A Knight's Princess

Revelations

Chapter 4:

James POV)

The more time I spent with Clio the more I found out. She is creative. She is competitive. She loves performing and riding. She loves butterflies. She loves hats. Her favorite color is pink. Her favorite dessert is 'any type of chocolate.' Her favorite flower is the lily. She is allergic to shellfish. I also learned that she doesn't like finger sandwiches, bugs, losing, or talking about her family.

Her face lights up when she talks about something she is passionate about. She takes the time to take care of her horse rather than handing him off to a stablehand. She smirks right before she is about to hustle someone (never should have played poker with her). Her nose crinkles up when she tries to hold in a laugh. Her smile is widest after she wins a competition. Her eyes turn to the ground whenever she gets upset. Her big doe eyes are hiding something deep inside that I can't help myself but try to think of ways to coax it out.

The most important thing I learned in our time together though was that she was quickly becoming my best friend and I was quickly falling for her.

I had feelings for Clio. I had feelings for Clio. The more I thought about this the more I realized that I wanted more. I wanted to be more than her friend, I wanted to be her boyfriend. I wanted to be her shoulder to cry on. I wanted to be the one that made her laugh. I knew I had to tell her this. I had to tell her how I felt. I had to find out if she felt the same.

Today I was going to ask her to start courting me and could only hope that she said yes. I planned a picnic near where we had first met up again during the Roc attack. Never thought I'd be grateful to that big, heavy bird but, here I was. I went down to the kitchen and asked the chefs to prepare something for us and I felt myself growing more excited with each moment that passed.

(Clio POV)

I found myself getting more excited each time I planned on seeing James. We had been spending so much time together I began to learn some things about him. He is fun and silly. He loves talking about being a knight, Chivalry Hall, and his family. His favorite color was green, his favorite dessert was jiggly, wiggly pudding (like his Dad), and his favorite sport was Dazzle ball. He didn't like vanilla, royal protocols, or carrots.

I also knew that I cared for him deeply and have since we were kids and today I was going to tell him that.

I went into my wardrobe and began looking through my gowns. I then found a sleeveless, off the shoulder, satin, olive ballgown. I tied a black chocker around my neck, tied a small gifted bracelet on my wrist and put on one of my favorite hats. I wasn't sure what we were doing today but, I knew that we weren't going riding. After I finished getting ready I went to the front of the castle, "Clio, where are you going?" I turned and saw my mother walking through the hallways. "I am meeting with a friend today and was just going to the foyer to wait," I spoke keeping my eyes on the ground. She began circling around, "You have been spending a lot of time out with friends recently. I thought when you stopped with those silly shows that I would see more of you around the castle." I felt my shoulder clench together, Mother had been a prominent supporter of the arts, just not a supporter of me in the arts. I bit my tongue on what I wanted to say and waited for her to continue, "Alright then, if there is nothing more to say then go meet your friend but, when you come home there is something we need to discuss." I held back a laugh at the word home and nodded. This castle was many things to me but, home was not one of them. I waited until she was out of sight and continued walking towards the front enterance.

I got the foyer and went outside of the castle. I sat down on the steps, when I heard a carriage coming. As it stopped in front of the castle I didn't see anyone inside. The coachman then came down and handed me a note. I knew from the handwriting that it was from James.

Dear Clio,
I sent this carriage to take you to where we are going to meet today. I have something I really want to tell you and I can't wait to see you.
- (Sir) James

I smiled at the note and the Sir in parentheses. I got into the carriage and we rode towards Enchancia. I couldn't help but wonder where he was going to take me today. We soon stopped and I saw that we were in that village where we had reconnected. I got out of the carriage and saw James waiting for me with a picnic basket in one hand and a blanket in another. "Hello Princess Clio," he said as I walked over to him.

(James POV)

She looked stunning as she got out of the carriage and I could feel my heart beat faster, "Hello Princess Clio." She smiled up at me, "Hello Sir James." I laughed at the ongoing joke we had and the ongoing competition on what Clio could call me. I held up the picnic basket, "I thought we could go old school today. Before you ask no, they did not pack finger sandwiches." She nodded, "Good, they aren't real sandwiches why are they pretending to be otherwise." We both laughed at the remark. It was moment like these when I realized how little I used to know about her and how grateful that I knew more now.

I laid out the blanket and we both sat down and began eating together. We were talking and laughing like we had done so many times before but, my mind was elsewhere as I rebuilt my nerve to ask her to court me. "James," she started drawing my attention back to her, "Yeah Clio." "What's wrong?" I was surprised that she asked this, "Why would you say anything is wrong?" She rolled her eyes, "You only get that crease in between your eyes when something is going on." She touched the line between my eyes softly with her gloved fingers. I brought my hand to hers and held it as I brought it away from my face.

I interwove my fingers with hers, "You really are amazing." She gave me this look that I couldn't describe but it was like you're adorable and you're a dork combined as she said, "That still doesn't answer the question, what's wrong?" I sighed still holding onto her hand, "Clio we have been hanging out together for awhile now and you have become one of my best friends," She smiled at me, "You are one of my best friends too." I nodded, "I'm glad but, Clio do you maybe want to be more?" She tilted her head to the side, "What exactly are you asking me?" "How would you feel if I asked to court you?" I turned my head toward the ground as I asked the question. She squeezed my hand causing me to look up, "Sir James, I would love if you asked me to court you." I smiled, "So we're courting now." She shook her head, "Nope." "Wait, what?" I asked confused. "You asked how I would feel if you asked, but you still haven't asked," I rolled my eyes but smirked as she said this, "Princess Clio would you do me the honor of courting me?" She nodded, "I would be delighted, Sir James."

(Clio POV)

I was so happy as James asked to court me. Of course I had to give him a little bit of a hard time but, I knew he loved it. I then heard a noise coming from the distance. "James did you hear that?" I asked he gave me a look, "No Sir James, what's wrong?" "James I'm serious do you hear that?" He stopped for a moment and I heard the noise again. His face changed and became more serious, "Clio, run to the coach and go to the castle now." He stood up to the horse and drew his sword. "James what is going on?" I asked still getting no answers from James. "Clio you need to leave now." But it was too late.