"What are you doing out here? Your highness?" I asked. It was the princess. Women were not supposed to be in the wilderness alone, how so could she be here? Was my one question. In realization it was me, she set some space, but I could see a sense of relief in her eyes. Today she was different from the ball girl, for not many would even realize she was a princess. She did not say a word but somehow wanted to rush away and leave me, when I caught her hand and again stated in a quite respectful but authoritative manner, as I thought, "It's dangerous for a lady, especially a princess, to be out here, my lady." She just seemed to be shocked by my words when she stated, "Are those your speculations about women?" That took me by surprise, for I totally respected women and their acts. I was always against any social injustice that occurred against them, and as much as I would love to say it, this conversation was not much because of her vulnerability as a lady but just a protection. When I decided, recovering and adjusting my statements would be wise, and so I replied, "Of course not. My mentions were curtained for just your own welfare, my lady. It is not safe, as I may love to say." "So you think I cannot protect myself? Is that it? His lordship? Because I am a woman, right?" She replied. I was quite taken aback by her words. I was good at arguing when it came to matters of gender, but that was with my male counterparts. So with her, it became too hard, and I so decided to change the topic and at least cool everything between us. "My apologies if I said something to alter your self-esteem, my lady. Would you like it if I took you home?" She was still watching me with bitter eyes. Her eyes, despite bitter, made me quite forget, or rather not focus on, my arguments with her. They shoved beauty, and in all utterances and explanations, I sure should say that the universe, or rather God, took the greatest time in creating her. 'I hope she wasn't betrothed to a soul' I thought, When she stated, "Why are you here, your lordship?" "Just passing by. London is a new place for me, of course, so a little adventure was just what I desired." She just nodded to that. I wanted to ask her the same, but I preferred not to, when an alarm rang in my mind, 'if someone sees us, I would be in the deepest of troubles, and the king, would chain me into no release. And that, 'shame', I did not wish, so I forced myself to ask, "Are you alone here?" She just looked around as if trying to answer my questions, and I knew maybe she would be sarcastic or see me as a fool, so I quickly replied to my quest, "Of course, you are alone, with the universe." She just chuckled at that. I never knew I had a sense of humor, or maybe it's my fast talk and reply that made her laugh. She then stated, "I was with David, my bodyguard, but I let him go have a drink as I observed the place. He will be back soon." I just nodded to that. I wanted to talk to her. To continue talking, even if night falls, I just wanted to hear her voice. As during the ballroom, her voice was still quite angelic, and so I stated, "Would you mind if I stayed before the guard comes? It would be unpleasant, or rather unwise, of me to leave a beautiful lady on her own." She did not seem to quite get my words, but she nevertheless just walked to some stones near the flowing river and sat down. I did not know what to do—to either follow her or just stand, like a guard observing her. I had already formulated an idea in case someone came and found us: I would say that the guard had left her alone, and being a gentleman, I would never seize the opportunity to leave a lady in the vulnerability of being alone in the wilderness. As I was thinking, she shouted, and I feared anyone would hear her, "Aren't you coming to have a seat, your lordship?" And with that, I followed her to wherever she was, sinking my boots into some of the swamps, for I did not quite understand the dry lands in the area and the lilies. Seeing me having a hard time walking, she just looked at me, and I could see her laughing at my actions, but luckily I arrived and sat at the stone that created some distance, not that much, between me and her. When I decided to speak, I said, "So, I noticed in the ballroom that you quite rejected a lot of gentlemen. Did you have the viscount's son as a target?" She did not speak to that, but she certainly looked at me, and like any girl, she rolled her eyes and continued checking the water. After some silence and me rethinking of another statement, she stated, "I rejected no lordships. For none; not even you had the guts to ask me for a dance." Her stating that made my obscene masculinity a little altered. I felt like stating that 'I am a gentleman, but one had already asked you for a hand', but refrained myself, for of course, I knew she would answer back that the realest gentlemen are the best stealers, and their ladies cannot be stolen by any. I had nothing to say to that. I never knew that in front of my speeches with women, I would also be a coward, but I blurted, despite, "It was my first dance." With that, she laughed, quite loudly, if I may say, till the birds aloud flew away, and then stated, "You say you've never danced with