The adventures of Princess Annie

Chapter 13

The adventures of Princess Annie - Chapter 13

On the way back to the Royal palace, Annie kept thinking about her conversation with the Marquis. When she had seen the Duke of DarkWaters, something inside had pushed her to investigate the man further. She distrusted him, sure, but it was more than that. However, the more she thought about it, the more frightened she was that somebody would get hurt because of her actions. Hadn't she caused enough pain and death already? Sometimes she wished she could live a live without complications, but then again, whose life was uncomplicated? No, the fact that she was a Princess didn't mean she could live a shelter life, on the contrary, she took her title as a mark of her responsibility towards the safety of the people in the Kingdom. Furthermore, she was a Gifted One, and as such, she had abilities that couldn't be forgotten. 

The only thing that made her feel better was that Lady Layla had invited her to spend a couple of weeks  with her at the Duke of Amberville's palace. That was a nice thing to look forward to. She knew Layla had a good heart, though she didn't know her well enough. Spending time with her could help her. They'd talk about the Duke of DarkWaters, but they would also find time to talk about life in general. She liked the idea. She could sense the wisdom on the young woman's soul and she was eager to learn from her. Maybe they could even become friends! Oh how she wished she had more female friends.

At her arrival, she stayed in her room until dinner time. When she finally reunited with her family, she told them about the ball and about her plans of spending sometime with Layla at her place. The King and Queen thought it was a wonderful idea. James was also very happy for her, though he'd miss her. When she went to bed, she thought about Marianne. Had she been able to convince her parents? Maybe she should pay her a visit before going to Layla's.

...

After a couple of days of preparations, the Princess took a carriage and went on another trip. People often talked about how she traveled, but Annie didn't care. This trip was important. She arrived at Marianne's place at dawn and was greeted with the utmost respect and formality. The Count and Countess of Sunshire were happy and proud to have a member of the Royal family with them. They obviously cared a lot about what people thought about them. During dinner, Annie learned that Marianne hadn't been able to persuade her parents to let her follow her dream, so before resting for the night, she spoke in private with the lady.

- Marianne, do you still wish to become the administrator of the orphanage?

- Yes, your Highness, more than anything in the world.

- And is your governess still willing to come with you?

- Yes, she's a lovely woman and says that she will follow me anywhere. Besides she loves children, she likes the idea very much.

- Then, I must ask you to trust me. Marianne, tomorrow we will go to the orphanage. I will make a speech. You must follow my lead, do you trust me?

- Of course your Highness, but what will you do?

Annie smiled, her eyes shinning.

- It's better if you don't know yet.

Marianne nodded, clearly intrigued.

....

The next day, Annie praised the Count and Countess about their charitable work helping the orphans. Everybody knew how much Annie cared about children, so of course, the couple was all smiles. When she proposed to go to the "Rain drops" orphanage, the Count seemed worried, he didn't like the idea, but after some words from the Princess, she couldn't deny her.

The trip to the orphanage wasn't short. It lasted almost a day, so they left the following day at dawn and decided to stop at the palace of the Duchess of Canterville. The Countess was quite unwilling to go, but obeyed her husband nonetheless. When they arrived at the Duchess's place, they were welcome with warm hugs. They ate quickly and went to rest. The only ones who stayed up until late was Annie and the Duchess.