Chapter 1
“Clara I can’t let you parade around the village like a peasant. You shall stay here with royalty. Why don’t you walk around the gardens that you love so much?” King James said as he sat in his thrown.
“But father I don’t see anything wrong with going down there. I have never been down there before. I am so tired of being kept here as if I were locked up in a cell. I want to go out and live. Oh please father, I’ll even dress like them so that they don’t know it is me.” Clara pleaded.
“That’s why I do not want you down there. You are my only daughter, my only child. You will marry soon and have kids of your own. I don’t want anything to happen that will stop you from having such happiness.”
“But father I do not even love him.” Clara quickly looked at the floor. She knew her father’s face was growing red without even looking at him.
“You will marry him.” He said, his voice still calm. “You will marry him and that’s that! We’ve been through this so many times! He’s the perfect man for you! This has been planned since the day you have been born!” His voice was rising as each word came out of his mouth.
“I do not know why I can’t marry someone that I love.” She said while still looking down at the ground.
“Because it is tradition. A princess must marry a prince. Prince Kevin is the finest prince around. You will grow to love him.” He said sternly.
“And if I do not?”
“You will marry him.” This time King James said it in a tone that closed the conversation.
Clara turned around hearing footsteps and saw that it was her mother, Queen Emily. Clara looked at her for help, knowing that her mother had heard the whole thing. She met her eyes, but she looked at her as though she had heard nothing.
Clara, still upset, walked out of the room and up the stares to her bedroom. She sat down by the windowsill and looked outside, at all the workers who were working on the gardening, getting prepared for Clara’s wedding that would take place in three weeks. King James wanted it to be perfect and made sure that they started on it early so that it would be just right. Clara hoped that something would happen to it so that it would delay the wedding. But she knew that if something did happen, the wedding would take place somewhere else.
Prince Kevin was a very nice guy, but Clara simply did not love him and she knew that Kevin did not love her. They’ve had many talks about the wedding and were both very unhappy. They didn’t want to marry at eighteen although it was very late to be marrying. To them they were still young and wanted to find someone they could love. But Kevin knew there was nothing he could do about it and hoped that he would learn to love her.
“Sorry Madam I will come back later.” Emma, Clara’s servant said as she started to back out of her room.
“Emma you know you don’t have to call me Madam. We have been friends for some time now. Please call me Clara.” Clara said as she took her eyes off the window to look at Emma.
“I’m sorry Clara. Just habit I guess. What are you looking at?” she started back into the room and then up to Clara.
“Oh nothing really. I was just thinking about the wedding.”
“Don’t worry about the wedding. Something good has got to come out of this.” Emma tried to assure her.
“Emma you should not be a servant. You are my friend.” Clara said changing the subject.
“Yes but King James does not see it that way.”
“My father does not see anything but his way! It’s only to make me unhappy.” Clara looked back out the window, again watching the other servants. One in particular caught her eye.
“Emma, who is that man down there?” Clara asked pointing out the window.
Emma walked closer to the window and looked outside.
“Which one?” she asked.
“The one by the roses. With the brown hair.” Clara answered.
“Oh that’s Alex. He is a close friend of mine. Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know.” She replied. “There is just something about him.” She continued watching him work on the roses.
“Would you like to meet him?” asked Emma.
“Yes, I would love to.” She answered. “How about tonight after everyone is asleep?”
“Ok we’ll meet out in the garden.” Said Emma. “I have to leave before I get into trouble.”
“Oh Emma, you will not get into any trouble because you were with me and I will see that nothing ever happens to you.”
“Thank you Clara. You are such a good friend to me.” Said Emma. She then excused herself so that she could finish up her work in time to introduce Alex and Clara to each other.”
After a few hours of cleaning and running errands, Emma was finished for the night and could do as she pleased. That was one of the perks of being a friend to the princess. If she couldn’t get Emma out of being a servant, she made sure that she had more freedom than the others. Emma walked outside to find Alex, and found him still doing some yard work.
“Alex, I have someone that wants to meet you.” Emma said as she made her way to him.
