Meant To Soar

Chapter Four

  As we were eating, Nathan and I tried to find out more about each other. An hour later, after feeling sure we've gained each other's trust, I ventured to ask him the question that had been gnawing on my mind since he first told me he was Prince Nate. "Are you really just visiting?"

  Nathan looked at me. He seemed taken aback by the question. "You can tell me," I assured him.

  Still, uncertainty clouded his eyes. "Okay, nevermind," I said, giving up. I picked up a half-eaten chip from the plate and dipped it in cheese sauce.

  "Alright, I'll tell you. I might need you to know, after all. I might need to stay the night here, if it's okay with your family."

  I gobbled up the last of the chip and looked at him intently, keen to show him I was going to take this seriously and listen as a friend. "I'm all ears, Nath."

  "It's nothing much, really. Its just that, well .." He stopped talking and sighed.

  "It's just that..?" 

  "Okay, i'm just going to say it. I ran away."

  "What the heck?!" I shouted.

  "DEE ! What did I tell you about shouting in the house, and saying 'what the heck' ? Any other phrase you can use?!" Mom yelled from the kitchen. I snorted and rolled my eyes.

  "Mom, you just shouted." 

  I turned back to Nathan. "Why?" 

  This time he turned away, his bangs falling into his eyes. I cautiously wrapped an arm around his shoulders, sensing that he needed comfort. "Out with it, boy."

  Nathan mumbled something that sounded like 'foced mayage' . "Huh?" I asked.

  "Forced marriage. They're forcing me to marry someone when I turn sixteen, four years from now."

  "Sixteen? Isn't that kind of.. young?"

  "I know," he replied. "Its just that Mom and Dad are getting older. Dad gets tired easily nowadays and I think he's going to step down soon. This year he's sixty. When I'm sixteen he's going to be sixty eight. Thats why i have to be king soon."

  I nodded sympathetically. Citizens of Darogars who are above the age of forty get older by two years instead of one each year. "Its as though they don't care how I feel about this," Nathan continued. "I don't have a say in this. It's all been arranged." 

HEYY :) So I received my results. WOHOO !! I hit my aim, got higher than expected. I'm in a good mood now so I'll probably post more later on. Peace,love and sour cream, Aretha xx