Finley's POV
I was in the castle garden, sparring with a palace guard who wasn't on duty. I had left my room early this morning to fully wake up and prepare myself before meeting the prince. I found out yesterday that my room was adjacent to the prince's chambers, which made sense considering I was to guard him. It just wasn't expected.
"Is there a problem?" The guard in front of me—Joseph—had paused in his movement and stared in shock. I turned around to see what had shocked him so much. It was Prince Edward, walking towards us.
"Your Highness," I took a bow as he approached. My greeting must have snapped Joseph out of his trance because he scrambled to bow in greeting to the prince. I briefly wondered what made him so jittery and shocked. I knew we were in the presence of the prince, but this seemed like an overreaction.
"You may leave," Edward's sentence was directed at Joseph. "I'd like to speak to my knight alone." Joseph nodded and scampered off not even half a second after the order left the prince's mouth. I looked at the prince properly and, away from the confinement of four walls, I was able to observe him more clearly.
The prince was tall, taller than I had noted the day before. He wore clean, no doubt expensive clothes. However, it looked like said clothes were bigger than him, or his shoulders too small to carry the clothes properly. Looking down, I saw a walking stick in one hand and a parchment and charcoal in the other hand. Confused was an understatement for what I was feeling.
"You want to speak to me, Your Highness?" I asked him, borrowing the words he had said to Joseph. He nodded his head and rested most of his body weight on the walking stick. He looked at me intently, like I was a subject he was trying to figure out. He stared in that manner for a few seconds before he shook his head and snapped out of it.
"I want to draw you, Finley," Prince Edward said like it was the most normal request to ask from someone. Maybe the prince hit his head as a child. There had to be some explanation for these strange requests.
"You're going to let me draw you or what? Come on, sit down. I tried, but I couldn't see you from up there," he pointed to his chambers, trying to explain why he was down here trying to draw me. Not that it made it any less strange, but I understood his presence.
"Okay, sit on the floor. I was trying to capture you sparring earlier, but it's fine, we can't change it." The seriousness in Prince Edward's face made me realize this was way more serious than I thought. So, I'm to simply sit on the floor and let the prince draw me?
"Your Highness, you need me on the floor so you can draw me?" I understood it perfectly the first time, but I needed to clarify.
"Yes, Finley. I've said it more than enough times. Get with the program." He sounded like he was starting to get irritated, and I couldn't blame him. I was asking repetitive questions, but can you blame me? The crown prince of the kingdom asked me to sit on the floor so he can draw me. It doesn't get stranger than this.
I obliged after regaining my composure. This was something else I wanted to see the end of. Prince Edward got straight to work and drew in concentration. I tried my best to stay in place, trying not to ruin his progress.
"You're too stiff. You're not in any trouble; relax. You moving is not going to destroy the drawing. What is your favorite part of the battle?" The change in subject was obviously trying to make me relax, and I was not against it.
"Well, I guess it just made me happy to be part of something bigger than myself. Defending my kingdom let me know I have worked hard for the power bestowed upon me." Before the prince had asked me this question, I hadn't really thought about it, but now saying it out loud, I realized how true the words I spoke were.
"Hmm, that's... that's really impressive. I wish I... Never mind that. I'm almost done with the portrait." I wanted to know the end of what the prince had to say, but I did not want to pressure him, so I let it go. I knew it wasn't supposed to be an act of asking each other questions, but I liked to hear the prince speak and wanted to hear what he had to say.
"What is your favorite room in the castle?" The words left my mouth before I could even think about it, and for a few seconds, I thought the prince was not going to answer. Finally, he lifted his head and spoke.
"The castle library. The one in my chambers looks like an atom compared to it. I love having so much knowledge at my disposal." The prince's eyes twinkled as he spoke of the library. Seeing him speak of something with so much passion was fascinating to witness.
Although that was not how it started, or the agreement, they ended up asking each other different questions, and maybe this assignment wasn't so bad.
"So, why was Joseph so shocked when you came?" I clarified who Joseph was when I saw the look of confusion on the prince's face.
"Oh, because I haven't exactly been outside my chambers for a year? So I guess he must have been..." He was interrupted by a servant coming into our presence.
"I'm sorry to bother you, Your Highness. Your father has asked to see you. He had been to your chambers and found you unavailable." I could see his entire demeanor change at the mention of his father.
"I'll see you some other time." He said, walking off after the servant had left, making me wonder if I had imagined the whole day. Talk about hot and cold.