King | j.b

XI

A cold chill swept through Ariana as she sat down on a bench in the garden. She overlooked the garden full of servants working. She noticed a thin layer of frost on the ground. Winter was coming.

She hadn't seen the king since yesterday. He was all she was thinking about. She was crazy, she thought. She almost slept with the king. The king! What was she thinking? She must be out of her mind. But she just couldn't stop thinking about him; the way he looked at her, the sparkle in his eyes, the feeling of his lips. It just seemed all unreal to her. Like a dream. It almost seemed as if the king had changed ever since Ariana became his servant.

But she was worried about him. About the Council. She wondered if that guard had already reached the Council. She wondered if a member of the Council was on they're way right now. She wondered if the guard had told the other guards about what he had seen. It didn't seem like it. He must've been in such a rush to get out of the castle.

But how could Ariana be worried? This was a good thing, wasn't it? He wouldn't have to be king anymore. The kingdom would need someone else to rule.

Ariana soon snapped out of her thoughts when she saw a guard appear from a a doorway. She immediately continued her work. As she looked up towards the other servants she realized something. The other servants didn't really talk with each other. Of course each servant had at least one good friend but Ariana felt like she barely knew anyone.

She thought about the people she was friends with: Rachel, Ed, Harry, and Austin. That was about it. At least it was better than nothing.

Ariana walked along the hedge maze as she cut the twigs sticking out. She hated the cold weather. Her hands were dry and cracked, her lips were chapped, and every bone in her body felt frozen. She was never a winter person. the only reason she liked winter was because of Christmas. Christmas was her favorite holiday of the year. At least it used to be... Who knows what Christmas will be like in the castle.

Then as Ariana took another step on the icy ground, her foot suddenly slipped. Her body was thrown back and made contact with the ground.

She cursed under her breath and groaned. As she was struggling to stand up, she saw a hand reach down towards her. Her heart skipped a beat. It was the-

Harry. It was just Harry. Ariana's heart rate returned to its normal pace and she sighed. She grabbed Harry's hand. He put his other hand on her waist and helped her up. She finally stumbled to her feet, keeping a firm grip on Harry's hand.

She let out a laugh and smiled at him. "Thanks Harr-"

Before she could even thank him, she slipped again, this time falling into Harry's hard chest. They're faces came dangerously close to each other. He held onto her arms so she would remain stable.

He laughed, revealing his cute dimples. "You okay there?" he asked keeping a firm grip on Ariana. She nodded and laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Thanks Harry," she finished as she looked up into his eyes. His eyes were somewhat similar to the king's. They had that certain sparkle in them. Harry stared back at her until she looked away.

"You okay now?" he asked, loosening his grip on her. She nodded and he let go of her. He was a real sweetheart, she thought.

But she suddenly had the feeling they were being watched. She looked past Harry and up at the castle. Her heart nearly stopped. A figure stood on a balcony and was staring right at her and Harry. Ariana couldn't make out who's face it was but by looking at the fancy robes he was wearing, she knew it was him. The one and only. The king. Surprise! Not really.