The Evil Queen

Chapter 10: The Garden

     I woke early in the morning to find a note on my dresser.

                              Meet me in the garden when you wake. I will be waiting.

                                                               -Edward

     Suddenly the memories came flooding into my head. The dance, the garden, the kiss. What have I done? I've messed up everything and now Prince Edward thinks we can do this. That it's alright to go behind the king's back and have a secret relationship. It's not. It's wrong. I have to tell him. I have to apologize and tell him we cannot continue what happened last night. My heart sunk as I imagined doing this. I've only known him for a day yet for some reason I feel as if life without him would be tragic.

     Prilly came in and she and my new maids helped me into a ruffled, flowy, lavender dress that was requested I wear by the King. The maids did my hair heiress style, an updo that I actually do like. They put pearls in my hair to match my dress. As soon as they were done I asked Prilly if I could go to the garden to think. She said yes, as long as I was back before 6:00. I bid them all farewell before leaving then rushed downstairs and out the back doors of the castle to the garden.

     I was heartbroken when I saw him standing there smiling at me. I slowly walked toward him with despondency. He frowned when he saw I was not cheerful.

     "Whatever is wrong Queen Valerie?" He asked.

     "We can't do this Prince Edward, you and I... last night was wrong, dreadfully wrong and it must never happen again."

     He looked grief-stricken. "Valerie I thought... I thought we went over this. You don't want to be without someone to love and neither do I. Why would you lead me to believe we could be together only to break my heart the next day?" I had never seen a man look so hurt and vulnerable before. It gave me so much pain to see him this way.

     "I'm so sorry", I whispered close to tears. He shook his head.

     "I should have known. Why didn't I expect this? It was just too good to be true wasn't it? I finally meet the girl of my dreams; who makes me think she wants me as well; only to discover it was a mistake on her part. Why would you do this?" He asked.

     "I didn't mean to hurt you" I told him blinking back tears.

     "No, of course not! Then why did you do it Valerie?!" He asked bitterly. "Do you like hurting me? Does it give you joy? Well you'll have to do this to someone else because I'm leaving."

     "Edward."

     "What?"

     "I'm sorry."

     He looked really sad now. "I'm sorry too Valerie. I'm sorry I decided to trust someone. I wish you the best. Farewell." He turned and walked away.

     I stood there watching him for a bit. My head told me to let him go but my heart begged me to call him back. I suddenly realized something. Life without him would not only be tragic, it would be unbearable. I don't know what possessed me at that moment but I ran after him.

     "Edward!" I called. He turned around and I ran to him. When I reached him I wrapped my arms around him and pressed my lips against his. He stood there shocked for a moment as I had when he first kissed me. Then he wrapped his arms around me tightly and kissed me back.

     "I'm so sorry", I whispered as he held me in his arms.

     "Don't ever do that to me again", he whispered back.

     "I won't, I promise."