Isabella had had enough of her father's rants, she rushed out the room running blindly into the dark halls. She wanted silence, she wanted peace and before she knew it she was outside. The cold air brushed against her hot cheeks as she ran further and further until she found an old willow tree, she sunk down, hugging her knees as she cried.
Some time had passed before her tears finally stopped, she stood up slowly getting ready to head back to her room before she heard footsteps heading her way, she gasped before holding her mouth to silence her breathing.
A hand pulled back the branches of the willow that Isabella hid behind. She looked up to the owner of the hand, Prince Alexander stood before her, his gaze filled with concern. He looked behind him as if someone were following him.
"No, the Princess isn't here, she must still be inside, please check there again." He said, before footsteps led away from where they stood.
"Princess, are you okay?" he asked as he popped in behind the curtain of leaves. "I take it the King told you what the first meeting was about."
"I'm fine, I just don't understand where this is coming from." she sighed for a moment. "We didn't leave things on good terms the first time we met, and now there is a marriage proposal, we don't even know each other."
"Princess, I tried to warn Queen Helene that this was not the best way to handle things, but she just wouldn't listen. I had mentioned you one too many times in front of my cousin, Prince Lucian, and he lost his temper and went to her to reprimand me. Neither of us expected her to come up with the idea of a political marriage." Alexander explained, his voice low. " I think my mother is tired of the position she is in. I am almost ready to take over Arcoi as the ruling King, but she wanted me to wed before. My father died before I was born, and so it was up to my mother to rule until I was ready. Princess, I would have done things differently if I could, but at the very least I ask you to give me a chance, if you decide I am not a worthy suitor, at least let's walk away as friends."
His words reached her heart, and she wished that she had her gift with her to share his sentiment of being friends. She felt for his mother, and her heart ached imagining a life without her father. She reached for him, and he grasped her hand guiding her back to her chambers.
"I wish we could spend more time like this Princess, but I think it best to get you back before we are found out by your King." He said as they strode toward the back end of her chambers.
"Before you go there is something I wanted to give you, would you wait a moment for me, please?" She asked as they reached the entrance to her room.
He smiled gazing into her eyes, before giving her a slight nod. She rushed into her room, hoping that no one was around. She quickly locked the room door that led into the rest of the house, before quickly rummaging for the gift she had made for the prince, she finally found it in the purse on one of the dressers.
She rushed back to the backdoor before composing herself and meeting the prince outside again.
"Well, after you left our palace that night, I felt terribly guilty and embarrassed as I acted rather poorly. And I had thought about it and I wanted to give you something to apologize for my behavior that night." Isabella said as she held the little box in front of the prince. "It's not much, but I hoped that it would be a start to a friendship, I will give you a chance, so that we can get to know one another. I do truly hope that we could become friends after this."
Alexander took the box out of her hands, opening it to find the little black dog that Isabella had spent several days carving and refining. He placed it between two fingers as he inspected the craftsmanship. He squinted before slipping it into the breast pocket of his suit.
"Thank you Princess, I appreciate your gift, but I might warn you not to purchase overly priced art in Verdesaint, it seems they lack the talent to craft." He chuckled for a moment.
Her father knocked on her door from inside as he asked her sternly to open up for him. She could not get the chance to greet the prince before he nudged her in, shutting the backdoor to her room. Isabella felt her stomach turn as she walked to the other end of her room to unlock and open for her father.
"Why do you not answer, several servants including Lady Sophia have knocked on your door. Lady Sophia resorted to asking the guards to search the garden." her father asked her, his voice filled with concern. "I apologize for acting so rash, but after my own informants failed to bring any of this information to light, it concerns me as to what more they could be hiding."
"I am sorry father, I just wanted to be alone and think about things for a bit. I know you are against the idea of marriage, but can we at least try to form some sort of alliance or truce?" Isabella pleaded to her father.
"Isabella, you don't know everything that has happened between the Arcoi and Verdesaint people, I'm sorry but it just isn't possible, please get some rest we will talk again tomorrow." The King dismissed her and left.
Isabella felt defeated, she washed her face before putting on her favorite nightgown and climbing under the silky sheets to her bed. She thought she would struggle to sleep, but found herself falling asleep almost instantly.