The Lost Girl

Chapter Seven

Skylar's Perspective
    "It doesn't matter if we get in trouble. I want to help you find your sister. We'll be back home after whatever happens." James said.
    "What if something bad happens to us?" I asked.
"I will always keep you safe. I'm sorry I left you alone after Luna left. I wasn't allowed to visit."
    "What do you mean?" I asked.
    "I was never in love with your sister. I was always in love with you, Princess Skylar." He said.
    I gasped. Heat rose to my cheeks. I realized that Luna had merely been arranged to marry this prince, and neither one had wanted to. My cheeks refused to stop blushing in front of this prince. I felt like an idiot. Until recently I had thought we had control over our own lives. I couldn't believe that James wanted to help me find Luna. He would be my savior. I had to leave and go with him on this adventure. I wanted to take a risk and show him that I was able to do anything.
    "Let's do it. Let's go find Luna." I said with a smile on my face.
  "I'll be staying the night. We can take off in the morning if you please." He said.
    "Of course." I replied.
    Charming had driven me to the point of madness. I needed to find out if she was a warrior. I wondered what that meant for her. Who was she now?
    Prince James escorted me back to the castle. The beautiful stone castle was just as I had left it. James leaned forward from his horse and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I smiled kindly at him. His blue eyes twinkled. Servants marched up to take the horses from us.
    We walked through the castle halls to find my mother and father. They weren't hard to find. They were in the Great Hall feasting on breakfast. My father's face perked up as he saw James.
     "Prince James, welcome back to the Diamond kingdom." My father said in his kingly manner.
    "It's lovely as ever." James responded.
    He bowed to my parents. My mother clapped her hands. A maid came hurtling forward. She whispered in the maid's ear. The maid returned with two plates full of food. My mother beckoned us to sit. Great, I thought, they want to know how our date went. They'll never know it went terrible. I couldn't believe I had so many secrets now. I was running away and my parents wouldn't know. I felt a knot form in the pit of my stomach. I wondered if this was how Luna felt before she left all of us.
    My mother eyed me. She was probably wondering if my feelings had changed. They had in fact, but not for the good of the kingdom. I blushed as I thought about how James had been the first prince to kiss me.
    "How was the trip?" My mother asked.
    "It was pleasant." I lied for the first time.
    "That is good news." My father replied.
    The conversation was dull as we dined. James was happily digging in.
I looked at my plate. They had served us eggs and bacon. My stomach rumbled. We hadn't eaten well on the journey back.   
     "King George, may I stay the night before I head home?" James asked.
    "Of course! Thank you for bringing my girl home safely." My father smiled.
    I hadn't seen him smile for years. It made me glad that this simple ordeal made him happy. I watched him. He almost had a sparkle to his eyes again. As breakfast ended my father stood up grandly.
    "Allow me to show you to the best guest chambers that we have." He said.
    Prince James stood up silently. He kissed the top of my head. Blush seeped through my cheeks again. He hurried after my father. My father proceeded to talk James' ear off as they walked out of the room.
    "Princess Skylar, welcome back, how was it?" Lily asked as she came to get me.  
    "It was interesting." I began to say.
   I looked past her. How did I explain my sudden change of feelings? I noticed that she had brought a tea cart with her. It was our tradition to have tea and exchange gossip. I was nervous as I followed her to the library. I had secrets now. Usually I told Lily everything.
    We sat down on the blue couches in the library. I couldn't wait for Luna to be back with us as I told my tales. I pretended to listen as Lily giggled about William. I decided I couldn't tell Lily I was running away. I didn't trust her to keep a secret so big. She would tell the guards.
    "James was so sad during dinner. You should've seen it. He almost cried." I said.
    "Oh my, I haven't seen any men cry." Lily replied.
    "I made a scene about Luna for no reason. James said he's always been in love with me, and not her. He's been sad for me." I blushed as I spoke.
    "Are you sure that's all true?" She gasped.
    "It's what he said." I replied.
    "This is the biggest news of the century!" Lily exclaimed.
