The Forbidden Princess [Paused]

Chapter 2: Lies, Gold Coins, and Dreams

Jesse ran ahead and opened the door for me and Arthur and we all went inside. The interior was not what I expected it to be. But then again, this wasn't the palace. The building was wooden, so the insides were also wooden. The tables and chairs, which were scattered around, weren't very fancy, just as plain as they could be. Surprisingly, it was calming and welcoming.

"May I take your coat?" I turned around to see Jesse facing me, smiling.

"Um, I don't have a coat Jesse."

"I know. Just thought I'd be a gentlemen and ask anyways," he winked at me then left me and Arthur in the doorway to sit down at a table in the back of the open room.

Arthur turned to me and held out his arm as if a prince would do to escort me anywhere I go. It was a familiar feeling to have my arm locked with someone else's, that I was happy to take his arm and let him guide me towards the table Jesse sat down at.

Jesse was sprawled out, his legs propped up on the chair next to him. He was engrossed in the menu, his eyes large taking in all the different options.

"Here we are, Miss Charlotte Le-Ann." Arthur pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit down. I tossed my dress around the chair so I wouldn't be sitting on it and sat down.

A waiter, dressed in what looked like a suit without the jacket, came over to us, with a pencil and paper in his hand. "What would y'all like to drink?"

We all told him our drink orders and he left to make them for us.

"Does anyone have any money to pay for those drinks?" Arthur whispered to us.

Jesse looked at us in horror, which probably meant he had no money either. I nodded and pulled out my many gold coins, which were Harling's currency, and laid them on the table.

"How do you have gold coins?!" Jesse asked, his voice getting high.

I surely thought our kingdom would have gold coins...did father only let them have bronze? Were they really this poor? "Do you not have gold coins?" I asked them.

Arthur shook his head. "No, we only ever get bronze. Sometimes we get silver, but that is very rare...did your Village have much gold?"

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, I've only ever seen gold." That was true. Since I only ever was in the palace, I only ever dealt with gold coins. I wasn't even sure if bronze and silver existed until now.

"You must have came from a very wealthy Village then. That's pretty cool. Can I...can I see the coins?" Arthur asked me.

I held out the abundance of coins and Arthur cupped his hands to receive them. He stared in amazement at them, swishing them around in his hand and looking at the engravings on them. He moved his thumb across the front of one of them and turned it over to see the back.

"Whoa, these are so amazing!"

I giggled. "You can keep those if you want. I have more to pay-"

"No, here. I won't take money from you." Arthur handed the coins back to me.

"No really, keep them-"

"If you two don't want them, I will take them," Jesse said, holding out his hands, a smirk spread across his face.

I smiled and handed him half of the pile and forced Arthur to take the other half.

"Here are your drinks." The waiter came over to us, handing us each a drink. "Would any of y'all like some food?"

Arthur and Jesse grabbed for the menus and picked huge dishes, that I knew were probably full of food they usually don't get to eat. I ordered a simple salad, not very hungry.