Ricardiana

ten

I wake up in my bed again, with no recollection of how I got there. It's still dark outside, but according to the clock on the side of my bed, it's only six in the morning. I get out of my bed, turn on the light and look around. I spot a journal and pencil on my chaise lounge. I grab it and walk out, surprised to see Jane in the kitchen this early.

"Oh, good morning, Princess! Would you like some breakfast?" She asks, wiping the sweat off of her forehead.

"No thank you. I'll just take this apple!" I say, grabbing an apple from the fruit basket and walking off.

I walk outside and walk towards the hill where Count Julian and I sat and watched the sunset. The sky was kind of pink and orange, and I had hope that we would actually have some sun since I've arrived here in Ricardiana.

"Diana, wait!" I hear a voice call.

I turn around a look to see who it was. Bartholomew, with Liam trailing behind him, carrying buckets on a wagon. I stop and wait for them to catch up to me, taking a bite of the apple. Bartholomew's eyes are a bright blue color and Liam's are a dark brown, but they're a pretty dark brown. Almost mesmerizing.

"Hello, gentlemen. Pleased to see you." I say as they step along next to me.

"You as well, Princess." Bartholomew responds with a smile.

"Did you have a goodnights rest?" I ask towards no one in particular.

"Yes, quite peaceful. How about you, William?" Bartholomew ponders.

Liam grunts and continues to pull the wagon of buckets as we walk along towards another stream. This one was different from the other stream by Bartholomew's house. On the other side of this stream lies the forbidden forest. No one knows why it's forbidden, but legend has it that creatures of the devil live there. Mum and Dad always told Delaney and I bedtime stories about it, and we would have nightmares from time to time.

It was captivating in a sense. It almost made you want to run towards it's naked branches and grey skies and escape. But, as much as I wanted to run into the forbidden forest, I stayed put and kept my distance from the boys. They grabbed the buckets and began dipping them in the stream and then putting them back on the wagon. They were talking with one another and I watched the sun rise above the stream and the forest. I could sense they were looking at me as I opened my journal.

"Would you like to eat breakfast with us, Princess?" Liam asks as the two friends walk up. "My father won't stop talking about you."

I feel my cheeks redden and nod in response. "I'd love that, thank you."

I stand up and follow the boys back to the stable and the small house behind it. Liam and Bartholomew leave the wagon outside of the stable and then let me inside the house. It's quite nice, family like, honestly. There were blankets on the couches to the left of the door, pictures of little Liam (which I have seen before) on the walls. To my right is a hallway, and I can smell eggs cooking.

I follow Liam and Bartholomew further into the house, and we walk into a luminescent room with a big window and a table for six people. The three of us sit down, Bartholomew pulling out a chair for me before he seats himself next to me. I sit there silently with my hands in my lap, thinking about everything. Delaney and Count Julian, Bartholomew, Liam and Richard, Mum and Dad, Dean, Jane - Ricardiana in general.

I hear footsteps and a gasp and that pulls me out of my thoughts. "Diana, I was not expecting to see you here." Richard says. "But glad you could make it nonetheless. I hope you like eggs and pancakes."

I smile, "I do, thank you."

We all help ourselves to pancakes and eggs, and Richard hands me a glass of apple juice to drink along with breakfast. There is a bunch of small talk between the men at the table and I sit and eat in peace before Bartholomew asks me a question.