anyone, your lordship? Even at the Duke's?" She, of course, was demeaning and hurting my feelings now, as much. I could feel my heart clench and my hands fist as she stated the words. No one had ever talked in such a manner, and so I stated, "Are you done laughing, my lady? Because I don't remember cracking any jokes (smiling sarcastically)." As if realizing her actions, her face changed and worry beckoned when she stated, "I did not wish for you to take it personally. It just felt like me and you were quite alike, and I, however, never expected any man, with quite good looks, to lack one with whom they have danced with." I felt altered, but whatever a lady's insult would be, it was the purpose of a gentle man to always accept it as if nothing happened, and so I stated, "I was more of a piano boy than a dancer. I preferred to showcase my dancing skills here." And as I wanted to continue, I heard my horse neigh, and I knew we had a visitor. And with that, we hurried towards the place. It was the guard. Seeing me, he said in respect and fear, "My lord, I am sorry for my acts." I never wanted to say a word. I just watched him when the princess stated, "It's okay, you are my guard, not his", and with that, she entered the carriage. When I certainly remembered I hadn't quite gotten her name. Maybe next time, I told myself, with hopes. After the occurrence, I did not even feel the need to look at the river, for I had set eyes on another beauty that I had so never expected. I hurriedly jumped on my horse and started my journey around the place. My idea today was to reach Lake Tigris, but the truth is that I had no idea how to get there. I wanted to at least visit my mother's grave and at least talk to her. Tell her about my achievements, what I have learned, and about Lord Hirlvington, who, I came to learn, was his brother. I therefore decided to walk through London a little, but of course, knowing no one, my eyes and mind were set to just observe, absorb, and maybe compare. As I had stated earlier, the darkest side of London lay on the other side, as the haves referred. The place was dirty, full of slaves, smelt of sewage, and had papers scattered everywhere. On my white horse, I felt like a god, coming to save their people, when one of the mammas stated as loud, "This place does not entertain nobles like you, your lordship." I, of course, understood her words. The poor hated us with all their parts: bones, faces, shoulders, hearts, or, as I would love to say, with all the lengths of their mights. Watching me on my horse and me observing her, with her clothes tattered and her face blemished with dark circles, I fully understood. I don't know if it was a good or bad idea, but when a need came into me. I decided to offer her some gold coins. Thrusting my hand on my trouser, I removed some worth of coins and gave her. Expecting her to take it, she just spit on them after throwing them down in disgust and hatred. And that's when I saw the real difference. Hate, hate. This, I had no words for, but my eyes teared for her acts. It felt like I had enslaved her, and she blurted out another statement: "He thinks he can buy us with money. Look at him, all elegant and well dressed, wearing the nicest designed clothes, and his smells of lavender and roses, with ours that stinks sweats and pains. How beautiful would it be to be like you...?" Her shouts could be heard everywhere and suddenly crowds of people started formulating, one by one, some with well-sharpened knives and others with slings and stones. On seeing the acts, my heart condensed, my body trembled, and thin, cold drops of sweat started forming on my forehead. For the first time in my lifetime, I saw such hate. They purely hated me, even without knowing me, just because of my clothes. The crowd was getting thicker and thicker, and I knew then that it was either I died on watch or running. The woman was screaming with words of hate and contempt—disgust that formulated from too much speculation of pain and torture by the rich. I never blamed her, but right now my life was in danger. I had carried just a single dagger to protect myself, and despite my wins in fighting my fellow students back in school, this crowd was too large to apprehend, when I decided maybe my speech would help. On top of the horse, I started, "Hey, your honors, and my fellow countrymen and women. I understand your wails and cries, for we, 'the rich, have made a clear boundary and formulated a directive that I alone cannot remove." My words seemed to be listened to by some, but others were still focused on reaching out to me, to maybe beat me or something, but I don't know what stopped them from beating me. I was alone, with no guards for protection, and so as fast as my mind could process it, I continued blurting, "When I am born here, I'll be named poor; when I am born on the other side, I am named rich. I understand your dislikes, and if I were in your shoes, I would collide with a noble like me in the case he is talking, on my lands. My name is Vikings; I was not born far away from here but was never raised here. My roots are known by all, but my wants are known by none. If it were my place to choose and decide, I would surely come here and clean