Ch. 10 Nariel (Gregory)

When I walked out of her room, I could hear both my mother and Anne's father talking the physician.

"I didn't even know she had gotten bit yesterday. I knew she tripped, but I didn't think anything of it. I feel like such a bad Father."

"James, it could have happened to anyone. Don't punish yourself for this." My mother was trying to comfort her father but it didn't seem like it was working.

"Given the circumstances, I'm surprised she only tripped once." Now the physician was
talking to James.

"Excuse me? What do you mean?"

"Your daughter sprained her ankle on what was it Tuesday, I think. It may have even been Monday."

"Wait she did? Doing what?" Oh no. The cat was out of the bag now.

"Yes. I believe she tripped over a rock while she was on a walk with my son." I chose that moment to step from behind the corner and clear my throat. All three of them looked at me.

"She's asleep. I'm going to go to my room now. I'll be there if you need me." I then turned and walked away from the adults.

Even as I neared my room, I could still hear them whispering about her.

I woke the next morning to Simeon trying to roll me out of bed again. I groaned and rolled over and glared at him. "Simeon, its Saturday. Why in the world are you waking me up? I don't have lessons today."

"Anjanique, is awake, and she is asking for you." My eyes shot open in an instant and seconds later I was out of my bed and at my closet pulling out clothes. "I figured that get you out of bed."

I had my shirt half way on and I turned to glare at him. "Is this a joke then?" Either way I was up I might as well just finish getting dressed.

"No, not completely. She is awake and she is asking for you, but is also almost noon and your mother doesn't want to you leave your other guest the Princess Nariel alone all day. She said you could visit Anjanique for a few minutes but then she expects you to be down at lunch with Nariel." I groaned internally. I could only imagine what Mother had planned for me and Nariel. I sat down on my bed and pulled on my boots.

"Okay got it; Anne for a few minutes and lunch with Nariel. How bad can it be?"
I walked out of my room while running my fingers through my hair to try and make it lie flat. Well that was a lost cause.

I knocked on her door and when no one answered I just let myself in. She was sitting up in her bed but her eyes were closed, so I thought she must have fallen asleep again. As I got closer her eyes opened and she kind, but not really, glared at me. I kneeled down by the edge of her bed and moved some hair out of her face. Her face wasn't hot like it had been last night. Did that mean the fever was gone?

"Hey," I whispered. "You feel any better?" This was when she rolled her head around to look at me.

"Yes. I feel just fine actually. But that pompous old fool you keep sending to look at me won't let me get out of bed."

I touched her cheek again, and she squirmed away from it. "Well, I'm sure he has a reason for it."

"Yeah probably as much of a reason as I have for putting off doing my laundry at home." I knew she was feeling better then and I knew my time was up. "I have to go eat lunch with Nariel, I'll come back later. I promise."

She didn't look at me and she didn't say anything either, and if it wasn't for the circumstances I would have started pestering her to get her to tell me what was wrong, but I really didn't have to go. I stood up and touched her hand. "I promise I'll come back as long as you want me. Alright?"

"Whatever." She muttered this very quietly. Oh she really was mad at me, but right that second there was nothing I could do about it.


I walked down to the Great Hall and when I got there Nariel, and my brothers were already there. As I sat down Louis punched me in the shoulder. "Sleep in Shorty?"

I shoved him back. "Don't call me that." I honestly couldn't believe that he was shoving me around Nariel. We didn't do that around Leah until, well I don't know. Not the first time at the table. Wait what was I thinking? What did I care what Nariel thought about me and my brothers? Honestly.

As lunch was starting to be served I turned to Nariel and started talking to her. "So, Nariel what would you like today? I am yours all afternoon." I was being polite. I didn't want to be with her all afternoon and I had no idea what to do with her. I had, had plans for me and Anne to do but, well that wasn't happening.

"Well, I was wondering if you could show me the rest of the gardens and the courtyard. I didn't get to see very much of anything yesterday since you were in your lessons and Anjanique got sick. I hope she's feeling better."

Well that was nice of her. "Of course I can show you the rest of the gardens, if that is
what you would like to do. We can do anything you like."

"I'd like to see the gardens."

"The gardens it is then." She turned back to lunch and didn't talk anymore.

"Suck up." Louis was leaning over and whispering to me.

"Be quiet, or I'll really hit you."

"Oh and what is that going to do?"

I was not surprised when Edmund stepped right about them. "Hey, you two, cut it out. There is a lady at the table, and you two aren't being very polite." Edmund was right, and we both stopped arguing and apologized to Nariel. Mainly because he was older than both of us and we both knew he could kick both of our butts.

