Red & White

four.

And then he turned. Completely shifted his direction. Prince Harry was seconds ago staring at Leah, captivating her gaze, and now he was talking to a man who appeared as if he were to faint any moment now. The beads of nervous sweat trickling down his forehead was absurdly noticeable.   

Leah sulked backwards, watching the handsome man shake hands with various people as he slowly strolled down the brick pavement. His chocolate curls were pushed up upon his head and Leah admired the way his tongue dangerously slow licked his lips as he conversed. His shirt contrasted to the usual frilly clothing which made her believe he picked out his outfit for the morning.  

Prince Harry bent down to his knees, his tight black pants squeezing his thighs as he grinned at a little girl with a yellow dress on. Leah was shocked when Harry outstretched his arms for the toddler to hug him. She did and the cutest smile arose on her rosy cheeks.  

The eldest Bates child diverted her attention to her stand, being the only person in this entire village to not be drooling over the prince at this moment. She fixed a few stray apples in one crate and replaced some ears of corn that were bought.  

And then for the second time in a matter of ten minutes, the square fell silent. Leah wondered if Harry was leaving after a short visit to meet his people, but when she glanced up from her crouched position by a box of grains, all air in her small lungs was harshly whipped away.  

There, only about six meters away, was the Prince of England. And now, there was no way he couldn't be coming towards her.  

She shakily rose to her feet, brushing dirt off her ratted skirt. Boots clicked against the cobbled streets, leaving a trail. His eyes searched for hers and they were held hostage as everyone around them judgingly peered at them.  

"Good morning," Harry courteously nodded when he was stood in front of her wooden stand.  

Leah quickly curtsied, but her eyes somehow remained on his stunning green ones. 

"Hello, your highness," she spoke softly, afraid of talking too loud.  

The prince sighed. He never liked people referring to him as that but it was custom.  

"You have a lovely stand," Harry commented, smirking to himself at her flustered reaction. 

"T-Thank you, your highness."  

His large hands reached out to a fresh, red apple. He held it in his palm, making the fruit seem minuscule.  

"Do you mind?" He questioned, gesturing to the apple. 

Leah shook her head with wide eyes. She couldn't believe he was actually talking to her as if she wasn't a peasant.  

"What's your name, love?" Harry continued after taking a bite of the juicy fruit. 

"Leah Bates," she answered with as much strength as possible. 

The prince shifted on his feet and her attention flickered to her brothers down the street excitedly jumping up and down at the sight of seeing their older sister talking to royalty.  

"I saw you the other day while I was riding," he casually noted, regaining her nervous gaze. She stayed silent. "I've never seen you before."  

This left the two polar opposite people both confused. She wondered why he just now began riding through this part of the village with his family and he wondered why he's never spotted her before.  

"Oh..I'm not sure why," Leah trailed off in a mere whisper. She looked to her toes and wiggled them around, trying to calm the beating of her heart. Her fingers fumbled together.  

"So, Miss. Bates, where do you live in my kingdom?" Harry formally asked with a smile tugging at his friendly lips. Before Leah could reply--after taking her a moment, that would be-- her two siblings were rushing up to the royal and the peasant. They stood on either side of the prince and his guards who were positioned a few meters away for respectful distance hesitated to move closer.  

"Hello, there," Prince Harry kindly greeted the boys, "who may you two be?"

"They're my little brothers, I apologize your highness," she unveiled from behind the wooden stand to retrieve her pesky siblings, but paused when she realized how close she was to the royal. This was definitely the better suppertime story.  

"That's quite alright. What are your names?"

Leah snatched the hands of the two boys who were wide-eyed at the prince who just asked of their names.  

"I'm Ben and this is my twin, Cal." 

"Well, it was lovely to meet you lot. Hopefully we can chat some other time, but I really must be off. Have a nice day," Harry grinned and looked back up to Leah. He nodded at her with something she couldn't decipher hidden behind his green eyes. And then, just like that, the prince was off again back down the cobbled streets with the guards trailing behind.  

What a day, Leah thought to herself as she reprimanded Ben and Cal for disrupting the prince, stating that it was disrespectful. 

In the back of her pretty mind, though, the Bates child couldn't help but to think that maybe this wasn't the last time she would have a one-on-one chat with the Prince of England.