Princess Alice is realizing who she wants to become. After her castle is attacked by the neighboring evil kingdom, she decides she wants to become a knight, but the King Queen won't allow it. Princess Alice decides to train in secret with the Royal...
Alice woke up sometime during the night and realized that she was still in Derek's arms on his horse headed back home. Alice groaned, not wanting to move. "Come on Alice, we're going to stop for the night and continue in the morning," Derek told her.
"Where are we?" she yawned as she slung her leg over the side of the horse.
"We're at Lydia's house where we'll be safe," Derek answered as he reached up and grabbed her, Alice gripping his shoulders for dear life, and him gently setting her down. She slid her hands to his chest and put her head on his chest to.
"I'm sleepy," she mumbled.
"I know Alice, I know. Believe me, I am to."
"Do not worry Captain, I will get the bags for you," Lydia's father said and Alice saw Lydia's mother tying the horses to their front posts. Derek picked Alice up and she snuggled up to him right away. He carried inside and followed Lydia's mother to their guest room where the mother took Alice's cloak, placing it on the chair, and Derek gently laid her down on the bed. Alice opened one tired eye and reached out for his hand.
"Derek," she whispered, "I'm cold, don't leave me."
"I guess it is true! The princess really does like you," Lydia's mother said.
"What do I do? Sharing a bed with an engaged woman is completely inappropriate and she is the princess for goodness sake!" Derek asked Lydia's mother.
"Do you want her to be cold and lonely?"
"No."
"Do you want her to be with someone she does not love?"
"No."
"Then I do not see what the worry is and you our lips are sealed," she told him. Derek looked back at Alice, who was slightly shivering, and his heart melted realizing she wasn't lying. "I'll have my husband send a messenger so the King does not worry and we will wake you in the morning if you are not already gone," Lydia's mother said as she quietly shut the door. Derek took his boots off and folded his cloak onto the chair seat. He climbed under the overs and put a hand under his pillow as he watched the rise and fall of Alice's breathing. She rolled over and scooted closer to him, taking his arm out from under the pillow, straightening it out, and then used his big biceps as a pillow. Derek held back his amused chuckle and smiled, using his free hand to pull the blankets further up. Alice opened her eyes for a moment and looked at Derek's lips, leaning closer. She closed her eyes as she did, but stopped a centimeter from his lips as her sleepiness took over. Derek was frozen to the spot and cold feel the warmth from her skin so close to his. He wanted to kiss her so bad, but he knew they were both tired and he wanted to make sure that when they finally did kiss that they'd both be able to remember it. He slightly readjusted his body so he could rest cheek against Alice's forehead and then he to fell asleep.
Derek woke up the next morning with Alice still asleep on his arm. He grazed her cheek with his thumb and smiled at how peaceful she looked when she slept. He saw her eyelids start to move a little and kissed her cheek. The princess smiled as she put her hand over his and then pushed his hand away she could rub the tiredness from her face. "Good morning," she said.
"Good morning," he repeated.
"I don't want to go home," Alice told him, half hugging him.
"I'm sorry, but I plan on following you father's orders."
"I understand," Alice said. She rolled onto her back and rubbed her face again yawning. "I supposed we should get up," she muttered, rolling out bed and put her riding boots on. She rummaged through the draws until she found a comb and quickly brushed her hair out. When she was done, she threw her cloak around her shoulders and grabbed her bag. She picked out some bread, butter, and apples for breakfast, sharing what she had with Derek. After breakfast, Alice made the bed while Derek prepared the horses. She left a thank you note on the pillows and off the two rode. "I took the forest pass to get here, so we should probably take it back."
"That's how you got here unnoticed," Derek figured it out. After some time, Alice hopped down from her horse and decided to walk for awhile to work out her sore muscles; the Captain following suit. "Have you ever been beyond Lydia's house? he asked.
"No, I've always wanted to and up until yesterday, I think the furthest I've been is on the outskirts of the rich community," the princess answered.
"What do you think of the rest of the kingdom?"
"It's not bad, farm life seems really nice and peaceful. Townsfolk seem to cheery and the port, well, that's a whole nother world in itself," Alice described. "Port people are shady, some of them," she quickly added, "but not all of them are bad. Most seem to have a good sense of humor, they love their liquor, and they talk funny. So many smells! Food, beer, raw fish, and the sea; not a good mix," Alice remembered, her nose turning up disgusted. Derek laughed.
"You can be extremely dramatic at times," Derek teased.
"I am not!" Alice argued.
"Sure, I'll let you think that," Derek looked away, hiding his laugh. Alice looked at him and smiled dreamily; he was actually teasing her about something other than training for once and she liked it.
"How mad do you think my parents are?" Alice felt the lump in her stomach starting to form when she realized they were almost to her favorite hill.
"Your mother will be furious as she usually is and your father will probably scold you once, nothing more. They were worried about you Alice. It's not like you to take off out of the blew and not tell anyone where you are going. Even little Ryan was concerned about where the princess had gone," the Captain pointed out.
"I only hope Prince Rorick stays away." Derek didn't know what to say that. They didn't speak again, even when they stopped for lunch at the hill; they didn't speak at all for the rest of the way back.
"Alice! Your alive!" Queen Rosalind exclaimed when she saw her daughter and immediately hugged her. She cupper her daughters face in her hands and smiled, all the worry draining away.
"You were the first to volunteer to find my daughter, you made haste in your preparations, you went unarmed, you stuck to your word, and you brought her back healthy and unharmed. You Captain Derek Riley, are truly a man of noble honor," King Bard complimented him as he clasped his shoulder.
"The princess has returned!" Maid Lydia shouted gleefully, throwing her arms around her closest friend.
"So you survived," Prince Rorick said as he carefully and awkwardly hugged Alice, "You smell like raw fish and horses," he cringed.
"Nice to see you to," Alice said sarcastically. She tried to hold back her smirk when she saw his completely bandaged hand.
"Come my lady, we should get you cleaned up," Maid Lydia suggested.
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