A Royal Flirtationship

Gabrielle threw open her windows and inhaled deeply with a wide satisfied smile that accentuated her dimples so lovingly, she loves springtime and the freshness it brings with it, the scent of her little bushes of roses and tulips amongst other flowers, blooming, also breezed in with the fresh air of springtime and she sighed with contentment. “Good morning your highness,” her royal maid greeted and she turned around to face her with the carefree smile still plastered on her face. “Good morning Agnes, how are you this morning?” Agnes noticed that the princess was in a much more cheerful mood than she had been before she went to bed last night. “You look much happier this morning than last night your highness, anything special?” Gabrielle’s mood darkened a bit as she remembered what had transpired last night. Her father the king had finally found a prince, worthy enough to marry her off to. “Why does it have to do with something special happening Agnes? For it does not matter if I decide to walk around with gloom all over my face or if I choose to wear sackcloth to mourn the sad loveless life father envisions for me, his royal majesty will still marry me off to whom ever he likes and whenever it deems him fit. I am but only a woman,” Gabrielle sulked gloomily. “Prepare my bath please Agnes and I would love to avoid having breakfast with my family today.” Gabrielle ordered with a crease in her brow she always have when she is thinking. “Yes, your highness,” Agnes replied with a bow and started towards the en-suite bathroom in Gabrielle’s chamber. “Have you by chance seen my brother this morning?” Gabrielle asked, stopping Agnes in her tracks. “Which of your brothers, princess?” “The crowned prince. I need to properly plan my day and I want to know if he has enough time on his hands to frustrate me today like he always does, or if he has his hands full with other activities.” “No your highness, I have not seen the crowned prince this morning yet, your highness, although....” Agnes paused before adding, “I ran into your other older brothers just before dawn, they were heading down towards the stables.” “Perfect! A full family breakfast was never supposed to happen then, but I still would not like to eat with my father and mother please.” “Okay Princess Gabrielle, I will run a bath right now for you.” “Thank you Agnes.” Gabrielle dismissed her and sat on her window seat, overlooking her personal garden she had grown as a young teenage girl and fell into a deep thought. As a young girl, Gabrielle has always imagined being married to her own Prince Charming but growing older she discovered that most of the princes were snobbish and arrogant like her father and elder brothers. They were not the kind, gentle and loving men that Gabrielle has always imagined them to be according to the little bedtime stories her mother had always read to her. When she turned eighteen, Gabrielle began sneaking out of the palace grounds and into town, with the intention of mingling with the commoners, perhaps she could find her own Prince Charming amongst the commoners. For almost two years now, she always snuck out successfully with no one missing her or without the risk of anyone recognizing her outside the palace walls. As the only daughter of the royal family, Gabrielle was sheltered all her life. Barely anyone that lives outside of the palace wall can recognize her even if she walks up to them. More still, she is different in physical features from her brothers. Her mother always told her that she took after her great grandmother. Gabrielle was blessed with an olive rich skin,- as compared to her brothers’ pale creamy skins-, with long black curly thick tresses of hair that cascaded down her back to her waist with streaks of white strands in them and forest green eyes, her mother always joke about the white streaks in her hair as a symbol of wisdom. “You are the embodiment of wisdom and beauty among these men that are your brothers Gabrielle, that is why you stand out,” She would always say to her daughter, while brushing her long hair. The only physical attributes she shared were dimples, and only with her elder brother, prince Zyair. Gabrielle’s birth almost ruined her mother’s reputation and marriage for it was rumored that she was not her father’s child, but as years went by and she grew up, one could see her father’s posture and gait in her. One could hear the voice of her mother when she speaks but nothing of her physical appearance made her seem related to the royal family. Now, Gabrielle is of age to marry since is I’d done with her education and her father was more than eager to hand her over to another man, without care of her own feelings. Sure enough, she attracted a lot of princes, knights and dukes who had happened to see