"Princess May?"
"Yes?"
"May I enter?"
"Of course."
A pretty, young woman dressed in a fine gown turned as the door behind her opened. She watched as a man with light brown hair and chocolate eyes moved into the room with a subtle grace. He was wearing light-weight armor with a sword at his hip, and heavy boots of leather made specifically for castle guards to show their status and ranking. The man's boots were a solid black, signifying the highest of ranks, head knight of The Castle Guard. Not only that, but his boots were lined with red. A trophy of sorts, so that all will know his accomplishments. He stood now only a few feet away from the door, his eyes forward and his posture stiff.
The young woman looked at the man with dancing eyes, her friendly nature and playful behavior shining through. Her long black hair was tied up in a bun on the side of her head, and her face was decorated with light make up. Her eyes were an unusual shade a green, but certainly not displeasing. They seemed to gleam like polished emeralds under the light of a full moon, captivating everyone that crossed their path, and leaving them in a trance. While her dress was quite beautiful, she was obviously unaccustomed to the garment as she stood in it awkwardly. It was stiff from infrequent use, and did not fit her perfectly, but it was adequate and that was all she needed.
The girl was unusually happy at this time, for she was to attend her birthday party that night and her coronation had occurred not long before, meaning she was no longer required to dance with the crowd. She could sit quietly in her seat beside the throne, only having to give out formal greetings. She would, however, be forced to attend the dinner party, and then she would have to be more social. But even so, she thought it was a fair trade.
"You know you don't need to knock Jason; we are not on formal terms and we've known each other for years. You must loosen up a little or you'll never find yourself a woman."
The man glanced in her direction but made no comment on her previous statement.
"Your father wishes to speak with you before the party princess. He has asked me to come and escort you." Jason said in a monotone voice. Although he had grown into adulthood, his youth was still apparent. His voice was not as high as it was when he was a child, but it still lacked the roughness of an older man whose experience had influenced their speech.
"Strange, what could he want to talk about? Hopefully he isn't going back on his word," the princess said, then she looked at Jason and gave him a slightly annoyed face, "And would you stop addressing me with 'princess'? You know how uncomfortable it makes me feel."
"But you can still address me as prince!"
The voice came from the little boy that had been sitting in front of a mirror, next to the princess. His shaggy hair was a shade darker than the guard's, and his eyes were a vibrant blue. They sparkled with excitement at the appearance of the guard. The little boy had no older brothers, but he remembered growing up around Jason. The older he got the more he came to admire the man, and he had become the boy's role model. He wanted to be a knight when he grew up, just like Jason. Even when he knew he would never be allowed.
May held a brush in her right hand and she turned to use it on the child's hair. She had been brushing it to prepare him for the party. She always had to force him to let her brush it, because he refused to do it on his own, and he never let the maids near him. She turned his head back towards the mirror, and he groaned.
"Ugh! How much longer do I have to sit her sis?" he asked impatiently.
"Until I've finished taking out these knots," she said as she struggled to pull the brush through a strand of hair, "Are you sure you don't want to cut it?"
"Yes! I'm sure! I don't want to cut it!"
"Okay, okay. Calm down Clemmie."
Clemmie was the princess's nickname for the boy. His full name was actually Clementine. He didn't really care for the nickname his sister had given him, but he let her keep it just to make her happy. No one else was allowed to call him by that name, not even Jason, who had known him from the day he was born.
"Princess, we really should be going now." Jason reminded the young woman.
She whipped around and shot a glare at him.
"A-hem!" he said shakily, "I meant May, we should really be going now."
She smiled at him with a satisfied look on her face, glad to have won. Jason gulped when he saw her smile. He hated it when she grinned like that, it gave him the chills. But her glare had been even worse, he was too frightened of her to object.
"Just let me finish up here, I'm sure father can wait for a couple of minutes."
"No, he insisted you come right away." Jason said with a hint of guilt.
May sighed as the light disappeared from her eyes, "Of course. Clemmie? Would you please finish this up by yourself? Sissy has to go take care of some business."
She looked at him with so much tenderness he couldn't refuse her. He hated to see her frown like that, he knew she didn't like father very much.
