His Girl

Chapter 20

"Get up right now Jackson!" Audric's voice boomed through Jackson's bedroom. I woke up with a start. Jackson's eyes opened and groaned.
"What is it father?" He said as he pulled himself out of bed. I felt a little uncomfortable in Jackson's bed wearing a thin night gown in the presence of his father who happened to be the king. Audric raised his eyes slightly at me but made no comment, instead turned himself to Jackson who was now putting his shirt on, much to my dislike.
"He's here." Audric said solemnly as if this was a code phrase for something. Jackson's eyes widened momentarily in shock.
"What?"
"You need to come with me now, and keep her out of sight." Jackson nodded understandingly. He walked back over to his bed and looked at me in the eyes.
"Stay in here Tania, I will explain later but you have got to promise me." I nodded as if I agreed and both Jackson and Audric walked off mumbling to each other, worry written in bold letters across their foreheads.

*
Excruciatingly agonisingly bored. That was how I felt whilst being cooped up in Jackson's elaborate room. It was now probably noon and after the primary thoughts of doing what I was told ,as Jackson wouldn't have told me otherwise unless it was for my own good, I began to 'disobey' him. I stealthily crept through the doorway and into the outside corridor. No one was around, not that anyone would have known that I was escaping but it made me feel better nevertheless. I decided to make my way back to the stables where the stable hands would undoubtedly wonder where I was. I was just about to go down a staircase when I heard loud voices coming up it. At first it didn't bother me until I saw both King Henry and Carsen along with two other men. I cursed myself mentally, why did they have to come up the stairs now. Luckily I spotted them before they spotted me but that still didn't leave me enough time to run away and escape from this dreadful situation.
"Tania!" Carsen cried opening his arms wide and hugging me overly affectionately, as if to impress his friends.
"Your highness, I haven't seen you for a while." I said politely, deciding that by adding formalities it would make us seem like we weren't as friendly as he had hoped. Carsen beamed and said,
"This is Henry," he said gesturing towards the extremely handsome man to his right "this is Felix and this is Oliver." I suddenly recognised Felix when he introduced him,
"Your Jackson's mistress aren't you?" He said, I remembered that he was the leader of the group of princes that we had met at the harbour a few days ago.
"Err, yes I am." I said, not really wanting this to be the only think they knew about me and would judge me on here on after. Henry frowned but then shrugged as if it didn't matter, it probably all came together into his head as to why Jackson was so protective over me.
"So how are you Tania, I haven't seen you since the triad and you ran off because Jackson was being the usual twat he is." Carsen asked, subtlety hinting that Jackson and I had some underlying problems.
"Jackson and I are fine now, we just had a little argument that's all."
"I'm surprised, Jackson can be a right ass when he wants to." Felix chipped in.
"You should have seen him the other day when I kissed Tania..." Henry started.
"You kissed her?" Carsen asked shocked.
"Yea, why is there a problem, I mean who would reject her, she's beautiful." Henry replied, not noticing that Carsen had had feelings towards me, and would have acted on them had I not been a servant girl.
"Oh it's nothing." Carsen said looking slightly upset but said nothing against it.
"Are you guys going to the ball tonight?" I asked, wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible.
"Yea, as long as your going." Henry winked suggestively. I laughed falsely when inside I wanted to comment on how 'that's not going to happen, not in a million years'.
"It was delayed due to you and Jackson running off. Where did you go if you don't mind me asking?" Carsen asked
"Jackson probably rented a room and they did..." Felix started, he truly was one of the rudest people I had met. Wanting to end the rest of Felix's sentence I cut in with,
"We went to the forest but then got attacked by bandits." I explained briefly, not wanting to tell them the rest of the story. Their eyes widened in shock.
"Are you alright?" Carsen asked as his eyes scanned over my body. The other boys used this as an excuse to stare at my body with an expression which echoed concern, when I could see their true intentions straight through it.
*
I crept back into Jackson's room only five minutes before he came back. I busied myself with some embroidery to make it seem as if I had been sat in his room whilst he had been away.