"Rebecca, hold your cup right!" Mother criticized while swatting at my hand, to correct my wrist posture.
Mother was a brunette, with dark blue eyes, that were good about hiding her emotions. Her face always wore a scowl of displeasure when something didn't go the way intended, which was on a daily basis around me.
"Yes, Mother." I immediately fixed the mistake of holding the cup, and she sat down and picked up a cookie, eating it gracefully. I debated on taking one of the fresh chocolate chip cookies but gripped the side of the chair instead.
"Honey, have you told her?" Father looked at his wife lovingly, then nodded in my direction. Father was a Duke, and he married Mother who was a Duchess. This meant that we were close to the hierarchy of Kings and Queens, nobility.
"I'll tell her in a minute, how about you tell me what is going on with your duties within the castle?" She placed down her teacup gracefully and turned her full focus on her husband.
That's the moment that I reached for the cookie, and shoved it in my mouth, bringing a napkin to my lips, like I was wiping off tea. When I swallowed it, I too, turned my focus on Father, with interest in my eyes.
Father is also a brunette, although it was a lighter shade, he also had brown eyes. He had a strong firm jaw, that gave him the look of a man that was not to be messed with. Which he shouldn't be since he was a general in the latest war.
Even though my father was easygoing, he did not approve of disobedience like any father. However, he spoiled me every chance he could, like not mentioning that I shoved a cookie in my mouth, unladylike.
He saw the whole thing, and looked like he was going to chuckle, but turned a blind eye. He grasped his wife's hand and covered for his sweet seven-year-old daughter.
The man was surprisingly easy going, for the being the right hand of the King, the trusted advisor of the King.
"Castle..." I muttered as I looked away from my loving parents. My father was rarely home during the day and sometimes arrived home way past night. Father was not only the King's loyal adviser and assistant, but he also was a great friend.
"Prince Elias Flames will be coming over more often for individual studies. I requested to the King that I would train his son if I could train him in my very secure home." My ears perked up at the name of the prince.
The King had three sons and a daughter. When two of his sons died in a car crash, I was only four when the whole country of Belfare mourned for the King's loss. His daughter was married to a foreign prince, creating an alliance between the two lands.
Thus Prince Elias was going to be the crown prince when he comes of age, and that meant that my father's time would be taken up by this brat. I let out a huff on accident and gained the attention of my parents.
Mother paused to give me a disapproving look, and I immediately stood up. "I have studies to attend, may I be dismissed?" My father looked to his wife, she let out a sigh and nodded her head. Wiping off any dust on my dress, I turned to step away from the table.
"Do you not want to meet the Prince?" Father asked as I stepped away, and I paused, to take a moment to politely ask the question they wanted me to ask.
"When will he arrive?" I asked. I honestly thought that it would be a good opportunity to greet the Prince and leave a good impression since he will be here every day now.
"He arrives within the hour." I nodded my head and walked in the direction of the balconies. The home was a two-story, massive mansion, which provided me with lots of places to hide when Mother is slightly irritated.
"Miss!" I slammed into one of the younger maids, while I was hurriedly walking in the hallway, in fury. Letting out a sigh, I sat up from the ground, taking a moment to notice where I was, thinking about the closest balcony.
"Are you alright?" I looked up at the young lady since I had dropped to the floor. Taking her outreached hand, I quickly stood up, fixing my dress, nodding to the maid's question. I patted her shoulder lightly before continuing to the balcony that gave me the best view of the front entrance.
There was a fancy SUV that pulled up, and there he was standing. Fine castle attire, tousled brown hair, and a hint of a smirk dancing on his face, he started his way to the front door. Rushing down the stairs, I made it to the front foyer in time, to greet Father, who was waiting patiently for me.
"Be nice, I know you're not happy that someone is taking my time." He mumbled as he reached for the handle.
"I'm not unhappy, I get to see more of you. However, I'm not too fond of having someone else in my home." I muttered back. He just chuckled and then opened the door, allowing the young Prince to step through.
