Royal Love

Chapter 7

   I feel into the kiss. When he pulled away though I sprang back realizing what I just did. "No we can't.... we can't do this. I'm engaged!"

   He grinned. "You were just crying about that, and you said yourself that you don't want to marry him."

   "Of course I did! I may not want to but my father wants me to I have to obey his orders. If he wants me to marry the Duke of Spain, then I will. Its what I must do for him and my country."

   Prince Henry looked down at me. "That kiss said something else."

  "Well it doesn't matter."

   He reached out and pulled me into him. "Is that what you want?"

   "Of course not."

   He turned me toward him, and lifted my chin so that he could kiss me again, and again I didn't pull away. When the kiss broke, I couldn't help but whisper. "I barely know you."

   He lifted me in his arms and spun me around a couple of times. "Does it matter? You know me more than you know him," he said as he set me back down on my feet.

   "Are you trying to prove something?"

   "Yes. I'm better to kiss when you barely know me."

   Just  then the grandfather clock chimed tell us it was midnight. "You have to go. If my father was to catch us...." I didn't finish the sentence, I think he got the  message.

   "Yes."

   Before he left I called after him. "When will we see each other again Prince Henry? Are you not leaving to go home soon?"

   He turned around and gave me that amazing smile again. "Henry. Call me Henry. I will send a letter telling my father I am staying longer. Before it reaches him and he writes back, we would have had enough time to come up with a plan." With that he left and I was alone in the library.

   I touched my lips and smiled. I walked around the library for a while longer then retreated to my chambers. My ladies helped me out of my dress, and I couldn't stop thinking about the way Henry's hand had felt on my back.

   Once in my nightgown I dismissed my ladies and sat before my mirror brushing my hair.  My eyes were still red from the tears I had shed earlier that night, but if my ladies had noticed they didn't say anything.  I set the brush down and opened the letter from my mother. I read it over again.

     My dearest Sarah,

     I'm sorry to have left you. You are sixteen now, you are a lady. You''ve been the lady of the house for a while, but a lady is able to be married. Your father will make arrangements. My advice though my dear daughter is: if you fall in love worth someone else before you are to be married, marry the one you love.
   I'm sorry I won't be there for your wedding or your sisters'. if you fall in love I would help you fight your father, because I won't be there for you, you must fight him on the subject. If you run out of options show him this letter, he could then see that I would want you to marry the love of your life.
   Sarah I must ask one more thing of you. I have placed more letters for your sisters in a basket on the table in the back. On their sixteenth birthdays give them the letters, but never before. There are two other letters in the basket. One is for your husband, I hope he is a man of honor with or with out a title, you are not to read this letter only him on your wedding night. The other is for you on your wedding.                                                                                                                                                                                                        You must also have a ball on the following night of your birthday. You will still be in mourning, but I have written to your father and have asked that he allows it.
   Sarah you and your sisters are ladies. You are all princesses. Always remember this. Also the library is to stay open.             

                                                                                                              Sincerely,

                                                                                                Queen Sarah Victoria Danielsen

   Marry the one you love. That was all I could think about as a slid in to bed. Did I love Henry? Is he the one I should marry? Father said he had made an arrangement. Was he getting something out of my marriage to the Duke? My mother said to fight him on it and that if I needed to I should show him this letter. What if he still didn't change his mind?

   Each time a new thought appeared in my head my fears grew. My mother loved us. My father on the other hand. If he loved us he didn't show it. I was able to have the ball because of my mother. He only let me open the library because mother wanted it.

   I gave up and blew out the candle, then I fell asleep.