Ian
As time goes by I watch the princess silently in the shadows. She had asked for us to leave her alone and I am just not quite in the way I'm sure she meant. I watch as she becomes stronger and confident in who she is. Everyday she shapes more into a future queen but there is always a leech near her. That so called prince of Plaidin. Everywhere she is he shows up. And everytime he oozes over confidence and it makes me want to break the princess order and block her from his sight. Just when I think I need to though she puts him in his place. The look on his face after she is done and walks off makes me grin. I know exactly what it's like to be scolded by her and am glad its him rather than me. The princess seems to become more beautiful and graceful every time I see her as if she had always been living this life. The fact that she hasn't sends the current of severe need to protect her through me. There are many dangers in this kind of life and I want to make sure she never has to face them.
Max
I run into Ian hiding behind a column staring at our future queen. "You know it's very rude to stare." I say startling him. "God Max don't do that." I smirk. "Your breaking an order and staring." I say huffing. Ian shakes his head. "Well I'm staying away from her and I wasn't staring I was just watching to make sure she didn't need my help with that ego walking." He says gesturing towards the foreign prince. "You really don't like him do you Ian?" He chuckles darkly. "No. I don't like the way he looks at her or the way he treats her. There have been a few times I almost punched him,but she handles it surprisingly well each time." Ian says this with a slight smile. I offer a small smile as well though he doesn't see it as he is back to watching Ariella. "Yeah well she doesn't look like much but when she confronts you she seems like someone very powerful. All you want to do is run away." He chuckles lightly at that.
"Yes she can be scary. But when she's with those maids she seems like the kind caring girl she is. She seems happy and her smile is easy with them. But it's not a genuinely happy smile there is a sadness behind it that I can't place." I look away from him and to her. She's beautiful and still cheerful but he's right the more I watch her the more I can see the sadness she is trying hard to hide. It kind of annoys me that Ian saw it before I did and I have known her longer. "So your stalking her now? I thought you weren't in high school anymore." I snap. Ian turns his head towards me uncrossing his arms."What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Just then my father shows up and looks between Ian and me anger radiating off of both of us. "Is everything ok here?" I nod stiffly."Yes sir. Just a slight disagreement."
Ian.
A slight disagreement huh? You really are petty brother. "Yes sir. Nothing to worry about." Devon looks between us and then notices the princess who we are pretty well hidden from. "Oh I see. Look boys she told you to stay away until you could solve your own problems. You all can't get along longer than five minutes in the same room. If you want to be near her again than you have to find a way to get along. I know you boys can see how sad she is,she needs you. She cares for you boys alot. So please stop punishing our princess and go back to her."
Max shakes his head. "She told us to stay away from her dad." Devon rests a hand on Maxs shoulder. "Son she needs you. I'm with her every day so I notice things. She plays cheery but I can see how miserable she is. It's not just you she has cut out it's her parents too." I start at that information. "What?" "The princess was very angry at their majestys for the arranged marriage. They made a promise that they would never do that to her and they broke it.She is cheery around her maids but not happy. So get over yourselves and serve your princess. You need her just as much as she needs you." With that my father walks away to the women I miss and I wish so much that it was me who was walking to her. "You know he's right Max.Shes alone." Ian says pain evident in his voice. He hates her being alone as much as I do. "I know. Thats why we have to listen to him and find a way to get along."