He smiled in amusement, “I have never heard of anyone being so friendly towards their maid. Usually they are looked down on and treated badly, but you must be very kind to her.”
“I am very fortunate to have her, and my personal guard Leonardo. They have both been great friends to me,” she said, thinking of them fondly. “Sometimes I wish I could live in the village.”
“Why do you want to live there?” he asked, thinking it was unusual.
He knew a lot of poor people wanted to live somewhere better, but he did not expect it to be the other way around for rich people. He could not imagine anyone who would give up the chance to live in a castle like she did.
“Everyone is so friendly and welcoming in the village. I would never feel alone with so many people around to socialise with,” she smiled. “I visit there whenever I have free time to see my friends.”
He nodded, understanding her reasoning now.
“Are there many people living near your cottage?”
“It is rather secluded apart from wild animals,” he admitted, “but our village is nearby.”
“Do you ever see squirrels in the forest?” she asked excitedly.
“Yes. I see a lot of different animals like hares, foxes and deer.”
“You must enjoy that,” she smiled happily at the thought of seeing them. “I love to watch squirrels in the garden. They come from time to time, but I have never seen any other wildlife here other than birds.”
He smiled, picturing her watching squirrels, “I wish I could show them to you.”
“What do you work as?” she asked, interested to find out more about him.
“I am a carpenter, I make and sell furniture.”
“That is impressive. You must be very skilled and creative.”
“It is not hard to do, but I enjoy making things,” he replied. “What do you like to do, other than your royal duties and socialising?”
She felt pleased that he was interested in finding out more about her and asking questions. He didn’t go on about himself the way Prince Ethan did.
“I like riding my horse and sometimes I do archery. Leonardo taught me because I felt left out, my brother and father do combat training and I was never allowed to learn. My favourite hobby is playing the piano.”
“You are a musician?” he asked. “That is interesting.”
“My father only let me take piano lessons to entertain him and so I would have something to do in my spare time.”
“Are you good at it?”
“I suppose I am. I have been playing since I was seven years old.”
“I would love to hear you play.”
“Maybe you will one day,” she smiled. “I like that I can be myself around you. Usually I am forced to act a certain way because of who I am.”
She felt sad by how different her life was to his. Even when she was with family, it seemed as if she had to act how they believed was acceptable. Mostly she did, unless she was alone with her friends. She did not care if her family disapproved of her socialising with commoners because they were the people who were always there for her.
Nicholas hated to see her look upset and put his arm around her comfortingly. She accepted a hug, feeling better now that she was in his arms.
“Why do you feel that way?” he asked concerned. “You can be yourself, I am sure people will accept you for who you really are.”
“I am always afraid of saying the wrong thing. My family believe I should think what they do and put pressure on me if I do not agree with them,” she admitted. “I hate not being allowed to have my own opinions. That is why I feel more comfortable around ordinary people; they let me be who I am without judging.”
“You do not have to worry, I will always let you be yourself,” he reassured her. “I believe you should be able to think or do whatever you chose to, whether you are a princess or not.”
“That is what I like about you, Nicholas. I feel as if I can talk to you about anything and you will always understand. I never feel afraid to tell you what I really feel.”
“Neither do I,” he admitted. “It is strange we are so open with each other when we have only just met.”
She nodded and sighed, “I do not want this night to end. It has been so amazing.”
“It has definitely been the best day of my life,” he replied and stared lovingly into her eyes.
She gazed into his and Nicholas slowly leaned forward and gently kissed her. He was a little hesitant at first in case she didn’t want to; but he was relieved when she kissed him back and felt extremely lucky.
Rosanna couldn’t believe she was finally having her first kiss. Her father had always been very strict about her not getting into relationships yet, but she had waited long enough and she was sixteen now. She felt ecstatic to finally experience the perfect kiss she had always dreamt of having. Even though it turned out not to be with a prince, she was happy that it was with Nicholas instead.
She felt breathless as their kiss ended and was touched to see the love in his eyes as they parted. They both felt lost in their own world until a loud yell startled them both.
Chapter 4
“Rosanna!” she heard Jonathon call from a distance.
She jumped with fright and her heart raced with anxiety, thinking that her brother had seen her and Nicholas together. However, she heard him call again and realised that he must be looking for her. She looked across the garden and saw him pacing in search for her.
“I must go,” she told Nicholas sadly. “He will become very impatient if I do not go to him.”
She felt disappointed that their night together would have to end. Nicholas felt saddened and confused, wondering why this man was looking for her.
“Is he your partner?” he asked, feeling hurt at the thought. He found it hard to believe she would kiss him if she was in a relationship with someone else.
“No!” she giggled at how wrong his assumption was. “That is my brother, Jonathon.”
“Sorry, I remember you mentioned him earlier,” he felt a little foolish but relieved that he had been mistaken.
“I must go before he gets cross with me.”