Jason was also feeling a bit guilty, he knew better than anyone how much hatred May held for her father. He hated it just as much as Clementine when the princess frowned.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"It's fine. I have to follow orders, right? Wouldn't want to disappoint daddy," her voice was dripping with sarcasm.
Jason could feel her hatred seeping out from every part of her body and he wished he could go to her and comfort her, but he didn't know how.
"Well then, I suppose we should head out," Jason said with less volume this time.
"Yes," was May's only response.
***
"You wished to speak with me father?"
May had traveled with Jason down the long corridors of the palace to reach her father's study. She was never allowed in the room except on special occasions such as this. She needed an invitation if she wanted go in. Not that she had ever been particularly interested in seeing her father at work. She was interested, however, in the work itself. She wanted to know what kept her father so busy, that he couldn't even be bothered to spend time with his own children.
As she looked around the room with tall walls and endless bookshelves, she made it a point to memorize every detail. The room was always in a mess, with books and parchments scattered across the floor, and dust collecting on every surface. The bookshelves were flat against the walls and reached all the way up to the ceiling. A latter was used when somebody wanted to reach a document on the higher shelves, and it was leaning against the left wall next to a section labeled Economics. In the center at the back of the room was her father's desk, stuffed to the brim with papers. It was unusually large and reached almost the full width of the study. The only decoration that could be found in the room was a red velvet carpet starting at the door and leading all the way up to the desk. The rest of the floor was white polished marble, much like the rest of the castle. The room had no windows and only one chair.
The desk chair.
After she had finished surveying the room, she turned her eyes towards her father, who was sitting patiently behind his desk. He was reading a document and comparing it with another, as if he was trying to spot the difference. When he heard May speak, he glanced up from his work and then went back to it straight away.
"Hold on one minute," he told her.
May clenched her jaw. I see why I had to come here in such a hurry, this matter he wishes to speak with me about is obviously very important. The princess was incredibly agitated, even her thoughts were sarcastic.
Finally, her father put down the papers he was holding and addressed her.
"You are going to be married next month."
May's jaw dropped. WHAT?! Since when am I getting married? She had never been so shocked by her father's words, and that was saying a lot. She knew her father liked to spring surprises on her, but something like this? It was insane! She barely managed to choke out her next sentence.
"What do you mean I'm getting married?" she said with as much control as she could possibly manage.
Her father looked at her like she was an idiot, "You're getting married May. I am not sure how to make it any clearer."
"I don't understand. You told me that I wouldn't need to get married because Clemmie will be the one to take over the throne."
"Yes, Clementine will take over the throne. The prince we've selected for you is not marrying into this kingdom, YOU are marrying into his."
May still could not believe her hears, "Why? Why do I need to get married? And why so suddenly? This is ridiculous father! I put up with your other ridiculous ideas because I thought it would earn me my freedom. And now you're trying to take that away from me? I won't stand for it!"
Her father's voice went cold, "You are getting married May Westropp, and you are doing it without complaint."
May felt a chill go down her spine. Her father's tone had been so utterly unfeeling, she had forgotten everything she wanted to say. His eyes were fixed on her like a hawk. Cold, emotionless eyes boring into her, freezing her in place. Her father had never been so angry. So angry that he didn't even need to raise his voice. May had never been scared of anything, but as she stood there under her father's gaze, she felt an overwhelming sense of dread. It washed over her, consuming every part of her. She felt as though she was drowning. She couldn't breathe.
He father continued to stare at her, "You will meet the boy tonight, and your engagement shall be announced at the end of the dancing ceremony. You will be married in exactly one month's time, and then you shall leave this castle for his. You should be honored. You will get to become a queen after all."
May said nothing. She didn't want to be a queen, moreover, she didn't want to be a wife! She didn't want to leave the castle. She could never leave her brother, and it was her home. She had lived here her whole life; it was all she had ever known. Her eyes began to fill with tears as the fear turned into despair. Her hatred grew larger than it had ever grown before. She forgot her terror for a brief moment as her hate took over.
It was her turn to be angry, "I was right."
Her father looked annoyed, "About what?"
"We are nothing but pawns to you. You never loved us, and you never will. You only married mother so she would produce an heir. You didn't even love her," May said with the same cold voice as her father, though her rage was more apparent.