After lunch I took Nariel out to the gardens, just like she asked. As we walked we talked about the palace, the gardens and the kingdom's history. I don't know why she was so interested in it.

After about an hour we sat down on one of the benches in the inner courtyard. "So Gregory, you are next in line for the thrown aren't you?"

"I wish I wasn't but both my brothers have abdicated. We haven't announced it to the
kingdom yet but yes I am next in line. By default."

"Why wouldn't you want to be king? What could be better?"

"Well… I… um had other plans for my life. And if I am king I don't really think I can make those plans work."

Nariel looked at me with this strange look. It wasn't an evil glare, but it wasn't a friendly
look either. It was kind of in between.

"Like what other kind of plans? If you don't mind me asking."

"I would rather not talk about it. It's rather personal." I stood up and was planning on walking away from her, but Nariel got up and started following me.

"Oh, come on Gregory. Tell me, please."

I turned to look at her and she was batting her eyelashes, just like any other princess, besides Lena, I have ever met did. "No, Nariel. I'm not going to tell you." I turned back around and walked back towards the main lobby of the palace.

"Gregory! Wait!" Nariel raised her voice to get me to stop, which was uncommon for a princess.

"What?" I turned around to face her and she threw herself on me, and began kissing me. I heard somebody gasp above me. It only took me a mere second to push her off of me, and she fell to the ground. I looked up and saw that we had been standing below Anjanique's balcony. Oh great. "What were you thinking Nariel? You know what, never mind. I don't care."

I turned away from her where she was still on the ground and ran all the way back to the palace entrance. I knew I was going to hear about pushing her and leaving her there, but what was I suppose to do? I stopped in the lobby and caught my breath for just a second and then ran up the two flights of stairs to Anjanique's room.

I knocked on the door and Colleen answered it. She barely opened the door and I could hear Anne. "If that's Gregory, tell him to go away."

I pushed past Colleen into the front foyer of Anne's room. "Please, Anne. Let me explain."

Anne was out of her bed and was already walking towards me. "No. I don't want to see you. I don't want to talk to." By now she was six inches away from me. "Now get out of my room." She turned away from me, but I didn't move. She turned back around and shoved me in the chest, hard enough that I lost my balance and fell flat on my back. "I said leave."

I looked up at her and could tell she had been crying. I picked myself up off the ground. "Alright. You know where to find me." I turned and walked out of her room.


I slammed my bedroom door as I walked in. I couldn't even imagine what she had to be thinking about me now. She was angry; that I was sure of. And she probably hated me now. I hated myself. How did I manage to get into that situation? What was Nariel thinking when she did that? Wasn't obvious that we, I mean, Anne and I, were I don't know. Engaged? No, that's not the right word. More than friends? I guess that is a good way to put it.

I sat down on the edge of my bed and pushed the gold circlet off of my head. I leaned over and placed my elbows on my knees, and was practically pulling my hair our. What in the world was I going to do? I couldn't think of anything. My brain was dry and I was mad. Mad at myself and mad at Nariel. Mad at my parents for bring both Anne and Nariel here. What were they thinking? Why do they keep meddling in my life?

I groaned and threw my hands above my head before I fell backwards onto my bed. As I fell I hit my head on the gold circlet. "Ouch. That was stupid." I pulled the circlet out from under my head and held it up. That's why she did it. I'm the prince of Dracoon; the most powerful kingdom on the continent. Not just the prince but the prince next in line for the thrown. That's why Nariel threw herself on me. She wanted me to marry her, so she could someday be queen of my country. That insolent, little, turd eater. She was no better than any other princess that I had met. She just wanted to be a queen and to rule and be controlling.

What on earth was I going to do about the Anjanique situation? She wouldn't let me see her, so that ruled out going and talking to her. After what she had seen today she probably wasn't going to go back out on her balcony, and she wasn't going to fall for the throwing pebbles thing again. I knew she wasn't.

I got up off my bed and walked to the window seat in my room and sat down on it. I stared out the window into the distance not taking in anything. That was until I heard the sound of carriage wheels broke my trance. I watched as the carriage pulled right up to the front door of the palace. I watched as someone stepped out of the carriage. I couldn't completely tell who it was, but I was pretty sure it was Lena. My thoughts where confirmed when Louis ran out of the palace shouting her name and then scooped her up and swung her around.

Right then and there I knew how I was going to explain to Anjanique what happened. I knew just how I was going to make it up to her.