CRAVED

EIGHTEEN

Geneva sat in the study room late at night unable to sleep. She both missed and worried about Gabriella to no end no matter the distraction.

With the old classic of Henry IV Part 1 & Part 2, second edition that she had been able to get her hands on. From her father's grand book collection as well as Henry V. The latter book she opted for the simpler version by penguin classics.

She decided to course through her sleepless night reading the classic her father had tasked her to read during the day while they had had their discussion about Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor. In hopes that she'd find any form of a lull for her active mind.

Not interrupted and at a pace within her own company, she read part 1 to the end. King Henry was displeased with his son prince Hal's idleness to later feel the opposite when Hal saved him. The book concluded with King Henry sending his sons to the far reaches of his Kingdom to deal with the remaining powerful forces in Britain against his reign.

Eager to find out the outcome of the second battle the king was yet to win or lose, Geneva proceeded to the second part with interest.

Which entailed King Henry IV becoming increasingly unwell. Prince John his other son fought the rebels. Their father died and Prince Hal formally crowned King Henry  V after the rebels were defeated and executed. Hal publicly rejected Falstaff who had been one of his father figures and friend, Falstaff had done more than speak ill of Hal alongside causing trouble. The book ended with Hal laying down plans to invade France.

And the last book of Henry V entailed Hal's growth of character throughout all three of the books and his miraculous win of the French war and end bargain of a uniting marriage.

And only then, when her mind hadn't been conjuring up unwanted scenarios regarding the thousand and one reasons why Gabriella hadn't yet texted her back had she been able to find bits of sleep.

Unaware of the hours that had passed, Geneva woke up with a startle. Disoriented, she lazily blinked feeling tired and exhausted.

" Mon petit Chou," John, her father placed his cup of nearly finished hot tea on the coffee table and sat across from her.

" papa."

Geneva sat up straight, placing her feet down on the carpet.

" what are you doing down here? It's late is it not?" Geneva pointed out. The face of the study clock read fifteen minutes to five am.

" I work you know." He teased with a smile and Geneva smiled back bashful for a second.

" Henry V" John proceeded to point out. The book lay open on her lap and Geneva picked it up with a close.

" I finished reading his books, papa. All three entailed Prince Hal's life ." She let him know pleased with herself she was, keeping the true reason for lack of sleep hushed.

John nodded his head with a smile.

" what do you think about Sir John Falstaff" he picked up from where they had left off earlier when they had discussed him.

Reading his character in all three books, Henry IV part 1, part 2 and Henry V, Geneva's say on John Falstaff did not drastically change to a negative one, though it did change from the teeny one she had had of him from William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor.

It bemused her when the thought crossed her mind entailing that women might have been the problem. Even to this day and age, it would have made sense to say so. Then again, no one presented themselves boldly as happily willing contestants to be lied to with a windmill of emotional lies.