To Win the Prince's Hand

Chapter 27

27.

My knock on the door was so light, you almost couldn’t hear it, but nonetheless, the queen answered it with an “Enter” from inside.

I walked into the familiar room, looking cautiously at her. As she lifted her head to look at me, I bowed my head before dipping into a low curtsy.

“You may be seated,” she answered in a distant voice. Without looking at her, I did so. “Danielle, I want answers. What happened?”

She was straight and to the point, making my head snap up to look at her. She looked tired and worried from the whole mess and I felt guilty for it being my fault.

“Well, it started the night of the ball,” I began.

“Yes, I know,” she responded. There was a long silence in which I searched for the right words.

“Did you know your son had feelings for me?” I blurted in all honesty. She sighed, looking down at the table. “Because it turned out, all my friends knew except me and no one told me.”

“I guessed, but I was not sure,” she replied as I kept talking.

“I was scared. Terrified, really. And my brain just wasn’t working because I just started running away like an idiot. I was so confused, so very confused. I just needed some time, you know like before, to think.”

“You wouldn’t be that irrational, though, to think to run away,” she guessed.

“I ran into Jasmine and she suggested the idea, but please don’t be mad at her,” I begged.

“So my son told you that he wanted to pick you, you ran, Jasmine suggested you leave, and you listened?” she clarified and I nodded. “How on earth did you get that far away so fast?”

“Well, Gabriel and the rest of them already know, so here goes… I have a dragon,” I announced.

“What?”

“I own, or rather am friends with, a dragon named Serena. She came here with me,” I answered with my eyes shut so I couldn’t see the look on her face.

However, it shocked me when she began to laugh. “Danielle, aren’t you an interesting character?” I didn’t answer and she continued. “So, just let me get this straight once more. You were at the ball, Gabriel told you he wanted to marry you, you began to run away, ran into Jasmine, who suggested you leave the palace, and so you flew away on a dragon and became a commoner?”

“Yes, m’lady,” I answered, looking down and expecting punishment.

There was a long pause. “You sound exactly like me,” she whispered to herself. “Well, we’re going to have to get you out of this situation, now aren’t we?”

I stared at her in shock. “You mean, you’re going to let me stay?”

She sent me a kind smile. “Of course. I mean, you’ve still got two months to win,” she teased and I blushed.

“Well, I don’t know about—“

“So, how are we going to fix this? The girls are already talking, you know,” she reminded me and I winced.

“Yeah, Ethan mentioned that,” I said.

“But why would they be mad at you for doing something I commanded?” she asked, a mischievous glint coming to her eyes.

“Ex-excuse me?” I spluttered in confusion.

“I mean, you didn’t have a choice at all when I ordered you on the special mission you aren’t allowed to talk about,” she continued. I was suddenly filled with hope.