“Please do not leave,” he begged her, his eyes full of sadness. “I would hate to spend the rest of the evening without you.”
“I would too,” she agreed, finding it hard to tear herself away from him.
“Maybe we should hide from him?” he suggested with a playful smile.
She couldn’t help but smile at the idea and wondered if she dared to. Without a second thought, he took her hand and started to run. She followed him, her heart pounding with excitement as they ran along the garden together away from her brother.
They reached a weeping willow tree with long, trailing foliage reaching down to the ground. Nicholas decided it would make a perfect hiding place and brushed the foliage apart, so they could enter and stay hidden from view.
She went to hide behind the thick trunk of the willow tree and clutched it, waiting nervously. She was anxious of her brother or anyone else finding them. She knew her father would be furious that she had disappeared with a stranger, so they would both be in a lot of trouble if they were found.
They heard someone approaching and she cuddled up to Nicholas, feeling safe to be near him. They were so close he could feel her heart pounding and gently put his arms around her comfortingly. They both held their breath as they heard the footsteps become closer and listened as her brother walked by the weeping willow tree. She started to breath normally again as the footsteps grew fainter and they stayed hidden until it was safe.
Nicholas brushed some of the foliage apart to look out and check that Jonathon had left. He sighed with relief as he saw her brother was now in the distance returning to the castle.
“He is gone,” he turned to her again smiling.
She smiled back, feeling relieved and let him put his arms around her again. He enjoyed the feeling of holding her close. She seemed to fit perfectly into his
arms as if she had always meant to be there. She rested her head on his chest, wanting to stay there forever.
“I must ask you something,” he said, caressing her long hair. “Why are you interested in me when you could be with anyone?” He felt self-conscious and knew he wasn’t good enough for her.
She looked up into his eyes, “I like you because you are a wonderful person,” she answered honestly. “You are everything I want for a partner and I really enjoy spending time with you. We can talk about anything and I want to get to know you more.”
“Do you not want to be with someone rich instead of me?” he asked.
“Definitely not,” she replied, thinking of how much she disliked Prince Ethan. “Most rich people are very boring. I have always wanted to meet someone like you.”
“I did not believe a princess would even bother to talk with me,” he admitted. “I used to think royalty were spoilt and arrogant until I met you.”
She giggled at his assumption, “That sounds exactly like my brother. I suppose usually we are, but I am not like most people. I do not judge anyone for money or status.”
“That is what I like about you,” he said softly. “You seem to care about everyone.”
She smiled, “I am very grateful that you came to see me tonight.”
“I would have done anything to meet you,” he said, gazing into her eyes.
Her heart filled with warmth and they shared a long kiss.
“When I came tonight, I did not think I would get a chance to meet you,” he told her honestly. “I expected you to be very busy, but I hoped that I would be lucky enough to at least see you in person.”
“I am very happy that we did meet.”
“I have a confession to make,” he admitted guiltily. “The truth is I was not invited to your ball tonight. I was so desperate to see you that I had to get in without an invitation. I hope you will not be cross with me.”
She giggled, feeling amused, “I am not angry at all, but my father would not be pleased if he found out. The knights are supposed to make sure only invited guests can attend. How did you manage to get passed them?”
“I pretended I had forgotten my invitation and a kind lady with a child let me go through with them. They said they were friends of yours.”
“That would be Bernadette and Gretel,” she replied with a fond smile. “I am so happy you got to meet them. So why did you want to see me tonight?”
He blushed and felt shy as he began to explain, “I saw you visiting my village two months ago and you were so beautiful and kind that I really wanted to meet you. I heard you were having a ball to celebrate your birthday and I could not miss the chance of seeing you.”
She listened amazed that he had been her secret admirer for a while. She was used to having followers but knowing he was one of them made her feel blissful.
“I still cannot believe I am here now spending time with you,” he smiled.
“I wish I had seen you that day,” she felt disappointed that they hadn’t met sooner. “If I had then you would have received an invitation.”
“At least we have finally met, and now that I have got to know you, I like you even more.”
She blushed, “I like you too, Nicholas.”
She couldn’t believe her fantasy of meeting the perfect gentleman was finally happening and it wasn’t just a daydream anymore. They kissed for a while longer until they noticed it had become darker outside.
“It is getting late,” he said regrettably. “Unfortunately, I must leave.”
“Do you have to go so soon?” she asked, feeling disappointed. She had loved spending time with him and hated for it to end.
“I am afraid so,” he replied sadly. “I still have to ride back home.”
“Will I see you again?” she asked hopefully.
“Of course,” he answered. “I can see you tomorrow evening, if you are free?”
“Yes, but we have to meet in secret,” she warned him. “My father will not approve of me spending time with you.”
“I will make sure that I am not seen by anyone,” he agreed.
She walked with him over to the stables where his horse was waiting.
“Where do you want to meet?” he asked her.
She thought about it for a while, wondering where she could meet him without anyone finding out. She knew he would not be able to enter the castle again.
