A Royal Flirtationship

No one noticed

Just as she had suspected, the day was beautiful and bright. Gabrielle smiled widely as this is what she needed exactly, something natural and among the commoners where she can be her natural self.

The spring sun, shone warmly and the grapes smelled divinely, the sounds of people moving around in the vineyard being active and working hard, was exciting to princess Gabrielle.

“Your highness, what happens if the king requests your presence and does not find you in the palace?” Agnes broke the cheerful mood in which the princess was.

“Agnes, would you stop bothering about little things and help me pluck these grapes? They cannot pluck themselves you know?” Gabrielle interrupted Agnes, last thing she wanted was to be reminded of the prince of Mersin visiting her kingdom for the sake of an arranged engagement or marriage.

Agnes gave up and continued after princess Gabrielle.

“Your highness!”

Gabrielle ran head first into someone and winced rubbing her head as she looked up with a scowl, seeing someone she should have not met in this vineyard made her scowl to deepen even more.

Her traitorous favorite brother, Zyair.

“I should have guessed it was you after all.” She muttered and rolled her eyes, stepping to the side.

Agnes sighed as she encounters prince Zyair for the second time that day.

“You know you are not supposed to be here, right Gabrielle?” Zyair asked with a frown and Gabrielle turned to her favorite brother with a scowl.

“What!?”

“Oh! I am supposed to be in the palace awaiting the arrival of the one father has chosen to be my betrothed or dare I say husband?” Gabrielle asked her brother furiously, breaking her mask for the first time this morning.

Agnes took several steps back and Zyair sighed, pulling his sister in for a hug.

Gabrielle shrugged him off and stared at him, dead into his eyes.

“Do not pull any affectionate move on me, for I am way past that from all of you in this family!”

“What are you talking about?!” Zyair almost scream with frustration at his sister.

“Father is marrying me off because he thinks I am no better than all of you, I do not desire an arranged marriage. I want to marry for love, but none of you in this family seem to believe that!”

Zyair stared at Agnes helplessly, hoping she would rescue him but Agnes knew better so she withdrew into the shadows.

“Gabrielle listen, if you do not want to get married to the man father is bringing to you, then you can counter his choice by bringing someone that you are already seeing, someone you are committed to and willing to get married to. Only then, I think will he calm down a bit, that is only if your choice is acceptable to father.” Zyair ended with a laugh and Gabrielle glared at him.

“I think you know that I cannot present anyone to father because I am not seeing anyone as of now, so you can stop your self amusement at my predicament.” Gabrielle scowled at her brother.

Agnes withdrew further back more.

Zyair sighed.

“So you understand that you have to do what father says then?”

“No Zyair! The idea of having to deal with someone that was brought up in a palace as I am? Honestly it disgusts me! I am not like mother! I will not live with an egotist and a narcissist all in the name of service to the kingdom or reverence to the heritage!” Gabrielle spat at her brother and stomped off, towards the winery of the vineyard.

Agnes watched as The princess and her brother went off at each other and rubbed her forehead, praying for a miracle to occur.

A miracle did occur.

** ** ** ** **

The sound of hooves racing towards them made Agnes to raise her head, when she saw who the riders were, she turned to call to princess Gabrielle, to alert her. But it seemed like the princess was already aware of whoever was riding towards them, with the deep scowl that was etched on her face and fiery glares she was shooting out from her eyes.

“I should have known Zyair would pull a stunt like this.” Gabrielle muttered, bringing the glass of wine she had to her lips down.

“Agnes, seems like our day has been cut short. What do you think the time says? I left my wristwatch back in the palace.”

“It should be almost five pm, your highness.”

“My my, I think we had a nice day then. At least we got to drink some wine and have some to take back to the palace for personal use.” Gabrielle laughed, waggling her eyebrows.

Two riders stopped short before them.

“Your royal highness, princess Gabrielle.”

“What Gilbert?!” Gabrielle retorted with a sickly sweet smile that showed off her dimples etched beautifully on either sides of her cheeks.

“Ohh, let me guess! My traitorous brother has whispered to my father that I am here, working among peasants instead of getting myself soaked in oils and scents waiting for the prince of Mersin, right?!” She whispered in a conspiratorial voice, giggling lowly.

The obvious effect of too much wine.

Gilbert took off his hat and wiped a brow.

He had heard that the princess is not an easy person to bring home when ordered to bring her home.

‘This is my first time, please don’t make this hard on me.’ He prayed.

“Please your highness, the king demands your presence in the palace now.”

Gabrielle stared at the soldier she was sure, the crowned prince has sent out to bring her back to the palace today, and smiled sweetly at him again.

“I am not going to be of trouble, I will be right behind you Gilbert.”

The soldier stirred uncomfortably on his horse, not believing her.

Gabrielle threw an annoyed glance over her shoulder and almost yelled at him.

