The Princess Of Two Worlds: The Lost Princess

Part 2: Chapter 14

Hugo's Pov.

Last night was hectic. Looking back I probably shouldn't have yelled at the girl but honestly getting blood on a priceless artifact! Has she no shame? The late queen deserves more respect than that, however I'm not a guard so punishment is not something I can hand out. I tell my father of the incounter I had with the girl and he's mad.
"You are a guest in this castle, you are supposed to be on your best behavior Hugo!"
I forgot about that, I'm meeting with the prince today, a dinner meeting. I'm nervous, all my etiquette seem to disapear as I am trying to remember how to act. Apparently there is going to be a big group meeting with all the guards this afternoon, father tells me. He's nervous because the prince set the meeting up and his important "non polical" guest is going to be there. Father is supposed to make she everyone is lined up as they are supposed to and not make a fool of the training everyone has undergone. I was told I could attend as well. I think this person must be super important as the prince is introducing the guards to them.

I grab a quick breakfast from the guards quarters. It's kind of like a common room, it's an area that has a little kitchen and table, some furniture and whatnot. It seves as a place guards can relax in their downtime outside of their rooms. They font mind that I'm in here. I train with some of the youngest guards and trainees, in the future I hope to be a personal guard like dad was but I needed to finish school and know how to handle a lordship first. An hour till noon I get up from my place in the quarters and walk threw the compound, my father's office is located here within the various rooms allowed to senior guards.

The door is closed when I arrive. I pull my shoulders back, stand up straight and knock 3 times, I try to look as professional as possible but by the look on fathers face when he opens the door I have failed. He says I look like a puffed out peacock, definitely not what I wad hoping to achieve. I am invited to sit at his desk, and he pulls out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses, the first he fills to the brim thr second only halfway. He takes a sip of the first and sighs contently before offering me the second. I pause, unsure if this is a joke. Technically I'm not old enough to have alcohol but I am allowed on certain occasions such as balls and important functions.

He must have seen the unsurness on my face because he tells me, "Hugo, you can take the glass you are probably going to be offered at least some wine later tonight anyway." Noding my head in agreement I take the glass from his outstretched hand with a little grin. I take a sip of the whiskey and frown back down at the amber liquid, this really is an acquired taste. Father wasn't asked to attend the dinner with me and I can tell he is franticly trying to calm his nerves. If mess this dinner up in front of the Prince's guest, it might not be my head but my father would be facing repercussions too. He may lose his job over me if I am not careful.

I look at the clock quickly stand, there is not much time before the first meeting starts and the last thing I want to do is be late. I thank my father for the whiskey and turn towards the door, "Goodluck son" I hear him call out as I walk away. I wonder why... no point of dwelling on it now I need to get to this meeting. I walk briskly through the hallways of the guards area and down towards the training arena. When I arive I notice I'm not the only one there but I stand out quite a but in black clothes, everyone else is wearing black but unlike me they have uniform on the showcase rank and status along with the obvious royal guard patchwork.

The others are younger like me they are probably trainees or recruits. Maybe 20 of them stand around talking with one another, I glance at my wrist still 15 minutes until the meeting starts. I see another person off a little, a female if the dress is any indication I wonder who she is briefly before dismissing her from my mind as unimportant. I walk over to some of those I recognized from training and started to talk with them about what they speculated the meeting was for. We talk for a bit before some more guards join us. As the meeting gets closer and closer the murmering gets louder and everyone starts to get more chaotic.

That's when the higher ranking guards arrive, they are dressed in their uniform but they stand out, everything is freshly pressed their shoes are shined and they move as a unit. Walking in formation until they get to the train grounds, they then slip up and call their division to them and get everyone lined up and in formation ready for the arrival of the prince. Since I wasn't in the guard formally but was told to be here, at the Prince's request I had to stand fairly close to the front of the formation. Closer to the prince than anyone else, except of course his personal guards. A few people were told to smarten up, their pins were in disarray or uniforms ajar. I discreetly tried to fix my outfit as well, one Sergent  I recognized smirked at me obviously noting what I was doing. Sergent Noah Smith. My father has mention him a few times, hes a good guard but has a temper. I guess he trains some of the trainees how to use swords properly in his free time. Those untrained in the art of fighting should not be left to protect the royal family.

"At ease, guards." I hear from an unknown captain. The people around me start to murmer again, as the senior officers walk around watching everyone. The Prince doesn't call meeting like this often and apparently father is not the only one on high alert.

Sergent Smith starts to yell, I can only hear bits of the conversation but he is not happy. Hes yelling at the girl I saw earlier. Soon everyones atention is focused on the pair.

"What do you think you are doing! The officers quarters...to the left...stupid callgirl... might be too much for your brain to handle."

He's has the girl by her shoulders and starts to push her away from the arena. Some people start to turn away from the two, I decide their is no point watching her get punished. I vaguely recall it being louder a moment ago and I turn around, that's when I notice him I can feel my face going pale. The Prince! Prince Noah is walking up towards the guards near where I am standing. Only a few of us seem to have noticed him but I am soon snapped out of my shock and stand at attention. He walks by me and I hold my breath he is going down the formation and examining each and every person. He's stops and tells a guard to fix his tie, another his pins.

Suddenly he turns and walks briskly over to where Sergent Smith is. The girl is kneeling and I can see her staring at the prince with anger in her eyes. He reaches our a hand and helps the girl stand. Once she is standing he pauses before kneeling down in front of the girl. What is he doing? Does he know her? Maybe he is proposing, that could be why she looked so mad. The Prince opens his mouth to speak but I am to far away to hear what he says. I try to read his lips but I'm not very good at it. It looks like he says, "Your majesty."

Everyone around me starts to kneel as the prince is, though Noone loos like they know what is happening. She reaches her hand out and the prince stands.
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She's the princess. The lost princess had been found! Most people thought she was dead, but some of the guards knew that wasn't true. My father told me long ago that she was stolen away, she didn't die with her parents. There is seaches for her bit they are kept very secret, my father only got to let me know after mother died, since he had to explain why he was going away for weeks at a time.

There is very few of us left on the field maybe 15 at most. Everyone else was dismissed from the meeting. Were are asked to state our name and title. The Princess comes and states in front of me with the Prince and indicates for me to go first. My head is still bowed and I raise my head slowly hoping to get a glance of the princess standing in front of me. I look at her face and freeze, all my muscles tense at once and their I am frozen. Looking into the face of the girl from yesterday. The princess.