Lady Illea (Lady Illea #1)

Chapter Twenty Two

    I decided I didn't want to eat diner that evening with everyone else so I took it to my bedroom. Junebug asked me why and I told her it was nothing. I just didn't feel like being around so many people. It was tiring do it all day. To which Esmeralda haughtily agreed making me laugh. The sun was setting outside and I sat in front of the vanity, enjoying the feel of the brush running through my hair.

"You know," Esmeralda said. "That guard looked at me again"

  We all loked at her and she flipped her hair with an air of arrogance.

"Then again I am something to look at."

"Oh please" Alma said, looking up from her sewing. "You two have had your eye on each other for months."

"It's true"

Esmeralda stopped. "Shut up Junebug!"

Junebug went back to her sewing along side Alma.

"Men don't find tempers very attractive on ladies" I teased.

Esmeralda in her deep seductive voice said, "You're right they don't. But they sure as hell find me God damn sexy"

Junebug laughed.

I smiled and took off my earrings. "What's his name?"

Esmeralda smiled a bit smuggly, dipping her hair so that her curls covered her expression. "Officer Travis Morgan"

"Uwww!"

She tugged on my hair. 'Quit teasing"

Alma grinned. "You know he sends her notes sometimes"

I gasped, intrigued. "Oh really Esmeralda!"

Junebug smiling nodded frantically. "He asks for her all the time too!"

"Don't you see when he stares at her?" Alma added.

Pretending to be frustrated Esmeralda slammed the brush on my vanity and put her hands on my hips. "Now all of you nosy bodies" she eyed us as we giggled like school girls. "Shut your pipes and mind your buisness."

"Is he handsome?" i asked.

"Oh God!" Esmeralda bent down as if her knees turned to rubber and in a dramatic fashion said, "He's the kind of gorgeous women would line up around the block to see"

   I laughed.

  There was a sudden knock on the door and Junebug merrily jumped to her feet.

"I'll get it"

  Alma, Esmeralda, and I just laughed a little as Esmeralda continued combing my hair. The girls were going to be sleeping in my room tonight.

I heard Junebug gasp. "Your Majesty!"

  Alma seemed frazzled and she dropped her sewing needle. Esmeralda's eyes widened and Will gracefully glidded into the room. He smiled and bowed his head.

"Ladies"

   I had never seen my girls so well behaved and mannered before. They all got to their feet immediately, curtsied in unison, bowed their heads and said, "Your Majesty"

"Would you care to leave as alone for a moment?"

Alma bowed her head. "Of course. Ladies?"

   With Alma being the head maid they all filed out of the room behind her. But of course Esmeralda stopped in the door way to wink and the girls had to drag her away. Junebug whispered a hurried apology and shut the door.

Will smiled. "They're wonderful girls"

"The best," I said. "They have been my family away from my real family."

He smiled even wider and nodded his head. "I'm glad to hear that"

"You can sit if you'd like" I pointed to a chair. "Don't just stand there Princy"

Will laughed a little and sat in the seat that Alma was sitting in before. "I actually came to speak to you"

I picked up the brush and started with the ends of my hair. "What about?"

"Well you see, there's this ball coming up and..." Will trailed off. "You have such a beautiful hair."

"Thank you"

"Don't ever cut it," he told me. "It would be a shame to lose hair so beautiful"

I smiled a little. "I'd never cut my hair. Even if it grows so that it hits the floor I'd never cut it."

Will laughed. "Well, seeing that it hits your knees I would not be surprised if it hit the ground pretty soon."

    We both chuckled and the room was drapped in silence once more.

"Umm" he rubbed the back of his neck and I didn't quite take this into account before but he actually looked kidn fo nervous.

"Is there something the matter?" I asked, concerned.

"No its just..." he shook his head and thought of what he was going to say. "You and the rest of the girls are meeting my family tomorrow, correct?"

I nodded. "At dinner. Why?"

Will rubbed his hands together. "There's just someone that I would like you to meet"

   I carefully put my brush down immediately alarmed. I turned and looked at him carefully.

"Of course you won't be the only girl meeting them I just thought....well they're very special to me and they don't come out often. I kind of wanted to introduce you to them myself rather then have you introduced to them with a swarm of 20 other girls"

I frowned. "20?"

He nodded.

    I kind of didn't want to press the conversation but I knew what he meant. Other girls were elminated today. Its been a little over a month and we're already down to 20 girls. I couldn't believe it. Maybe he wanted to square it down quickly, to the girls he thought might have a chance so that he could spend more time with them. Rather then spending months spilitting his time with 25 girls he could eliminate the lump sum he didn't really care for now and then concentrate on the important ones later. Clever, I suppose but I hated the idea of it.

    All those poor girls with broken hearts. They must have thought they had a chance. Maybe they weren't given the proper chance.

"I just....came to tell you that" he said. "That I wanted to introduce you to them"

I smiled and nodded. "Alright Princy. Don't be too nervous now"

He laughed and the relief was visible in his smile. "Alright then, Alessa"

"Alessandra" I corrected. 'Not Alessa"

"Defender of Mankind"

"Hm?"

Will smiled and rose from his seat. he smiled like it was some kind of inside secret that only he knew about. "That's a beautiful name"

I just looked at him. "Thank you"

"Alessandra, Defender of Mankind. It has a ring to it, doesn't it?"

I turned in my chair to face him. "Is that what it means?" I aske quietly.

"What does what mean?"

I rubbed my locket. "My name? Is that what my name means"

Will just winked at me. "Where something purple, or violet," he opened the door. "They always seem to make your eyes glow"

   I wanted to open my mouth and say something but he shut the door behind him. Not knowing how to feel I slumped back in my seat and looked at myself in the mirror. I kept thinking about what he said as I combed my hair when it finally hit me.

   Why would he introduce just me and not bring anyone else?