Betrothed to Trouble

Chapter 15 - Headstrong Stallions

Hey dear readers! Sorry for the late update though.

Spoiler Alert: Sergei and Louis finally meets!!!!

***********************

King Friederich:

            “Has the French replied to our letter?” I asked Sir Locksley as I paced the throne room restlessly, fully aware of his stern gaze fixed on my back. He was my father’s trusted friend and the only person I could fully trust in my entire court. A wise and calm man of seventy, his sharp mind misses no detail and allows no room for mistakes. His presence alone is enough to make me feel llike a foolish young man of twenty, instead of a forty five year old king with a rebellious and hot-headed teenage daughter.

            “Friederich, calm down,” he replied instead, the authority ringing loud and clear in the empty throne room, and I immediately put a stop to my pacing.

            “What do we do then?” I shot back helplessly, almost pleading as I turned around to look into his pale grey eyes; a pale comparison to his once piercing onyx eyes. Old age may have caused them to fade, yet the strength of his gaze has never wavered and the calmness in his eyes as I looked into them made me relax. A little.

            “You have to let go of your daughter, son,” he answered, less sharply this time, but there was no missing the reprimand in his tone. “She’s no longer a little child. She’s at the age where all girls have to marry,” he continued, eyeing me questioningly.

            “I understand that, but look at how she behaves!” I exclaimed in exasperation. “It would not be long before she finally annoys the prince enough and sends him home running so his father could march in and massacre our people!” I cried out in anguish, breathing heavily in my agitation.

            He simply smiled indulgently at me; once again disarming me with his ability to make me feel inferior by a simple gesture of his. “I do believe they are getting along much better than you think they are,” he replied smoothly, rubbing his palms together as he reclined on the rich plum coloured velvet armchair that was his designated seat.

            “Really?” I scoffed in disbelief. “The last time I saw the two, Giselle was hell-bent on making his life miserable,” I muttered in annoyance, seeing red everytime I picture the scene in my mind. How could she be so ignorant so as to jeopardise our country’s safety merely because he insulted her?

            “Well, I saw them together yesterday in the gardens, and trust me, they’re doing fine,” Sir Locksley replied with a chuckle, shaking his head as if he knew something I didn’t.

            I raised an eyebrow at him curiously. He saw them together? “What were they doing?” I asked curiously, torn between hoping for a good development and preparing for the worst.

            “Well, I think they both fell into Anneliese’s fountain,” he shrugged as if it was no big deal, but I knew him too well. He was probably laughing inside; the mischiveous twinkle in his eyes gave that away.

            I stared at him in shock, frozen to my spot as I processed his words. They fell into the fountain? Aneliese’s fountain? “What in God’s name were they doing?” I yelled out in a sudden burst of outrage. How dare they disrespect –

            A small warm hand on my shoulder stopped me from continuing my rant and I spun around in irritation to find its source. It better not be that foolish little courier who –  To my surprise, Giselle herself was standing there, looking up at me with her soulful emerald green eyes which reminded me so much of her mother’s.