Maiden of the Forest

Chapter 19 - Sour Mood

Though he kept it hidden well, Kit was frustrated. It had been four days since the night he and Ella had retreated to their secret garden and in those four days he'd only been able to spend breakfast and dinner with his future queen. The duties of not only the king but also the grand duke had been thrust upon him in a greater force than he'd realized, his councilmen, members of the court, and matters of state pressing upon him all of the woes they felt most needed his attention. Besides these things, there were the issues of Ella's stepfamily, the fate of the Grand Duke, and Ella herself that he worried about.

When he would see Ella at meal times, she appeared to be happy but Kit noticed the slump in her shoulders and the worries in her eyes. When he asked about the lessons she was undergoing, she would assure him they were going well and that she had much to learn. She would then ask him about how he was fairing and he would reply he was well. The truth was, neither of them was well and both knew for a fact that the other wasn't voicing concerns in the fear of placing more burdens upon the other's shoulders.

Despite this lack of communication, they both went out of their way to show the other love. Keeping to his vow of making sure Ella knew she was loved every single day, he made sure to send her some kind of gift. The first day he sent her another bouquet of flowers, the second, a pair of teardrop diamond earrings, and the third, a butterfly figurine made of the finest crystal. To his delight, she graced him with little presents. He would return to his study from meetings in the council and throne room to find she'd left something for him on his desk; the first day a single gold leaf, the second, a feather from a stray bird, and the third she surprised him with a poem she'd come across during her studies concerning the meaning of love.

When Kit woke the fourth day, he woke immediately in a sour mood. Generally he was a cheerful person but today he didn't want to be. His eyes landed on his bedside table where the bouquet from Ella still sat fully bloomed in the crystal vase. Kit wondered if the Forget Me Nots would ever die; he hoped they never would. The magnificent glass slippers stood next to the vase. Kit had wanted to give them back to Ella immediately but he decided that he would return them to her when he took her away for her birthday. Sighing, he thought of how he still had to plan everything his was going to do then and the unfortunate amount of extra work he'd have to do before then so he could actually take Ella away for a few days.

Following this thought came the one he had been pondering over since yesterday. He was in need of a Grand Duke. He couldn't afford to take Ella away for a weekend and leave the palace without a head to govern affairs. Kit already knew who he wanted but he feared Captain Alistair would refuse. And if the Captain did agree, there was a matter of finding his replacement. Again, Kit had an idea of who he wanted but he was afraid of making the change.

As these insecurities fluttered through him, Kit pressed his arm across his eyes, blocking out the sun before allowing himself to feel what he'd been trying to deny for the last twenty four hours. Tears escaped his eyes as his heart began to ache. He missed his father. He thought that since he'd found Ella his pain would be gone for good, that he wouldn't feel the way he had during the mourning period, but he'd been wrong. The entire whole of yesterday he had forced himself to perform his kingly duties. The only time he felt comforted was in Ella's presence but the second she was gone, the grief consumed him. Kit had gone to bed crying that night and had woken depressed.

"I miss you so much," he whispered to the open air, speaking to his father. "I am overwhelmed by all of this. I desire to spend most of my time with Ella but the crown forces me to fulfill my obligations. I now understand why there were days when we didn't even see each other. There is so much to think about, to consider, to decide upon. Running a kingdom is completely exhausting. And then there is the fact that I can't even turn to you for advice. I wish you could have met Ella, I wish you were still here, and I wish that this grief I feel can be taken away."