Betrothed (NOT UPDATING ANYMORE)

Chapter Seven

Time flew by and before I knew it Terrence was leaving. A part of me was sad, but only a small part. The rest of me was glad that I'd be able to go out on my own without him breathing down my neck.

He mounted his horse with a couple of his guards surrounding him and nodded once to my father. He looked at me a little longer then necessary and was off past the gates of the palace and on the road.

"Well, that visit didn't go so bad did it Cassandra?" I turned to my mother and faked a smile.

"No it didn't." And that was the problem.

oOo

I couldn't sleep that night. Now that Terrence was gone I felt like something was missing. We had spent so much time together that this feeling was starting to feel unbearable. I tossed and turned and nothing led me to sleep. My guard was up and I was too tense to even think of sleep.

I sat up and ran my hands through my hair sighing. Something didn't feel right. I got up and paced the floor, the soft carpet warming my toes. Daisy was sound asleep curled up on my bed. I woke her up and walked over to the room where Terrence had slept. The maids haven't changed the sheets yet and I was thankful for that. The bed was made but it still smelled like him. Daisy jumped on the bed and fell back asleep. I took in the smell of the sheets and the pillow cases and sighed. I finally relaxed and my eyes closed almost instantly.

oOo

Summer was gone and now it was Autumn. The invitation to Terrence's ball arrived just as the leaves began to fall. I had taken it from my mother and opened it happily reading the separate note that he had written for me. It was coated with the usual insults but I could sense how much he actually cared. I just had to look between the very skinny lines.

I wrote to him back with more insults and said that his birthday party wouldn't be worth going to but I'd go anyway. I handed the letters to my mother who read them with confusion. My father laughed and told her to let us get along in our unusual way.

I pulled on my cloak and a warm dress and went for a walk around the gardens. Lords and Ladies bowed as I walked by and I smiled and waved. Some of the Lord's sons that were my age turned their heads my way but I ignored them and shoved their flattery aside.

The air was crisp and smelt of Autumn. I was throwing sticks for Daisy to fetch when someone came up beside me. It was Chris's son Wesley. He was a few years my senior and was almost an exact replica of his father.

"Princess." He bowed his head.

"Wesley." I looked at him and narrowed my eyes. "This is quite unusual." He never talked to me. Ever.

Wesley shrugged. "It's unusual for you to be out here in the gardens. Normally you'd be in the forest dancing with the fey for all I know."

Daisy came back with the stick and I grabbed it and threw it. "So people think I dance with fey?"

Wesley nodded, his eyes never faltering from my face. I was quiet for a moment before I turned to look at him with a smile. "I guess they're right then. I dance with them over their magical fires until they get sick of me and kick me out of the forest."

Wesley laughed his voice a clear sound among the silence of the trees and dead flowers. "You certainly know how to dramatize things Your Highness."

I smiled. "I know."

oOo

Everyday I would go out into he garden and Wesley would always come over and chat with me. It was nice and filled up the emptiness that I had when Terrence left. Daisy liked him enough, not as much as she liked Terrence but Wesley was good enough for her.

It was one very cold morning that I had to leave for the ball. The ball was only a week away, but mother wanted to be there early to help Louise with preparations. I was sort of excited to be back at Hern, mostly because I haven't been there in two years. Terrence wrote to me saying that the barbarians had calmed down for now with their pillaging and that I shouldn't be worried. But I was worried. The basilisk man was still down in our dungeons. He hadn't said a word about anything. My father had multiple interrogation sessions and still nothing.

I packed my dress for the ball away carefully so it wouldn't ruin. The dress I wore now was a plain and simple dark green traveling dress. I placed the gift that we got for him in with the dress and let everyone know that it was a trunk to be careful with.

I had also packed durable clothes to help out in the kitchens if necessary. Everyone at the palace knew how much I enjoyed helping and wouldn't complain when I did.

All of our things were loaded in a carriage that my mother would be riding in. My father and I both preferred to stay on horseback instead of jostling in a carriage. Sterling was now bigger and stable enough for me to ride him. He was a little uneasy on the bit, but he was so much fun to ride.

I mounted Sterling and my father waved goodbye to Chris and I waved at the staff. We were well on our way and would be in Hern for the evening.

oOo

Terrence was waiting for us with James and Louise at the front of the palace. He helped me down from the saddle and gave me a quick smile before helping my mother out from the carriage. Daisy walked right up to him and licked his hand, her tail wagging so fast it looked invisible.

I ran my fingers through my hair before braiding it as best I could. Terrence shot me a wink and a smile as we headed into the palace.

As usual I had the room that was closest to his. He was rubbing Daisy's ears playfully as he watched me look at the room. It was covered in my favourite colours, green and gold, where as it used to be an ugly maroon and brown. I looked at him and crossed my arms.

"Did you have them decorate the room like this just for me?"

Terrence shrugged and walked towards me. "These colours suit you. Since your hair is like gold and your eyes are green." He smiled and tugged on my braid. "I'll leave you alone to rest." He placed his hand on the door handle and turned to look at me with a smirk. "I can't wait to see you in your dress for the ball. I heard from your mother that it's quite the eye catcher." He winked and shut the door gently.

I couldn't voice a response and just watched him leave the room and close the door behind him, leaving me with reddened cheeks.