Hidden || Ed Sheeran

FOUR

"Sir," someone whispered in the princes ear as he slept. "Sir, you need to get up."

"What?" Ed slurred, slowly opening his eyes, only to be blinded by the bright sun shining though his open curtains.

"Your mother has sent me up here to wake you," Jane said, walking over to the prince.

"Right," he sighed, sitting up to stretch his tired muscles.

"You look like you haven't slept in ages," Jane commented, setting a small tray of fruit next to the bed.

"That's probably because I haven't," Edward said, grabbing the plate off the table.

"Well, you better hurry, the princess is on her way," she said, walking towards the door.

"Wait, has her ship touched shore yet?" Ed asked, chewing on a piece of fruit.

"Yes, hours ago," Jane said, Prince Edward nearly choked on his food.

"What?!"

"Yes, she should be arriving anytime now," Jane sighed, "so I suggest you get yourself cleaned up and downstairs before your mother sends me back up."

"Why? What's the harm in coming back up here?" Prince Edward asked out of curiosity.

"Having to speak to you," Jane mumbled. To be honest, the prince was quite taken back by the comment, he had known Jane disliked him for some unknown reason, but her snappy comments caught him off guard.

"You know, you shouldn't speak to me like that, I am going to be your king," Ed told her.

"What are you going to do about it?" She asked, turning to walk back over to him, she stopped just inches from his face.

Ed opened his mouth, only to close it again when she started to speak.

"Kill me? Nah, you don't have the guts for that, pretty boy," Jane whispered in his ear, and with that, she turned around and left the room, slamming the door behind her and leaving a very dumbfounded prince behind.

***

"Why do you always have to send Jane into wake me, mother?" Ed asked Imogen as he entered the throne room.

"Because, she gets the job done," his mother said, not even looking up from the scroll she was reading as she spoke to him.

"Yes, very rudely," Prince Edward mumbled, picking at one of the wooded chairs he stood behind.

"But done none the less," Imogen snapped, "now stop your whining and go get cleaned up, Princess Audra should be here any moment."

"Why must I always dress like a prince, she has to marry me anyway, no matter how I look," Edward smirked, knowing this comment would anger his mother.

"Go get dressed, do not make me say it again," she said firmly.

"Alright, alright. Sorry mother," Prince Edward said, slowly turning to leave the room again. The halls were bustling with people this morning, anticipating the arrival of their future queen. They stopped what they were doing as the prince walked down the hall, silence fell over them as they bowed to him. All Prince Edward could do is smile and nod, he didn't want to disappoint his people, thats the last thing he wanted to do, he also didn't want to admit that he was probably the only one in the whole kingdom that wasn't excited about this princesses arrival.

He really didn't want to get married, he was scared to be with someone for the rest of his life, let alone someone he didn't love. To him, marriage was like being locked away, locked away from everything...like being stuck. That was Prince Edwards biggest fear, his nightmare.