Jane awoke with a booming headache which made her scrunch up her eyes in pain. She moaned and rolled over to bury her head into the pillow to eliminate any light in the room. Although, when she took a big drowsy breath in, her nose was filled with a masculine smell so familiar that it made her smile. It smelled like a mix of a musky sea breeze and the depths of the forests. The places which Jane loved most.
But wait... This isn't my room... He had carried me here last night instead of my own room. Jane thought as the drunken nights' events came back to her.
She remembered the man. Lord Redire... Peta was his name. Then as soon as he had left she felt worse, and then there was Alex, to pick her up when she fell. Then she came to this room... his room, and the feeling of his hips on hers and the way his hand molded themselves around her protectively, as he guided kisses along her neck again. Jane's cheeks started to glow red at the thought of her being so confident in her actions. But even now, the hangover having been pushed to the back of her mind by the thought of Alex, she wanted to be near him. Have him hold her like that again.
She forcefully opened her eyes, which rejected the light so strongly, and looked across the bed in search of Alex. But he wasn't there. Her heart started thudding loudly, and her stomach dropped. He had left her last night. He hadn't slept next to her as Jane had thought he had.
Jane understood now what Alex must have been feeling when it was her who had pulled away in the moment they had shared at the rocks only a week ago. It felt like rejection, but most of all she was embarrassed.
Why would he like me? I am, after all, only a peasant girl and he is almost king.
The realization of it all hit her like a ton of bricks.
I had practically thrown myself onto him, Jane thought with sickening dread.
She pushed her legs out of the warm bed and stood up, obliviously knocking something off the table beside her. She walked over to retrieve her shoes and sneaked out the door, her head booming loudly.
Even though she had slept well, her eyes and head felt heavy on her shoulders and even closing her eyes for a second lessened the headache. She had to sleep this off before she did anything else today.
"Oh, you are up already Lady Jane, should I retrieve you some breakfast?" Minnie's active voice bounded around her head like a boomerang from behind her.
Jane turned around slowly, knowing that any fast movements would make everything hurt and spin ten times more. She straightened her posture before answering.
"I am afraid I am not feeling entirely well this morning Minnie, I think I must have a cold coming on."
Minnie had to try very hard to hide her smile as Jane lied about what was wrong with her. Minnie had been with Alex as he carried her up to his room.
"Oh, that is most unfortunate. Perhaps you should sleep it off, I will wake you up again later on with some lunch." Minnie said, taking the young woman's shoulders and guiding her towards Janes room.
"Thank you, Minnie, and please don't alarm Queen Lily, I am sure a nap will do me just fine," Jane said as Minnie tucked her into her own bed.
"Don't you worry about a thing my Lady, just you sleep off this cold." Minnie winked cheekily at Jane, who only managed a slight huff before closing her eyes and immediately nodding back to sleep.
Minnie looked down at the resting Jane and smiled again.
She really just radiated beauty. Minnie thought to herself.
She remembered the day Jane arrived at the castle as if it was yesterday. The littles girls emerald eyes were wide with sadness but illuminated something Minnie could not even explain. Something was hidden behind those eyes that Minnie had been trying to figure out ever since she introduced herself.
Jane was shy, almost reclusive in her first weeks in the castle. She mostly just stayed in her room or in the library. That was until Alex came along...
Oh how beautifully paired they were. Minnie sighed happily at the memory. The first time she had seen Jane and Alex together was like something out of a fairytale. He followed her around like a little puppy, his eyes carefully watching everything she did with such admiration and love. Yet, she wouldn't have come out of her shell if it wasn't for him. They both relied on each other in different ways.
But the best thing of all is that Minnie had watched them both grow into young, strong-minded adults, and had been gifted with being able to watch their love for each other grow into something stronger.
Yet, seeing Jane sneak out of Alex's room was something different. Jane had held sadness but also anger in her eyes which is not what Minnie expected after them being together last night. It made Minnie wonder what had happened.
Alex had to get up early this morning to practice for the tournament next week. It was the tradition that the royal men, above the age of eighteen, took part in at least one sport in the tournament. For the King, it was always sword combat. As for Alex, however, he found his thrill in jousting, ever since he was young. This was his first chance to show off his talent in front of his future people.
Minne was as proud of Alex as if he were her own child. She saw him this very morning and beamed his gorgeous smile as if it had never been lost for the last week. He had come down to the kitchen to receive some early breakfast where Minnie was eating hers, and practically flew her around the kitchen ecstatically when she asked how he had slept. Anyone could see how happy Jane made Alex.
"Minnie, Lady Charlotte has awoken and would like to get ready for the day." The young maid said from the doorway of Janes room.
Minnie could only sigh. It wasn't as if Minnie disliked Charlotte, it was just that she loved Alex and Jane so much more, and Charlotte always had a slight darkness which lurked behind her dark eyes which unnerved Minnie somewhat, even though the little lady was only thirteen.
She nodded at the maid who scurried away immediately after. Minnie stroked Janes beautifully soft hair, some part of her was sad at how fast she had grown up, but a greater part was proud of who she was growing up to be.
"Sleep well, My Lady," Minnie whispered softly before closing Janes bedroom door behind her.
YOU ARE READING
Hidden
Teen Fiction"Look for her where you least expect, for she will be the downfall of the Human Reign." Jane is in search of herself. What her life was like. Having been adopted into the Royal Castle after a war with invaders, Jane grows more and more curious about...