“Who? This isn’t another one of your games is it?” he asked eyeing her. “Last time you told me this I ended up waiting outside all night.”
“Oh no Alex there really is someone this time.” She said trying not to laugh at her prank.
“Who is it then?”
“Well you are just going to have to see. Meet us here in tour hours.” Emma started to walk away but he grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her back. His curiosity was really getting to him.
“Emma. Come on please tell me the first name.” He begged.
“Oh all right. Her name is Clara.”
“Not Princess Clara right?”
“Well what if it is?”
“It couldn’t possibly be her. Why would she want to meet one of her servants? She would much rather be with royalty and be at parties than to be sitting here with you and I.”
“I would watch what you say dear Alex. Before you say something you’re going to regret.” She warned. “Two hours.”
He let go of her arm and watched her walk back into the castle, still wondering why someone like that would want to see him, although Emma had never really said that that was the person who wanted to see him. He shrugged it off for the moment and went about his work so he would be finished in time.
Chapter 2
Clara watched out her window as Emma and Alex talked to each other. After Emma had left, Clara continued to watch Alex work. Something was keeping her from being able to take her eyes off him. She wasn’t sure how long she had been sitting there. Emma knocked on the door, bringing Clara back from her dream state.
“Sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.” Emma said.
“Oh you didn’t interrupt a thing.” Clara smiled.
“Are we going to go now?”
“Yes.” Answered Emma.
First Clara and Emma made sure that everyone was asleep. When they saw that it was sage, they made their way outside to the garden. Once they made it there, they saw Alex, waiting next to some rose bushes with the moon as his only source of light.
Emma cleared her throat to make their presence known. Alex turned his head to see Clara and Emma. Right away he got down on hi knee and bowed before Clara.
“Please stand up, you do not have to bow.” Said Clara.
Alex did as he was told and stood up.
“I believe we have not officially met. I am Clara.”
“My name is Alex. It is a pleasure to meet you princess….”
“Please, I beg you, do not think of me as a princess. Just think of me as you would Emma.” Clara interrupted.
“And what would that be?” he asked.
“A friend?”
“I am not sure I can do that.”
Clara frowned. “Why is that?”
Alex looked over to Emma.
“I think I will leave you two alone.” She said. Before either of them could abject, she was gone.
“Come sit down.” Alex said leading Clara to a stone bench.
“What do you have against me?” Clara asked. This wasn’t going the way she wanted it to go. He was supposed to fall madly in love with her at first sight and feel the same things about her as she did for him. He didn’t even want to be her friend.
“No. It is just that my family has worked for your family for so long and we all get treated so poorly. When my mother was sick she was forced to work until…” he drifted off and looked up at the sky.
“She died.” Clara whispered. “Alex you have to believe me when I say I have no say to what goes on around here. If I had known they worked her like that I would have tried my best to stop them. It is my father who has done this.”
The last sentence was full of anger and Alex could even sense it.
“You do not get along with your father?” Alex asked.
“No, he will not let me do a thing and he is making me marry a man I do not love.”
They continued talking until the sun was starting to come up.
“I am so sorry Alex. I have kept you up all night.” Clara apologized.
“It was worth it.” He replied.
Clara blushed. “I had better get back inside before my father wakes up.” She stood up and started to walk back, but then turned back around to face Alex. “Meet me here again tonight. I promise I will not keep you as long as I have this time. Please?”
“Alright.” He answered.
Clara smiled and continued walking while hoping that no one knew that she was out all night.
Chapter 3
Again that night Clara and Alex met in the same place and talked like they had the night before. Clara loved being able to talk to someone who that wasn’t in her family that would actually disagree with her. She loved hearing his point of view on things.
“I am getting married soon.” Clara said looking down at the ground. “I cannot marry that man. I am thinking about running away.”
Alex didn’t say anything for a few minutes. “Do you really think that is such a good idea?”
“What else do I have to lose? It is not that I do not like him. He would be a wonderful friend. I do not see him as the man I will grow old with.”
