prince(ss)

chapter one

james was lost in thought as he brushed his hair. he jumped and dropped his brush as a fist pounded on the wooden door keeping people out of his safe place.

"come in, anna." he replied and returned his brush to the dresser in front of him.

his maid entered with his dress for the day, closing the door behind her.

"morning." anna said shyly, helping him up and taking his bed clothes off.

"thank you, anna." he said as she slipped on his petticoat and the simple off-white dress, tying the brown leather corset tightly under his breasts.

she then helped him get his stockings and boots on and took his bed clothes and night-old sheets away to wash.

he sighed and put his hair into tight french braids, putting ribbons on each, smoothing his dress. "guess i'm ready..."

he opened his door again and then shut it, walking down the hall and the stairs into the dining hall to join his mother, his father, and the other two women his father had married.

his brother soon sat next to him as he stared at his food and listened to their conversations.

"jane, i will be taking a trip to molly soon. please keep my children in line." the king, his father, nodded at his mother. "especially leela."

jane nodded and ate her food quietly.

"leela!" eric snapped as he watched him stare at his food. "eat! you'll need the energy to pick a suitor."

mikey nudged james from his trance. "yes, papa." he said as he started to eat the food on the silver plate.

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anna helped james into the carriage after his mother kissed him goodbye.

"leela, bring back a nice prince." jane waved and blew a kiss, the driver clucking at the horses as they trotted away.

"anna, must i choose a suitor?" james said quietly, looking quite sad.

"yes, james. i'm sorry." anna sighed, fixing his braids.

"you're the only one who understands me. if i can't take you with me, i'm not getting married." james huffed, resting his head on her breasts as she leaned back against the window.

"i know, darling. you'll find a prince who will understand..." she replied, playing with the ends of his braids as he drifted to sleep on her lap.

————

"wake up, james. we're at the fields." anna shook him awake, fixing his braids and his dress and helping him from the carriage.

"your suitors are here and getting ready... the horses are tacked and we will start competing soon." a lady said as james stepped into the arena.

he huffed and went to sit in his seat, waving his hand for them to begin. "just start. bring me the first one."

a small, fat young man walked up to the seats and he bowed. "hey, leela. lookin' good today." he smirked, laughing before coughing into his hands.

james scrunched his nose in disgust. "next."

a few suitors later and they were on the last private meeting before the games.

a tall, blonde boy walked up to him and bowed, taking his hand in his own and kissing it gently. "i'm samuel. nice to meet you. james, correct?"

james blushed and nodded. "yes, i am james..." anna smiled at her best friend and nudged him.

"um, go get your horse and we will begin the competitions. first is, um, jumping." he coughed into his elbow and tried to hide his blush as samuel nodded and walked away after winking to him.

"ooh, i think we found a potential suitor." anna teased, watching some of the palace servants set up jumps around the arena.

"first is..." anna glanced at her paper. "ken from the east!"

the small fat boy trotted out on his horse, the horse equally as large. the horse knocked all of the poles on the first jump and refused the second.

james put his hand to his mouth, trying to contain his laughter and waved to anna. "next."

anna waved ken off and called the next one, a buff man riding in on a tall horse.

he was decent but he kept hitting his horse with a crop and james stood.

"hey!" he shouted and stomped towards the horse and rider.

he snatched the crop from the man, tugging him off the horse and hit him across the face with the crop.

"get out, and leave the horse." he growled as anna called in the last rider, samuel.

he clucked to his horse, and when he refused one of the jumps he just circled and put more leg on, jumping the rest of the course flawlessly.

"anna, the rest can leave. i've found my prince."

anna nodded and whispered to a guard who walked off to tell the others. samuel trotted up to anna and james and got off his horse.

"since i see you love animals, ride my steed. her name is luna." samuel smiled and helped james onto the horse, him adjusting his dress and smiling.

he clicked and jumped samuel's horse over everything twice, smiling as luna whinnied as they stopped.

"she's beautiful..." james sighed.

"she's yours." samuel replied, helping james to the ground.

"samuel, i already have a horse from another suitor... granted i took him." james laughed and blushed.

"james. take her, i have many others." samuel said firmly.

james huffed, "fine. anna, will you help us into the carriage? you can take luna for a ride home, hm?" james nodded to his maid.

"sure, james. come on, then."

"my parents will love you, samuel. i promise."