"Your highness, Lord James Ferguson is here!" Jasmine whispered to me, trying to hide her excitement.
I looked at her, my eyes wide in disbelief. "My uncle? Is he here at last?"
Jasmine nodded, suppressing a smile. It was obvious that she held some sort of affection towards him. But I had no time to think or advise her on it. She was a really good person and one of my closest friends in a way. But, rumor has it that Uncle James was seeing someone. Besides, a member of the royal family would not start anything serious with a maidservant. I just hoped that she understood it for her own good as I could not certainly break it to her and bear to see her sad face.
I stood up from where I was sitting and walked up to Ms. Sylvia. Even before I opened my mouth to ask for permission to leave early, she nodded her approval as she must have realized how excited I was to see my uncle after ten years.
"Lead the way, Jasmine," I said to my handmaid as I rushed her to the door.
Uncle James left the country when I was around twelve years old and had not returned once until now. He declared that he was never interested in being a member of the royal court. However, my father insisted that he keep the title, in case his mind changed someday. Now I was selfishly wishing that uncle had come this time to claim his position in the court so that it would prolong his time here.
As Jasmine led me out of the music room, I was in deep thought. Has uncle changed? Of course, I would be able to recognize him, but would he be a different person after being abroad for so long? Has he come here with his lover? It would be nice to meet my future aunt. I giggled at the thought and Jasmine looked at me quizzically. I gave her a shrug as I could not be discussing that with her.
Halfway down the hallway, leading to the front yard, Jasmine was called by Ms. Martha.
"Your highness, I have to get back to my chores. You will find his Lordship at the Guest Lounge, waiting till he is summoned to the Royal Court to meet His Royal Majesty and the Queen Consort." Jasmine whispered, bidding me farewell. "At least, that's what I heard." And she left me with a smile.
I crossed the front yard in fleeting steps, clutching the front of my gown so as not to trip over it. I was flying down the shortcut path that fell across the arena as I was in that much of a hurry when I bumped headfirst into something solid. I was thrown back by the force of the collision, but before I fell backward, a hand was extended to grab me by my waist.
I looked at my savior and my heart started to beat fast when it turned out to be Calvin. Despite me being anxious to cross paths with him, my body most probably gave away my true feelings. I could feel my cheeks heating and I raised my hands to cover the blush.
"I was on my way to grab some refreshment. I didn't see you coming." Calvin explained nonchalantly, letting me go after making sure that I was steady on my own two feet. For once, he did not look pissed nor tried to make rude comments on my clumsiness.
I desperately wanted to avoid him, especially now that he was not being an as*hole, which might make me resurface my unwanted feelings for him. Besides, I needed to get to Uncle James in time so that I would be able to talk with him before he was summoned by my father. I muttered an apology to Calvin, which I was not sure he heard and tried to rush past him without further ado.
But Calvin did not seem to be in the mood to let me go that fast and he stood with his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face, blocking my path. I sighed. "Will you let me go, please? I'm in a hurry as you probably noticed already." I tried to stay calm as I had no time to argue.
"You see, princess, you owe me something for laughing at me like that this morning. And until you agree to pay me back for that I'm not gonna let you get away from my sight." Calvin answered in a low voice. His voice sounded dangerous and I felt shivers running down my spine.
I must have looked terrified that he suddenly let out a burst of laughter, which sounded more like a wolf howling.
But then he composed himself and added with a comforting smile; "I was messing with you, Ava, You don't have to look so pale. I'm not pissed at you anymore."
I could not help but search in his fascinating eyes for a clue as to how he was feeling; if he was being sincere as his speech probably suggested. But his eyes would only rarely give away the emotions that stirred in him and I could never rely on them. Now, his eyes seemed calm, but a storm could well be raging inside.
"Go out with me this evening and I'll call it even for trying to make fun of me." Calvin continued with the same smile still on his face. His features looked slightly softer and it was the first time that happened in the years I have known him.
I was totally taken aback and I forgot that I was going to be late to see uncle. The change in his tone, smile, and everything he said was so surprising that I could not think of what to say. I knew I would be treading on dangerous waters if I agreed to him, but when he started pestering I just nodded my head without thinking. Then, remembering why I was here in the first place, I excused him and hurried back on my way.
By the time I finally reached the Guest Lounge, my uncle was talking to a royal messenger. But when he noticed me, he waved the servant off and walked towards me. I rushed up to him and hugged him. He too wrapped his arms around me in a tight loving embrace. When I was smaller he used to play with me and whenever I cried after falling and hurting myself, he would take me in his arms and raise me high into the air. Those memories brought tears into my eyes.
"It's been so long," I managed to say in a crooked voice.
"Yes, darling, it's been a very long time since I last saw you. I'm terribly sorry for missing out on some important years of your growing up." He sounded sad and resigned.
And I did not want to make him sadder than he already seemed. "At least, you came back. I'm so glad about that. So don't you miss my wedding or the coronation, please, uncle." I said and laughed airily.