She looked back up at him. He had worry written all over his face. She could tell that he didn’t want her to leave. Not on her own.
“But you have friends and family here that you love. I know you do not want to be away from them.”
“You are right. But I just cannot marry him. If we marry, I will never see Emma again,” She paused. “or you.”
“It will alright in the end.” He tried to assure her. He placed his hand on top of hers and not another word was said between them that night. Her mind had become cluttered with the idea that she was forming in her head.
* Two Weeks Later*
“I am not going to do it Clara!” Emma exclaimed as she paced nervously around Clara’s room.
“Please Emma? Oh come on, you will like him I assure you.”
“I do not want to get in between all of this. I could be sent to the dungeons for this!”
“Emma you are over reacting! It is a simple task!”
Emma stopped in front of her and sighed.
“Alright. If I must. You really owe me for this one Clara.”
“Thank you so much!” Clara said happily and hugged her friend.
“So what exactly am I doing?” asked Emma.
“You are just going to distract Kevin. That’s all you have to do.”
“And when will you come back?”
“Well….I am not sure. Just keep him busy.”
“But..”
“Thank you!” Clara said cutting her off and walking out of the room. She was almost to the front door when she heard her father talking.
“Well hello my boy. How are you this evening?”
“I am just fine sir. Thank you. Where is your lovely daughter?” Kevin asked.
“She should be down any minute.”
Clara stood in the hallway, hoping that they would leave the room so she could get outside. The two men continued talking but the sounds of them talking soon got farther and farther away so she figured they were no longer around. She quickly darted toward the door and stepped outside. She searched around for Alex in the gardens but couldn’t find him anywhere.
She tapped on an older mans shoulder to ask him where Alex was. He turned around and bowed down before her.
“Your highness.” He said.
“Sir do you know where Alex is?” she asked.
He stood back up and scratched his head.
“Sorry madam. I have not seen him today.”
“Thank you anyway.”
Clara continued looking for him and finally did in the first place she looked, by the roses where he always was.
“Alex I have been looking everywhere for you.” She said.
“Hello Clara.” He said.
“Alex you have to do me a favor.”
“What is it?” he asked concerned.
“You have to come with me.” She said quietly.
Chapter 4
“Where is that girl?” King James asked impatiently.
“You know how women are.” Said Kevin. “They always take so long to get ready to look their best. I am sure she will be here soon.”
Emma slowly entered the room not looking at either of the men.
“Sir there is a servant out front who wishes to speak to you.” Emma said to King James.
“Thank you Emma, but where is that daughter of mine.”
Emma’s face grew red as she was about to lie.
“Uh, well, she is still in her room. She cannot find the right dress to wear. You know how she is. She has to look perfect.”
“Yes that is Clara alright.” King James said as he walked out of the room to attend to his business.
“Emma, is it?” Kevin asked.
“Y..Yes sir.” She answered.
“Call me Kevin. Clara speaks highly of you.”
Emma didn’t say anything, only grew even redder.
“Come sit down.”
“Oh but I…..”
“I insist.”
She did as she was told and sat down in the chair across from him.
“Thank you.” She said softly.
----------
“Come with you?” asked Alex. “Where?”
“I do not want to stay here any longer. Come with me. We can go somewhere else and be happy. You will not have to be a servant, and I will not have to be a princess. We will be equals.”
“Why do you want me, of all people, to come with you?”
Clara took his hand in hers.
“Alex, I have fallen in love with you.”
She looked away after she said it. She didn’t know how he was going to react to her saying it. He didn’t say anything to her. Only stared blankly at her as if he were waiting for her to say more.
“Well do you love me?” she asked. She looked into his eyes but he looked away.
“I cannot go with you.” He said.
“Why not? No one is stopping you.”
“Clara, I cannot let you just leave like this. You have a life here that is already planned out for you.”
“And I do not want that life. No one seems to care what I have to say. They do not care how I feel about all of this. They all say, ‘Clara this is best for you’ and ‘Clara you will do as I say.’”
She was talking about her father more than anyone else.
Chapters 5-8
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