your bodies with the most expensive oils, make your beds, and surround you with the fragrance of the best roses in the world, but as I am here alone, I am so much like y'all 'not powerful' I may state. My words are not as influential, but they, the words, come from a scared kid, afraid to be killed by a mass that allegedly hates his roots. For me, I blame none." The crowds were quite distracted by my words, and my eyes were literally eyeing for a better way to escape, when suddenly, two cottages arrived, and the guards came out with their whips, and this, I knew, would not be the best scene. The crowd, scared, vulnerable, and utterly desperate for departure, started running, helter skelter, with hopes they wouldn't face the wraths of the guards. This was not the best of scenes, as I'd love to state. I saw children being stepped on, I saw mothers wailing, and I saw men trying hard to protect their own. I was the one being protected, but seeing them in that state, it left me utterly broken when one of the guards stated towards me, "We arrived as fast as the message reached my lord. This is the worst part of London, full of good-for-nothing sluggards and slackers. They, who adamantly reject the policies of the king and hate working for the rich, they deserve this life. I hope no harm has come your way, and as for the lady, her punishment awaits, for none mocks or allegedly tries to harm a lordship." And with that, he bowed his head, and since I had nothing to say, I just uttered, "I am unharmed. Thank you for your protection." "Of course, your lordship." And with that, I turned my horse and left, as they followed behind. Their actions were heroic to some, but seeing how much they beat them mercilessly made me fear and tremble. I was a bastard, and my fate was no different from theirs. Lord, have mercy on my case.
Arriving at the gates of Hirlvington's castle, I saw the viscount come to me as fast as possible, even before I could anchor my horse to stop, and he stated, "Has any harm come to you, son?" Worry was what I would love to say, as it was stated on his face. "No," I stated, as I climbed off the horse, with the guards taking over to take him to the stables. The viscount was worried. "I should have assigned you a guard. I had forgotten how nonchalant those pieces of rubbish are." And with that, he reprimanded the maidens as fast: "Prepare some herbs; his lordship should take some. Fill the tubs for him to shower. It has been a lengthy adventure indeed." The viscount seemed utterly concerned for me. Father had never even shown me such concerns; he always told me, You should have fought, or something like a gentleman should behave like this. At the corner of my eye, I saw William staring. His facial expression was unreadable, I may say, when Henry reached onto me, caught my shoulder, and whispered in my ear, "Some streets are not that safe, brother." I saw the viscount observe him with the deadliest stare, and Henry stated, taking his hand off my shoulder and watching the viscount, "I just warned him, uncle, c'mon." With that, we walked together with Henry to my room, and he, with me, entered as the maidens stated, "Your water is well placed, your lordship." I just observed them—three of them—and stated, "Thank you. I appreciate all your works as much." And with that, they left. When Henry stated, "Brother, you wouldn't even call me for an adventure. How selfish?" We had just known each other for a day, and he had already started reprimanding me about what I should do and shouldn't do. I, however, did not state what was in my mind but just told him, "I met the girl." Hearing those words, I saw his face light up, as if in for some manly gossip talks. I just threw my coat on him and left for the bath tub to freshen up.
I hadn't even realized that the sun was setting, since the scares and terrifying moments had left me petrified and afraid, and of course I had lost track of time. Henry had left my room while I was freshening up, and I heard him knock, and he entered again. "Who is the girl?" Henry was the nosy type. Men were not to be gossips, of course, but when it came to women, even the noblest individual had something to say. "The princess." Henry just looked at me, and I saw a smile form on his face. "Are you playing tricks on me? The princess should be in the chambers of his highness. You were on an adventure, brother." I just nodded and just a little wanted to assume what he had said, but something came into me, and I blurted, "She is gorgeous. Her face laminates, alone, on my darkness, and her eyes speak much of the oceans, those into which any man would easily drown. She has the perfect laugh and smile. Henry, Are you even listening? "Mmmhh" Henry had zoned out on me; maybe this is what happens when your speeches look like illusions and imaginations in your mind. But truth be told, my eyes closed, just to see her perfect face, her frowns, and her laugh, into which anyone would fall, even at the lightest or smallest of moments. She had captured some parts of my brain, and I already loved everything about her. How much I waited to see her again. I wonder where the next ball would be. Maybe this time I will fight for my chance with her. At least, I may say.