The Dark Prince

Chapter six

Hey guys :D

I know its been a while since I've updated this one :P But yeah.... Soppy cliche love stories are fun to write :P

Well! So here's Chapter Six :D Temme what you guys think :D

-x-

Anica fidgeted in her seat, stealing glances at him. Just a little while more, she told herself. Then she could go home. Then she could go home to Mark and Mom and Dad.

"So Anica," Drake said pulling her out of her thoughts. "Where would you like to go after breakfast?"

Anywhere but here, that's for sure.

"There's a rabbits pen in the back gardens of the castle. Do you like rabbits?"

Of course I do! She thought. They're rabbits! What kind of heartless creature doesn't like rabbits!

"Yeah. I like rabbits."

He gave her a half smile. Or whatever it was. Why did he have rabbits anyway? She thought.

Poor little creatures. Forced to live with this maniac.

She looked at him, quite disgusted. He wasn't looking at her for a change and was having a supposedly interesting conversation with Edrick.

How did he live with himself? Terrorizing his people, holding me hostage, drinking people's blood!

A few more days, she told herself, then I can go home. Then I can go home.

"Shall we?" Drake asked her, rising from his seat and extending his hand.

"Yeah." She replied, hesitating before taking his hand.

He let go of her hand with great reluctance, after helping her out of her seat.. She had small soft hands. He could hold them all day.

They walked in silence. A very awkward silence. She was reserved and avoided eye contact. He, on the other hand was not very good at conversation starters.

They were almost there. Anica could see the little wooden pen's just a few feet off. There were three wooden pen's arranged in a semicircle with a cushioned wooden bench in the centre next to which was a wooden dustbin like structure filled with carrots.

"Why do you keep rabbits?" She asked petting one of the rabbits.

"I like them." He said simply.

"And did Juliet like them?"

"I dont know. I never brought her here. She preferred to spend her time reading in the tree's."

"Which books did she read?" Did they have writers here?

"Romantic novel's. For some strange reason she enjoyed them. Do you?"

Anica could not help but smile. Maybe it was the rabbits. Or the fact that she loved soppy love stories. Or maybe, just maybe she was beginning to think that maybe she was wrong about Drake. Maybe he wasn't so bad. I mean he kept rabbits!

"I love cliche love stories. They're amazing fun."

"But you know how its going to end."

"So what. When you read a book. You, become the characters. You feel what they feel. Their happiness, their pain, their embarrassment, their love. Its an amazing feeling. To fall in love with someone who doesn't exist."

Drake coudn't take his eyes off her. Her eyes lit up as she spoke and he could tell that she was not faking it this time.

"What happens if the book turns out to be a Romeo and Juliet?"

"Then you cry your eyes out and and eat a bucket full of chocolate ice cream." They were both smiling at each other. It was an unsure smile. A smile that said 'I don't think I should be smiling at you'.

"So who comes here?" Anica asked.

"I do. And Jannet, the care taker. She feeds the rabbits and cleans the pen."

"No one else?"

Drake shook his head.

"What about people from your kingdom."

"They arn't allowed here. They prefer spending their time in their houses anyway..."

"That's only 'cause they have no where else to go! The only other place they could go is the forest. Maybe you should let them in. It'll be like a zoo! Or a ranch rather."

Drake thought about it. He did not like the idea of filthy humans running around his palace, playing with HIS rabbits, ridding HIS horses, plucking fruits from HIS orchard, going on boat rides in HIS lake in HIS boat.

"No I don't think that is a good idea."

"Why! It gives you a chance to show your people that you are not some boring looser who's got a stick shoved up his arse."

"I really don't think it's a good idea."

"Sunday's. Sunday afternoon. You can open it for the public on Sunday's."

Anica seemed to have forgotten whom she was talking to. She seemed to have forgotten that she feared him and that he could kill her with the snap of his finger's.

Drake sensed this. He was glad that she wans't afraid. He did not WANT her to be afraid. Maybe he should let his people inside.

The back of the palace was beautiful. There was an orchard right behind the palace building, behind which was a rather large lake. A beautifully carved bridge lay over the lake, leading to a forked pathway. By the foot of the bridge was a small strip of wood. Three colourful boats were tied to this and were bobbing up and down in the water.

The path on the left led to the rabbit pen and a few feet off there was a shed that housed goats, sheep, a few donkeys , some chickens and the cutest puppies.

The path on the right led to the horse stables and the race course. Behind which was the forest.

Drake watched Anica as she played with the rabbits. Maybe he would let the townsfolk into his garden. But he would only do it because Anica asked him to.