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The queen paces back and forth in front of her bed. Her heart is beating a mile a minute. In less than an hour Prince Jacovee will be arriving at the palace having accepting Bellezza’s proposal for tea.
“Do you think things will go well, my darling?” She stops to gaze at her husband with questioning eyes.
The king lowers his newspaper just enough to meet Vita’s worried gaze. “You have to stop worrying about these things.” He lifts the paper higher and begins to read. “Everything will be fine,” he adds.
She sighs.
Maybe he’s right. Maybe all of these fears are in my head.
Vita’s heart nearly jumps from her chest as the doorbell rings. She checks the clock and gasps as she stares at her husband who is engrossed in his newspaper.
“He’s early!” She cries.
After a swift knock, a young maid, Marie, opens the door. “Your Majesties,” she bows low. “Please excuse me for interrupting but Prince Jacovee is here.”
Vita nods once. “Of course, thank you Marie.” She waves her hands in the air. “Make sure the tea is put on and set up a table in the garden.”
The maid nods and closes the door behind her. Vita looks at her husband, still behind his paper. She sighs. “Let’s get this party started.”
***
As Marie begins to lead Jacovee to the garden, he taps her shoulder. She looks up startled by the boy’s strange hazel eyes. Not wanting him to see her staring, she quickly averts her attention to the floor.
Jacovee clears his throat. “So, how long have you been working here?” His voice is shaky as he speaks.
Why am I so nervous? Could it be that I am unsure of how my meeting with the princess will turn out? Or maybe it’s because of the girl beside me. She constantly hides her face behind thick curtains of brown hair as if she is trying very hard not to be seen. Maybe I’m nervous because I have the strangest urge to push this girl’s hair behind her small ears and stare at face she is trying desperately to hide.
“I’ve been here since I was young. I didn’t become a maid until I was thirteen.”
“So you know Princess Bellezza very well?”
The young girl has to stop herself from rolling her eyes.
I know that she’s a spoiled brat who only cares about herself. She runs maids like me around the house to do her bidding and never once does she show an ounce of gratitude. I wish I wasn’t working for such a pompous girl and if I had it my way I’d have poisoned her food a long time ago.
Choosing to ignore the prince’s question, Marie opens the doors to the garden where a small table sits in the flowers. A lace table cloth drapes over the side, complimenting the rose centerpiece. The maid looks up at the prince. “You’re table, milord,” she says before retreating into the palace.
Jacovee sits at the table but quickly stands when Bellezza enters the garden. The girl’s hair is loose and hanging past her shoulders in dark waves. She smiles softly and takes her seat as he pulls out her chair. After taking his seat across from the princess, the tea is served. A strange silence fills the air and Jacovee clasps his hands together under the table to stop them from shaking. He takes a deep breath and offers Bellezza a smile before speaking.
***
Jag bends down and begins pulling the weeds from the ground. Abernathy follows behind him as he picks the ripened vegetables. Jag stops and wipes the sweat from his brow. The sun is high in the sky and beats down on the young boys, heating the air without a cloud in the sky.
“Why is it so hot?” He asks Aber who is still picking the vegetables. But the boy is so engrossed in his work that he doesn’t hear the question. “Aber?”
He looks up. “Did you say something?”
“How can you stand this heat and still be so into the work?”
Aber shrugs. “I’m used to working in the sun.”
For the first time Jag notices the thousands of sun spots dotting the boy’s face and arms. Even underneath his hat his face is tanning to a golden brown. Jag rolls his eyes and pulls out a cigarette. He leans against a tall apple tree and sits in the shade. Abernathy looks up as Bellezza laughs in the garden just feet away. His chest suddenly feels tight as he watches the princess and a young man laugh and joke around. He approaches the fence separating the farm from the field of flowers. Jag notices the boy and laughs.
“You’ve got it bad,” he says between laughs.
Forced to break his gaze from Bellezza’s charming face, Aber looks questioningly at his friend. “What do you mean?”
He takes a long drag of his cigarette. “You’re watching her like a lost puppy,” he shrugs. “You like her.”
Aber looks at the dirt beneath his feet and back at the princess before locking eyes with Jag. “That maybe so but look at me,” he sighs. “I don’t have a chance.”
After putting out his only source of happiness, Jag stands and claps his hand on Abernathy’s shoulder. “If you truly believe that then you have to stop gazing at her. But,” Jag walks toward the rest of weeded vegetables, “if you really like her, you won’t give up.”
Aber smiles and as Jag begins pulling more weeds, he calls over a gardener. She is planting flowers by the palace wall when she hears him calling her.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry to bother you but I have a request,” he says.
She nods and breaks into a smile when he tells her his plan. The woman grins and begins gathering what Abernathy needs.
***
Everyday Jacovee becomes more and more attractive to Princess Bellezza. He’s funny, kind, and a real gentleman.
I should be ecstatic. I have found a prince that fits all of the qualities I want in a guy. If everything goes well, I can be married soon and have my crown on my birthday. I should be very happy right now, but I’m not. Although Jacovee is charming and I find that I am attracted to him, my heart is leading me to someone else.
All throughout dinner, her mother and father talk about Jacovee. They tell her how good of a king he will be and how he enjoys interacting with his citizens. The king and queen go on about the prince, never noticing that Bellezza’s mind is on everything but Jacovee. After picking at her food she excuses herself and retires to bed. She opens the door to her room and finds a vase filled with bright tulips and calla lilies. The princess smiles softly, thinking that they’re from Jacovee. She slowly reads the card and her smile grows. The flowers aren’t from Jacovee- they’re from Abernathy.
To a princess more radiant than the sun
Bellezza smiles and tucks the card into her drawer. She walks to her balcony and leans over the side. She sees Abernathy on the farm. A shovel is resting on his shoulder as he wipes the sweat from his brow. The night is cool and the princess wraps her arms around herself to stay warm. She laughs when Aber begins to whistle a tune and walks cheerfully into the servants’ courters. Bellezza closes the balcony doors and retreats into bed.
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