''Flying''

Henry

The last time he was in Tidaholm was two weeks ago. Now, Henry is back and has no intention of leaving anytime soon. At least, not until all he has to do while at Tidaholm is done.

Henry just arrived in his room, after greeting the Royal Family, and he wonders if Josh has already spoken to Lady Arabella regarding his request. If he has, she gave no indication when he saw her in the Throne Room.

When he first asked Josh for his permission to court Lady Arabella, the last thing he expected was for the man to tell him that it wasn't his permission to give and that the decision to either accept or refuse was entirely up to Lady Arabella.

Henry has to admit, it completely caught him off guard, since it is usually up to the King to decide. However, after listening to Josh's reasons as to why it was her decision, Henry understood why he would leave the decision to her.

He could've easily made it one of his conditions to accept this new alliance with Josh, but Henry knew what had happened between Josh and Lady Arabella's older sister, and it didn't feel right to him to force her into it.

Plus, he also knew what had happened between her and Josh's Commander and brother, the circumstances of the man's death still very present in everyone's mind. Henry knew the pain she experienced all too well, having gone through the same thing with his late wife.

Henry hadn't known them when it happened and once he heard about it, it broke his heart. The thought of losing the woman he loved that way had been enough to make him sick to his stomach at the time. Little did he know that just a little over a year and a half later, he would be in the exact same pain and despair.

Henry lets out a breath, wondering how did Lady Arabella managed to keep herself together when he had completely lost his mind with grief. Somehow, she was able to push through that pain and grief, and come out on the other side of it a lot stronger, while he had become something he didn't recognize anymore.

Although, he has to admit that the woman he now knows isn't the same he met all those years ago. As he walks out onto his balcony, he remembers every interaction he has had with her over the years and a small smile appears on his lips.

Every time they spoke to each other, they were always sarcastic with each other and didn't miss the opportunity to, in a very veiled way, mock and insult the other, no matter who was around.

Henry has to admit, that was one of the reasons that made him like her and want to know her better. If she was brave enough to mock and insult him with no worries about him possibly taking it personally, he wondered what else was she capable of if given the chance.

If you add to that the fact that she showed no fear whatsoever towards him, and given his reputation that was a daily occurrence every time he met someone, it made Henry sure that she would made for a damn good Queen and wasn't going to be afraid of anything that the world threw her way.

However, what had surprised him the most wasn't how Lady Arabella would speak and treat him. No. What surprised him the most was her daughter, Lady Alexis, and how, just like her mother, she showed no fear when she spoke with him and how kind and sweet she was to those around her.

Henry still wonders if the young Lady knows of his reputation, since she always approaches him and speaks with him in a friendly manner, not showing any inkling that she fears him in any sort of way. Lady Arabella has raised a strong and kind young woman who, if she knows of his reputation, is able to see past said reputation and give the person a chance.

When Henry first spoke with Josh, he knew that one of Lady Arabella's concerns was going to be her daughter. Henry had thought long and hard on it, and had ultimately decided that he would give the young Lady his name, making her his rightful heir, even if he and her mother eventually have a child.

The decision hadn't been that hard to make to be honest, since Lady Alexis is a fine young woman and he will be very proud to have her as his heir. What he doesn't know is how she will react to his offer, but he is willing to make some concessions if it means she will be more open to him courting her mother. He understands that it won't be an easy decision for either of them, but he hopes that they will give it, and him, a fair chance.

There's a knock on the door and Henry is brought back to reality. He goes back inside just as his valet excuses a very shy servant, a note in his hand. Henry watches the servant leave before his valet walks over to him and hands him the note.

The Royal seal is clear in the back and Henry knows it's from Josh. Opening it, he immediately shakes his head, reading the words on that small piece of paper. Josh is throwing a Ball in Henry's honor that night and to say that Henry hates the idea is an understatement.

Over the years, Henry has hated Balls and has been able to avoid them as much as possible. However, he knows that this time he won't be able to avoid it. Informing his valet of the plans for the evening, Henry thinks that maybe he can use this as an opportunity to see if Lady Arabella is aware of his request. Yes, maybe this Ball isn't a bad idea after all.

He knows that it might take some time before she will give him an answer, something like this can't be rushed, not with her history and his reputation, and he will wait for as long as she needs to make a decision. However, that doesn't mean he can't show her that his intentions are pure and gauge her interest. Plus, he will get to see her every day.

Only time will tell what her answer will be, but until then, he will try and show her that he isn't just the man his reputation claims he is.