"Your Highness, it's a pleasure to see you." My Father bowed, and I curtsied lightly. The dress was heavy, and I was slightly exhausted from running down a flight of stairs, and my curtsy wasn't the best.
"Your Highness," I mumbled out.
He turned his eyes on me, and when I looked up and I was instantly mesmerized, it was like oceans were in his eyes. Prince Elias smiled lightly then shifted his focus away from me, allowing me to breathe freely, without having eyes constantly watching me.
"Duke Willow, and Lady Willow." He spoke in a velvet voice, and whatever hint of hatred that I had a minute earlier had dissipated. "Shall we start the lesson?" He asked, in a calm welcoming voice. It was dreamy.
Father nodded and led the way, I followed for a little bit before I paused at another stairway, putting some distance between me and the group.
Elias stopped in his tracks and watched the girl start to walk away.
Both of them were within a year apart. Prince Elias had often heard of the Duke's child while at the castle, and he always wanted to put a name to a face. She was indeed very beautiful, however, there were a couple of flaws that he noticed instantly.
"Lady Willow." I turned when I heard my title, and looked at him with disoriented eyes, he was whispering, but why? "Your curtsy was horrendous." He looked at me without a hint of shame, as he said those words. Watching as he walked off, I clenched the railing in anger.
'I take back what I said about him, he's arrogant and rude. Such a pity that he has such a handsome face, how could I forgive him so easily.' Stepping up the steps with angry stomps, I rushed to my room.
"That stupid arrogant Prince. How could he say such a thing?" I muttered when I closed my doors and went to my balcony where I had a book and chair looking over the beautiful green lands of spring, and the front entrance.
***
"Your daughter is interesting." The Prince spoke in a calm tone, and surprisingly he had a smirk. The Duke looked at him worriedly, then he wondered what his daughter would have done that caught the Prince's attention.
"How so?" He safely asked, hoping that it wasn't something embarrassing.
"I can tell that she doesn't follow the norms." The Duke's eyes flew open as he placed the paperwork down on the table.
"Did she offend you, Your Highness?" He looked frantic, and the Prince just chuckled. The prince shook his head, then took the stack of papers, in front of Duke Willow.
"No, but I did comment on something, and fire flew up in her eyes. I was surprised she didn't bite back." He looked at the sheets of paper, and the Duke let out a sigh of relief, then looked back to the young Prince.
"What exactly did you comment on?" He looked up and gave a boyish smile, and that worried the poor father even more.
"I noticed when she curtsied, she did it ungracefully." He spoke like it was something that he said every day.
"Your Highness..." The Duke started then let it drop, he knew his daughter was going to complain about this, later that evening. Starting on the lesson immediately, not wanting to waste the Prince's time.
***
"Good night, Your Highness. I will see you earlier tomorrow evening." The Prince nodded and noticed that the young daughter wasn't around. He chuckled internally and before he stepped into the SUV, outside of the Willow residence, he glanced at the balcony where she sat.
"Not even a bidding for the Prince." He spoke aloud, and the young lady turned her head. Standing up, putting up a fake smile on her face before speaking.
"Your attitude is pitiful, Your Highness, however, if you insist, then good night." She curtsied, gracefully, then turned and walked back into the house, lightly slamming the balcony door shut.
"Hmm, a strange girl indeed." He muttered and although those words struck home, he didn't show it. "Very bold." Getting into the SUV, he was ready to go back home to the castle that he was raised in, for the last eight years.
"Should we investigate Your Highness?" The bodyguard looked over to the young heir, with a worried look. He heard the young lady's words clearly and was shocked that the Prince took it well.
"Leave it, she'll ask for forgiveness." He hummed to himself, and once they were off the beautiful estate, he relaxed a bit. He honestly didn't want to pick on the lady, but the words just fell out of his mouth.
"As you wish." The guard finished the conversation, and the rest of the ride was silent.
***