The Blue Queen

Chapter 5

As promised, I wake up as the sun rises through the window. I stretch in bed and smile as the silk glides so smoothly over my skin. I get up and see a dress on the dresser ready for me. I get dressed in the soft light blue cotton and sit in front of the mirror for a few minutes trying to make myself as presentable as possible. I basically just wipe off all of my makeup. My appearance is not too bad and my hair has not spoiled, most likely due to the softness it has been in rather than the course bedspread I have at home. I walk out and a woman approaches me.

"His highness has just sat for breakfast." She says and motions for me to follow her. She takes me to a more intimate dining hall on the same floor as we are on and opens the door for me. I step inside and Harry stands, I smile at him and bow slightly before walking in to the table. He pulls out the chair beside him for me and I sit down.

"Did you sleep well?" He asks me.

"It was the best night sleep I have ever had." I say honestly. "An amazing evening ending in such a comfortable bed; it was heavenly." I say and smile. He laughs slightly and a blush forms on my cheeks already.

"What is so amusing?" I ask.

"Nothing, you just make me happy." He says, smiling widely at me. My heart flutters and he pours some tea for me. I take a sip and calm myself.

"Did you sleep well?" I ask.

"I did, for I dreamt of you." He says casually. I freeze for a second, only returning to reality when he laughs at me again. "You act as if you have never been complimented before." He says. I look at him and the laughter dies down. "Have you really never been complimented before?" He asks with a more serious and questioning tome. My thoughts instantly go to Abbán.

"I have, but I always thought they were jokes, at first anyway; I have never been complimented in the way you do, or by someone like you." I explain.

"You should be showered with compliments constantly; it is only natural for someone like you." He says. I look away as the fire on my cheeks rages on.

"Thank you." I say awkwardly. "How are my father and sister?" I ask him.

"Still asleep. When they wake up they will have breakfast in their rooms and I will get my carriage ready for you." He says as servants come with trays of assorted breakfast food. It feels so strange to have people serving me. We take some food and start eating.

"The food is wonderful, thank you." I say as a woman refills the teapot. She smiles slightly at me and walks away, bowing at me.

"You are so humble." Harry says as we are left alone.

"I'm not used to this attention, am I not supposed to say thank you?" I ask as I spread some jam on a scone.

"You can do what you like; it doesn't hurt to compliment people." Harry says, his eyes seem slightly lighter than last night, perhaps it is the light. "What do you do for fun?" He asks me, sipping tea as he sits back to observe me.

"I like to read if I have time." I say, sitting back slightly myself.

"You were reading a book last night, what was it?" He asks me.

"It was work from Paracelsus; the human body fascinates me, how it works, how it can falter and how to fix it." I say as my smile grows. "I tend to like fixing things." I add.

"I took you for more of a story book person." Harry says. "Sometimes you have a wishful look in your eyes, it just made me assume you would like to read those books." He says.

"I do read them and read them happily, however I find it difficult to detach myself from those books. I have a particular fondness for romance books but as that is not my path I focus on other things." I explain.