I want you close

Chapter four

King's visit

I woke up the next day and stared at my ceiling for a few minutes before realizing what is going to happen today. King Aiken Dandridge is going to visit...

The idea still isn't making any sense to my, out of all the women in this kingdom of ours, why me? Why the small-town Ella from the poor family? And how come the king himself coming to our house? Isn't he afraid there is going to be a trap of some sort?

Loud repeated knocks on my door made me jump to sit up bolt
"ELEANOR RUTH WRIGHT!" My mother shouted, "Get up this very second!"

"I am up mother." I spoke clearly as I got out of bed and opened the door for her.

"You better not be late." She warned behind the door, here is your dress"
"Yes ma'am," I said as she placed a short floral beige dress on my chair right before she left my room after another reminder "don't.be.late." I nodded then I started changing the sheets of my bed.

After I was done, I hopped into the shower taking my time but making sure I wasn't late. I wore my robe and tied the robes then soon after, I walked back to my room.

I stared at my borrowed dress for a few moments admiring how beautiful it was and wishing I had to wear it in a different circumstances. I shook the thoughts away to not pull me into one of my many daydreams and wore the dress.

"You haven't done your here yet?!" My mother asked angrily.

"Mother, my hair is still wet. I have to wait until it drys." I said

"Well, there is something called a hair dryer." She rested her hands on her waist frustrated.

"My hair is curly, it has to dry on its own or else, it will be bushy." I explained.

"My hair doesn't do that," she said, "it looks perfectly fine when I blow dry it."

"That's because your hair isn't curly."

She rolled her eyes, "whatever, be ready soon or else, my shoes will find it way to your back." I nodded with a huff of defeat as she walked out of the room.

I stared at myself on my broken mirror that's held together by a duck tape; barley being able to look at my dark-dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes because of all the missing pieces of the mirror. This mirror reminds me of myself most of the time, not because I am literally looking at myself, but because I am as broken as this mirror is. Sad, I know.

I closed my eyes and inhaled the fresh air from my opened window, listening to the birds singing in the early morning is definitely my favorite sound. I have always wished to be a bird, fly around from country to country, having my food ready on the kind people's windows. But again, being a bird has disadvantages too. It. Might die any second by a cat, Weasels, snakes, foxes and also other birds. I guess bird as bad as people, they eat each other alive just like most of us do.

As soon as my hair dryers, I went out of my room And showed her how beautiful it is naturally. I got to admit, my hair is my favorite thing about me. I smiled at my mother hopelessly. "Come here" she said, I furrowed my eyes confused as I walked closer, is it possible that she is going to hug me?- never mind. She pulled out a bright red lipstick and held my face harshly as she traced my lips by it.

I looked at the mirror behind her with a disgusted face, it looks like I have eaten a baby because of this shade of red.

I sat down in the living room as my mother kept looking out of the window eager for any sign of a royal horse carriage.

"Stop biting your nails!" She demanded and I immediately rested both of my hand on my lap. "If I catch you doing that again, I am going to cut your fingers off." I swallowed in fear, knowing it's not something hard for her to do. I remember when I was eight, she placed my hand on the heated kitchen stove for few seconds. nothing stopping her, not my screams nor my father at the time.

"They are here!" She clapped enthusiastically like she was the one getting married, "they are here" she fixed her dress, waited for not more than one second after they knocked on the door.

"Hello" she bowed slightly, "come in please"

King Aiken nodded once and stepped into the house looking around as he reached the living room, I bowed as soon as he got in and he smiled at me. "You must be Eleanor"

"Yes your highness" I spoke, looking at the ground. He sat down then we all followed. "I heard so much about you.

"How come?" I asked confused since I never get to leave much.
My mother cleared her throat, "I am sure you have, what a fine daughter I have indeed"

Lies.
She doesn't believe that I am sure.

"Indeed." He agreed, "I saw a couple of her drawings and heard a lot of your kindness."

"My drawings?" I asked, he nodded. "How have you seen them may I ask? I have never showed them to anyone, not even my own mother." She laughed awkwardly as she stared at me dead in the eyes making me stop talking.

"So, I heard you wanted to ask for my daughter's hand, are you not?" Mother question.
"I am." He replied.

"I am afraid to tell you that is not possible," she said, making the kind and I furrowing our eyebrows in confusion. She stood up and sat right next to me, wrapping her arm around me which is something she never did. For that fact, it made me uncomfortable. "She is my only daughter as you can see, I have no one else but her. I can't give her up easily no matter the amount of money. She is treasure to me"

Hm, I see what she is doing.
I rolled my eyes in disgust.

"I see," he nodded, "she is that precious to you, is she not?"
"She truly is." She nodded.

When is she going to stop lying?

"What about one million?" He asked, her eyes widened.
"Not as close as her worth to me" she said.

I am getting furious.

"What about a million plus a horse carriage?" He asked.
"I am sorry king Aiken"

Where is she going with this? I will start to believing her.

"A million, a horse carriage and a new house?" He suggested.

"I see you are insisting" she said, showing her manipulation. At least I am seeing it. "That shows that you will take care of my baby"-he nodded-"I guess we can't decline the king himself, can we?" She smiled mischievously as I rolled my eyes.

"we agree then?" He asked.
"We agree."