The Lady Knight

Chapter XIV - Beliefs and Bonfires

Prince Nicholas

"Well, Your Royal Highness, we have arrived," Julie beamed proudly, gesturing to the place in front of us as if she were introducing me to a mine of glittering gold.

Men were carrying what seemed like firewood towards the town square, with beads of perspiration trickling down their foreheads. Women were gathered in small groups and were holding boxes of food, conversing and giggling with each other, while their small children were running about all around us.

Squeals and laughter saturated the air, and they gradually and gently relaxed my nerves. A peaceful, lazy atmosphere enveloped us, one that I found I had quite missed since I had left Louvre.

"The village?" I looked around, "what are we doing here? The people do not like me." I was most saddened by that fact.

"That is why I brought you here. To change that dislike," she answered simply, "come with me." She skipped towards the groups of women, beckoning me to follow her.

"Jules, my word!" one of them cried out upon noticing her, and almost instantly, she was pulled for a round of hugs.

"Oh, how we have missed you, child!"

"Did it not occur to you to come visit us?"

"We heard you had accompanied His Royal Highness to Tessensohn, but we did not see you today when he came to the village!"

"What a wonderful young woman you have grown into, my dear! I still remember you as a young 'un, when you used to run around here with your dagger!"

Cries of happiness shot through the air thus, as I gazed at the scene before me in amusement. Each of the women, old and young, was determined to hug Julie at least once, and the poor woman was almost choking for air.

I wondered absent-mindedly about how they knew her so well. Did she come to Tessensohn often?

She could hardly tolerate Lady Olivia as it was.

"Who is that dashing young man you have brought with you? Is he your suitor? Introduce him to us, dear, he looks rather shy standing there all alone."

That particular question returned me to reality, just in time to see Julie's cheeks flame bright red in embarrassment.

"Nay, nay, Miss Florence," she hastily corrected the woman who had asked that question, "do you not recognise him? This is His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Nicholas."

All of them turned around to stare at me, stumbling back in shock and horror, as they hurried to curtsey to me.

"What is he doing here?" one of them sucked in a sharp breath, almost terrified.

"He looks so normal," the woman apparently named Miss Florence stammered, "none of the high-handedness we saw in him this morning."

Julie gestured at me to say something, and then pointed to her heart discreetly. Assure them of what you want. Speak from your heart this time.

"I do not know what you must think of me at this moment," I began hesitantly, "mayhap the Duke has emphasised to you all that I expect complete obedience and reverence from you. Or mayhap you formed such an opinion from what you have heard of me before my arrival."

I took a deep breath. "I want you to know that I am not a dictator, and neither am I fond of asserting my authority where it is not necessary. Ido not know what sort of first impression I created on you, but I do know that thismorning did not proceed the way I had imagined. Believe me, sowing resentmentand fear of the monarchy in your midst is the last thing I want to do."