Love Untouched

Inevitable and Inescapable

            It’s late in the afternoon, and Aber is busy at work on the farm. Often times, he finds himself looking back at where he and Bellezza sat in front of the white cross not two days ago. His mind will not let him forget that moment. It was a moment of sadness, yes, but it was also one of great beauty and understanding. As soon as his eyes had seen her crying with such ferocity, he didn’t want to think or hesitate. All that was running through his mind was her. He knew that he had to comfort her and he could not watch from the farm as she cried. His princess had allowed him to be there for her in her most vulnerable state. It is that moment that he will never forget- that he doesn’t want to forget.

            Even though that he is working at a much slower pace today, Abernathy doesn’t notice when the princess approaches the fence. It is Jag who taps his shoulder and alerts him of her presence. When the young boy looks up, a grin breaks across his face. She offers him her hand and, with a slight frown, he shakes his head no.

            “I have to work, my princess,” he says quickly, tightening his grip on the shovel in his hands.

            At this, she smiles. “No, you don’t. I am the princess and if I want you to come with me, all work is forgotten until I say otherwise.” Again, she offers him her hand. This time, with a smile, Abernathy takes her small hand in his and leaves the farm with her.

            “You want me to finish all of this myself?” he hears Jag yell.

            Bellezza laughs and turns toward the cranky farmer. “You can take the day off, James.” Not waiting to see his reaction, the princess speeds into the palace and drags her lover along for the ride. 

            Quickly, the two walk down a rather long corridor where the queen is waiting. Upon seeing Her Majesty near the end of their journey, Aber removes his hand from Bellezza’s and stops moving. His face is as red as tomatoes and excuses begin to ramble through his head while apologies are muttered from his mouth. With a light laugh, Bellezza kisses his cheek, sending his blush into more frenzy.

            “She knows,” the princess says as she reaches for his hand again. “She found out during Teddy’s anniversary.” Her eyes find the floor before locking with his. “I guess we weren’t has sneaky as we had hoped.”

            “You most certainly were not,” the queen confirms before giving each of them a soft smile. “Now, come with me. We don’t want your father to know of any of this.”

            They all continue down the hall until they stop at a large wooden door. Once inside, Vita locks the door and turns toward the twin bookshelves. Her eyes scan the books until she finds the one she wants. Slowly, she pulls the book away from the shelf to trigger the secret passage. The bookshelves slide apart to reveal another door adorned with a keypad instead of knob. Aber and Bellezza watch in awe as the queen punches in the code and waits to hear the tumblers as the door unlocks and slides over to reveal a hidden staircase.

            Vita turns to the couple and laughs at their shocked faces. “This is my private study,” she gestures to the once seemingly normal part of the room. “But this,” the queen turns her attention to the secret door, “is where I go when I need to get away. I am giving you permission to use this room to meet as often as you like.” The princess opens her mouth to abject but is silenced by her mother’s hand. “I know what it’s like to be in love and I know how hard it is not to be near each other. So this is where you may meet until we can find a way to deal with the situation of your father. Your secret cannot go on forever and right now, my king is not going to be able to tolerate your relationship.” She folds her hands in front of her and walks toward the door to exit the room. “Until I am sure that your father can handle this, you must continue your secret love. But be warned, my husband may be busy and it may seem that he doesn’t pay much attention but he does and he is by no means stupid.”