"Darling, it's time for me to meet your father," Uncle said finally, checking the time. "I will be back to talk with you more in the evening."
I nodded with a smile, but when his eyes suddenly drifted past me and the look in them turned into that of a shock, I turned around quickly, puzzled.
I was in time to see Calvin, who had stopped by the doors to the lounge, turning to leave. Wondering what he was up to, I found my voice to speak.
"Hey, Calvin, what were you doing here? And why are you leaving now?" My voice came out much louder and harsher than I intended, so I added quickly, "If you came here for a reason, you can finish it."
When he turned back to face me, I smiled to ease the tension in the air.
"Can't I walk around in the palace in peace? I wasn't up to anything for your information." He said casually, shrugging his shoulders. "Is it only the royalty, who can roam around freely?" Though what he said seemed rude to the core, his tone was very much polite.
Suddenly as if he just noticed my uncle, he acknowledged him with a slight nod of his head and said, "Lord Ferguson, good to see you. Seems like you're finally back." His voice seemed to have an edge, which was not there before.
There was a moment's pause before Uncle James finally spoke. "Yes, good to see you, too. Mr. Beaufort, is it?"
Calvin gave another slight nod and turned to leave, but Uncle James stopped him by clearing his throat and looking rather uncomfortable, he asked, "How is she? Your- I mean... Jenny?"
I could feel a change in the air between the two. Both of them were behaving as if no one else besides them were there. I also noticed a slight smirk that played on Calvin's lips, before he composed himself.
"She's very well, my lord!"
I looked from Calvin to uncle and then back at the former. I could not comprehend what they were talking about or about whom. But I was certain that this was some serious issue, they were discussing. It seemed as if both were trying to contain some emotion, which on Calvin's side seemed like resentment. I wondered who this Jenny could be? Was she a girl, Calvin was seeing? If so, why was uncle concerned over her health? Or was he concerned about something else?
I was beyond confused and when Calvin took his leave a few seconds later, I turned to uncle and asked him what just happened. He looked uncertain and confused for a short while, but then he checked his watch again.
"I have to meet your father now. I will tell everything later, Ava." He seemed a bit distant, but he tried to assure me by placing his hand on my shoulder firmly. With that, he too left, which gave me no choice but to try and push back the questions that popped into my mind for later.
I decided to head back to my room and maybe I would meet up with Mel later and talk about these things with her. She would be able to give me an outsider's point of view on this. I took a detour so I could avoid bumping into anyone. A bit of peace and quiet would settle my mind for now. I was heading towards the southern garden, when I spotted Calvin, sitting under the shade of an old oak tree. It was the last place I expected to see him. He had his eyes closed and he had earphones plugged in. From the distance, he looked peaceful. But I suspected that he was not deep down.
I contemplated on whether to leave him to his own business or to go straight to him and ask what type of relationship he had with my uncle. In the end, my curiosity won and I walked up to him without thinking further. When I reached him, I became somewhat nervous. Nevertheless, I tapped on his shoulder lightly to get his attention before I could change my mind. And when his eyes opened, I could see a momentary flash of hostility in them. I backed away instantly, which was my instincts reacting to his temper.
When his eyes landed on me again properly, it seemed that he connected the dots and as if realization dawned over him, he quickly calmed down.
"I was expecting someone else." He said in the way of an excuse for his behavior, without meeting my eyes. This change in him, which made him give excuses to me, was totally new to me and I could not see why such a change would occur. "So, why is it that you decided to disrupt my sleep?" He asked with a slight playful smile, pushing his hair back off his forehead.
I felt a bit relaxed and asked the question that had been in my mind all this time. "How do you know my uncle?" I directed the question calmly as if it was the most normal way to start a conversation with this guy.
"Oh," he lets out a short laugh, "I have been to the Royal Court when I was younger and I have met him there." He stated simply.
And then when he tried to change the subject and started to talk about hanging out in the evening, I turned on my heels quickly and tried to leave as if I did not hear him. But, of course, he was too quick and he managed to stop me by holding on to my wrist and dragging me back to him. I felt my back hitting his chest as I spun back at the unexpected force he applied. I knew I was getting nervous and my cheeks were instantly ablaze for the second time that day.
I tried to stay calm as much as possible, ignoring my rapidly beating heart. I just hoped that he could not hear the pounding of it.
"I have a surprise for you," he said, cutting off my train of thoughts on what could possibly happen next.
I turned around to look up at him, noticing well that his grip was still on my wrist. Without saying anything else, he tugged at my arm and made me follow him. When I saw we were heading to the parking area, I began protesting, finally realizing that he intended to leave the palace grounds.
When we reached the car park and were standing next to his BMW -his grip still firmly on me-, he said with a mischievous smile lighting up his face; "Don't worry, Ava! We're old friends from high school, aren't we?"
The smile on his face told me this would not be good, but him calling me Ava for the second time this day, instead of mocking me by saying 'princess', made me somehow irrationally feel relaxed in his presence. And I gave in to his request and decided to follow him out of the palace walls.