A Different Kind of Princess

Chapter 2: And So We Meet Again

5 years later

Charlottes Pov

I spun around while hanging up clothes. No one was going to have the nerve to tell me to stop. Not even Marina. She was my evil "legal" care taker. Oh did I mention that she was evil? But only until I turned 18, then I could legally ask the king for a pardon. That was in one week exactly.

I didn't remember anything before my 5th birthday, the day I first ran away from Marina.

I chuckled to myself, thinking how much I hated Marina when I was little. I used to hide her rum and run away. She was always drunk.

"Charlotte!"
Speak of the bloody devil.

I stiffly walked through the door of her cottage.

She looked up from whatever she was doing. She looked at me with disgust and stood up.

"Ugh, you're filthy! You must get yourself cleaned up!" She was attempting to dust off imaginary dust from my skin.

Did I mention that she was not only mean, but stupid? Well then yes she was an idiot.

"Marina, that's my skin." I remarked, getting impatient with her.

She glared at me. I rolled my eyes. "Madam."
Marina gave a slight triumphant smile. "Better. Do not talk back to me ever. Now go clean yourself up, though I doubt that will help. Nothing will!" She cackled.

Even the first straw was the last with her.

I turned to stomp away, angry, and before I could reach the door, I turned to smirk at her. "Funny, Madam, I was basing my looks off of you." I snickered before running out. I laughed out loud when I heard her scream my name.

I know that insult made no sense whatsoever, but Marina was too dumb to make any real sense of it anyway.

I made a run for the stables.

"Epona?" I asked unlocking her stable. I groomed her well. She was a stark white steed with an unusual black mane.
She snorted and I pet her. "We will get far this time, I promise." I lifted myself onto her, my soft yellow dress draping over Epona. My dress... it wasn't special. It was something at least.

I found myself racing around a prairie, my hair, a wild ocean of brown curls. Marina would never let me wear my hair out. She tried to cut it once, but luckily I escaped.

There was a loud sound, like a musket shot. It scared Epona half to death and she took off with too much speed.

"WOAH, Epona, calm down!" I screamed. She was going too fast and I was about to fall off to my death.

"EPONA!" I screamed again wrapping my arms around her neck. I was on the verge of falling when another steed, a black one, stepped right in front of Epona, making her stop right in her tracks.

"Woah there..." I heard a male voice. A very... nice voice I would say.

I lifted my head from Epona's mane. and looked straight into the eyes of a man. His hair was blonde, his clothes were no doubt royal, and his eyes.... wait his eyes... I'd seen those amazing blue eyes before.

"Are you alright miss?" He asked, snapping me from my daze.

"Thank you." I said quickly. I looked away.

I could feel him smiling at me so I looked back. "I am quite alright thank you. Was that your musket I heard?" I asked curiously. I did not like it when people hunted. It seemed... barbaric.

"It was not, my lady. Alas I believe that to be my father's." he didn't sound so glad about that. He lowered his head a bit.

I lowered my head too so my brown eyes met his. "You don't like it when your father hunts, do you?" I asked.

He lifted his head. "No I do not. I don't believe that it is the right thing to do. I do not think we should take the lives of other beings, just for our enjoyment." he said.

I gave him a small smile. "Well... you are very obsequious for... a prince."

He looked very taken aback, but not by me calling him a prince, it seemed by the word obsequious. But he chose to roll with the prince thing.

"I don't know what you're talking about." he was challenging me.

Ha.

I leaned over and patted his clothes. "No one else your age in this kingdom wears royal robes except for a prince, and the sides of your medal say 'vive le Royaume' which is French for 'Long live the kingdom' and only the royal family posses medals such as these with our crest on the back." I sat on my horse triumphant. I don't mean to brag but I knew I was smarter than a fraction of the maidens in the kingdom. How smug was I?

He seemed extremely impressed at my keen detective skills and smiled. "What is your name, fair maiden?" He asked.

I smiled. This definitely was the boy I'd bumped into years ago.

"It's Charlotte. And whom may you be, fine prince?" I asked with a little light in my eye.

He chuckled before answering. "I am prince William. It is a pleasure to be of your acquaintance, Miss Charlotte." he tried to bow on his horse but he failed miserably. He laughed and sort of slipped off his horse to bow instead.

I let out a light giggle, which was abnormal for me, as I slid off Epona. I curtsied.

"My dear Charlotte, have we met before? You look vaguely familiar.". He asked.

I looked up at him. He was tall,and muscular. "It was the word 'obsequious' that made you remember wasn't it?"

He looked at me sheepishly. "I know it sounds foolish, but that word I'd only heard one person ever say it, and that was that girl in the woods 5 years ago. That was you wasn't it?"

I didn't say anything, I just smiled. "And you with your jacket I suppose?" I asked after a second.

"It was you!" He exclaimed. I giggled again.

"I vowed that I would find you!" He said. I raised my eyebrows.

"You vowed... to find me? A poor, very poor, mind you, alone, colored, farm girl?" I asked surprised. He took my hands in his own and I was startled.

"Yes, but I believe that you are more than that, Charlotte! You are smart, beautiful, you are kind-"

"How on earth would you know if I were kind?" I asked skeptically.

"I can see it in your beautiful eyes."
I lowered my head and blushed.

A real Prince Charming he was. And I wasn't even being sarcastic. Whatsoever.

Another musket shot sounded, way closer this time, not only scaring Epona, but myself as well.

I was very quick to get on her. "Your father and his hunting partners cannot see us together. Thank you Prince William." I said. I was about to leave but William stopped Epona.

"Meet me at the Grand Oak Tree, south of the palace tomorrow at sundown. I will be looking forward to seeing you, Charlotte."

"And I you, Prince William. And I you." I said and I took off.

I knew it would be bad for me to meet him because I knew the king was pairing off his son to some spoiled princess. If I intervened, what would become of me?

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Hey hey hey! Okay so I'm having a cover contest! I know some of you guys aren't going to compete, but I need your help, desperately! Whoever sends in the best cover for this story will have their own character made in this book and will get a swarm of shout outs. You can email your covers to

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Thank you so much, love ya,
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