I looked at father in surprise as he spoke. Since when did he have the time to go out and get me something for this. Maybe he was changing and he truly cared about me? This thought made me feel warm and fuzzy because of the reason I thought he hated me. Even then, deep down I knew the truth. He just wanted to see me come home after the prince saw me and rejected me. Or worst he wanted me out of the house just to get money from the prince when he marries me.
"You did?" I asked, surprised. He chuckled, putting his hand around my shoulder and leading me out towards the front of the house.
"Of course I did! Why else would I say it?" He said, gently shoving my arm playfully, "I need to talk to you alone". I gulped, watching as he started leading me away from the house and closer to a shady part of the village. When he stopped it was silent for many seconds before he held out a small box.
"By the time you get back, I won't be here. I'll be on a trip because of my work, so if you do decide to go to the castle for those few months then I want to let you know how much I'll miss you. This means I won't be around for you to pack and go to the castle, so if you decide to go then when you get to the castle please open this box, okay?" He explained.
I felt a pain of sadness in his voice. For a minute I believed he changed but then I remembered the other night when I tried to defend my family and he got angry. I looked down and gently grabbed the small wooden box that was perfectly carved. It looked old as if it hadn't been open in years.
"Thank you, father. I will open it if I do, but if I don't?" I carried on, watching his face turn into a serious stare that made me clench the fragile box and stop making eye contact. My face went pale as the wind blew up my revealed back and blown against the train in the back. He put his hands on the box that was clenched into my hands.
"Then don't open it." That was all he said before mom waved her hands for us. that's when I was the fancy carriage pull-up. I gasped at how beautiful the carriage was, a green base with huge wheels and a golden outline. Pale white horses thumping their hooves against dusty paths and drawing attention to people around us. I nodded to my father before turning around and racing to get on the carriage.
"I'll see you soon," I called out to mother as Delilah handed me a side bag that she had worn for the past year. Even though it was used, it looked brand new and it was big enough to hold the small box. I tucked it in and put the bag over my shoulder. I hugged Delilah and Viar before getting in the carriage and waving to them. As I passed the people who hated me, I didn't even look at their amazing faces. I grabbed the ribbon on the window curtain and pulled it. The beautiful purple curtain fell over the window and covered up the faces of the people around me.
It had been a while but I heard the carriage start going slower and I pulled up the small curtain to see the place we had arrived. My mouth hung open as I saw the huge place. The bonfire place wasn't even at the castle and this place still looked impressive. Instead of the castle, it was a huge garden area full of grassy areas and smoke spilled out of it. I couldn't help but gasp at how beautiful it looked and the carriage. The path went into the garden area where people stood and talked. Lanterns hung around the tree branches and created a romantic look to the area.
"Wow," I muttered, as the door of the carriage clicked open and revealed a fancy-looking butler. He looked tired and bored. His eyes shown misunderstanding and it looked as if people had always disrespected him because of his role in the castle.
"Hello mister Ashmane," He said respectfully, "As an honored guest from the prince I will escort you through the party," The butler said. I stood up and got out of the carriage.
"Thank you," I smiled. He gave me a surprised look and I held out my hand. "You can just call me Jess, no need to be so formal towards me. What's your name?" I asked. He looked confused and hesitantly gave me his hand to shake and soon started smiling.
"I'm Jake" He introduced, "Thank you".
"No problem," I said. I was so excited I almost forgot that I was supposed to be keeping an eye out for Prince William. When I got out to the party, I was surprised to know that the dresser was right. The girls at the party looked as if they were trying to seduce every man here. I just skipped around the crowd, watching some people stare at me, as I made my way towards the fire. When I got to it, I stared at the fire. Others had to stand back because it was so hot but after a while, I had gotten used to it. My eyes couldn't look away as the fire got bigger and bigger. It looked so bright and warm that I was tempted of jumping in there but before I even had the chance to think, a hand wrapped around my wrist. I whipped my head around just to be met by a pair of bright blue eyes.
The prince.