    I wondered if his feelings were a ruse. Just to find Luna? I pushed the idea away. It was nonsense. I gently sipped from my cup.
    "How was the whole visit? You said it was interesting." Lily said.
    "I met Prince Charming. He's crazy about Luna. He thinks she's a warrior." I told her.
    "What a lunatic. Luna would never." She replied.
I nodded. I hoped Lily would think Charming had kidnapped me or something to distract them while James and I ran away. It filled my chest with excitement. I couldn't believe I was running away tomorrow. Lily tried to pry more gossip from me, but I laughed her off. A princess had her secrets to keep. I grinned.
    "Well whatever is happening I am glad you seem happy." Lily said.
    Lily walked me to my bed chambers. She changed me into a simple day dress. I yawned. I was quite tired after all the excitement. I immediately headed to my bed.
    "Goodnight Princess Skylar." Lily teased.
    I slipped under the covers. I fell asleep quickly. Some time later knocking on my door woke me. I sat up. I rubbed sleep out of my eyes.
    "Who is it?" I called.
    "Prince James." He called back.
    I quickly got out of bed. I pulled a cloak out of my wardrobe and put it on. I checked myself in the mirror. I looked appropriate. I went to the door. I opened it. James stood in the hallway in a blue suit.
    "Will you walk with me to the gardens?" James asked.
    "Of course." I replied.
    We had to go through the ballroom to get to the gardens. It was beautiful. Among our other flowers my family had a section of rose beds. Butterflies flitted about. It was always breathtaking. James held my hand as we admired the scenery.
    "Why did you want to come to the gardens?" I asked him.
    "Princess Skylar. I'm in love with you." He said.
    "I think I'm falling in love with you too." I replied.
    He smiled nervously. He approached me slowly. I stared into his eyes. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. His lips traced mine softly. I leaned into his kiss. His tongue traced mine. When he eventually pulled away I stood there breathless.
    "Princess, I have something to ask you." He said. "This might be rash, but I have to ask."
    James knelt down before me. He kissed my hand. I blushed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blue box. I stared at him in awe.
    "Will you marry me?" He asked.
    "Yes James!" I exclaimed.
    My cheeks began to hurt from the enormous smile on my face. I had never expected a prince to ask me to marry him. He stood up and slid a beautiful diamond ring onto my finger. I marveled at the size of it. He pulled me into an embrace.
    "I figured if we plan to get married tonight we can tell your family. We will depart tomorrow saying that we are headed back to my parent's kingdom to spread the news, but really we will run away to find Luna, and bring her back here so she can see us get married." He told me.
    "Yes! What a great idea!" I squealed.
    He smiled. I grasped him tightly in my arms. This prince had already changed my life for the better. I couldn't wait to find Luna. First I had to find my parents.
     I ushered James inside the castle. He held my hand as we crossed the ballroom. My mother and father were approaching us. That was easy, I thought. They were never affectionate with each other. They didn't hold hands. At least they smiled approvingly at us. I held my hand up so that they could see the diamond. My mother ooed and awed.
    "May I have your daughter's hand in marriage?" James asked.
    "May you?" My father laughed. "Of course you can."
    "Thank you sir." James bowed.
    "It'll be George from now on, sir." My father responded.
    I was shocked by his chivalry. James was really warming my father up. I smiled graciously.
    "May we depart tomorrow morning to share the news?" James asked.
    "Of course!" My father replied.
    "I'll start the wedding planning committee immediately." My mother said.
    She took my hands in hers and smiled. I smiled back. My mother was rarely affectionate with me. I could tell I had made her proud.
    "Head to bed, both of you! You'll need sleep for this process ahead." My father encouraged us.
    James walked me to my chambers. He kissed me in front of my door. I stood on my toes and reached for more. He pushed a strand of my hair back.
    "Goodnight." He said.
    "Goodnight." I replied sweetly.
    I headed to bed. My mind didn't stop. I stayed awake for hours laying in bed. I wondered where we would go and what we would find. I prayed we found Luna.