"I can't remember the last time I was up here." George's voice distracts me from my thoughts. We were up on the balcony that faced the south of Aystra, overlooking the little beach town and the ocean.
I look into his clear brown eyes with a nostalgic smile, leaning on the sandstone railing. "Yeah, our parents would never let us up here on our own."
"No children allowed on the balcony." He recalled. "Without a parent." He mimicked.
I laugh. "Do you remember when Mason would sneak us up here?"
His eyes light up in remembrance. "Yeah and we'd steal the python snakes from Debra's cupboard."
"Just so we could hide away from the never ending balls." I laugh. The balcony became our salvation from the greeting of people and compulsory dances our mothers made us do at every ball and party they threw.
The media liked to see little Prince George and little Princess Anna together at any occasion possible, and our parents liked the positive media attention. We didn't.
"Like your 14th birthday. I snuck down into the ballroom to sneak you up a present." He recalls. "And then my father caught me in the act, and assumed I was stealing one of your birthday presents for myself."
I let out a hysterical laugh. I forgot about that. "And you didn't tell him the truth because I didn't want anyone to know where I had disappeared to." I pause. "Did I ever thank you for that?"
His smile softens. "I knew you were thankful."
My smile starts to drop as I realise how oblivious I had been to what George had done for me in the past. Much like his parents, he had done a lot for me. And I never seemed to take much notice.
Even though we weren't in a room for an elephant to be in, there was definitely an elephant like presence in the air. We hadn't spoken one on one about the engagement. In fact, it was barely mentioned throughout the dinner last night at all.
With the engagement ball 1 night away where our big announcement would take place, my mother decided she would invite George to stay with us until then so that we can, in her words, 'bond'.
So now, I am 'bonding' with my future husband. And it would be otherwise going great if I could just focus for one second on him and not get lost in my thoughts. But I have been failing miserably.
The sun was sitting high in the sky, bringing warmth across my skin. My long sleeve shirt was beginning to make me feel overheated, but I couldn't let George know that. He had already questioned my choice of clothing previously in contrast to the warm day with suspicion.
The long sleeve shirt was my backup, there was no way he could see anything like he did last night. Or he'd ask questions, and I wasn't ready for questions. My hand clutches my forearm with the wound like security.
The only thing echoing in my hollow mind; some people do bad things for good reasons.
"Anna?" George waves his hand in front of my face catching my attention. There I go again. Lost in my thoughts.
"Hmm?" I meet his sparkling eyes. His concerned face softens.
"You never used to get this distracted." He ponders, his eyes looking out over the scenery.
"You're right. I'm sorry." I apologise, turning to face him. "What were you saying?"
He hesitates for a minute, wondering whether to continue talking or to begin interrogating me.
George goes for the former. "Your father invited me to his golf game with my Dad this afternoon." He says.
"He's probably just making sure you're fully prepared for what you're getting yourself into." I laugh.
YOU ARE READING
Damn Straight, Your Highness
Teen Fiction"Drop it." He said. "You drop yours." My voice wavered. The light glimmered on one side of his face, the rest engulfed with darkness. Somewhere behind the barrel of his gun, I could see the pain in his eyes, the betrayal. I was on the verge of tea...