"YOU INSOLENT LITTLE GIRL!!! How dare you speak to me that way?! You know nothing about my feelings toward your mother! You know nothing about this world! You are a stupid, incompetent brat, who I will never look upon with pride. You are a disgrace. I will be glad to be rid of a daughter like you!"
May couldn't care less about his words. As she turned to go, she said one last thing.
"And I will be glad to escape from a father like you."
Before he could yell at her any further, she quickly exited the room.
***
Once she was finally safe outside of her father's study, the princess fell to the floor, letting out a series of horrible heart-breaking sobs.
Jason went to her immediately.
"May! MAY! Are you okay? What happened? I heard yelling. Did he hurt you? Please tell me what is wrong!" Jason's voice was panicked, and in his worry, he had forgotten all formalities.
The princess continued to sob and gasp for breath. She was shaking uncontrollably as she rocked herself back and forth. Her cries were so painful Jason couldn't stand to see her like that any longer. He wrapped her in a hug and rocked with her, trying to stop the shaking.
"Shhh," he said, "It's all right. Just calm down. Shhh."
The princess wrapped her arms around his chest and cried into his chain-mail. It was an uncomfortable position, but neither of them cared, or even noticed.
Jason continued to comfort her, letting her cover his armor with snot and tears. He didn't let go until she had finally slowed her sobbing. He released her from the hug and cupped her face with both hands, wiping away tears with his thumbs. It was only then the princess became suddenly aware of their closeness, and she jerked back when he touched her face.
"What's wrong?" he said, the look of concern never leaving his face.
"Nothing I just—" she looked at his furrowed brow and serious frown, then said, "I just don't want you to see me like this. I'm all covered in snot."
May turned her head away so that Jason could no longer see her face.
"You think I care about that?" he said as he moved closer to her again, "I just want to make sure you're okay."
"I'm fine."
"No. You're not."
She turned her head slightly so she could peek at his face.
"Okay, but we can't talk here. The guards will be starting their rotation soon, I don't want any of them to see me while they're patrolling."
"Right, okay," Jason stood up, chiding himself, "Can you stand?"
"I think so."
As May attempted to raise herself off the ground, Jason moved to put her arm around his shoulder. She hesitated, but then continued to stand. She was halfway there when her legs gave out on her and her knees buckled.
She let out another sob, "I can't even move!"
"Shhh. Hey, it's all right. It's fine." Jason looked around the corridor looking for something that might solve his problem. Then he had an idea.
"I'll just carry you back to your room."
"What?" the princess stopped crying and looked up at him.
"I'll carry you."
"Are you sure? I'm pretty heavy."
Jason let out a small chuckle, "I'm sure I'll be fine."
Jason smiled at the princess and suddenly she blushed, quickly turning away again. She didn't know why she did that. It's just Jason, she thought, why am I getting so flustered?
Jason frowned again when she turned her head and rushed to pick her up. May jumped when he suddenly lifted her off the ground and held her in his arms. Her face reddened even further, and she tried to cover it with her hands.
"Why are you covering your face? I told you I don't care about the snot," Jason said.
"I know! It's just... well I..." May couldn't get the words out.
Jason forced her hands off her face and saw how red she looked. He quickly put his hand to his forehead, "You're burning up! We need to get you to your room right now!"
Once he let go of her hands May instantly returned them to her face, and Jason started moving in the direction they had originally come from.
"GAH! This is just too embarrassing!" May exclaimed as she struggled to escape his hold on her.
Jason looked at her, a little surprised and said, "This isn't the first time I've carried you back to your room. Or... are you embarrassed about your father?"
May stopped struggling and looked up at him. She didn't know what to say, she wasn't sure why she was so embarrassed and was having a hard time keeping her thoughts straight. She decided to go with the easiest option, "Yeah... I really wish you hadn't heard that."
Although she had said it to divert him from other possible explanations, there was still a little truth behind her statement.
Jason went quiet. He was at a loss for words. He would do anything to keep the princess from harm. At least, he would physically. But when it came to emotional support Jason just couldn't figure out the right things to do or say. He was a fighter; he grew up fighting. He was trained to protect the princess and lead the guard. His strengths were in his swordplay and leadership. Aside from those, Jason really didn't have any other talents or abilities. Well, at least none that others knew about.
