(Prince Wilfred...?)
Just within my sight... Prince Wilfred was there, he watching Prince Stephen and Miss Cecille embrace. I stood there dumbstruck as not knowing what was going on. My feet shuffled as I moved and Prince Wilfred's eyes shifted to look towards me.
(Oh...)
Our eyes met and my heart began to beat loudly. But Prince Wilfred's face remained impassive and he turned his back to me. I started to follow Prince Wilfred as he walked away, when Miss Cecille's voice echoed nearby.
Cecille: "Stephen! I..."
I stopped automatically to see Miss Cecille struggling for words. Prince Stephen stood in front of her with a pained expression on his face.
Stephen: "If you don't want to go through with it then you shouldn't, but I think you would be happier with Wilfred."
Miss Cecille's eyes brimmed with tears as he spoke.
(Miss Cecille...)
Cecille: "Stephen..."
Miss Cecille's tearful voice wrought my heart. Probably it's because our feelings were the same...
(Miss Cecille is in love with Prince Stephen and I'm sure he feels the same way...)
(But... both of them know their love can't be acknowledged.)
I looked back towards Prince Wilfred as he drew further away.
(And Prince Wilfred too...)
I thought to myself before Miss Cecille starting running as if to escape from Prince Stephen. She looked to be crying as she ran in the oppsite direction to Prince Wilfred.
(But I'm worried about Prince Wilfred... so I can't leave Miss Cecille alone to cry by herself.)
I thought as I chased after Miss Cecille.
Regina: "Miss Cecille! Wait!"
She looked forlorn as I called to her and she turned around to me with teary eyes.
Cecille: "Miss Regina... why....?"
Her face sunk as her words trailed off, but I hugged her gently when she frozen.
Regina: "..."
Cecille: "Regina, you saw that happened back there...?"
Regina: "Yes... I'm sorry."
I found myself lowering my head pressed her shoulder and Miss Cecille patted my back when she smiled.
Cecille: "You don't need to apologize. But... I was just trying to tell Stephen how I feel..."
(Looks like she's so brave...)
As if she could tell what I was thinking, so she pulled away and turned away looking embarrassed.
Cecille: "But, it was all one sided. He didn't return my feelings at all."
Regina: "So it looked to me as if he did..."
Miss Cecille gave a sad little smile at my reply.
Cecille: "That's only because we've known each other for so long..."
Regina: "Huh...?"
Cecille: "We've known each other since we were children, which is why he'll never feel strongly about me."
Cecille: "I feel as if he only sees me as his little sister."
My heart pained for her as she spoke.
Regina: "No... I don't think that's true!"
Cecille: "Miss Regina?"
I places my hands on Miss Cecille's shoulders when I continued to spoke.
Regina: "I think Prince Stephen has feelings for you... Miss Cecille."
Regina: "And perhaps Prince Wilfred has noticed that as well..."
Miss Cecille stared at me for a bit.
Cecille: "He's noticed...? But, Wilfred has never mentioned that to me..."
Miss Cecille whispered before she pressing her lips together.
Regina: "Miss Cecille...?"
Cecille: "I'm sorry, but I need to go home now."
Miss Cecille stood back away from me and she giving me a half-smile and takes her leave.
(Maybe it would have been best if I hadn't told her...?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day, I went into the office to take care of the flowers to see Prince Wilfred working at his desk.
(Oh...)
Wilfred: "You're early today."
Prince Wilfred gave me an odd smile and my heart wavered.
Regina: "...Good morning."
(I wonder what Prince Wilfred did yesterday after he seeing Miss Cecille and Prince Stephen like that...)
Wilfred: "These flowers..."
My heart skipped a beat and I turned to look at Prince WIlfred. His eyes were on the flower plants.
Wilfred: "I feel they have comforted me a lot..."
(Huh...?)
Wilfred: "When my brother left..."
Wilfred: "When I was confused about becoming next in line for the throne..."
Regina: "Oh... Prince Wilfred. You and Miss Cecille..."
I stopped there as unable to get out the words... I don't want you to marry her. But it's not like my saying that would change anything. Just then, Prince Wilfred came up beside me and he patted me on the head.
Wilfred: "Yes, I have to marry Miss Cecille."
Regina: "..."
My heart hurt more than ever to hear it coming from him.
(Didn't he think anything about yesterday when he saw those two are together...?)
Regina: "But, Miss Cecille is..."
Prince Wilfred sighed.
Wilfred: "You mean her and Ste... my brother?"
Regina: "Yes..."
Wilfred: "I'm not going to force here."
Wilfred: "If she doesn't want to marry me then she doesn't have to."
His curt tone had me lost for words.
Wilfred: "So there's nothing for you to worry about."
Regina: "Nothing for me to worry about...? But what about your feelings!?"
The words escaped from my mouth and Prince Wilfred's eyes grew wide.
Wilfred: "What...?"
Regina: "Are you truly okay with this...?"
Prince Wilfred heard my question and looked at hard at me.
