The Princess Knight by: Tauriel Rogers

Chapter 31

"You better wake up young lady! You mustn't slack off on your duties as an engaged woman!" Queen Rosalind scolded as she hit her daughter with a stray pillow. Alice groaned.

"Go away mother," she muttered as she let her face slide back onto her soft cushy pillow.

"Get up! Get up I say or else!"

"Or else what?" the princess asked exasperated, "You have already forced me into or out of anything and everything." The Queen fumed, lost for a come back. Alice opened an eye and almost laughed at her mother's angered mood.

"Fine, but only this once," her mother finally caved in. Alice smiled as she rolled back over and snuggled into her covers. A few hours later, she woke up for real. She changed into the outfit the Royal Guard had given her weeks ago and ventured down to the courtyard. She leaned on the shady pillar and crossed her arms as she watched the men train for battle. She smiled when she saw her Maid training happily with Thomas. The princess looked painfully looked away, knowing that she would never have that kind of happiness as long as she was with Prince Rorick. She looked back up and let her eyes travel until she spotted Captain Riley sparring with Sam. Captain Riley quickly caught her stare and smiled, putting more effort into his training and when he beat Sam, he happily walked over to the princess with an ever growing smile.

"Here to train finally?" he teased.

"Yes," Alice said with a yawn.

"Tired?" She nodded.

"I did not sleep well. I'm actually surprised that my mother let me sleep in," she admitted.

"Really?" the Captain asked with raised eye brows. Alice shrugged. Captain Riley threw a sword toward the princess, which she caught in mid air. "We'll wake you up right away princess, you can count on that," he said with a wink. And so the sparring began with Alice up against Derek, Jacob, Sam, and Hue, all of the best fighters. She was having fun taking out all of her anger on the men and she did not go easy on them for even a second. She easily beat Sam and Hue, but Jacob and Derek were hard with their strength and speed. Eventually, she was able to get Jacob's sword of his hand and only had Derek to fight. After several long moments, Alice took advantage of the slip up in the Captain's footing and took his feet out from under him. However, he grabbed ahold of the princess's arm, taking her down with him. She landed on top of him with his arms around her waist. The men that had been watching laughed and Alice laughed along with them with her head against the Captain's chest, who had also joined in on the laughter.

"Back to training," Jacob took over, giving the two their moment. Alice slowly propped herself up on her elbows.

"Hey," she said seductively.

"Hey yourself! You tripped me!" Derek retorted playfully.

"I was only doing what you taught me."

"Yes, I suppose you were," he agreed. Alice placed a hand on the Captain's handsome face as she regained her breath and she looked into his eyes, letting herself get lost in them. She rubbed Derek's cheek gently and felt it when he sighed.

"We should really get up before Jacob tells us to get a room," Alice suggested. Derek rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Maybe it's not a bad idea," the Captain said as Alice and him got up. Alice abruptly stopped wiping the grass off her shirt and slightly turned her body around to look at Derek. When he caught her curious stare, she quickly looked away and blushed, embarrassed at what he was implying, but not entirely disagreeing with it. 

Later that night, Princess Alice laid on her back in bed with her arms crossed behind her head. She starred at the ceiling as the Captain's words replayed in her head over and over again. "What if we did?" she thought, "What harm would it be? It would surely make me happy and there was no denying that his feelings for me are true." Alice gave up on trying to sleep and redressed herself, deciding that she would walk the castle halls until she felt tired again. She was going to pass the courtyard, but walked back when she saw how the moonlight was hitting the grass. Alice walked onto the grass into the moonlight and looked up. She gasped in wonder when she saw that it was a full moon in the clear night sky. She jumped, startled when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and instantly elbowed the person behind her.