A lost love

12

"Caitlin, I need your help"

"What's wrong, dad?"

"The castle is holding a party"

"Do I care?"

"Well, I accidentally gave them something you made to eat once"

"You did what?", Caitlin shouted 

"Calm down. I didn't know. All I know is that they are expecting it today. I need your help. Please come and make it for me'

"Dad, you know I can't say no to you. Fine. But I hope no one sees me"

Caitlin snuck into the castle, and quickly found the kitchen and got to work. The sooner that I do this, the quicker that I can leave she thought. Caitlin covered her head, so that nobody would see her. She tried to sneak out after it was done, but she was grabbed from the kitchen 

"They want to compliment the chef"

Caitlin went outside and bowed, then quickly left. She threw off her scarf, and skipped down the road

"Caitlin"

Caitlin stopped and turned 

"What do you want?"

"I knew it was you. I recognised your cake from your friends wedding. And I saw your face in my cup, when you bowed"

"So?"

Caitlin offered her arm

"Here. I'm offering myself to you. Are you brave enough to take my arm, and take me to the palace and defy your dad?"

Barry hesitated

"You can't, can you? For all your talk of loving me, your too scared to admit your love, in front of your family and admit that you want to spend the rest of your life with me. Barry, what sort of love is this? I don't want this. If you truly loved me, you would do something, not just talk about it. Barry, from now on, don't speak to me or come to my shop. I'll pretend we are strangers. And anyway, royalty don't bother with middle class people like me"

"Caitlin"

"No"

Barry watched as Caitlin ran away. What was he going to do? How could he tell her that he really did love her? She wouldn't listen to a word he said

Caitlin was closing her shop a few days later, when Barry burst in. Caitlin looked at him in surprise 

"What are you doing here? I thought that I was clear. Please, leave"

Caitlin watched in horror, as Barry collapsed. She ran to him

"Barry, are you ok? What happened?", asked Caitlin rolling him over. Caitlin gasped as she saw everything 

"What happened?"

Caitlin helped Barry up and lay him down on the sofa. She closed the shop, and got a  wash bowl, and started cleaning up Barry's wounds. She applied the dressing and bandages

"Now, you need to sleep here tonight. I would stay here but I'm needed at home. I'll send someone else"

Caitlin ran home, and urgently explained what happened to her dad

"I don't understand dad. What happened to him?"

"Caitlin, he did as you asked. He told the king everything. I don't know what happened next"

Caitlin took in a deep breath and exhaled 

"Dad, I need to be with him. Can you not tell mum?"

"Go. I'll sort everything out here"

Caitlin ran to her shop. She couldn't believe what her dad had just said. She let herself into her shop, and looked around. She couldn't see Barry anywhere 

"Barry?", she called out worried 

Barry appeared in the door

"You shouldn't be up, you should be resting"

"Caitlin, why are you here? You said you wanted nothing to do with me"

"Well, you collapsed in my shop. I couldn't exactly leave you there. I'm not that heartless"

"So, it was a duty for you?"

"Barry, why are you being like this?"

"Like what? This is what you wanted"

"My dad told me what you did. Did he do this to you?"

"Nope. Your not that special that he would do this to me for you"

"Well Barry, sorry for caring. You seem ok. Please leave my shop"

Caitlin wiped her tears, as she cleaned up her shop. What was she doing? She was Caitlin, she didn't cry over a boy. She was stronger than that. She closed her shop, and prepared to go home. She stopped suddenly as she saw someone in front of her. She took in a deep breath and let out a gasp

"So now say that you don't love me?", asked Barry, opening his arms

Caitlin let out a cry and burst into tears. She ran into Barry's arms, and cried

"It's ok"

Caitlin grabbed Barry's hand, and kissed it

"Your love won Barry. I'm all yours. Just don't ever let me down"

Caitlin opened her eyes

"But you did let me down Barry. Why? Was I not enough? Was our love not enough? Or you simply decided that it wasn't worth it?"

Duff, duff, duff. As always, feedback appreciated