The Princess and I

Chapter XVII: Road back to memory lane

What seemed a wonderful idea last night, now forms quite the problem. I mean waking up with Christina for the first time as lovers is quite the experience, but I never thought last night about how I would explain her lying in my bed at dawn, when Alice would come into my room to wake me.

Luckily, I am just awake before Alice knocks at my door to get me dressed, since Christina literally kisses me awake this morning. 'I think your housemaid is on her way,' Christina whispers in my ear, while I yawn and spin satisfied. Before I am even allowed to answer her, Alice knocks at the door and both my and Christina's pupils widen.

'Give me a second, Alice.'

'Everything all right, Miss?'

Christina is up and looking around frantically for a place to hide. She's about to move towards my closet, but I pull her back: 'No, she has to get me my dress there.'

She frowns for a moment. 'Why don't you choose your dress the day before you're actually wearing it? Saves you a lot of time in the morning, love.'

I roll my eyes amused. 'Hardly the point right now, is it?'

She flashes me a careless grin and makes way towards the curtains. But as soon as she closes them, I see they still show her ankles. She gives a longing look to the balcony and I grab her hand: 'No, not via the window,' I hiss. 'Get under the bed.'

Christina raises an eyebrow sarcastically: 'Really? That's certainly a place no one has ever used before.'

But then we see my door handle move and time has run out. She shakes her head unbelievingly, but then slides swiftly under my bed, while I cover her up by keeping my legs in front of the open space. Just as Alice enters.

'You're up already, Miss? How is your headache?'

I try to hide a smile, when I deliberately say: 'She has been keeping me up all night all right.' I feel my bed shake due to Christina's suppressed giggles.

'So, will you tell me what happened last night?'

Christina is deliberately distracting me by making small little drawings on my bare ankles. I quickly give her a warning kick and I feel my bed shake from laughter once again. 'I beg your pardon, Alice. What do you mean?'

Christina keeps caressing – or harassing me at the moment- my bare legs and I am barely able to keep my thoughts with the conversation. Alice laughs and says: 'Look, who's on cloud nine? I mean the Duke, Miss. Has he asked for your hand in marriage?'

Finally, Christina's hand falls down and I bite my lower lip. I act like I want to scratch my feet, but in the meantime I search Christina's hand and squeeze it encouragingly. Like that we stay a couple of seconds, but when I notice Alice's gaze falling on me, I rise and say: 'Nothing has happened. I had to leave early, because of that dreadful headache.'

Alice looks at me compassionately. 'You will always see something horrible happen at such a beautiful moment. Don't fret though, Miss. The Duke will soon propose to you.'

'Yes, yes,' I say impatiently as I compel her to the bathroom. 'But now let's give me a shower so I am representable once again.' It is a strange request, since I did not let Alice wash me since I was a child. But desperate times ask for desperate measures. I push my housemaid inside and at the same time gesture Christina to move away. Christina's jaw is tightened and I know what her problem is.

'I'll be with you in a second, Alice. Warm up the water in advance if you will.'

I kneel down beside my bed and take one look if Alice follows me back inside. Then I bent over and give my loved one last kiss for now: 'Don't be jealous.'