The Prince that Saved Me

Chapter I

| Elizabeth's outfit |

"But mother, I don't want to go! I can always just stay here with Emma." I said stomping my way down the steps. "Emma will be fine with her nanny. Now please stop behaving as if you're 2 instead of 22." My mum chastised from the front door. "Since you have decided to move back, you will have to accept the life it comes with." I rolled my eyes followed her and my step father, George, out of the door.

Moving back to London from New York City has been a big adjustment in my life, and not one that I'm happy with. "I know you've never liked this, but you'll get used to it again." George said, slinging one arm around shoulders to comfort me. "You know how she gets when we used to attend the charity events when you were younger. She's still the same person." He said, referring to my mother. I shook my head understandingly, "At least the Waldings will be there, right?" I said trying to lighten up the mood. The Waldings were my family from my mother's side. "Exactly." He said getting into the car.

Christopher and Charlotte Walding were my Uncle and Aunt. They had two daughters, that were one year apart from each other in age. Lily Walding, 21, and Georgina Walding, 22. My Uncle Christopher was apart of Parliament along with my step-father, George, that's how my mom met him after my parents' divorce. I haven't seen them since I was 10, when I moved back to the States with my dad, but I did keep in contact with Georgina and Lily.

"Lizzy!" Lily and Georgie screamed, when I walked into the giant garden where the party was being held. It caused a lot of people to look over at us, making me blush, but I tried to ignore it. "We've missed you so much." Georgie said giving me a hug. Lily only smiled widely, trying to contain her own happiness. Once Georgina stopped hugging me, Lily attacked me with one. "Girls, girls." Aunt Charlotte chided, "let her Aunty give her a welcome back hug." Once I was done giving hugs, Georgie and Lily took both my arms with theirs and walked me over to the drink table.

"I'm so sorry to hear about you and Declan, sweet." Georgie says sipping some of her iced tea. "Truly, we thought he was going to be the one." I shuddered hearing his name, nothing but bad memories came from that man. "No," I faked a chuckle. "We decided to call it quits and remain friends. It's better this way." I lied. "Excuse me, but I just would like to be by myself for a while." I say quickly before turning to walk away. "I think we've upset her, Georgie." I heard Lily whisper. "Perhaps we have." She answered.

I walked into some shrubbery that looked like it was a beginning to a maze, not really paying attention to where I was going. "Umf!" I grunted, running into someone's back. "My apologies." I say. The man turned around and stared at me with his striking, emerald colored eyes. "No problem. Are you alright?" I almost flinched, thinking he was going to hit me, but he didn't. "I'm fine. Thank you." I blushed.

"What brings you to my secret garden?" He asks, turning back towards the fountain in front of him. "If I'm intruding, I will leave if you want me to." I quietly say. I really didn't want to start any problems, physical especially. "No, no. I think I needed a little company at this thing anyway." He shrugged taking a seat. "Please, sit." He said patting the space beside him. I reluctantly sat down, not too close to him. I didn't know him all that well, he could be another monster for all I knew. I looked down at my heels, pretending to be interested in them. "So what's your name?" He asks after a while.

"I'm called Elizabeth." I all but whisper. I should've just stayed in the front where everyone was. Damn me for wanting to be alone! "I can't quite hear you." He says.

"Elizabeth Brindle." I say, still looking at my shoes. "That's a delightful name, Elizabeth." He says and I can tell he's smiling. It makes me blush, but I still don't look up towards him. I feel too nervous and a little sick. "I don't bite Elizabeth. I can assure you, I was trained well." He jokes and it makes me laugh a bit.

"There you go. What a beautiful laugh." He compliments me and I thank him. "So you never answered my question." I look up at him with my eyebrows twisted in confusion. And I instantly wish I hadn't. He has the most beautiful features a human can have. It's as if God, Himself sculpted him. "The one about you being back in my secret garden." He says, pulling me about of my day dream.

"Ah, I'm not really good with crowds as it is and my cousins were questioning me about my life in America and I didn't feel like talking about it really." I answered honestly. "I'm not really one for these types of parties." I don't know why but I felt more comfortable around him. "I feel the same way, but sadly, it's my duty." He says shrugging. "I honestly used to hate coming to them, and I still do." I told myself to bite my tongue because for all I know, I could be talking to a prince or whatever, but I didn't really care enough, he was nice. "You said you used to hate them?" He questions me. "Yes." I answer, hesitantly. Did I say something wrong? "My step father is in parliament. And before I moved to America, years ago, my Mum and her brother's family used to always drag me to these types of events." I say, explaining things further for him.

"Who did you say your step father and Uncle were, again? And it gets boring after a while, if I must say so myself." I gave him a questioning look. I haven't met anyone who openly stated they opposed these things yet, so that was surprising. "My step father is George Thatcher and my Uncle's name is Christopher Walding. They are both apart of parliament." I answer. "You look eerily familiar. Do you come to these parties often?" I asked, looking more into his features. His name was at the tip of my tongue, I just couldn't get it out of my mouth. "You really don't know who I am, do you?" he chuckles again and runs his hand through his long, lovely chocolate locks.

"I want to say I haven't the faintest clue, but your face... it looks like I've seen you somewhere before." I say, trying to remember. "I haven't seen you around before, I don't think. Pardon me if I have." he says, still with a prominent smile on his face. "You say you're from the States, yes?"

"Yes. New York, New York." I say, smiling. I really missed my home. Not my ex-boyfriend's home, my father's. My father passed away two years ago so I went to live with my boyfriend, Declan. But when Declan and I... broke things off, I decided to move back in with my mother. "I've been over to the States before but never New York. From what I've heard, it's incredible."

"It really is. There's always something to do, and the art- oh it's so amazing." I flaunt. "Perhaps, I'll have to visit one day." he says, I can hear a chuckle in his voice. "I would be an amazing tour guide. I know everything about it." I joke, giggling. "I'll take you up on that." he says turning to face me.

"Lizzy!....Lizzy!" I hear Lilly calling me from the party. "Lizzy, it's time to- oh! oh my heavens." Lilly pops up from around the shrubs with her hand over her mouth. "Looks like my secret place isn't really a secret anymore." The man jokes and I laugh, quietly. "Excuse me." she says bowing towards us and I look at her as if she's grown three heads. "Lily what-"

"I was just fetching my cousin, we are all leaving in a few minutes." she said, blushing madly. What is her problem? "I'll be ready in a minute. Lily, why are you acting so weirdly?" I ask her, receiving a mumbled laugh from beside me. "I will escort her to your family's car in a few minutes time, Ms. Walding." Lilly blushes again and bows her head before shuffling away.

"You never mentioned your name?" I questioned softly. Why did Lily look so scared. Is he dangerous? Am I talking to someone that could-

"I'm Prince Harold."