You can't run forever

Chapter 11 - The garden day

"Who's Anson? should I be jealous of him?" joked a voice standing over me. It was just Abe. Abe! "What are you doing in my room!" I yelled at him throwing a pillow at his face, "I'm indecent!". "Totally" he agreed pointing at my little pony pajamas "I was sent to wake you up, but still who's Anson?" he put his hands on his hips. "Just the head of the guards" I replied. "Oooh do you have a thing for him? because you were muttering his name in your sleep" teased Abe. "You sure changed your tune, what happened to Mr serious guy? and no way! he is way to much of a player!" I said disgusted throwing another pillow his way. "Anyway who let you in? are the guards on strike as well " I sighed sarcastically. "Naah they just think I'm bringing you breakfast, everybody falls for my charms" he winked dramatically pulling out a tray with a single piece of over buttered toast. "What in the world..." I said glaring down the toast. "Well princess I think someone needs to go on a diet, all that fancy food isn't good for one's health" smirked Abe. "Yay! thanks! " I said sarcastically thinking of the poached eggs I usually have on this day of the week. "Hey, Milady, this is all I know how to make, be appreciative" fake cried Abe. "OK, OK, wait why are you bringing me breakfast?, Omg it's 9:30 already, I've slept in, I have to get ready for work!" I gasped ushering him out of my room and shutting the door on him. "Uhh milady.. you don't have work today, your parents have decided that for your own safety you have to stay inside the castle grounds" informed Abe. "What? why! I'm the future queen, and I'm nearly 19! I should be allowed to do what I want to" I moaned. "Princess, for once, you sound like a normal teenager from where I come from" said Abe tapping his chin. "What? are you calling me a villager?" I said confused. "No, no, not at all princess" said Abe waking up. "You can call me Cassandra, at least when we are alone" I informed him politely. "Well then, Cassandra, you better get changed" he said closing my bedroom door from the outside.

I decided to wear a knee length, yellow, flower print, spaghetti strapped dress with a white, cotton, elbow length cardigan and matching flats. I grabbed a brown satchel and left my hair loose, probably because I didn't have a maid to put it into a fashionable hairstyle. "You look pretty" commented Abe, grinning. "Stop looking at me like that, you fool" I muttered hitting him playfully on the head. "So where do I need to be 'escorted'?" I wondered aloud. "So I'm going to take you to your tutor's room in the castle and you're going to start two hours early, I'll wait outside" said Abe seriously. "Aw are you going to wait outside, just for me!" I said happily. "Uhh its kind of my job" said Abe looking at me, weirdly. "What do you mean?" I asked innocently. "Its my new job since we are short of staff and I have some fighting experience, to be your new bodyguard, I forgot you didn't know because you were asleep" explained Abe. "Oh" I said, disappointed. "Hey if I get to hang out with a amazing person all day, there's no loss is there?" said Abe trying to vanquish my apparent distaste. "Yeah" I said halfheartedly. Something about today just didn't feel right. I thought happily ever after meant, you met and it was love at first sight.. then you got married? I wasn't really sure anymore. A book I read once did say 'Love is not at first sight, it has to be earnt like money, trust and friendship'.

"Oh for goodness sake Princess! you look so dull and annoyed today! usually you love learning about Anerbriva's history, what's wrong with you?" asked my tutor Lady Abrielle. "Nothing, tutor, there's just something on my mind at the moment" I replied politely trying to smile. "Yes and I know what that is" tutted Tutor Abrielle. She knew? she knew! I sat up straight hoping she would not tell anyone. Tutor Abrielle was always gossiping. Half and hour later she muttered  through gritted teeth "Class dismissed!". "But, Tutor! you've let me out 15 minutes early! what am I supposed to do for the rest of the day?" I protested jumping to my feet. "Cassandra you can not lie to me, I've been your tutor since you were three years old! I know you always yearn to play outside on a sunny day, and today I've decided to give you that pleasure for a couple of hours, anyway you'll be couped up in the house all day with the summer festival coming up soon!" my tutor laughed and left the room. " Yes definitely tutor, that was it" I said miserably. Shortly after I followed her and saw Abe waiting for me in outside. I immediately cheered up. "Ugh, where do you want to go? I'm bored, is there anyway you want to see? its OK if servants are not allowed there I can just say my name and we can go in together" I offered Abe. "Yes Miss smarty pants, I know, well.. I always wanted to see the famous spring garden but everything would have died now" he said thoughtfully. "No! we put artificial spray on the flowers to preserve them until next spring" I said excitedly. "Eww" Abe remarked. "Why?" I asked sweetly. "I just think that its so unnatural" replied Abe.

I unlocked the garden gate and stepped onto the grey paved path. It was nearly 4:30 and the sky was beginning to get dark. the birds where chirping soulfully but they were not anywhere in sight. "Can you hear the crickets?" whispered Abe into my ears, a low deep throaty sound. "No" I whispered back, there were never crickets in the spring garden. Abe sat down and pulled me to the ground with him. After a little while I actually did hear the crickets. I was surprised. "You can't hear them usually because you royalty are usually sooo loud" he teased. "No, I think its because we never really come to the garden, its my first time in two years" I said honestly. "Really? but with such beauty in your own backyard you should definitely come more often" insisted Abe. "Hmm maybe" I said politely, I wasn't really into nature. We crept quietly away from the sound of crickets and walked around looking at different types of rare flowers. I explained all the names to Abe, he was in awe. Finally we reached the end of the garden and all there was left was a patch of soft green grass like a pillow. "Lets lie down" said Abe, and I willingly obeyed. We lied down opposite ways and stared at the clouds trying to name all the shapes. After a while Abe got up and reached for my hand. "We should do this more often" he said pulling me up. "Totally" I agreed my heart soaring and beating in my chest.