“I would have suggested the village, but I have to be escorted by Leonardo if I leave the castle grounds,” she replied. “We could meet here at the stables, it is easy to get to and it is not guarded.”
He agreed and walked in to open the stall gate and let his horse out. He patted the dark brown stallion encouragingly as it walked out beside him. He had left on its saddle, stirrups and reins so it was ready to ride.
“You have a beautiful horse,” she commented and stroked it.
“Thank you. He seems to like you too.”
She giggled as the horse tried to nuzzle into her hair and stroked him more. She followed as Nicholas led it away from the stables.
“I hate leaving when we have had such a good night together,” he said, giving her one last hug. “I will miss you.”
“I will miss you too,” she replied, feeling upset to part with him.
He gave her a long kiss goodbye, “Goodnight, your Highness.”
“Goodnight, Nicholas,” she smiled up at him.
He climbed onto his horse and trotted away into the darkness. She watched him disappear, feeling lonely now that he was gone. Her heart was longing desperately to see him again.
She realised she would have to return to the castle quickly, before her father and brother became even more worried about where she was. She strolled back walking on air and feeling so incredibly lucky to have met Nicholas. She was in such a good mood that she did not care when Jonathon approached her angrily as soon as she re-joined the party.
“Rosanna, where have you been?” he demanded crossly. “I have been looking for you everywhere.”
“I had a walk in the garden,” she answered dreamily.
“I already searched the garden for you. Did you not hear me calling?” he asked annoyed.
She found it difficult to try and think up an excuse, but fortunately her father came over just in time to interrupt, looking relieved to see her.
“Are you enjoying the ball, darling?”
“Yes, it has been wonderful!” she answered happily, “but it is getting late and I am feeling rather tired. May I say goodnight to all my guests and return to my bedchamber?”
He agreed since the party was almost over and they would soon have to turn people out once it reached midnight. She said goodnight to them both and felt relieved to escape her brother’s questions.
She quickly said goodnight to her guests which took a while, and finally made it upstairs. She fell onto her bed, feeling pleased to finally be alone so she could think endlessly of Nicholas. She smiled blissfully and snuggled up inside her covers, enjoying the feeling of being so happy. She felt very lucky to have her first kiss with such a wonderful gentleman on her birthday.
Chapter 5
Isabelle was busy the next morning sorting out all the flowers that Rosanna had been given for her birthday.
“You have received a lot this year,” she commented as she placed them into vases.
The large bouquet of red roses from Prince Ethan was now placed in her best vase on her vanity table.
“You can have some of them,” Rosanna offered, “and we could share them with the rest of the maids too. It would be a waste for me to keep them all since there are so many.”
Isabelle smiled, “thank you, that is very kind. I am sure the maids will be grateful.”
Rosanna liked making other people happy and sharing her gifts. She knew that the maids deserved to have something for how hard they had worked at the ball.
She recognised the pink carnations that Nicholas had given her last night and cradled them. They were the only
thing she had as a reminder of their night together.
“Could I have these flowers on my bedside table?” she asked Isabelle, stroking the petals softly.
“Of course,” Isabelle took them from her to put in a vase. “Why are these flowers so special?”
“Someone I like gave them to me,” she answered with a smile, feeling so happy thinking of him. “I met him last night at the ball.”
“So that is the reason for your strange behaviour,” Isabelle teased, smiling knowingly. “What is he like?”
She blushed, “He has dark hair and green eyes and he is the same age as me. He is so handsome and we talked for hours.”
She excitedly told Isabelle all about her night with Nicholas while Isabelle listened eagerly.
“I suppose Prince Ethan has been forgotten about now?” asked Isabelle.
She sighed at the mention of him and remembered that her father had let him stay in one of the guest rooms. She would have to dine with him for breakfast this morning, before him and his parents left for the journey home.
“Nicholas is nothing like him,” she smiled fondly. “He really wants to get to know me and we can talk about anything. We agreed to meet again tonight, but we have to be careful that no one finds out.”
“You are meeting him in secret?” Isabelle asked in awe. “How romantic!”
“We have to. My father would disapprove of me seeing him.”
“Is he still not allowing you to have a relationship?” Isabelle asked sympathetically, knowing how strict he was. “I thought he would be more tolerant now that you are sixteen. You are old enough to marry.”
“I am not sure yet, but I am more anxious about him not accepting Nicholas. He will not think he is a suitable partner for me.”
“I am sure he will, Nicholas sounds like a nice man,” Isabelle reassured her.
She sighed, “They will expect him to be wealthy and from an impressive family, but he is not.”
“I suppose any father would want their daughter to marry someone in the same class as themselves,” Isabelle reasoned. “That is just the way things are.”
“But it is so unfair,” she argued. “It should not matter how much money he has as long as we like each other. I cannot let anyone stop me from seeing Nicholas, he makes me so happy.”
Love Letters Page 3
