Chapter 8: Dangling Emotions

Annabelle ascends the stairs up the castle dungeon. She hoped she was safe?, She hoped she wasn't making a mistake coming here?.Her in a dungeon of all places

"Hey halt" a guards commands.

Annabelle pauses looking upward at the guard. She could feel the aura of brutality emanating from the man.

" Whom do you wish to see?" He asks looking closely at Annabelle.

" I was asked to show you this" Annabelle replies stretching out the letter towards the fellow.

He drags the note opening it wildly, he then brings the lit torch in his hands closer to the note. Annabelle could feel the heat radiating  from the torch's flame to her body.

All of a sudden the man's once gigantic body shrinks. He sighs gesturing Annabelle to follow him.

Annabelle exhales in relief.

He halts all of a sudden and so do Annabelle.

He coughs awaking the sleeping fellow in the cell.

Richard staggers up moving to see who his visitor was.

It was her, the maiden of his soul, Annabelle.

His pulse races as he stare deeply into her hazel eyes.

" Leave us" he commands the guard.

The man turns, leaving.

" You came!" Richard says holding the iron gates of the cell.

Annabelle Expression beams with her cheek glowing. She couldn't blink, she just couldn't get enough view of his eyes, those charming eyes.

" Off course. You rebel"

Richard laughs, revealing his dazzling teeth. She always made him smile like a mad fellow.

His laughter was a hypnotic song for Annabelle.

What had he done to her? To make her so attracted to him. She had never felt this way towards anyone. Those green eyes, they were charms from a very powerful source.

" Am not rebel as you think" Richard replies, he couldn't get enough of Annabelle's hazel eyes, her glorious blonde hair banished to Oblivion his worries.

" If so, what're you doing in a dungeon?" Annabelle teases.

She knew not what she was doing, she couldn't say when or how, but she pass her right arm through the space on the cell gate holding Richard's cheek.

For once she felt important, she was no longer the ordinary maid who tidied the Royal dishes. She felt like a queen, a queen whose throne was in a man's heart.

His eyes, ohhhh!. They sang out loudly the word adoration.

Richard use both his hands supporting Annabelle's hand pressing it firmly against his cheek. Her soft touch was a remedy for loneliness. The burning love fragrance of her palm, he couldn't let her hands go, he wouldn't let her go!.

" I wish to leave" Annabelle drags back her hands.

" So soon?" Richard asks. He wanted her to stay, he wanted her to stay forever.

" You will see me. But only when you are out of this dungeon" Annabelle walks away not looking back.

" Then we shall meet tomorrow" Richard voice echoes as he grabs the cell gate firmly almost pulling it off its hinges.

Annabelle pauses, she smiles and then turns towards Richard nodding, lighting up Richard's soul.

                        *********

Today's test was a game of poise and balance.

" Excellent work girls" Madam Denisse instructors praise.

More than half of the crowd had been sent packing.

Each maiden were given voluminous novel to place on their head as they dance. They had to make sure the book stayed on their heads throughout the process.

Many had failed, some fell along with their books.

Annabelle press her left hand towards her stomach, smiling slowly.

She had scaled through the test, thanks to madam Jizelle's long years of unnecessary training on poise and balance which now seemed useful.

She remembers Griselda, if she were here then they would recall together the time when on demonstrating the proper way to pour out a cup of tea from a tea pot, madam jizelle had burnt her left hand.

Poor kitchen maids on whom madam jizelle had transferred her aggression.

Madam jizelle was sober for the whole season, staring everyday, pitifully, at her scar.

" I see you are perfect at this?" Vanessa says moving towards Annabelle. In her company were Matilda and Freya, two girls who were her age and almost her height.

Vanessa clears her throat. She had noticed Annabelle, the girl of strange beauty, the only girl who dared to be prettier than her.

She was a threat to her position as queen and thus her enemy.

Annabelle's mouth is dry.

Vanessa stares at Annabelle from  head down to her toe.

" Whose daughter are you?"

Annabelle pauses, searching for a suitable response for Vanessa.

" Am an orphan! " Annabelle says rushing her words.

Vanessa burst into laughter together with her  company.

Annabelle cheeks reddens, she  grimaces.

" A daughter of no one?, contending to be queen?, Ha" Vanessa mocks

" You don't fit here, go back to the hole you crawled out from".

Vanessa walks out alongside her two escorts, still laughing.

Annabelle's face and neck are  impossibly hot. She had never been this embarrassed  her entire life, who did she think she is?

Annabelle's eyes are watery.

Janelle approaches Annabelle. She had sighted her feisty cousin, Vanessa.

" Anything the matter?" Janelle asks raising her eyebrows.

Annabelle ignores her, dashing out of the garden to her room ready to pour out her tears.

                           *******

King Oden gives his son's letter an incredulous stare, his body tingles. He couldn't believe his eyes.

His son apologizing for his wrong doings. Something must be wrong somewhere?

" You called for me" Audrea enters the king's throne room, walking towards him.

" Take a look at this"

Oden stretch forth the letter towards Audrea.

Audrea eyes dart around the letter absorbing in, each words.

" Wow!, what an apology" Audrea finally comments.

" It baffles me though" Oden replies

Audrea lifts up her right eye brow, staring openly at her husband.

" Yes, it baffles me"

" So what will be your verdict?"

Oden pauses thinking hardly of what

to do next. He sighs, his son had always been a difficult nut to crack just like his mother.

Only god knew what he was planning next.

" Richard can't be trusted" Oden concludes.

" You can't say no to his request"

Audrea opposes, her voice descending in pitch.

" Thus I will let him out of the dungeon but on the principle that the only place he would be seen when not in his room, is the palace garden"

" But he is the prince of Wales. You shouldn't be keeping him locked up, like an animal, behind the castle walls" Audrea objects raising her voice once again.

Oden face reddens and his muscles quivers.

" Until he learns to follow my orders would he be granted the full right of the prince of Wales!" Oden voice deepens.

" Thus my presence is no longer needed" Audrea turns. She could feel an incredible amount of heat course through her veins.

Her husband was being irrational!.