The princess felt a pang of loneliness when the knight fell silent. Jason was doing it again; he was ignoring her. She just couldn't understand it. They had been friends forever. By the time May could walk she remembered him standing there, holding out his arms, ready to catch her if she fell. He was always there, always willing to help her when she fell down. They grew close, closer than May had ever been to someone, besides her mother. They went everywhere together, and even if it was Jason's job, she knew he enjoyed spending time with her, as did she. But as they grew older May started to notice a change. She had just turned twelve and she was running to see Jason, in hopes that he would come play with her and Clementine. But when she finally found him and tried to call out to him, he barely glanced at her before turning away and moving in the other direction. She ran to stop him and ask him if he was okay. But when she reached to grab his shoulder, he shrugged her off. She was shocked, and when he turned around, he looked a little ashamed of himself but still did not say anything.
It was then that May got angry, "What was that for?! Why aren't you talking to me? Are you angry? Have I done something wrong? If so, you can tell me. I don't know why you're trying to avoid me."
Jason looked at her and tried to come up with an excuse, "I'm sorry, I— it was just reflex. You know. From my training."
May frowned at him, "Okay. But why are you being so quiet?"
Again, young Jason struggled to find the right words, and eventually just said, "I'm– I'm sorry, I have to go train. Teacher will be angry with me." And with that he turned tail and ran.
May stood in stunned silence and she felt her vision begin to blur. She quickly wiped away the tears and said to herself, "Why am I crying? That's so stupid! He's just going to training! It's nothing to get upset about!"
But May couldn't stop herself from wondering, what did I do wrong?
Now, as May looked at his stern face and creased eyebrows, she felt the same pang in her heart as she did all those years ago. Ever since that day, Jason stopped coming around as often, saying he had to go train or take care of guard duty. But that wasn't even the worst part. When Jason did come to see her, or stand outside her door, he barely spoke to her. May never knew why, and no matter how many times she asked he wouldn't tell her. After a while May started to think Jason hated her. Even now, his worried expression was only visible because it was his job to protect her. Not because he actually cared.
Jason's mind was elsewhere, and he didn't even notice May staring at him. He was acutely aware however, of her body pressed against his lower abdomen. Even though he was wearing armor, there will still areas of exposed skin on his body. Like his lower arm, where he was resting the princess's head. Her neck was directly touching the exposed skin and Jason couldn't help but notice how soft her skin was. He wanted to touch it more, wanted to feel it with his hands, but he stopped himself. You can't do that! He thought. You're her guard, you're meant to protect her! He tried to distract himself as much as possible, but it was extremely difficult when he was so aware of every little detail on her body. His senses were filled with her. He could smell her distinctive womanly scent, and the rose petals she used in her bath water. Her hair, though still in a bun, had fallen out in places after all the commotion. It was the softest thing Jason thought he had ever touched. It was better than touching silk. And he loved the color of it. Her hair wasn't just a deep brown, it was black. Real black, and it contrasted so well with her pale skin and bright green eyes. It was the most beautiful hair Jason had ever seen, and he never stopped wanting to run his hands through it.
But her eyes, to Jason, where her most gorgeous feature. When he looked closely at them, he could see little gold flakes scattered around like stars. The color was a combination of many different shades of green, getting lighter as they moved out from her pupils. They mixed together like the different colors of water. They could be compared to nothing but emeralds. Bright shining emeralds held under a brilliant white light. He could stare into those eyes forever.
Besides that, her face was perfectly chiseled. She had a small nose, like a button, and high cheekbones. Her lips were red and full, a trait she inherited from her mother. And when she smiled, she seemed to light up the whole world, making her even more beautiful, if that were possible. But her face wasn't the only thing Jason was focused on. May's body was very attractive, and very alluring. Obviously, Jason had never watched her change, but even when she was wearing a loose dress, her curves were apparent. She had an hourglass figure, but her waist wasn't very tiny. Her hips were wide, and they fit with her legs perfectly, curving in just the right way to make them appear small but plump. Her buttocks were another product of her wide hips. They were round and full, protruding a good distance behind her back and legs. Her breasts were more modest, but not unnoticeable. They were big enough to fill out a gown, and still perky with youth. The girl had a fine set of assists that she could use to lure any man, if she wanted to.
