Love Stories

Chapter Three

Dinner passed quickly with so many people talking and laughing over good food. The king was a kind man and accepted her with a nod and a few words of welcome. He didn't take part much in the conversation going around the table but he smiled and laughed with the rest. Leah didn't take part much either, she only talked if it was to answer a question and not too many were asked in her direction.

                Dessert came in silver buckets like Keldan had told her. And the tradition was the same as well, but after that everyone retired to their rooms. Leah didn't talk much to Keldan that night but went straight to bed, tired from the day's events and the journey.

                The next day was filled to the brim, Aisley and Arlette walked her through part of the garden and then they went on a ride through another part of it with all the princes and Keldan. It seemed to Leah like the garden was neverending and she liked every part of it that she saw, though there were few large trees which disappointed her. During that ride it seemed that everyone had something to say and while Torr and Brun raced each other to the nearest tree on a bet Leah had a pleasant conversation with Cyril.

                He asked a lot of questions about Ellora and Keldan, seemingly interesting in finding ways to startle him into emitting a girly scream he had once heard before. Leah helped all she could, just as fascinated in hearing the sound Cyril described to her as a mixture of a mouse's squeak and a hawk's screech as he was. When Torr lost the bet they returned to the stable and went their seperate ways to get ready for a lunch in the garden. It seemed that everything would be done in gardens that day. Leah participated in the lunch more than she had the dinner the evening before. She was starting to feel more comfortable among the group. They were all friendly and Leah knew why Keldan liked visiting Runderin so much.

                The next week passed in much the same fashion, each day they did something exciting and went a different place. At least it was all different and new to Leah. She talked to just about every one of the Runderinian siblings, but found that she enjoyed Cyril's conversations the most. He liked to laugh and told many stories about the jokes he'd played on Keldan.

                By the end of the week, Leah was sure she never wanted to go back to Ellora and for more reasons than just liking the country and its people. She was starting to have a special liking for the youngest prince and was quite disappointed when he started telling her about Trina.

                "You'd like her," he said right off. "And she'd like you. Don't be offended, though, if we meet her, she's used to treating princesses like any other girl she meets. Everyone here is. But that's a good thing," he added quickly. "Nobody's treated bad."

                "I don't mind," Leah said. "I'm not used to being treated any different."

                The surprise on Cyril's face was so catching his horse almost looked surprised. "I thought in Ellora a princess was better than everybody else."

                Leah smiled. "It is that way," she agreed. "But I never go anywhere or do anything. If I walked onto the street no one would probably recognize me."

                Cyril frowned a little. "Well, Trina should be a princess. I'm not sure where she comes from, but it isn't anywhere shameful. Some people say we're all related, all of Runderin has a royal background, but that can't really be true. Some people marry outsiders, though I don't think a king has ever done it."

                "Lot's of Elloran queens marry a prince from a different country," Leah said. "It's for some reason like keeping the blood completely royal or something."