Red & White

three.

Harry was kept busy with his studies after that day in the village when he spotted a girl around his age dressed in dirty rags that dramatically contrasted to her clean, fresh face. But she wasn't swirling around his mind. It wasn't like that. He was, however, confused as to why he's never seen her before. Harry sees everyone. When attending classy balls, or riding his stallion through the thick forests, he sees people.  

They always professionally greet him as any peasant to a prince would. This sought out as a greeting and a bow. Harry personally was quite sick of it- being bowed to-but he had to endure it whether he liked it or not. 

Harry was most definitely unlike princes before him. He never liked to dress in the extremely uncomfortable and itchy clothing picked out for him. He didn't sit long on his throne next to his mother and father at balls and parties, for he'd rather be up and dancing. And Harry, dear Harry, absolutely hated having girls thrown at him every which way. His mother, the queen, was generally the cause of this. 

Queen Anne knew from her experience with King Robin that all male royalty must find a suitable wife early in their lives. Most were expected to be married by the age of twenty. Harry was twenty-one. Exceeding the average age expectancy, Queen Anne took every chance she had to fling willing ladies of the village his way. It happened everywhere, as well. He never got a break from these swooning women and Harry knew very well that his mother's constant nagging was not going to stop until he found himself a lady appropriately around the same age as he that he could effortlessly marry whether he genuinely fancied or not. Harry didn't have to like the girl. And he surely didn't have to love her. This is just the society he lived in.  

This was his mission, then. Now all he had to do was find a girl.

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Leah Bates stared outside the cracked window of her secluded part of the crumbling house. She didn't refer to the space as a bedroom because frankly, it wasn't. There were four worn out pillows that her and her family slept on each night, away from the ancient, crooked kitchen. And everything was coated in dusty cobwebs.  

She wondered why every night these soldiers marched along the dirty road, passing her home. Why do they continue to do this? Leah wondered. How much longer will they march by?

The next morning, Leah awoke on the ratted pillow to see that her siblings and mother were already awake. She rose from the cushion, combing her fingers through her matted hair.  

Today, like all of the others, was a day spent in the town square selling produce. As the eldest Bates child dressed in her long gray skirt, washed-out white shirt, and an apron 'round the front, she pondered over the idea that maybe the royal family would pay a visit to the square again.  

She specifically remembered the way Prince Harry caught her eye while riding past. His sparkling green eyes had glistened in the shine of the sun and his chocolate colored curls slightly bounced upon his head as his horse galloped down the unpaved street. He was beautiful and every other maiden in the village thought the same. She wasn't any different than the others.  

"Leah are you almost ready to leave? Mum is allowing Ben and I to come join you," Cal's voice rung past the drapery barrier concealing her partially naked body.  

"Yes, I'm just about finished. Meet me outside, okay?" She called back, brushing her long, brown hair with the horsehair brush that she made.  

Leah heard her younger brother's footsteps skip outside and she checked for the second time that her apron was tied tightly around her small waist before drawing back the curtain.

The ride on her ratted bike with her siblings in the crate dragging behind was ordinary, like any other day. She kept thinking about the idea that when they arrived, the streets would be flooded with townsmen like before and she would be rewarded with the gift of glancing at the royal family. 

However, when Leah did peddle around the corner of a brick house and to the arch that welcomed you to the village square, there was barely anyone there. No one was gathered together, peeking over shoulders to see their rulers.  

Leah was disappointed, if she was being honest. How unique and cool it was to see the family the other day. But she kept her feelings inside, safe and sound in her mind and not out in the open for people to judge her for being too naive of such success of looking at these people.  

Leah and Ben and Cal set up their stand in only a few minutes and already she spotted the middle class arriving with their bundles of money tucked away in their jumpers secured from pickpocketers (something Ben and Cal have attempted doing before)

The early morning of selling went by smoothly. The three children scored some strong deals from the middle-class and stored away the coins into Leah's apron pocket for safe-keeping. On good days, they were able to buy corn and half a chicken for meals for themselves. On bad days, let's just say the Bates family didn't eat much.  

As the eldest child handed an elderly woman her selection of newly purchased produce, she curiously glanced up to the surrounding village square when it went silent. Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. Crowds of townspeople suddenly burst from behind their stands, dashing on the cobbled streets to the entrance of the square.  

"Oh my, he's here," the woman clad in a nice wool coat Leah was jealous of, muttered under her breath.  

"Who's here?" She anxiously asked of her, standing on her toes to gain leverage of her eyesight. 

"The prince, he's been spotted." 

Leah felt her heart flip in excitement. He was here. Again, the prince of England was meters away, hidden behind the bustling crowd wanting to shake his hand and introduce themselves. 

Ben and Cal who sprinted away from their sisters seconds ago waved to her from the growing crowd, pointing with wide grins. They must see him. 

Leah knew she couldn't leave the stand, no matter who it was entering the village. All of their earned money could be stolen. So she stood her ground, but it was hard. 

She looked over the heads of men and women in search of a stallion that the prince would most likely be riding. But there was none.  

It was then, as she watched the sea of nobles and children part in half, Leah laid her eyes -yet again- on the Prince of England. And what a sight to see.

He was magnificent, absolutely stunning. And it seemed like he was walking her way.