“I said go! I will be at the dinner to welcome my betrothed to our dear kingdom, by seven pm, tell my father so!”

Gilbert faltered in his resolve to take her home no matter what and spurred his house to turn around, galloping back towards the palace.

“I think you were a bit too harsh your highness.”

“I have to be Agnes, that is the only way they will know that I despise what my father wants to do to me and the quicker it gets to my father’s hearing that I have been a little rebellious princess.”

“Father would want to listen to me and I will render my plea before him. I am not interested in any of his arranged plans, I want to marry for love and love only! Is it bad that I desire that?”

“No, no your highness. One should marry for love and respect, not out of duty.” Agnes sighed wistfully.

Gabrielle frowned.

“I already told you that you can call me by my name when we are alone, this title makes my head spin sometimes Agnes.”

Agnes smiled.

“Sorry Gabrielle.”

“Thank you.”

The ladies sat in silence for a while before Agnes broke it.

“Now what?”

Gabrielle turned with the most mischievous smile Agnes has ever seen on her face and her maid feared for what the princess has in mind.

“Now we go to dinner like father wants and be on our worst behavior.” Gabrielle declared and stood up, heading towards the direction of the stables whilst stumbling slightly.

“You mean just you right?” Agnes muttered u see her breath as she followed her princess.

** **

Meanwhile somewhere in the royal guest chamber of her father’s palace, the crowned prince of Mersin, prince Henry the third, paced all over trying to rein in his temper that was caused by the shame the princess that he is supposed to get married to has caused him, much to the annoyance of his best friend.

“She was supposed to be there to welcome me to her kingdom alongside her father and brothers! But where was she?!” He seethed and Alden frowned at his friend.

He dropped the newspapers he was holding, stood up and strolled over to his friend who kept pacing around.

“Henry, your pacing around is giving me a headache.”

Henry paused only to glare at his so called best friend momentarily.

“Have you even considered if she is not into this at all, this might be a sign that she is rejecting you.”

This stopped Henry in his tracks and he turned so fast to face Alden that it almost gave him a whiplash.

“Her father already accepted my proposal!”

“I don’t think it matters, this is not the sixteenth century where she would have been married off without her consent in the name of royal duties.” Alden paused to see if his words were sinking into his friend, then he sighed and placed a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“We are here for introductions, I followed you as a brother here even though the king here and my father don’t see eye to eye, not only for the feasting but to also give you advices and to stop you from making mistakes too.”

“You think I am making a mistake?”

“No, she might like you or not. She must be in attendance for the dinner, she just might like you, you are not bad looking.” Alden added with a laugh and Henry cracked a smile.

“You might be right, maybe I am overthinking things.”

“Exactly, dinner should be good, just be extra gentle and nice, women love a kind and gentle man.”

** ** **

But dinner was anything but good.

Gabrielle came in late, with her maid scurrying after her with a panicked and distressed look on her face.

Alden looked away from the glares the king of Eldham momentarily, to stare at the latecomer and immediately saw why his friend is obsessed about marrying her.

Gabrielle in her nonchalant and stubborn way had also decided to dress up in one of her most provocative dress for dinner.

Alden stared at her as she walked slowly to her reserved chair, beside one of her brothers, with Henry sitting across from her, facing her directly.

Princess Gabrielle faked a smile and apologized to everyone for her lateness.

Alden could feel the hostility waves radiating off her and they weren’t even directed at him, he shivered.

Before dinner went south, Gabrielle had glanced up momentarily and locked eyes with an unreal handsome face. He was sitting beside the man her father wanted for her.

How had she not noticed him?

The man in question smirked at her and she could see amusement shining through his eyes.

Something snapped inside her and she flared up.

Alden noticed her eyes, just when they lit up in anger and for a moment, he was entranced with how green they were, they matched the color of her dress. But before his thoughts could wander off to as why she became angry all of a sudden, she cut through his thoughts with movements.

Calmly, Gabrielle took the bottle of a vintage wine she had no idea about and quickly poured herself a full glass of wine and drank it all up in two gulps, and then another.

Everyone watched her, mortified.

Then she looked at everyone’s face at the table, ignoring her father’s enraged look she calmly folded her hands in front of her.

“I am not getting married, not on your terms father.” She calmly started.

Then she looked at Henry calmly, Alden could swear that he saw a flicker of pity in her eyes.

“I have nothing against you Prince Henry, I am seeing some other man and I intend to marry him when the time is right for me. Please extend my kind regards to your parents, I will make arrangements for gifts to be sent to them through you.”

Leaving everyone speechless at the table, Gabrielle left the dining hall, with her maid scurrying after her with the same expression on her face.

Prince Alden stared after her, he knew she just lied about seeing someone but apparently no one saw through her lie because the whole table is in chaos now.

Alden excused himself from the table and went after the princess.

No one noticed.