Wilfred: "Huh...?"
Regina: "Are you okay with getting married like this?"
I plucked up my courage to ask and Prince Wilfred continued to stare at me. As then, he lowered his gaze.
Wilfred: "...Mm."
(Mm...?)
Regina: "I..."
He started to speak and then he put his warm arms around me.
Wilfred: "Don't say anymore."
(Prince Wilfred...?)
He held tight in his warm embrace and I didn't know what should I do...
Wilfred: "It's okay... I'm glad I got meet you before I marry, Regina..."
Wilfred: "I can be glad I was here, just for that..."
(If he keeps saying things like that, I'll...)
When he held me and I just felt sadness. I looked at the flowers in the room. They seemed sad as well.
(Are they reflecting how I feel...?)
(Or perhaps how Prince Wilfred is feeling...?)
(Either way, it's too painful to stay here any longer...)
I thought as I was held within his arms, my heart aching.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day, I started to pack up my room with the intention of leaving the castle when there was a knock on ther door.
(Oh... I wonder if that's Claude?)
I opened the door and I saw.... Miss Cecille standing there.
Regina: "Miss Cecille?"
I'm surprised and she forced a smile.
Cecille: "I came to see you because I have a request for you, may I?"
Regina: "What...?"
Having Miss Cecille come to see me was puzzling,
(A request...?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The place from Miss Cecille had brought me to was her own house.
(Miss Cecille's house is so...)
When I left the castle as I told Claude I was going out but I didn't tell him to where to.
(Well, if anything happens if I'm sure he'll contact me on my cell phone.)
I thought to myself as I looked around Miss Cecille's room.
(Oh...)
There were a lot of photo lined up on top of a cabinet. A good many of them showed her with Prince Stephen enjoying each other's company. There were also photos of the three of them including Prince Wilfred. But it was easy to see Miss Cecille's primary inerest lay in Prince Stephen.
Cecille: "I'm sorry, cause I dragging you along to my house so suddenly."
Regina: "Oh no, it's okay. This is Prince Stephen, isn't it?"
I was looking at a particular photo as I asked and Miss Cecille pulled out a necklace from somewhere neabry.
Cecille: "Yes. Um... I received this necklace from Stephen."
The necklace in her hand was very pretty and it sparkled in the light.
Cecille: "It was a 15th birthday present."
Regina: "Wow. It's really pretty."
Miss Cecille laughed as I spoke.
Cecille: "I said that too when I received it, that it's pretty."
Miss Cecille's mind seemed to wander as before continuing.
Cecille: "When he gave this to me and he told me, 'Because one day as you will be my wife.' That was back then..."
My heart pained for her as she sunk into sadness.
Regina: "Miss Cecille..."
I watch tears trail down her cheeks and I felt moved to tears myself.
(Miss Cecille's pain seems greater than my own...)
Cecille: "Oh, I'm sorry for making you listen to all that..."
Regina: "No, no. Oh wait... you said you had a request for me?"
Miss Cecille laughed a little shyly at my question.
Cecille: "Yes, I... well, I'm sorry, it's not something I can talk to the other people about..."
Cecille: "So, having you coming around to listen is... well, thank you."
Regina: "Huh?"
Cecille: "If I were to back out now, I would be causing a lot of trouble for the royal family."
Cecille: "So I have to marry Wilfred..."
Miss Cecille was trapped in her sadness, but yet... she pushed herself to seem happy on the outside. She voiced her detemination wholeheartedly and I tried to my harden my own heart against my feelings.
(Miss Cecille is trying her hardest to act in the best interests of the country, so I must do the same.)
Just then, my eyes fell on the strap of Miss Cecille's cell phone.
Regina: "Oh that strap is really cute."
Cecille: "What, oh this? I made this myself."
Regina: "It's handmade?"
Cecille: "Yes. I can show you how to make one if you'd like."
I replied with a smile.
Regina: "Okay..."
So then, I began making a cell phone strap with Miss Cecille teaching me.
(Hmm, this kind of thing is actually pretty fun...)
While making it, I felt as if I could forget all the sad and negative feelings as I'd been having.
Cecille: "You know, Miss Regina... I didn't know cause you're a Princess."
I blushed and looked away.
Regina: "Th-That because I was born..."
I said when Miss Cecille giggled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was already dark by the time as I returned to the castle. Miss Cecille and I had fun chatting while making the cell phone strap... and so it was very late by the time as we finished.
Wilfred: "Regina! Where have you been!?"
Regina: "!?"
Upon entering the castle, Prince Wilfred came towards me with a slightly angry look on his face.
Regina: "Oh!?"
I was surprised as he drew me into an embrace.
Regina: "P-Prince Wilfred!"
He spoke to me in a whisper as he held me in his arms.
Wilfred: "I thought you had left..."
My heart tightened at his saddened voice. Just then, I heard a voice echo down the corridor.
???: "Your Highness!!"
Prince Wilfred sighed as he removed his arms from around me and he turned to look towards the voice's owner.
