everyone had their true feelings tucked away in their hearts and I had no idea as to what those feelings might be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once the party was over and I started walking back. I suddenly felt someone grab my hand.
Regina: "Oh!?"
I gasps when I turn around as surprise as I saw Prince Stephen laughing.
Regina: "Don't do that."
Stephen: "Did I scare you again?"
Regina: "Well you did."
I sighed as Prince Stephen seemed to evaluate as I stood there as lost words.
Stephen: "Let's go out on a date."
Just as I was about to answer him, but he put his hand on my shoulder. He started to pull me along vigorously.
Regina: "Wha...!? W-W-Wait a minuite, Your Highness!"
Stephen: "It's fine, it's fine."
And just like that, he abducted me from the castle. After being forced into a car, Prince Stephen had arranged. I half gave in to the situation and stared out of the window.
(Where is he planning on taking me...?)
I thought dimly as I caught Prince Stephen's gaze in the window's reflections.
Regina: "Excuse me, but... what is it?"
I asked as I turned my head when I see his smiling face.
Stephen: "Nothing really."
Stephen: "It looks like Wilfred is into you and that makes me a little curious."
Regina: "Into me? But I don't think Prince Wilfred is... that is to say..."
Prince Stephen narrowed his eyes as I spoked.
Stephen: "Really? Sure looks that way to me."
Regina: "Does it?"
Prince Stephen heard my reponse and he laughed with amusement.
Stephen: "Yes, as I'm sure as you'll find out soon enough."
(Find out soon?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The place as we came to seemed to be a high class restaurant. Inside as I could see Prince Wilfred and Miss Cecille.
(Why...)
I was not lost for words and Prince Wilfred looked at me in surprise.
Wilfred: "Why are you here, Regina?"
Stephen: "Haha! Looks like I surprised you all."
Stephen: "Now that we're all here, let's enjoy ourselves."
Wilfred: "Enjoy ourselves!?"
Wilfred: "What do you mean by bringing Regina here!?"
Stephen: "Hello, hello. Jealous, are we?"
Prince Wilfred blush turn red at the words when I giggled.
Wilfred: "Stephen! And you, Regina, stop giggling."
I stopped giggled when Prince Stephen spoke.
Stephen: "I've asked you to call me "brother", haven't I?"
Prince Stephen spoke teasingly and Prince Wilfred looked away with a huff.
Cecille: "I haven't seen you like this before, Wilfred."
Miss Cecille also seemed to be enjoying herself as she watched Prince Wilfred.
Stephen: "Well, we've all escaped from the castle and come all this way, and we should have some fun together."
Princce Stephen clapped Prince Wilfred on the shoulder. As he did, Prince Wilfred sighed with reluctance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cecille: "It's been a while since as I had this much fun."
Miss Cecilla spoke when she looking very happy as she latched on to Prince Stephen.
Stephen: "That's good."
The four of us had left the restaurant and we walking the path towards the car.
Wilfred: "You haven't changed, Cecille."
Prince Wilfred smiled bitterly as he spoke.
(What does he mean...?)
Prince Stephen followed my gazed and he smiled a bit.
Stephen: "Cecille has been like that as long as we've known her."
(They've known each other a while then...)
I watched from behind as Miss Cecille turned to Prince Stephen a wide grin on her face.
(But I get the feeling Miss Cecille is a little too friendly with Prince Stephen...)
As suddenly, a man's low voice reached us from across the road.
???: "Your Highness!"
(Speaking of devil!?)
I saw as a group of bodyguards moved in on the area.
Stephen: "Oh-oh, they found us..."
Cecille: "We were having such fun too."
Stephen: "Okay, Cecille. You should ride with the bodyguards."
Miss Cecille's face dropped at the suggestion.
Cecille: "Huh..."
Wilfred: "Yes, it will be much safer with them."
Cecille: "Why do I have to...?"
Miss Cecille whispered and she looked towards Prince Stephen.
Cecille: "Are you going to stay a while?"
Stephen: "No, I'm going to have a talk with my father, then leave again."
Miss Cecille gave a sad little smile at his words.
Cecille: "I see..."
(I've been wondering all day, but I think Miss Cecille and Prince Stephen might be...)
The bodyguards reached us while I was thinking.
Stephen: "Now, Cecille..."
Cecille: "I know, I'll see you later... Stephen..."
