Crowned

Chapter 8

Gabby ran out to the gardens to see Nathan. She didn't care that she was getting married to someone else. She didn't care that if she got caught with Nathan they would take her away and he would be fired, she just wanted to be with him. The guards around her looked forward and followed her. She found Nathan putting away his gloves in the shed. It was almost 9:00, which was closing time for the staff. She ran to him and hugged him. He looked surprised, but then he hugged her back.
The guards pulled her off him and she struggled. Once she was standing away from him, he came a little closer and whispered, "I've missed you."
She smiled. She mouthed Me too, to him. He closed the shed doors and wiped his hands on his pants. The guards let Gabby go and she went over to him.
"Are you going to visit me tonight?" She whispered.
He looked down. "I don't know. You're getting married soon. I don't know if I should be with you anymore." He looked down. She laughed in denial. "Your joking right? There's no way I'm marrying that bozo." She looked him right in the eyes. She could tell tears were coming. Nathan shook his head. "I'm sorry. But I'm just a garden boy. If we get caught together, they'll send me to jail and keep you in your room. I can't bring you down like that."
"But if it means we'll be together-"
"Gabby. I'm sorry." He slowly closed the doors of the shed and walked away in his muddy jungle-green boots.
Gracie stood in her gray dress and fell to the ground. The guards ran over to her and picked her up. The tears came now. Hot and running down her cheeks raindrops on a car window. She didn't know what to say. The guards pulled her inside, and she let them. They brought her into the palace and into her room. She lay there on her bed, wetting her pillow with tears.

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Gracie sat in the large leather chair at the end of the long wooden table on the dining room next to the kitchen. Prince Timothy sat at the other end with a sparkle in his eyes. Gracie stared at a little piece of his hair that was out of place. She thought he looked extremely cute. He looked over and smiled at her. She scratched her neck and tried to make it look like she wasn't staring at his cuteness. They told each other about themselves as they ate their meal of steak and green beans from the gardens. And she couldn't help herself from beaming at him. It felt more like a high school crush, because she was only 16, but this was her fiancé. She just couldn't believe it. By the end of the meal, Prince Timothy took her hand and walked her back to her room. They stopped right before the doorway. They let go of each other's hands but he still stood there. Gracie looked down at her heels. He looked down at his shiny black shoes.
"Well I had a really good time tonight. Thank you." She curtsied. He bowed.
"I'm glad." He smiled right at her, which made her feel like she was flying. He leaned in and kissed her. Her eyes widened but then closed. Her heels went up and she was standing on her tippy-toes. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck. She felt warm and fuzzy inside, which was a feeling she had never felt before. Eventually they had to pull apart. He gave her one last peck on the cheek before he headed down the steps. She slowly walked backwards into her room and fell on her bed. She was in a wonderful trance that made her feel great.