Wilfred: "Claude..."
Claude was looking at us with a stern expression on his face.
Regina: "Oh..."
Claude: "You're back, I see."
Prince Wilfred frowned a little bit at Claude's words.
Wilfred: "You... you knew Regina had gone out?"
Prince Wilfred rebuked Claude and the latter lowered his gaze.
Wilfred: "You told me earlier as you didn't know where she was!"
Prince Wilfred edged closer as if he was going to grab hold of Claude and he shake him, but Claude pressed his lips together tightly. Just then, a low voice echoed all around.
???: "Stop, Wilfred! There's no real point in blaming Claude."
I looked around to see Prince Stephen had appeared from nowhere. All at once, Prince Wilfred's expression grew darker.
Wilfred: "How dare you!"
As he yelled, Prince Wilfred grabbed hold of Prince Stephen's collar.
(Prince Wilfred!?)
This turn of events took everyone by surprise and we all stood in shock.
Wilfred: "This is all because of you said you want to be a doctor!! That's why I...!"
It was the first time as I'd seen him angry... or seen him raise his voice. Locked in his brother's grip, Prince Stephen's voice was pained as he spoke.
Stephen: "Wilfred... You..."
Just then, I hear Claude speak.
Claude: "I've never seen His Highness act like this before..."
Claude: "Prince Wilfred only started acting like this after you came here!"
(No way...)
I looked at him and he was staring at me with a horrible expression on his face.
(Did he... blaming me?)
Wilfred: "Claude, you... what are you saying!?"
Prince Wilfred sent Claude a sharp look.
(It's no good... if I stay here any longer...)
(But Prince Wilfred, Claude and Prince Stephen's relationships with each another... are only going to get worse.)
Regina: "I guess... I think it would be best if I leave..."
I had said it before I even knew what I was going to say. For a moment it seemed as if time itself had stopped as everyone froze.
Regina: "Part of the reason cause you are all worked up is because of me and..."
Regina: "I don't think I can stand to see Prince Wilfred like this."
Prince Wilfred's face fell at my words.
Wilfred: "W-What are you saying?"
Wilfred: "There's no need for you to leave... Regina!"
He spoke in a low voice and he reached out to me. Just then...
Claude: "Your Highness, what do you mean by trying to stop her!?"
Claude: "You are the next in line for the throne and you are engaged to marry Miss Cecille!"
Prince Wilfred's hand paused in the shock of being yelled at by Claude.
Regina: "Prince Wilfred..."
I shook off my indecision and retrieved something from within my pocket.
Regina: "Here."
Wilfred: "What?"
I held the object in my hand and held it out to him. It was the cell phone strap cause I had made at Miss Cecille's house.
Regina: "Please take this as a token of my thanks for everything... as you have done for me."
Regina: "It was my first time making one so I'm afraid it's not very good..."
Prince Wilfred looked at me strangely before he accepting it.
Regina: "You said this to me about earlier, but let me say it back to you."
Regina: "I'm happy to have met you. Thank you for everything."
I lowered my head towards him and I returned to my room to pick up my belongings and I left the castle.
(Yes, this is the right thing to do...)
I told myself before I hearing Prince Wilfred's voice echoing around me.
Wilfred: "Regina... don't go!"
I stopped moving for a moment as he called to me. But as if trying to escape from him, I fled from the castle without turning back. I tried my hardest to suppress any tears until after I had left the castle grounds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After fleeing the castle, I wandered around aimlessly for a while. I was feeling sad but I had managed to keep away the tears. As suddenly, a car pulled up next to me and the door are opened.
???: "Please get in."
(Claude... why....?)
I watched as Claude got out of the car.
Regina: "Claude... just why...?"
Claude: "Because it's dangerous for you to be out here alone at this time of night."
Regina: "Sorry..."
It was true that the surrounding darkness did give an ominous feeling and I imagined a wild dog or something might attack.
Regina: "But, why did you come out after me? And you hate me like that..."
Claude lowered his eyes at my question.
Claude: "I believe you have gotten the wrong idea at some point... but I don't actually hate you."
Claude gestured for me to get into the car.
Claude: "I only acted in the best interests of Prince Wilfred. Just as you have..."
(Claude...)
Claude: "I'm deeply sorry for saying such harsh things to you."
My eyes became blurry at the sight of his soft eyes and tone of voice.
Claude: "If you had stayed there, you would have only suffered more."
Claude: "As HIs Highness would have..."
The tears I had been trying to control spilled out and ran down my cheeks. Claude noticed and he switfly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away from my tears.
Claude: "I know this is hard for you right now, but... I'm sure this is what is best for both yourself and His Royal Highness..."
Claude placed his hand lightly on my back to urge me into the car.
Claude: "Please, get in."
(So Claude really is a good person after all...)
His gentle hand on the small of my back to me so. But even so, I knew I could not sever the feelings as I felt for Prince Wilfred. In the car, the tears kept falling to the point as I couldn't breathe...
~End of Chapter 13~
To Be Continued...