her once before and had fallen for her beauty. But Gabrielle wants to marry for love, she wants to have a happy marriage and does not want to end up sad the way her mother is in her own marriage to her father. “Your bath is ready princess.” Agnes interrupted her train of thoughts and Gabrielle hopped down from the window seat gracefully. “Thank you Agnes.” She replied with gratitude as she began undressing for a bath. “Perhaps you could call for breakfast to be brought into my chambers and would you please prepare a picnic basket for us, we are going to the royal vineyard for the day.” “But my princess?” “Yes Agnes?” “The prince of Mersin is to visit the palace today, the one you are about to be betrothed to.” “What care do I give to that? He is coming because of an arrangement made by my father, my father and brothers should be there to welcome him when he arrives.” Gabrielle said with finality and made a beeline for her luxurious bathroom. ** ** ** ** Agnes stared after her madam with a small smile, she loved the humble and fierce person Gabrielle has turned out to be. But still sad that no matter how stubborn she could be, her father would always have his way with her. The king is that controlling even in the affairs of the kingdom. Agnes remembers the first time she came to the palace to work as the princess’s personal maid, she was sixteen and the princess was just about twelve years of age then. The pair had really gotten off well and they became more like best friends. Agnes had met a timid shy girl who had been sheltered all her life, so for Gabrielle to grow up into this confident young adult that is trying to fight against what she don’t want even if it would barely make a difference, made her happy. The royal maid sighed wistfully as she made her way to the closet to pick out an outfit for the day for her princess. “I really wish she gets what she’s looking for, true love.” Judging by where they were going to, she knew she had to pick out something the princess could comfortably get her hands dirty in. Agnes picked out a dark shade of beige colored pair of trousers and a cream colored long sleeve shirt with some brown boots to match. She took them out of the closet and laid them out on the bed and hurried out of the room to the kitchen to arrange breakfast. “Oh!” She bumped into someone face first into their chest. She looked up and her face went all red as she saw who she bumped into. “Prince Zyair! Your royal highness! I am so sorry about that!” Agnes squealed at the youngest princess, Gabrielle’s elder brother. Prince Zyair stared at her in amusement, with a little smile dancing on his lips. “Agnes....,” he drawled out, “heading somewhere?” “Um, the kitchen?” She squeaked and cleared her throat awkwardly and wondered why she always felt nervous and awkward around him, maybe it is those devilish set of dimples that was on display now, that made her jittery around him. “Gabrielle is sneaking breakfast into her chambers to avoid eating with her family again, right Agnes?” Prince Zyair asked amusedly but Agnes was more focused on how her name rolled off his tongue. She longed for him to call her name again for a second before snapping back into reality. “Um.., no your highness. It is totally my fault.” “How so?” “Just before dawn, I saw you and prince Alexander heading towards the stables, I told her and she thought maybe a family breakfast was not holding.” Zyair was surprise. “You were up that early?” “Yes your highness.” Zyair frowned, “Why would Gabrielle want you up that early?” “No, the princess does not know of this, I wake up early to clear my head. Fewer people at that time.” Prince Zyair clicked his tongue against his teeth and nodded. “I agree with that.” “Now tell me Agnes, what is my sister up to today?” “Nothing! She just wants breakfast and then go to the garden to read some books.” She hurried out quickly and winced knowing that her lie may be noticed. Agnes was good at everything except lying, she is a terrible liar and the prince voiced out her thoughts. “You are a bad liar,” Zyair replied her with a crooked smile that made his dimple to deepen even more. “But let’s go make breakfast for her royal highness quickly.” Agnes was stunned. What does he mean? “Agnes?” There! Her name again, she thought and tried to fight down her blush, failing miserably. “Together your highness?” “Yes?” “No no, I will just give orders to the head of kitchen and her breakfast will be ready, there is no need for you to trouble yourself sir.” Zyair gave another dimpled smile and said, “I insist.” Gently pushing her towards the direction of the kitchen with a hand placed casually on lower part of her back. Butterflies. Butterflies erupted in her stomach. Or was it a stampede of butterflies in her stomach? Oh good god! The princess!!