Private Property

Long Nights

      A royal dinner at a castle should be amazing, but right now eating wasn’t on my mind. So as all the nobles talked about whose hair was the most fashionable and stuffed their faces full with bread and wine, I looked out the tiny window of the dinner room. I imagined I was a small robin that could just fly away at any second, I wouldn’t have to stay here anymore, I could be free. But the sound of the king’s voice snapped me out of my day dreams.

“And so son, I’m proud to present to you my gift,” the king said with pride. The prince lazily sipped on his wine, not really paying attention to his father. “Alex, will you please come here,” the king said; the prince looked up at the mention of my name. “This my son, is your new gift,” the king said gesturing to me. Niall choked on his drink. The other nobles stopped eating and turned to look at me. Some nodded and looked at Niall and others were displeased. I didn’t look at anyone, just at my window. How I longed to have wings…

“Father, you can’t be serious. I’m very flattered but-” the prince stuttered.

“But nothing. It’s my pleasure,” the king said with a skeptical smile. He crouched down by the prince and whispered something that I couldn’t understand. After a while, the prince started to smirk, making me nervous. Obviously they were talking about me, but I couldn’t tell what it was. After they were finished, the prince got up and approached me.

“Come with me,” he said blankly, not even looking at me. He grabbed my arm and lead me out the big oak doors. He then turned a corner and lead me down a narrow hallway. After a while he came to a door. He reached out his hand to grasp the bronze door knob, but before he did he turned to me.

“I’m sorry about the way I acted earlier, I was being a jerk. I really hope we can start over,” he said smirking. I can’t believe this, is this some sort of sick joke?

“I promise you it’s not,” he said sincerely. Did I just say that out loud?

“Umm, yes you did,” he said giving me an odd look. I decided just to shut my mouth and murmured an okay for the whole “start over” thing. I looked down at my shoes and glanced back up to find him staring at me. I avoided his bright blue eyes that were the shade of the sky and continued to look down at my feet. He finally snapped out of his trance and opened up the door. I gasped when I saw the huge room in front of me.

“This is… wow…-”I said amazed by the tall ceiling and the huge bed. You could have fit like ten people in that thing!

“Yes I know its a little small, but-” I looked at the prince with my mouth open to find him smirking.

“Whatever,” I said smiling. That was the first time I’ve smiled in a LONG time. He smiled back and jumped on his bed. Hold on a minute- where… where’s my bed? He saw the confusion and his face grew a little darker.

“You’ll just have to sleep here, I guess,” he said smirking. I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes.

“I’d rather sleep on the floor,” I said looking him dead in the eye. There was no way I am sleeping in the same bed with a man I’m not married to. I do have some rules and that’s to follow basic traditions and even if I don’t look like a lady, I’ll do my best to act like one.

“You’ll do what I say or you can go back to the dungeon,” he said.

“I would gladly go back to the dungeon than sleep in the same bed as you,” I said with venom dripping from my words. His face got really red and his face contorted in anger. He stood up from the bed with his fists clenched. Okay, I can admit I’m a little scared now...

“I will order for your friends to be killed and you will have no one left!!! Do you understand? I will make you watch as they breathe their last breath knowing that you killed them!” He shouted at me. I ran to the door and tried to open it. It was locked so I leaned against it and sat down on the floor. I put my head between my knees and sobbed. I heard him walk towards me and stop right in front of my feet.