The problem was, May didn't realize her own beauty. In fact, she had hardly ever looked in a mirror. Her maids would always do her makeup for her, because she wasn't the best at applying it, and she was always turned away from the vanity then. She never even bothered to check her maids' work because she trusted them too much to ever think they would purposely ruin her face with a bad makeover. Besides, it didn't really matter to her. If she could have it her way, she'd never wear makeup, or dresses. She would wear her usual outfit of mid-thigh shorts, a simple blouse with no fancy design, no ruffles, and boots that went all the way up to her knees. Those were her favorite boots. Jason had given them to her on her sixteenth birthday. In secret of course, because May's father knew nothing of her usual garments.
When she was growing up maids and butlers would wait on her hand and foot, but she hated being pampered all the time. She just wanted to go outside and play in the castle grounds, which extended a fair way into the western woods. Because she was so young, May's mother had been the one to decide that it wasn't necessary for her to be wearing dresses all the time. Only on special occasions, and when they had company over. At this time May was only six years old, and her mother was still alive.
After that, the castle staff no longer bugged her about her attire, and they let her run wild and free whenever she pleased. May loved the forest more than anything. She would constantly go exploring and would constantly get hurt. Of course, when she returned to the castle with a multitude of cuts and bruises everyone would fawn over her. They told her to be more careful, but every day she would come home with new injuries and eventually they gave up on trying to prevent it.
After May's mother died however, her father forbade her from ever venturing into the woods again. He took every last one of the shirts and pants that her mother had made for her and threw them away. The little girl was devastated, but she was powerless. Jason hated seeing her so unhappy, so he spoke with the princess's maids and got them to agree to making May some new clothes. She was overjoyed when Jason showed her the new garments, and her smile was all it took to convince the rest of the castle to let her play outside again. Everyone except the king. They all knew they would most likely lose their jobs if they were ever caught, but that was very unlikely. The king was always in his study or the meeting room, and he never came to any meals. He had no time for his daughter, and the staff knew it. That was the main reason why they were all willing to risk losing their only source of food and shelter, and the other reason was because they loved her so much.
Everywhere she went May brought a smile to peoples' face. She was kind and playful, and never afraid to speak her mind. More than anything she was honest, and the people respected her for that. So, they worked out a system to make sure the king never caught his daughter in her play clothes. Even now, as she was about to turn twenty, they made sure to cover for her whenever she went out.
In any case, the girl was completely unaware of how gorgeous she was. Even when her face was smudged with dirt and her knee was bleeding from a nasty cut, she was the most attractive woman in the castle. But because May was a princess, no one was ever allowed to approach her without permission, or they would be sentenced to death. May had never heard anyone beside her maids call her beautiful, and she was inexperienced in the ways of the world. Jason worried that one day she would be assaulted, and he wouldn't be there to save her. That was his worst nightmare.
Jason was so caught up in the past, and trying to keep himself under control, he didn't realize it at first when they reached May's room.
"Okay," she said, "You can put me down now."
Jason snapped back to reality, "Oh! Right. You sure you can walk?"
May nodded and Jason slowly lowered her feet to the ground, but he still supported her back as she took a step forward. Again, her knees buckled, and Jason had to catch her.
"Alright, so maybe I can't walk yet," she said.
Jason chuckled and picked her up again, "I'll just lay you on your bed so you can rest for a while."
"Okay, thank you."
That made Jason look at her, it had been a long time since she last thanked him for something. Not that he minded, he was always glad to help, but it was strange to hear her say it. Her face was sad and tired. At least the fever has gone down, he thought, observing that she was no longer red.
When Jason finally reached her bed, he laid her down carefully, pushing the covers out of the way. He removed her shoes and then pulled the covers up and over her.
"There you go," he said, "Now get some rest before the party."
The princess had gotten sleepy while being carried in Jason's arms. She was emotionally exhausted, and eventually she had forgotten the strange feelings she was having. She was still sad however, about his silence.
