CARDIGAN, K.G

sixteen

AS JUNIPER SAT IN the carriage trying to ignore the bumpy ride, she couldn't help but shake the feeling of knowing that she did love george. it always had felt almost too unreal to be true, jumpier loving someone.

but she loved george. even if he didn't love her. he was a gentleman aside from his problems and he treated her almost as if he'd climbed out of her dreams. he was a breath of fresh air, knowing what to say, knowing what to do.

he had even learned french for her— even if it wasn't much or the best...

but it was the thought that mattered most. and the way the words 'i love you' always threatened to slip from her mouth. and sometimes she thought maybe they had, but she wouldn't remember because it was all that was ever on her mind.

she was snipped from her thoughts as the carriage arrived at kew. she stepped out as she caught sight of reynolds, making her way to him. just as he began to bow she lifted his arm up. "where is the king?" she asks.

"your majesty i-." he begins. "reynolds. i do like you. and i wouldn't want any harm done to you.. so where is the king." she says as his face flashes with a mixture of fear and confusion for a second.

"he-." reynolds begins as the doctor comes outside. "your majesty. i do not think it is wise for the king to see you at the moment." he says while bowing. "and i do not think it's wise you test me. où est mon mari?" she says as she holds her stomach.

the doctor continues to avoid the question as reynolds gives in. he then points in the direction as juniper lifts up her gown and hastily makes her way. as she inches closer she hears yells of pain, sounding almost as if someone where being tortured.

as she opened the door she looked shocked to see george tied up with a look of pain and suffering on his face. "délier le roi." juniper whispers at first. nobody moves. "i said untie the king!" she yells as loud as she can as the men rush to release george from the ropes.

she then rushes over as he falls into her arms. "june." he mutters repeatedly as she runs her fingers through his hair. "i'm here." she whispers. juniper shuddered a bit as she realized they couldn't say like that forever.

"please take the king for a warm bath and meal. now." she says to a guard as they nod, carefully taking george. juniper didn't move from her spot for the next hour or so until she finally decided to check on george.

as she emerged from what she liked to call the dungeon she walked across the grass to the observatory. the candles lit the room dimly as she opened the door to find george eating dinner. "i see a warm bath did you well." she says in attempt to joke.

he then looks up at her as he sets his fork down. "june- juniper you must go."  he says as she sighs. "i will not." she says calmly. "i order you." he says trying to hold his temper. "no george, you will not push me away." she shrugs.

"i command it! go!" he yells. "i will stay! je le commande." she yells back. "please juniper leave. you are not listening to me." he says, softening his tone. "i am. i heard that you wished i had not come. that you want me to go. but what i haven't heard is that you do not love me." she says as a chill overcomes them both.

"do you know that i have been suffering, and alone. feeling like i have been a failure at being a wife all because you stay away from me like i'm some maladie." she rants as george can do nothing but stare and listen.

"but then today it occurred to me that their might be another reason why you are like this with me. because you love me." she suggests as his looks almost distraught. "do you love me?" she asks genuinely.

"i'm trying to protect y-."

"—do you love me?" juniper asks again. "i cannot. i- i never wanted to marry." he says. "do you love me." she asks once again. "june stop." he says, his voice fueled with emotion. "is it because you believe i could not love you? because i do. i love you george." she admits as it feels like ten thousand pounds have been lifted from her shoulders.

"i will leave. but only if you say that you do not love me. that i am utterly and completely alone. then i will leave. as you wish." she says as tears cloud her vision.

"i am a madman! the heavens and the earths collide and— and i do not know where i am." he says. "george! i will stand with you between the heavens and the earth, i will tell you where you are— est-ce que tu m'aimes?" she yells as his barrier seems to basically collapse.

"i love you." he says with a sigh. "from the mo— from the moment i saw you trying to escape me. the moment you told me your name, the moment the first word of french exited your mouth. i have loved you desperately. and i cannot breathe when you are not near june." he says as the once welled up tears begin to pour from junipers eyes.

she then takes a single step forward and collides her lips gently with george's. "i wanted you to know." he whispers as she just rubs his back and nods not knowing what else to do in the moment.

n,

i'm back???

the i can't breathe line was giving dream