Stephen: "Yeah."
Miss Cecille turned to us.
Cecille: "See you later, Wilfred and Miss Regina."
I took a hit to the heart at her forlorn expression as I sighs.
Regina: "See you..."
Wilfred: "See you."
Prince Wilfred seemed sad too as he watched Miss Cecille.
(I guess Prince Wilfred really does care for her...)
Wilfred: "I'll see you to the car."
Prince Wilfred declared and urged Miss Cecille along. Seeing them like that caused me to smile in spite of myself.
(But of course he does...)
(Prince Wilfred and Miss Cecille are engaged after all...)
I watched those two of them were lead away by the guard with as I felt my heart are heavy. Prince Stephen began to speak quietly next to me.
Stephen: "I'm not sure that, Wilfred wants to be next in line for the throne."
I turned to looked at Prince Stephen as he spoke.
Regina: "What..?"
Stephen: "Oh, no..."
Stephen: "It's just, he never really shows people what he's really feeling."
Stephen: "Not even his brother..."
(So that's it.... but I wonder why he's bringing this up now as though...)
I turned my face away from Prince Stephen and I gazed back over in Prince Wilfred's direction. But the Prince Wilfred and I saw there was Miss Cecille escort and fiance... and heir to the throne of the kingdom of Philip.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next day, I went into the office as always to water the flowers. Prince Wilfred was there as well, as pouring over some documents. As I paying no attention to him when I tended the plants. Just then, I noticed something was off with the flowers.
(Huh? They weren't like this yesterday...?)
I looked hard at the flowers.
(They definitely don't seem as healthy as before...)
I slowly reached out to touch the petals when Prince Wilfred spoke.
Wilfred: "What's the matter?"
(O-Oh!)
Regina: "Um..."
(I should be honest with him...)
Regina: "It's just that the flowers don't seem as vibrant today..."
Prince Wilfred studied my face for a moment.
Wilfred: "Not as vibrant...?"
He took off his glasses and he drew attention to the flowers.
Wilfred: "I see..."
(Prince Wilfred...)
Wilfred: "How well you notice these things,"
Regina: "It's mostly just a hunch..."
Wilfred: "No, now you've said it."
Wilfred: "I see what you mean. They don't looked as healthy as before."
He stood up and he walked over to the flowers.
Wilfred: "I had so much on my mind as that because I didn't notice."
Prince Wilfred reached out a hand to touch a flower.
Wilfred: "I'm sorry..."
His voice was low and soft as it's filled my heart are warmth.
(Prince Wilfred really does seem to care about these flowers....)
I kept watching him and as soon, he returned to his desk. He returned his face and he pressed the button on the intercom.
Wilfred: "I'd like some tea."
And then returned silently to his work as if I wasn't there.
(I guess I'm probably bothering him...)
And with that, I left the room as to not disturb his work.
(There must be a problem with the fertilizer or something.)
(I'll discuss it with Claude later.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That night, I was thinking about the flowers in the office and I left my room to check on them. On my way to the office as I dimly heard the rhythm of a person speaking.
(I wonder who's that...?)
I stopped walking and I turned my ears to hear a woman's voice coming from a nearby room.
Woman: "But why, my dear husband...?"
Woman: "Rather than have Wilfred succed the throne... but shouldn't we leave the Kingship to Stephen?"
(That voice.... it's the Queen's...?)
Just then, a man's low voice echoed from the room.
Man: "But... he has renounced his claim."
Man: "We have no choice but to have Wilfred succeed the throne."
His voice was mixed with sighs and I felt my heart are started to ache.
(That must be the King talking...)
Queen: "To become a doctor!?"
Queen: "I had hoped as he would be the one to succeed the throne after you."
King: "It's done now, isn't it?"
King: "And Wilfred has and he said he'll stand heir to the throne."
Queen: "But, surely you're not convinced?"
Queen: "Surely as you must want Stephen to succeed you as well as I do."
I was shock by the revelations of their discussion.
(But what if Prince Wilfred were to hear this...)
As I had thought, I felt the presence of someone standing behind me. I turned around as I startled when I saw Prince Wilfred was standing there.
(Oh...!)
His eyes were two black holes as that revealed nothing.
Regina: "P-Prince Wilfred?"
I spoke with a whisper, but after that, I could not find the words to say anything to him.
--End of Chapter 8--
To Be Continued....