Sparks of a flame

17. Big girl panties

VIOLET

When morning came, I was well rested enough to believe the voices I heard the previous nights were hallucinations. As my eyes fluttered open and adjusted to the bright light in the room, I stretched like a cat, knocking over the pillows on the bed and letting out a groan of relief. This bed deserved a place in the Guinness book of records for the most comfortable piece of furniture.

"Good morning, my love."

My head whipped to the side as my brows crinkled. I had been unaware I was not alone in the room. Prince Stephen sat on one of the ottomans, legs crossed, eyes on me. His hair was gelled back, and his ears held round, gold-rimmed glasses on his face.

I sat up in embarrassment. My hair was sticking out, my nightgown was ruffled and I was not ready to talk as I still had morning breath.

"Hi," I said, pulling my blanket around me.

"Did you sleep well?" he smiled brightly. I nodded.

"That's good. What happened last night? Mother called me to carry you up. Why were you sleeping on the floor?"

A realization came to me. He was the one that brought me to my room and the voices I heard were not hallucinations. He looked at me expectantly, and a lie about tripping and falling exited my mouth. He said nothing about the obvious fib, but instead stood from the ottoman and made his way to the bed.

Self-consciousness made me sink lower into the bed as he approached me, and a blush, more from embarrassment, formed on my cheeks when he planted a soft kiss on my forehead. He smelled like cedarwood. He wore a white t-shirt and loose-fitting black trousers, gold-bottom shoes enclosing his feet. 

"I have our whole day planned out," he grinned, sitting right on the bed. I was uncomfortable, painfully aware of how I embarrassed myself and him the previous night. If it was affecting him, he was not showing it.

"I have arranged for a dance teacher to take us through the wedding dance, and then we will finally decide on the color scheme for the wedding as well as the type of cake we want. I know your wedding gown is being taken care of by your father, but I am supposed to provide your thanksgiving gown and I figured we might as well do it while you are still here.

My heart sank. I had been hoping to tell him I wanted to return to the real princess's kingdom, yet here he sat, talking animatedly about a wedding I was going to make sure did not happen with me.

"I hope you do not mind. I asked for a private breakfast at the greenhouse. The flowers smell exceptional today."

He was unfazed by my lack of response and excitement, only standing up to let me get ready.

"Oh, and Princess Amah, do put on the necklace I got you last night," he said and exited the room.

I stayed under the blanket for a while, unwilling to come out and face the day head-on. As I lay there, I thought back to the voices that weakened me the previous day and how present they had felt. The male mentioned the name Princess Amah and the female mentioned the name Bernard. That could only be the eloped couple. I needed to tell someone.

I finally moved my legs and let them touch the soft beige rug that lay at the foot of the bed. I made my way to the connecting room, in search of Betty, and was disappointed when I found an empty room. Coming back into mine, I took a quick bath. My stomach growled as I came out of the shower and my stomach twisted in dread. I did not want to be alone with the prince.

Bernard. Are you okay?

The voices returned again and I hissed in pain. My ears were ringing. It felt as though they were going to bleed.