When I woke, I spent a long time picking out the perfect dress. I still wasn't tired of wearing a fancy dress everyday.
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Since it was only six in the morning, and knowing James would still be asleep, I didn't go to James's room to see him. Instead, I grabbed one of my favorite books and walked around the back of the castle to the gardens. It was beautiful. I walked for a little while and then sat beneath a willow tree. It wasn't just a willow tree, it was my willow tree. There was a bench hidden under it's flowing branches. To anyone else, it looked just like any of the other willows, but I could tell. Before my parents died, we would sit under the tree together and my parents would tell stories to my sisters and I or we would play a game. It was the only thing I really remembered about my parents. Deciding that James would be awake by now and waiting for me at breakfast, I closed my book and emerged from my tree, walking back to the castle. I heard a rustling and peeked underneath another willow tree. Anthony was there. "Oh, hi." I said politely, apologizing and turning to leave. "Ro, we really need to talk" he said, walking towards me. Ro was his nickname for me. Or at least it was when we were dating. I didn't want him to call me that though. We weren't dating. I wasn't his. I didn't love him. "What do you want?" I asked. "Ro, I still love you." He said. I was shocked. Was he so delusional that he thought I still liked him? After everything he did to me? And besides that, I was engaged to the love of my life. I was not leaving James, especially not for this scumbag. "Maybe you should have thought of that before you cheated on me." I said, clutching my book tightly to hold back my anger. Before I did anything stupid, I tried to turn away again to leave. "I'm sorry." He said. Really, sorry? That's it. "Sorry doesn't fix it and besides we are over. I'm in love with James and that will never change. I never really loved you." I said. He stepped towards me. "Come on, don't you feel our connection?" He asked, touching my arm. I tried again to leave, but before I could, he grabbed my head and kissed me. I jerked back from him and smacked him across the face with my book. And it was a heavy book. He stumbled back. "How dare you!" I yelled. "Never ever touch me ever again, or I swear I will hurt you so bad you can't walk!" I shouted as I smacked him with my book again. He fell onto the ground. I then kicked him and ran back to the castle, still in shock.
I ran through the palace doors. I hurried into the dining room to find James eating his breakfast. He saw my frantic look and quickly asked what was wrong. I explained everything to him. He looked so mad by the end of it. "Where is he?" He asked, his arms flexing with anger. "No, don't hurt him." I said, even though I had hit him really hard with my book. "I'm not going to let him treat you like that." He said looking deep into my eyes. Without waiting for an answer, he hurried out the doors to the garden to go find Anthony. James would do anything for me. I knew there was no stopping him.
James never told me what he said or did to Anthony, but I could imagine what happened. James was completely unharmed, though I imagine Anthony can't say the same. James is also much taller and stronger than him. Not to mention much more handsome. I truly loved him. He made me feel beautiful and special. He made me feel safe, happy, and I was me when I was around him.
At dinner, I saw the other end of the fight. Anthony limped in with a black eye. When his father asked what happened, he came up with some reasonable story, but I knew it wasn't true. James wasn't a bully, but he would do anything to protect me.
At one point, Anthony looked up at me from across the table. When I saw him, I glared and he turned back to his food, glowering.