"Ha. It's been a long time since you last put me to bed like this," she said sleepily, "I remember how I was always coming home dirty and exhausted, and after I had eaten and taken a bath, you would carry me back to my room because I was too tired to walk. Then you would take off my shoes and cover me with the blankets, just like you did now." She smiled at the warm memory; her eyes half closed.
"I'm surprised you remember that," he said. He didn't think she would, though he would never forget it.
"Of course I remember that, idiot! It's you I'm surprised has remembered."
He wanted to say, "How could I ever forget that? Those were some of the best days of my life, spent with you." But he didn't.
Instead he walked away, and it was all May could do but to watch him go.
***
Jason was in deep thought. He was trying to figure out what could have caused such a reaction in May. He knew the girl's father was often harsh, but he had never seen her cry after leaving that room. Not even once. The princess never let anyone observe her weakness, no matter how hard it was to keep her pain hidden. She was strong, Jason had never known a person who could shake her. Even when her father came down on her, she remained calm. He had always admired that about her. Her ability to stand her ground even in the toughest situations... it was her most admirable trait. Even as a child she never allowed herself to be manipulated.
So, what could her father have said... to make her fall apart like that? Jason thought. May had an immense amount of willpower, so it was impossible for Jason to imagine what could have beaten that. All he knew was, it couldn't be good.
Jason was so busy pondering the situation, that he almost didn't notice the person running towards him. He snapped out of his thoughts and immediately drew his sword from its sheath, holding it at the ready. He focused his sight on the attacker, and almost simultaneously returned the sword to his hip.
"Oh. It's just you Walker," Jason looked relieved.
Walker was Jason's subordinate, and close friend.
"Whoa! Calm down there buddy, I didn't mean to scare you," Walker was holding his hands over his head and standing quite a way away from Jason.
"I'm sorry Walker, I was lost in my thoughts and didn't see you approaching me at first," Jason sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing them with his hand.
"No, that's quite all right boss. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I was coming at you rather quickly," Walker said apologetically.
"You are too kind Walker," Jason replied.
"Thank you, sir," Walker was beaming with pride at his captain's praise.
"So... what are you doing here?" Jason asked.
"Oh, right! I was sent by the king, he says he wishes to speak with you in private," Walker said with a slight hint of curiosity.
"The king? I suppose he must want to talk with me about the princess," Jason's frown deepened.
Walker was really curious now, "The princess? What about the princess? Is there something going on? I heard a rumor that some big shot prince will be attending the princess's birthday party tonight."
Jason looked up at him sharply. A prince? Could that be what this is about? But why... no. That can't be true.
Jason shook his head, trying to dismiss the idea, "You shouldn't believe everything you hear Walker. Though, it would not be unusual if a prince were to appear tonight. The princess's birthday is a very large social event. It is not uncommon for other princes and princesses to attend; it is considered good manners among the higher social classes."
Walker looked at him suspiciously, "Mmmh..." he said.
"What is it?" Jason looked at him with some concern.
"Oh nothing. Just my imagination running wild again. Anyway, shouldn't you be heading out now boss? The king did tell me it was urgent."
"Yes, I suppose so. Would you mind taking over here? If the princess wakes, tell her I will be back shortly," Jason said in a very serious way.
"Me? You want me to guard the princess? You never let anyone do that. You're usually so protective of her. Well... I mean, that is your job, but I mean really protective. You don't even trust the other guards," Walker was obviously stunned by Jason's request.
"What do you mean? Other guards have kept watch over her before. She must be under twenty-four-hour surveillance; I cannot be with her all the time. I have other duties to attend to," the captain of The Castle Guard said in a defensive tone.
"And sleep?" Walker raised his eyebrows.
"Right. That too," Jason had legitimately forgotten.
Walker just laughed, "Okay boss. In any case, I'll be honored to watch over the princess. You can count on me!"
He saluted. Jason looked at him like he was too tired to even deal with him anymore.
"Okay Walker, I appreciate it. Make sure you keep her safe. I'll never forgive you if anything happens to the princess," Jason said.
Walker laughed again, "See ya boss!"
Jason turned around and started making his way to the king's study. He was finally going to find out what had caused May so much pain. And he wasn't sure if he would be able to hold his temper.